STEAM

Level Up Village is taking the idea of the pen pal to the next level. Its mission came to life in our Lower and Middle School divisions this year, as students in PreK, third grade, and eighth grade made connections across continents.

GFA’s PreK know that Long Island Sound is a special place and they understand the importance of protecting this unique natural resource. With that in mind, the students set out to build an exhibit at Earthplace, a nature center in Westport, to educate visitors about pollution solutions.

Budding Middle School scientists and researchers were honored in a ceremony in the Forum for their recent award-winning projects. The awards were given to sixth through eighth graders whose work was acknowledged at the MS Science Expo (sixth grade) and the Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair (seventh and eighth grades).

Kendall Roche was selected as a 2018 Certificate of Distinction recipient of the Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC). According to the selection committee, Roche was chosen “ because of [her] computing-related aspirations and for [her] demonstrated interest in technology, solid leadership ability, academic history, and plans for post-secondary education.”

Junior Leah Attai was recognized for her computing aspirations, as well as her exceptional aptitude and interest in technology.

In the Jan. 20 First Tech Challenge (FTC) qualifying competition, GFA’s robotics team, the Dragonoids, went undefeated against 26 teams.

GFA Robotics Team captains Alex Necakov and Teddy Gartland led the Dragonids to a third-place finish in the Waterbury qualifier for the Connecticut State Championships.

Throughout the fall, the PreK has been engaged in seed-to-table work. During numerous visits to the garden, students discovered a wide variety of crops and studied the structure and function of plant roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds. After an exploration of the Westport Farmers Market, the students were inspired to create their own market.

The fifth grade solar car project incorporated concepts from all of the Signature Programs, but Sustainability Coordinator Jackie Tran said that the students’ main takeaway was a greater understanding of solar power as a renewable energy source. 

GFA’s Signature Programs are designed to weave throughout all three divisions, but it is a rare opportunity for the divisions to work together in the same academic course.