Professional toy inventor and nationally recognized educator, Rick Hartman, will present an intensive, hands-on, and fun filled science workshop for second grade classes focusing on Solids and Liquids.

Rick will run three, 90 minute workshops, with two second grade classes at a time, ensuring each child receives his attention and focus. During the experience students will use and explore simple hand tools to build a rubber band powered boat to demonstrate important scientific properties such as transparency, flexibility, and states of matter.

This experience links perfectly with our new TCI science curriculum unit, Materials and Their Uses – The first I Wonder question of the unit being “What materials could I use to make a boat?” Students will have completed this unit prior to the Toy Maker Workshop and will be able to apply their understanding of solids and liquids directly to this hands on and engaging workshop. Specific vocabulary introduced during the classroom science investigations will be highlighted during this program including: classify, material, property, solid, liquid, states of matter, and absorb. The highly engaging and creative hands-on project will give students an exciting, real world experience that connects science to the world around them. Students get to take home the boats they create at the end of the workshop.

Second grade students will have an incredible opportunity where they are able to come together to make their boats through student led teaching and learning. This program is focused on student inquiry, creativity, curiosity and innovation. This all happens through the use of a variety of simple tools provided by School of Toy, which each child will receive in their own individual kit. Students will be challenged to think creatively and tackle new designs. They will be encouraged to prototype and problem solve, and of course learn and follow the Engineering Design Process. This program will greatly benefit our students by giving them an opportunity to work together while playing multiple roles such as creator, mentor, engineer, scientist, and mathematician. Students will be engaged in making, sharing, collaborating and reflecting on the STEM project they conduct.

The three 90 minute workshops will take place in three different second grade classrooms with two second grade classes at a time. Parents and teachers will serve as ‘toymaker assistants’, working with students to help construct their science toys. They will learn along with the students the importance of being flexible in their creative thinking around STEM concepts. Second Grade teachers will collaborate prior to the workshop to plan the Materials and Their Uses Unit, reviewing each lesson to determine connectivity to the workshop and areas to emphasize to prepare students.

We need your support to get every Panther a yearbook.  Each year we have students who don't get to have their yearbook signed by friends and faculty.  They also miss out on having tangible memories of high school.  By donating $72.00, YOU can make a difference and sponsor a Panther.

We know not every family can afford the costs the extras of high school and we want ALL of our Panthers to experience this opportunity. With your help, we can purchase yearbooks for our Panthers in need.

Question please email Beth Esco - huntescoe@parkhill.k12.mo.us

Hello, all!

We are the Park Hill High School FIRST Robotics team; team 5013, the Trobots! We're about 40 hardworking high school students with a passion for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). We work together to build a robot for a game, the nature of which changes each year. We then travel to compete with other high school robotics teams to see whose robot best meets the challenge.

The Trobots have been steadily improving with each robotics season - at our latest competition, we upset a higher-seeded alliance and made it all the way to semi-finals! We are very excited about our prospects for this year!

We strive to spread STEM values to our diverse student and community body. We have no barrier or entry fee to join the club; all of our materials and travel are paid for through fundraising and donations. There are numerous costs associated with building the robot (robot parts, tools, access to technology) and traveling to compete (busing fees, hotel accommodations, enough food for a team of hungry teenagers).

When our students complete this program, they have the opportunity to apply for a wide variety of scholarships through FIRST Robotics. Most of our graduated students are now studying engineering or other STEM professions at a variety of colleges across the country. 

Thank you for taking the time to read our fundraiser information. ANY donation helps us meet our goals and the needs of our students!