Washington District PTO Newsletter

• December 1st - 16th
• We are assisting the school staff in the running of the Holiday Shop. We are asking for volunteers that may be willing to come in and help each day from 8:30-11:00 and 1:00-2:30. Our purpose is to help students write wish lists, and shop within budget. If you are interested in helping please use this link to sign up!

Paint Night:

• December 10th, 5-7pm
• Fee: $10 a ticket
• We are opening it up to parents and students this time. The first 50 people to sign up and send the money back will have a spot!

PTO Meeting:

• December 15th 5pm
• School Library

We are delighted to share the highlights from our first-ever STEM Day for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders! This event was a huge success, packed with engaging, hands-on learning that truly brought Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math concepts to life.

⚙️ Grades 3 & 4: Engineers in Action

Our 3rd and 4th graders stepped into the role of engineers as they tackled a challenging problem focused on Simple Machines.

• The Challenge: Students were given a set of supplies and a specific problem to solve.

• The Process: Working in teams, they followed the core engineering design process: they brainstormed, sketched designs, built, tested, and iterated on their solutions.

• The Outcome: There was no single "right answer," which led to incredible creativity! Most groups predominantly used the concept of a lever, resulting in many different variations of catapults. We saw amazing teamwork and ingenious solutions from every group!

✨ Grade 5: Exploring the Science of Light

Our 5th graders were introduced to the fascinating world of the light spectrum and wave physics.

• Key Concepts: Students learned how energy travels in waves and how variations in wavelength create everything they experience—from the colors they see and the sounds they hear, to technology like X-Rays and microwaves.

• Hands-On Fun: To solidify their learning, every student received a pair of diffraction glasses. They used these special glasses to look at different light sources in the classroom, discovering the distinct colors that compose each type of light.

The overall feedback was overwhelmingly positive! It was an amazing day filled with engaging, collaborative, and hands-on learning opportunities that empowered our students to think critically and creatively.

Thank you to all the volunteers and staff who made this inaugural STEM Day a truly memorable and impactful experience for our students!

This month, we are thrilled to recognize an exceptional parent volunteer who is passionately transforming the educational landscape for our children: Christina Gruszecki, our dedicated STEM champion!

💡 Bringing Learning to Life

Christina is a driving force behind increasing hands-on opportunities for our students. She believes in connecting classroom learning to real-world problems and challenges, opening students' eyes to the vast opportunities available in our community and beyond.

When asked about her deep commitment, Christina shared her vision for our area:

"This is a beautiful community where we wanted to live and raise our children. I believe the resources are here, and we should be able to offer the best education possible. I hope we can find a way to take full advantage of them."

Christina draws inspiration from her own positive childhood experiences—from gifted programs and hands-on experiments to poetry and early French lessons—and uses that background to help enrich our students' STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education.

🚀 A Partnership That Pays Off

Christina’s employer, the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD), has a strong STEM Outreach program with a dedicated team of advocates, of which she is an active member. The partnership between NSWCDD and Westmoreland County Public Schools allows Christina and other STEM advocates to dedicate time to supporting school-based initiatives like STEM clubs, science fairs, and community events. The ultimate goal is to spark interest and equip children with the skills needed for future STEM careers.

Her dedication goes above and beyond: even during the government shutdown, Christina continued volunteering her time because of how important this work is.

"In addition to providing these opportunities, I really enjoy it! In some cases, I’m learning right along with the students. It's fun to make things and use my creative and engineering skills together."

🔬 Inspiring Innovation

For the past three years, Christina has directly supported our students by running a dynamic STEM Club for 3rd - 5th graders. Activities have included:

• Building circuits and sail cars

• Programming Ozobots and Dash robots

• Designing straw rockets and catapults

She has also mentored two middle school teams for the Spike Prime LEGO Robotics competitions!

"This year has been amazing. We’ve moved beyond the basics of programming to focusing on how to work together as a team to solve challenges. Seeing what they can do together has been great."

We are excited to announce that the 4th and 5th-grade STEM Club will continue in the new year, culminating in a competition this February!

🧩 Making Connections: STEM Day

Finally through her role in the PTO, Christina organized last month's first ever hugely successful STEM Day at WDES!

Christina Gruszecki has truly worked tirelessly to make our school a better place by providing impactful and engaging STEM activities for our students.

The next time you see her, please join us in giving her a heartfelt thank you for the incredible extra effort and passion she pours into our WDES community!