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John Adams students demo coding, robotics and cross‑curricular projects for North Brunswick board
Summary
At a March 19 board meeting, John Adams Elementary students and teachers showcased a Girls Who Code pilot, after‑school robotics, cross‑curricular fairy‑tale projects and student‑council initiatives, demonstrating classroom work and community service projects to the North Brunswick Township Board of Education.
At a March 19 conference meeting of the North Brunswick Township Board of Education, John Adams Elementary students and staff presented a series of classroom demonstrations including a Girls Who Code pilot, after‑school robotics and a cross‑curricular fairy‑tale unit.
Miss Blain, John Adams’ technology teacher, described the Girls Who Code pilot as “absolutely amazing,” saying it ran during lunch for third‑ and fourth‑grade students and included block‑based coding and 3D work. Students showed projects accessible by QR code and demonstrated Sphero and Dash robots used to teach sequencing, angles and problem solving. “We started an initiative from the foundation which is absolutely amazing,” Miss Blain said.
Fourth‑grade students demonstrated a variety of classroom projects. Courtney, a fourth‑grade student, invited the board to try classmates’ projects via QR codes and helped explain a Sphero maze program that used a compass reading to set headings. Other students described building a Dash gripper and a Dash launcher and noted the role of measurement and debugging in their designs.
The school's media specialist, Mrs Martin, presented a cross‑curricular unit on Cinderella that linked library, computer, art and music classes. Students compared multiple retellings of the story, built STEM “castles” in small groups, coded robots to reach story characters and performed a class‑created song for the board.
Student council leaders also reported civic activities. Jillian Troutman, student council adviser, said students organized a Middlesex County spring food drive and produced posters, announcements and fundraising events; Courtney, student council vice president, reported the school collected 450 items and described ongoing fundraisers such as a Penny War.
Teachers and administrators told the board the presentations were intended to highlight student learning, leadership and interdisciplinary work, and to show how hands‑on projects support both technical skills and literacy. The board proceeded from the presentation to its regular agenda after the program concluded.
The board meeting took place at John Adams Elementary School in North Brunswick Township.
