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Goshen launches K–2 STEAM Studio; teacher and students showcase hands-on lessons
Summary
At a Nov. 18 Board of Education meeting, Mark Hook Elementary teacher Caitlin Henderson and students demonstrated a new 40‑minute K–2 STEAM Studio focused on science, technology, engineering, art and math with an emphasis on social-emotional skills and open-ended problem solving.
The Goshen Local Board of Education heard a presentation on Nov. 18 about a new STEAM Studio at Mark Hook Elementary, a 40‑minute special for kindergarten through second grade designed to blend science, technology, engineering, art and math with social-emotional learning.
Principal Martha introduced the program and named Caitlin Henderson as the lead teacher. Henderson told the board she spent four to six weeks teaching routines and expectations and has established a consistent lesson/play/cleanup/reflect structure. "We have a lesson… then they have time to play, and then we do a cleanup time, and then they have about five minutes to reflect," Henderson said.
Henderson described current stations that include a sensory bin, a Pumpkin Jack decomposition project, a technology center with typing games and virtual field trips, an engineering Tinkerspace for cardboard building, a maker-space art table and math centers such as tangrams and measuring activities. She said the program intentionally rotates students through hands-on centers to practice decision‑making, collaboration and flexible thinking alongside curricular goals.
Students who attend the studio also spoke at the meeting. One student said, "My favorite part about STEAM is listening to books because I might learn a lesson from it," and others cited the light table, rock painting and the maker space as favorites.
The principal invited families and board members to visit the STEAM Studio in action; students who presented received certificates and recognition at the meeting. Administrators asked the board to note the studio's emphasis on social-emotional learning as integral to the classroom design.
The district indicated the STEAM Studio was modeled on a program observed at Indian Hill Primary and that it aims to build foundational collaboration and problem‑solving skills for early grades. The board did not take any formal action on the program at the meeting; the presentation served as an informational highlight.
