Concordia’s Elementary students had the opportunity to create with code and then collaborate with students in other grade levels to share their thinking during the Week of Code.

“We want to create a culture of creative problem solvers who are comfortable and confident sharing their thinking and design processes,” said Elementary school vice principal Mrs. Winterstein. 

The Week of Code is dedicated to showcasing student's STEM knowledge and skills, and aims to celebrate their learning and share it with other grades.

“Our objective was to make the process of learning computer coding enjoyable and engaging for students, while also fostering a sense of excitement and enthusiasm for the subject,” said elementary school STEM teacher Mr. Caldwell. 

Students shared their experiences during Week of Code. 

“We worked with Grade 3 students who built a computerized piano, and we got to play it!” said Reception students Olivia, Celia, Sophie and Myky. 

“Our robot bounced a ball,” Olivia added. 

“The robot had a sensor on its head that helped shoot the ball,” Myky explained.  

“I liked Week of Code because I could keep coding in Scratch - I almost finished coding a target game, which I do in STEM class,” said Shih Min (G4). I shared the game with the first graders and they thought it was cool.”

“My friend Binh Anh (G3) built an electronic drum set - you connect cables to it and it makes sounds,” said Bibi (G3).

“I learned you can make a working piano out of cardboard, copper tape, alligator clips and a computer to code it,” said Satine (G4), adding, “I feel like people could really experiment with what they could do in coding, share their ideas, and be creative.” 

Grade 5 students also visited the Concordia High School STEM program, where Grade 12 student Thomas showcased his AI program which can analyze live video and gauge the efficiency of exercises. Students took turns doing exercises and were amazed the program could analyze their movements and tell them the exact angles they needed to maximize their performance.

Learn more about Concordia’s elementary school program.