Polk Street School’s second graders transformed into young engineers and inventive problem-solvers during the “Game On” STEAM program, presented by the Long Island Children’s Museum. This engaging in-school field trip introduced students to the fundamentals of video and arcade games, along with the basics of game design and development.

Inspired by Caine’s Arcade, the famous cardboard arcade built by Caine Monroy when he was 9 years old, the students were challenged to engineer their own arcade games using only a limited set of materials: cardboard trays, straws, paper and plastic cups, marbles, tape and LED lights. With these constraints, they tapped into their critical thinking and creative design skills to build functioning games from scratch. They tested their designs and troubleshooted to ensure the game played smoothly.

Date Added: 5/12/2025

Polk Street School’s pre-K classes celebrated the beginning of spring with a flowerpot craft on April 11. Following a party with an array of snacks, the students began decorating their own flowerpots. Using colorful spring stickers of bumblebees and flowers, they beautified their pots and prepared them for being filled with dirt. Donning gardening gloves, each student planted their flower seeds. The flowerpots will be placed on the classroom windowsills for the students to observe their growth.

Date Added: 4/17/2025