Revolutionizing Education: Rumsey Offers Comprehensive STEM Program
Amidst the growing importance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills, Rumsey Hall School launched a STEM program tailored for Pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade.
The STEM curriculum program highlights an interdisciplinary learning environment where students explore various STEM concepts through hands-on units. Two examples from this year were using robotics and the engineering design process to model animal defenses and creating stop-motion animation to illustrate how electrons move through circuits.
Gregory Dunbar, a STEM-trained educator, leads the program by emphasizing “teaching students how to think rather than what to think,” he said. The curriculum fosters curiosity and encourages self-discovery through a tailored toolkit developed from previous teaching experience in California and higher education. Dunbar holds a Bachelors of Science in Landscape Architecture and a Masters of Education K-8 Science from UMASS Amherst, as well as a Masters in Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.
STEM integrates scientific concepts into the design thinking framework, allowing Rumsey students to witness firsthand problem-solving skills. Lesson plans often utilize readily available resources. For example, second graders delved into biodiversity and local habitats using the benefits of a 231-acre Rumsey campus, encompassing a Shepaug River section. They examined various river-dwelling species, including insects, fish, amphibians, and reptiles. Returning to the classroom, they constructed river cross-sections depicting their findings, then utilized a programming app, Scratch Jr., to transform these cross-sections into interactive models of the river habitat.
Another lesson resulted in a Robot Petting Zoo. “The students had to create a creature that can think, sense, and act, which fit perfectly in the sweet spot of 5th grade robotics,” said Dunbar. “I grew up in New England and was excited to pick local species for the robot creations.”
A student’s natural curiosity is overflowing in pre-k through 5th-grade classrooms - “I don’t get a chance to say hello to the class, and the questions start flying. My recent favorite came from a third grader who asked, “How thick is your skin?” I thought she was asking about my resilience, but she was curious about how thick my skin was from a scientific perspective,” said Dunbar.
Parents and guardians interested in learning more about Rumsey's STEM program can contact Admissions at 860-868-0535 or admission@lubosh.net.
Rumsey Hall School is a junior boarding and day education leader for Pre-K through 9th grade in Washington Depot. Learn more at w.lubosh.net.
Rumsey Hall School's second-grade STEM class explores biodiversity on campus by the Shepaug River. Pictured are students after examining river species alongside teacher Greg Dunbar (FR-LR) are Edward O’Dell of Litchfield, Molly Reinhardt of Kent, Charlie Schmidt of Litchfield, Claire Foley of Watertown, Hezzy Gum of Washington, Juliette Baron of Litchfield, Glenda Kim of Washington (back row (L-R) are Alexandra Eren of Bethlehem and Greg Dunbar.
Rumsey fifth-grader Avery Eren of Bethlehem showcases her STEM animal robot project, "Cottontail Rabbit," at the classroom's Robot Petting Zoo fair.
During a recent outdoor classroom lesson, STEM teacher Greg Dunbar assisted a second-grade student, Alexa Rondos of Litchfield, in examining river species.