PS 676 Harbor Middle School held a family fun STEM night in the cafeteria for the students and parents.
There was a special focus on women in science as March is Women’s History month. There were also hands-on math and science activities at tables and outside organizations at the event. There was a women’s history coloring table. A drawing was on one side and then it’s significance on the back
Maria Sibylla Merian, who is a famous scientific illustrator, was the subject of one of the sheets. She was one of the earliest European naturalists to document observations about insects directly.
There was a 3D printing table with information about NASA scientists Valerie Thomas and Sonia Diaz and Ana Rodriguez, who are designers of 3D printed prosthetics.
The process of 3D printing varies depending on size. The fastest it could take is about 20 minutes. There was a castle on the table that the kids made with the 3D printer which took many hours.
Katherine Johnson is another female scientist who was highlighted. was born in 1918 and lived to 102.
She excelled at math at an early age and was able to start high school at age 10 and enrolled at West Virginia State Universityat 14.
She was one of the first African American women to work as a NASA scientist. Her work was key to the success of the first U.S. space missions.
Johnson was responsible for trajectory calculations for the 1969 Apollo 11 mission to the moon and was also in charge of checking the math of the new electronic computers at NASA.
She worked on vital projects like the Space Shuttle, satellites and plans for a mission to Mars. Two NASA facilities were named in her honor.
Hydroponics grant
The Harbor School recently got a grant from the New York Sun Works organization, which allowed a classroom to be transformed into a hydroponics lab.
They grow lots of plants in the classroom and kale that was grown in the classroom was served in the cafeteria.
On a table there was a big range of flower seed packets. The goal was to have flowers ready in time for Mother’s Day and if not to have them in the garden in the schoolyard.
A free fitness bootcamp from 4-5 pm in the gym was led by Stay Fit Culture. Their mission is to bring communities together through fitness, education and wellness.
This parent engagement series workshop aims to foster open communication, create a supportive environment for sharing and equip parents with tools to engage effectively in their children’s educational journey.
The bootcamp session was tailored for parents, principals and staff members. There will be another one at PS 15 for both schools on April 4 from 6 – 7 p.m.
Stay Fit Culture stands out due to its focus on engaging in courageous conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion and how these topics affect parent engagement.
Pioneer Works brought 200 solar glasses to be worn to view the eclipse on April 8. They brought materials for the students to design holding cases for the glasses.
Library giveaway
The Public Library had free books by and about women.
The new Red Hook NYU Langone Family Health Center, located at 168 Van Brunt Street, had a table with giveaways and information about what they offer.
Their services include primary care including pediatrics and family medicine, dental care, behavioral support, women’s health and obstetrics and family support.
They will have a location in the building soon only for PS 676 and Summit students. It will open when it gets clearance from the state.
There is no co-pay or out-of-pocket cost to get care from the school based health program. They offer physicals, dental, vaccinations, prescriptions, screenings and laboratory tests.
These services inside school can mean a child will miss fewer days of school and parents will miss fewer days of work with the child being healthy.
