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Students win national writing prize; Timberlane STEMpathy project builds inclusive costumes for Mercer students
Summary
A Hopewell Valley middle school student won a national writing prize; Timberlane students and teachers described a STEM-based inclusive project that created costumes and an inclusive carnival for Mercer Elementary students using wheelchairs.
Board members recognized several student achievements and a teacher-created inclusion project during the meeting.
Miss Riley introduced Grace Corvalline, a senior and one of the district's student representatives, who reported on thriving athletics and arts programming at Hopewell Valley Central High School. The student report noted theatre rehearsals, choir fundraising, athletic records, a clubs fair with more than 50 student-led clubs, and the administration's scheduling of the PSAT for sophomores and juniors.
Administrators then presented two honors tied to the district: a middle-school student whose poem won an award from the American Writers Museum and a Timberlane-created program called STEMpathy that connects middle-school engineering coursework to inclusive experiences for students with physical disabilities. Teachers and retired educators described how Timberlane students designed and built 12 costumes for students at Mercer Elementary who use wheelchairs and created an inclusive carnival; the project was funded by a Hopewell Valley Education Association grant. Pupil services and parent speakers described emotional impacts and community connections from the events.
Students involved in STEMpathy described hands-on work using cardboard, felt and PVC to create costumes and interactive carnival games. Parents and board members praised the collaboration and recognized the students and staff for national recognition and district-based community service.
