By Dr. Francisco de la Serna Sabate.

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. In the technological advancement driven society in which we live in, it is of vital importance to ensure that students are exposed in the most efficient and stimulating way to all of these disciplines to become the leading forces of the future.

Following this spirit, CIS Shenyang puts great emphasis on the development of our students’ STEM abilities and I am very proud to present to you several examples of this efforts done by our teacher in Kindergarten, PYP and MYP.

Mrs Nayali, our Kindergarten coordinator, knows well the importance of inciting curiosity in our students. In her class, she organized several sensory tables that allows students to experiment with different sensations to explore their environment. With time and encouragement, this curiosity will move them to continue their exploration, for what they will show interest in the STEM subjects. 

Mrs Hobson, Grade 5 homeroom teacher, offered a great example of applied engineering when she asked her class to design and build a mechanic hand that could grab and transport a soda can. Students worked in groups and then presented their projects and shared constructive comments with their peers to improve each other’s ideas.

For MYP, our grades 6-9 Science teacher, Mrs Ghazala, is organizing our very first annual Science Fair, which will happen in Mid-April. Under her guidance, students have selected different scientific challenges and will present their results orally and with the help of tryptics of their own design. 

Moreover, our MYP Math teacher, Mr Hobson, is at the helm of our efforts to challenge our PYP/MYP kids into becoming better mathematicians by organizing our participation in the Math Kangaroo competition coming this Saturday 3^rd of April.

They have prepared some articles for you, the parents/guardians of our students, to keep you informed on our efforts and the achievements of your children. I encourage you to feel proud of your children’s achievements, and to talk with them about these activities. Your approval and encouragement means the world for them, and us. This is just the beginning, rest assured that we plan more strategies, events and competitions as we speak. As they say, the sky is the limit!

Together is better!