Rainwater Elementary Partners with Perot Museum for Annual STEM Night

Rainwater Elementary partnered with the Perot Museum to give students and families a superhero-themed STEM Night full of holiday fun. This annual event shines a light on the enriching STEM education that students at Rainwater receive each day by showcasing their creativity and learning in the classroom. 

Families in attendance participated in a Superhero Training Academy led by the Perot Museum with support from teachers and staff. The program focused on TEKS based instruction and featured stations where visitors explored the science behind super powers including super strength, invisibility, and even x-ray vision. The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are the state’s current standards outlining what students are to learn in each course or grade.

“Families always love this event,” said Nicole Greenleaf, Rainwater Principal. “It is great to see families engage in activities together, challenging each other's thinking and working through the engineering process.”

Not to be outdone by the museum, Rainwater STEM teacher Vince Alex made sure the students had some work of their own to showcase. From first grade’s windmills to third grade’s custom LEGO rovers, students were ready to show off their hard work to their families. 

“The reason why STEM is such an important part of elementary education is because it allows the students to think beyond just science and math,” Alex said. “It allows students to work by using hands-on learning that teaches critical thinking skills.”

Attendees of the event were also able to visit the book fair, eat dinner at an In & Out Burger food truck and take pictures with Santa. 

Encouraging family participation in school is part of Rainwater’s mission. 

“We are a STEM Academy and STEM is a focus of our day to day here at Rainwater,” Greenleaf said. “It is imperative for not only our students but also our families to engage in our STEM curriculum. It is truly the best feeling to have the building full of families collaborating, participating, and enjoying all that the event has to offer. Parents are usually blown away by the amazing work that our students are creating across all grade levels.”