About the STEM Committee: The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Learning Committee is a group of parents interested in helping to enrich Runnymede through hands-on science, mathematics and technology opportunities that focus on the reinforcement of the mathematics and science curricula.
If you would like to join or help, please contact the STEM committee chairs Anne-Marie, Dave and Tasha: runnymedestemcommittee@gmail.com.
COVID-19 restrictions have limited the amount of in-class enrichnment that we can faciliate this year. In the past our activities have included:
- Facilitating STEM enrichment activities in the school, including:
- Fun, in-class math activities for kindergarten students
- The Amazing MATH Race for students in grades 1-4
- Classroom enrichment programs such as University of Toronto Engineering Outreach for students in grades 5-8
- Creating hands-on science “kits” and procuring science manipulatives for students in kindergarten – grade 8
- Sourcing math manipulatives for all grade levels, to make math more hands-on and fun
- Dispatching a team of parents to assist in the installation of school technology and to make sure all computer systems are up and running for immediate, in-class use
- Sourcing additional funding and instructional support for in-school technology as well as STEM subjects
STEM Activities During the Month of June
June is usually a busy month for Runnymede students, with hands-on STEM learning going on inside and outside the classroom. Here’s what you might expect in a normal year:
Junior and senior students will be participating in a variety of STEM Enrichment programming at Runnymede. In the past these events have included Future Goals: Hockey Scholar STEM Learning sessions and University of Toronto Engineering Outreach programs.
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Primary students (grades 1 – 4) participate in the Amazing Math Race. This is a half-day, off-site, fun math event where students run around and use their math and team-work skills.
Dates: Each grade will have a specific day in the last half of June.
Time: 12:00 – 3:15 pm
Grade Leads Needed! We’re always looking for parents who can do a bit of preliminary organization and help lead the Amazing Math Race for their child’s grade. If you’re interested in being a Grade Lead or if you simply want to volunteer for a half-day of fun math activities with your child on the day of the event, please get in touch at runnymedeSTEMcommittee@gmail.com. No math expertise required!
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Kindergarten students participate in the Angry Birds Math activity where they get to stand up and measure, build, sort, graph and LAUNCH Angry Birds! 
Dates and times are TBC, but each class will participate in a half-day activity (9:00 – 11:30 am or 12:30 – 3:00 pm). The Angry Birds Math activity usually runs in late May / early June once students have covered most of the math curriculum.
Interested in volunteering in your child’s class for this activity? Please email runnymedeSTEMcommittee@gmail.com.
Robotics at Runnymede
Runnymede is extremely fortunate to have hosted competitive FIRST LEGO league robotics teams. Tryouts are typically hosted in the spring for students who will be in grades 4-8 the following school year. Teams get straight to work as soon as school starts on their annual challenges.
Unfortunately all FLL activities are suspedended until further notice due to COVID-19 related restrictions.
What is FLL? FLL combines basic robotic programming and scientific discovery with team work and product development culminating in a fun and friendly showcase competition. In FLL coaches become mentors and the students work to find solutions together. Visit FLL League for more information about this worldwide phenomenon.
Visit the team’s website to find out about our projects and for helpful hints on LEGO building, programming and crazy STEM fun!
Interested in learning programming at home? Check out the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s site SCRATCH. This site encourages kids to program using blocks of code that they connect to make scripts. They can “see inside” the programs of posted games and learn from others, or follow the tutorials provided.
Join us!
Any parent interested in helping promote the Math and Science curricula at Runnymede is welcome to join the STEM committee – we’d love to have you! No specific skills are required. Please contact us to learn more or to join.
Runnymede Public School Council 