Last Thursday, Mapleton Elementary School held its “Spooky S.T.E.M. Night” for its students and their families. While the evening started with pizza for everyone, the rest of the evening with its distinctive Halloween decorations was a seriously fun but definitely educational experience for everyone. Thanks to the sponsorship of the Mapleton Parent Organization and Huber Engineered Woods, all of the evening’s Halloween activities contained built in S.T.E.M. subject learning. For many people the term S.T.E.M. is not a familiar concept. In the last decade, the term S.T.E.M. has come into use in school curriculum and stands for educational disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. S.T.E.M subjects are often challenging and only a small percentage of students pursue these disciplines.
(Courtesy of Terry Sandusky)
So how did the Mapleton Parent Organization and school staff bring S.T.E.M. and Halloween together. With the help of volunteer education students from the University of Maine at Presque Isle, a series of S.T.E.M. activities disguised as Halloween activities were scattered throughout the school for the kids to find and participate in. Some of these activities were pumpkin catapults, ghost rockets, witches brew, and pumpkin clocks. So what makes these common everyday fun activities into S.T.E.M. activities? First there is a set of directions such as the following instructions for making the witches brew. Make a small mixture of vinegar and a few small drops of dish soap. Then in a small cauldron place a small scoop of baking soda and some small Halloween trinkets. Finally pour the vinegar-soap mixture into the cauldron and observe. Now one might say this is a common little entertainment trick parents and teachers have been doing with kids for years, but Thursday night it became a S.T.E.M. learning activity as kids learn about the acidic (vinegar) – base (baking soda) reactions in the cauldron that make carbon dioxide and how the soap acts as a surfactant to make the bubbles last longer.
(Courtesy of Terry Sandusky)
As the students moved from one activity to another, they learned the science behind each Halloween project. For example, the “Pumpkin Catapult” allowed kids to learn about storing elastic energy and converting that energy to kinetic energy and how Newton’s first law keeps the pumpkin flying once it has chucked. Over at the Ghost Rockets table, rocket capsules launch using a mixture of cornmeal, water and alka seltzer with the kids answering the questions, “What determines how high the rocker goes, What causes the rocket to launch and Would changing the amount of water or Alka Seltzer change how high it goes?”
(Contributed photo)
Nearly 200 students and family members came out for this fun and learning evening. They learned the importance of a STEM education. School systems across the country have begun to realize the evolving workforce and technology advances faster than ever, and that STEM education is becoming more and more important. Since 1990, STEM occupations have grown by 79 percent. Of these jobs, 93 percent of them pay higher than the national average. There are many examples of changes in everyday work being made as a result of expanding STEM occupations. In Aroostook County, people marvel at the tractors that are GPS guided with three and four computer screens in the cab that provide a driver with needed information to operate the tractor and the attached harvester. The school staff believes that through classroom learning and fun family activities such as this “Spooky STEM Night”, students will choose future STEM occupations.
Mapleton Daze Talent Show coming
The Mapleton Daze Committee announced their upcoming “Mapleton Daze Got Talent Show”. The show is scheduled for Saturday, October 28 at 6 p.m. The location of the show will be the Mapleton Elementary School. The committee has been enlisting talented individuals and groups from all around Aroostook County. There will be singers, dancers and instrumentalists. A program listing of the talent acts has not been released, but all types of talent are being considered for the talent contest.
There are three age categories in which contestants are registering. The youngest age category will be 10 years of age and under. The winner of this category will receive $100. The next age category is 11 to 18 years. Again the winner will receive $100. The adult age category is 19 years and up with the winner receiving $100. Everyone is welcome to attend the “Mapleton Daze Got Talent Show” to help support Mapleton Daze 2024.
Mapleton Daze Committee to host hunter’s breakfast
The Mapleton Daze Committee invites everyone, hunter or non-hunter, to their hunter’s breakfast. The breakfast will be held on Saturday, November 4 starting at 5 a.m. and ending at 9 a.m. (or until food is gone). Breakfast will be served at the Mapleton Lions Hall at 1713 Main Street, Mapleton. The donations for breakfast will be accepted with a suggested donation of $10 per person.
This breakfast is not to be missed as an excellent breakfast will be served by the best cooks around who serve on the Mapleton Daze Committee. Food will be served buffet-style filled with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, homemade baked beans, pancakes, toast, coffee, juice and water — enough to fill each diner up for either the big day of hunting or a busy day around home – the breakfast is open to everyone. Also the committee will have a variety of door prizes and raffles.
Back by popular demand, the Mapleton Daze Committee’s 5th Annual Mapleton Daze On-line Auction, which will be the biggest fundraising event for Mapleton Daze 2024 is coming. The auction will start on November 6 at 8 a.m.
This will be a great time to start some holiday shopping by bidding on some great items that they have received as donations for Mapleton Daze 2024. The auction will be three days long and will end on Wednesday night, November 8 at 6 p.m. No late bids will be accepted after this time..
The auction has always been a very fun event for bidders and participants. The best part is the many great deals that bidders experience. Because this is a fundraiser, Items cannot be mailed. Bidders living outside of the area, who cannot pickup the items they might win in the bidding process are encouraged not to place on items as the Mapleton Daze Committee cannot mail the items. To view the items, please go to the Event Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/130820123359452. Go to the “Discussion” tab on the event page to see all of the items. Additional items will be added when they come, so check back often to what has been added and remember, don’t start bidding until November 6.
Terry Sandusky is the Star-Herald correspondent for Mapleton, Chapman and Castle Hill and can be reached at 764-4916 or at starherald.Tsandusky@gmail.com.
