STEM HELP — The National Day of STEM Turkey Trot took place at McKinley STEM Academy Nov. 7. A series of stations were set up for students to use science, technology, engineering and math activities.Approximately 50 parents, along with students from Harding Middle School, volunteered to assist the students with their projects. Kindergardeners D.Q. Simmons and Nova Byrom received help making paper plate balloons from National Junior Honor Society eighth-graders Teddy Gorman and Jace Wotjas. -- Contributed

STEUBENVILLE — Students at McKinley STEM Academy celebrated the National Day of STEM Great Turkey Trot Nov. 7, participating in various activities geared toward science, technology, engineering and math.

Fourth-grade teacher Mackenzie Filtz explained classrooms incorporated cross-curricular lessons throughout the week, leading up to a visit from WTOV-TV meteorologist Jeff Oechslein. Filtz said activities will continue until Thanksgiving break.

“The classrooms had done activities all week to prepare,” Filtz stated. “We discussed STEM and what it means. We had close to 20 parents and did a presentation on STEM and the programs we do here.”

A “Second Cup of Coffee” session touched on the Ag lab, where students worked in the greenhouse and completed projects, such as terrariums and composting. The school takes part in the Project Lead the Way curriculum, involving STEM and hands-on learning. The session is followed by the annual Turkey Trot festivities, with teachers and volunteers helping students with projects at various stations in their classroom.

Activities were split between preschool and kindergarten pupils, who completed projects in the morning and first through fourth grades participating in the afternoon.

Approximately 20 parent volunteers and 30 members of the Harding Middle School National Junior Honor Society assisted McKinley students in completing their projects assigned through six STEM-based stations.

Kiah Chester of the Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County read “Balloons Over Broadway.” She then asked students to create paper plate “balloons” through a STEM activity that was tied to the story.

A station entitled “Voyage of the Mayflower” allowed students to design and create aluminum foil boats, then attempt to make them float in a tub of water by filling them with coins and determining how many would make their ship sink.

A “Turkey Launcher” station offered students a chance to construct a launcher that would project a ping pong ball that had been designed to resemble a turkey.

The “Thanksgiving Feast” station was where miniature tables were created for determining how much weight they could hold. A snack station was set up for students to create an edible turkey treat using candy corn, icing, Nutter Butters and other ingredients.

A Balloons Over Broadway parade was held in the school hallway to complete the event. The halls were decorated to depict a city skyline for the “balloons.”

Filtz said this was the first year for the school-wide STEM day celebration, which was prompted by the success of October’s National Farm-to-School Month and its sixth-annual Great Apple Crunch to celebrate healthy, locally grown food through STEM activities.

“The Great Apple Crunch was such a success that we decided to do a school-wide event,” Filtz concluded. “It’s a kickstart to our next holiday. It’s good engagement between the kids and they see how it’s challenging on different levels. The parents and middle school students were here to help while the kids were building and creating.”