Recently, Morrow County School District students did something special. Soon, they will do it again.

The district has STEAM Days four times a school year, the most recent one on Oct. 14. The next one is Nov. 18. The following days are March 3 and April 28, 2023.

“Students enjoy these days immensely,” Jill Ledbetter, A.C. Houghton Elementary School principal said.

Kindergarten through high school students from Boardman, Heppner and Irrigon are involved in STEAM Days. Hours are shortened, 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and students engage in science, technology, engineering, art and math activities.

“MCSD teachers are given the option to teach their students anything that falls within these categories, that is grade-level appropriate, and all materials are provided for these lessons outside of our normal budgets,” she said.

Ledbetter stressed that these are hands-on activities; lessons allow students to speak with one another and interact in ways that make STEAM Days different from regular school days. Also, lessons are appropriate for students’ grade levels, and they are often based around a theme.

“There were a lot of pumpkin/harvest-themed activities on Oct. 14 at A.C. Houghton,” Ledbetter said.

Past STEAM Days have included activities on robotics, circuit boards, sewing, cooking, planting, lava lamps, planetariums, eco-systems, dissecting both plants and animals, making books, journal writing about projects and building volcanoes.

She said STEAM Days have been successful.

“These days originated two years ago with the thought that we as a school district could give students the opportunity to attend four optional learning days with more hands-on, science-focused activities that are different and all about learning through trial and error,” Ledbetter said.

She added that teacher-and-student relationships are strengthened during these days, thanks in part to the relatively small class sizes.

“Over the past two years, we have found that student attendance has increased K-6 on these optional STEAM Days,” she said. “Once students attend the first one, and enjoy those activities, our attendance grows after each STEAM Day for the entire school year.”