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Crown Pond students showcase new Creators Club, draw more than 200 applicants
Summary
Students from Crown Pond Elementary introduced the Crown Pond Creators Club — a new lunch‑and‑recess STEM program — and demonstrated projects using Tinkercad, Glowforge, Makey Makey, micro:bit and paper circuits. Staff said the club was expanded into multiple rotating sessions after more than 200 students applied.
Crown Pond students on Nov. 3 presented the school's new Crown Pond Creators Club to the Yorktown Central School District Board of Education, demonstrating projects and describing how the program gives students hands‑on experience in coding, design and engineering.
The presentation opened with Superintendent Dr. Hatter introducing the students and Crown Pond principal Miss Jacobs turning the floor over to Amanda Burns, the teacher who helped launch the club. Burns told the board the club is a ‘‘lunch and recess opportunity where students can explore design thinking, coding, and creative problem solving in a fun and supportive environment.’’
Students described projects they completed this fall. A fourth‑grade student said the club used Tinkercad to design games and 3D models; another described using a Glowforge to produce bookmarks; others demonstrated coding with micro:bit devices and building paper circuits that light pumpkins. The students invited the community to a Crown Pond Creators Club Expo next June to view the projects.
The board asked how the program could include so many students. Burns said more than 205 students applied and staff restructured the plan from three sessions of about 25 students per grade to roughly five sessions with 22–28 students so that every applicant who wanted to participate could do so. ‘‘We wanted to ensure that any student that applied to be a part of the club was able to be a member of the club,’’ Burns said.
Board members praised both students and staff. Dr. Hatter noted the program began in September and expressed surprise at the breadth of tools students used in a short time. Several board members thanked the teachers and district technology and STEM staff for supporting the effort.
The presentation and board response concluded with students offering tokens of appreciation to board members and an invitation for board members to see other projects at the display table following the meeting.
The board recessed briefly and continued with the regular agenda.
