SPARK STEAM

What an exciting start to the 2026–2027 school year at SPARK! Our Dragons have been busy investigating, designing, experimenting, creating, and solving real-world problems.

From our rooftop garden to hands-on engineering challenges, students are discovering how science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics connect to their everyday lives.

This quarter, we continued to focus on student voice, interdisciplinary learning, community partnerships, and making a difference in the world around us.

We are incredibly proud to celebrate SPARK's recognition as a Georgia Department of Education STEAM Certified School and an Arts Integration School of Excellence!

These honors reflect our commitment to providing meaningful learning experiences that connect academic standards with creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and real-world problem-solving.

We look forward to celebrating these achievements with our school community during our special banner celebration on October 26!

Our Driving Question: How can we reduce food insecurity in our community?

Our schoolwide project-based learning initiative continues to connect classroom learning with meaningful community action.

This quarter, students have been:

• Planning and planting nutritious foods in our rooftop garden.

• Investigating natural pest-control solutions, including companion planting and beneficial insects.

• Using mathematics and data to understand food waste and food insecurity.

• Supporting our SPARK Community Food Pantry with healthy, shelf-stable foods.

• Exploring how growing, rescuing, and sharing food can support families in our community.

  
  

Through partnerships with Helping Hands Ending Hunger, Intown Cares, Kevin Ouzts, Jenné Claiborne, and other community organizations, students are discovering that even our youngest Dragons can make a difference.

Our SPARK Dragons are taking their learning and leadership to the next level through exciting STEAM enrichment opportunities! Our STEAM Ambassadors are developing leadership and communication skills as they share our Learner Profile attributes, present to classrooms, and represent SPARK at special events. Math Club students are strengthening their problem-solving skills through challenging math problems, creative strategies, and teamwork while preparing for competitions. Meanwhile, our Science Olympiad team is busy investigating scientific concepts and tackling hands-on engineering challenges as they prepare for the Midtown Mini Competition in December. These programs provide opportunities for students to explore their interests, build confidence, collaborate with peers, and shine as leaders, mathematicians, scientists, and engineers. We are so proud of our Dragons for going above and beyond!

At SPARK, STEAM is woven into everyday learning as students make meaningful connections across subjects through hands-on investigations, creativity, and problem-solving! Our kindergarten Dragons are exploring American symbols through engineering challenges, including designing their own Statue of Liberty. First graders are becoming meteorologists as they investigate weather and design weather tools. Second graders will soon explore forces and motion through art inspired by Alexander Calder. Third graders are wrapping up their fossil investigations, using evidence to understand Earth's past, while fourth graders are completing their space unit by exploring stars, planets, and the universe. Fifth graders are currently investigating how scientists classify plants and animals based on their characteristics. Across every grade level, students are connecting science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics, and other subjects in meaningful ways that bring learning to life.

September was filled with excitement as SPARK celebrated STEAM Week and STEAM Night! Throughout the week, students participated in hands-on investigations, engineering challenges, and creative activities that connected science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. From designing boats and launching rockets to exploring fossils, weather, matter, and coding, our Dragons were busy asking questions, testing ideas, and solving problems! The excitement continued at STEAM Night, when SPARK families came together to celebrate curiosity, creativity, and the joy of learning through interactive STEAM experiences. These events highlighted what makes SPARK special—students, teachers, and families working together to explore, discover, and innovate. At SPARK, STEAM Influences Everything!

We have so much to look forward to as we continue another exciting year of STEAM learning at SPARK!

Upcoming Events

• October 26: SPARK Banner Celebration – Celebrating STEAM, arts integration, and handwriting excellence!

• November 6: SPARK Community Gathering – Special guest from Georgia Tech's Sports Performance Lab.

• December 3: One Fair Projects Due

• December 4: SPARK One Fair – Students showcase their scientific investigations, engineering designs, and creative solutions.

• December 5: Science Olympiad Midtown Mini Competition – Our Dragons put their scientific knowledge, engineering skills, and teamwork to the test!

  
  

Thank You, SPARK Community!

A huge thank you to our incredible teachers, students, families, PTO, and community partners for making these opportunities possible! Together, we are inspiring students to ask questions, think creatively, and make a difference in their world.

When students own their questions, they own their learning.