Allegiance STEAM Academy Monthly Enrichment Updates
Your go-to resource for staying connected with all the exciting enrichment programs at Allegiance STEAM Academy. This page is updated monthly by our dedicated enrichment teachers to keep you informed about what your child is learning and experiencing.
Parent Resources
Welcome to Your Monthly Enrichment Hub
Stay Connected
Explore the latest updates on our diverse enrichment programs designed to enhance your child's educational experience. From language learning to STEAM exploration, our enrichment offerings provide unique opportunities for growth beyond the traditional curriculum.
This hub is organized by enrichment area, making it easy to find exactly what matters most to your family.
Updated Monthly
Our enrichment teachers personally update this page at the start of each month with fresh content, upcoming events, and highlights from recent activities. You'll find practical tips for supporting learning at home, insights into classroom projects, and ways to stay engaged with your child's enrichment journey.
Check back regularly to stay informed and connected!
World Languages
Spanish and Mandarin programs building global citizenship
Music & Arts
Creative expression through drama and vocal performance
Physical Education
Building healthy habits and athletic skills
STEAM Labs
Hands-on innovation in science, technology, engineering, art, and math
Grades 4-8
Language Learning
Spanish Enrichment (Grades 4-8)
This Month's Learning Focus
Our Spanish curriculum integrates authentic cultural experiences and musical exploration. This March, students are participating in the exciting 'Locura de Marzo' music competition! Students will be learning about featured artists and songs while continuing to master verb conjugations. For Grades 4-8, this month combines language learning with musical performance, allowing students to practice Spanish through song while deepening their understanding of verb tenses and conjugation patterns.
Supporting Learning at Home
  • Ask your child to teach you about the artists and their music
  • Practice verb conjugations through songs and musical examples
  • Encourage your child to sing along and practice pronunciation with the music
  • Discuss the lyrics and what they mean in English and Spanish

Upcoming Events
Locura de Marzo Music Competition - March 2026. Students will showcase Spanish language skills through song performances and artist presentations.
Grades TK-3
Language Learning
Mandarin Enrichment (Grades TK-3)
Monthly Language Adventures
Our youngest learners are exploring Mandarin through playful, immersive experiences that spark curiosity and build foundational skills. This month, students are diving into practical vocabulary and descriptive language that helps them express themselves more fully in Mandarin.
Cultural exploration is woven throughout our lessons, introducing children to Chinese traditions, festivals, and customs. Through hands-on projects like calligraphy practice and craft activities, students develop appreciation for the rich heritage behind the language they're learning.
This month, our Mandarin classes are diving into "Spring and Nature" (春天和自然), learning vocabulary about spring flowers, weather, and animals that emerge. We'll explore traditional spring festivals and engage in activities focusing on new vocabulary like 花 (flowers), 蝴蝶 (butterflies), 春雨 (spring rain), and 小鸟 (birds).
Grade Level Highlights
  • Kindergarten
  • Topic: Describing Words (Adjectives)
  • Students will learn adjectives such as big/small and long/short
  • They will connect these describing words with previously learned vocabulary about the five senses and facial features (eyes, nose, ears, mouth, etc.)
  • Students will practice speaking in simple phrases to describe people and objects
  • 1st Grade
  • Topic: Opposite Adjectives & Animals
  • Students will learn common opposite adjectives (for example: big/small, fast/slow, tall/short)
  • They will apply these adjectives to describe different animals, using simple sentences and oral practice activities
  • 2nd Grade
  • Topic: Colors & Clothing
  • Students will review and expand their color vocabulary and learn names of common clothing items
  • They will practice forming phrases and short sentences to describe what they or others are wearing
  • 3rd Grade
  • Topic: Food
  • Students will learn vocabulary related to food and practice expressing preferences
  • They will build simple sentences to talk about what they like and do not like to eat
Home Learning Resources
Reinforce Mandarin learning with simple daily practice: label household items with Chinese characters, count together in Mandarin, or explore children's books in Chinese. Another learning resource for exploring Spring and Nature in Mandarin can be seen below:
Spring and Nature Exploration (Animated Mandarin Video for Kids)
 
This video helps students understand vocabulary related to spring flowers, weather, and animals through engaging visuals and sounds. Don't forget—even a few minutes of exposure each day makes a meaningful difference!
Chinese New Year & Zodiac Learning
To learn more about Chinese New Year and the Chinese Zodiac, families can watch The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac together:
🎥 The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac (Read Aloud)
This story explains how the zodiac animals were chosen and helps students connect language learning with Chinese culture.
Additional home activities:
  • Read bilingual Chinese children's books
  • Practice writing simple Chinese characters such as 馬 (horse) and 年 (year)
  • Sing Chinese New Year songs learned in class
  • Ask your child to share what they learned about Chinese traditions and celebrations
These activities help reinforce Mandarin learning while building cultural understanding in a joyful way.
TK-8
Performing Arts
Music Enrichment (TK-6 & Middle School)
March in Music Class
TK & Kindergarten — Ensemble Music & Kindness Songs 🎵
Our TK and Kindergarten students are joyfully exploring ensemble music-making through hands-on experiences with xylophones and class songs that celebrate kindness, connection, and community.
Students are learning how music helps us work together, listen carefully, and support one another. By playing in small ensemble groups, they practice taking turns, keeping a steady beat, and blending their sounds — all while building positive relationships with their classmates. Through songs centered on kindness and connection, students are strengthening both their musical skills and their social-emotional growth.
We are so proud of our young musicians as they learn that making music together is one powerful way to build a caring and connected school community!
1st Grade — American Symbols Production 🇺🇸 (April Performance)
Our 1st graders are preparing a special production celebrating important American symbols. Through music, performance, and storytelling, students are developing these skills:
  • Creating and performing artistic work
  • Understanding cultural and historical context
  • Building confidence through presentation and collaboration
This production supports California History–Social Science standards by deepening students' understanding of national symbols and civic identity.
7th Grade — Shakespeare Unshackled 🎭 (April Performance)
Our 7th graders are hard at work on Shakespeare Unshackled, a dynamic theatrical performance inspired by the works of William Shakespeare. Students are exploring character development, theme, and dramatic structure while strengthening their public speaking and ensemble performance abilities.
8th Grade — Promotion Performance Celebration 🎓
As our 8th graders prepare for promotion to high school, they are learning and performing songs that celebrate growth, perseverance, and new beginnings. Through music, students reflect on their middle school journey while building skills in harmony, expression, and stage presence.
These performances highlight how the arts enrich academic learning, foster creativity, and build confident communicators. We look forward to celebrating our students' hard work in April! Thank you for supporting arts education and student achievement! 🎶
Encouraging Musical Growth at Home
  • Listen to a variety of music genres together and discuss what you hear
  • Encourage daily practice sessions, even if just 10-15 minutes
  • Attend live performances to inspire your young musician
  • Create a dedicated practice space free from distractions

Save the Date
Spring Concert Performances Coming Soon
1st Grade: American Symbols Production — April 2026
7th Grade: Shakespeare Unshackled — April 2026
8th Grade: Promotion Performance Celebration — Coming Soon in May!
Grades TK-8
Health & Wellness
Physical Education (TK-8)
Building Healthy, Active Learners
Our comprehensive PE program promotes physical fitness, skill development, and lifelong healthy habits across all grade levels. Students are engaged in age-appropriate activities that build strength, coordination, teamwork, and sportsmanship while having fun and staying active, and of course, are aligned to physical education content standards.
Fitness & Skill Development
Grade-specific activities focus on fundamental movement patterns, sport-specific skills, and cardiovascular endurance tailored to each developmental stage. See a full breakdown below.
Promoting Active Lifestyles at Home
Encourage family walks or bike rides, limit screen time, set fitness goals together, and participate in community sports leagues. Model healthy habits and make physical activity a fun, regular part of family life.
Beyond Physical Education
Beyond physical activity, students learn about mental wellness, goal-setting, and the importance of maintaining healthy habits throughout their lives. We encourage you to model these at home!
This Month's Focus by Grade Level
  • Grades TK-K: Reaction Time & Gross Motor Movements
    Students are working on reaction time and gross motor movements that incorporate cooperation, listening skills, and even math! These foundational skills build coordination and teamwork.
  • Grades 1-3: Ball Skills & Cardiovascular Fitness
    Students are rotating to their new PE teacher for the final trimester. This month focuses on dribbling, tossing, and kicking skills. All students will be working on sustained cardiovascular activity with our pacer and mile (modified for younger grades).
  • Grades 4-6: Sport Skills & Cardiovascular Fitness
    Students are rotating to their new PE teacher for the final trimester. This month features football, volleyball, and frisbee. All students will be working on sustained cardiovascular activity with our pacer and mile.
  • Grades 7-8: Advanced Track and Field Techniques & Fitness Assessments
    Students continue with advanced fitness assessments and skill development.
Fitness Gram Progress Update 💪
Students in Grades 5 & 7 are continuing with the Fitness Gram assessments. We are nearly 50% of the way through the testing period. These assessments help students track their fitness progress and set personal health goals. Keep encouraging your child to stay active and maintain healthy habits at home!
Upcoming Events & Challenges
🏃 Third Grade Mile Challenge - Thursday, March 5th
Third grade teachers are challenging their students by running the mile with them! This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate student progress and build community through shared physical activity.
We are also gearing up for our annual Color Run! We hope to see you out on the field Friday, March 13th!
Grades TK-4
STEAM Lab
STEAM Lab for TK-4 & Think Tank
This month, our younger learners are diving into hands-on projects that combine creativity, engineering, and scientific exploration. From planting seeds to building carnival games, students are discovering how science works through play and experimentation!
TK/K — Plants & Leprechaun Traps 🌱
This month, we will be focusing on plants, with plans to plant seeds in our "Kinder garden." Students will also create St. Patrick's Day Leprechaun Traps on March 13th.
*Materials Needed: Shoeboxes, 2-liter bottles*
1st Grade — Carnival Games & Light Exploration 🎪
Students are building carnival games designed to identify how bells and lights communicate to their players. Next, we will study the nature of light with regard to opaqueness, transparency, and translucency. During the month, students will also create an individual Leprechaun trap to take home.
*Materials Needed: Cereal boxes*
2nd Grade — Solar Ovens & Erosion Studies ☀️
Solar ovens are nearly complete! Students will observe how their solar ovens can melt crayon pieces into molded works of art, turning from solids to liquids and back to solids again. Next, we will study erosion and discover ways to lessen soil runoff. Students will also work in groups to build Leprechaun traps.
*Materials Needed: Shoeboxes, 2-liter bottles (we need 50!)*
3rd Grade — Animal Survival Game 🦁
Animal cards and challenges are nearly done for our Animal Survival Game. Students will see which challenges their animal can survive through—and which it cannot. Survival is based on inherited physical and behavioral traits that the animal possesses. Our next project will focus on severe weather.
4th Grade — Bridge Engineering & Earthquake Challenges 🌉
Students are nearly done with their bridge structures. Teams will be challenged to see how long their bridge can withstand the "Big One" earthquake before falling off or falling apart. The group with the longest number of seconds still standing wins bragging rights! Next up: Research to identify the methods tall skyscrapers use around the world to help them withstand major earthquakes.
Think Tank (TT) — Leprechaun Traps & Plant Study 🍀
Students will create their own St. Patrick's Day Leprechaun traps to see if they can catch a lucky Leprechaun. We will also study plants this month.
Grades 5-8
STEAM Lab
STEAM Lab for Grades 5-8
March Theme: Earth's Dynamics and Human Impact
Our upper-grade STEAM Lab challenges students with complex, real-world environmental problems that require creative solutions and interdisciplinary thinking. This month's focus combines advanced engineering concepts, computational thinking, and design principles as students work on collaborative projects that mirror professional innovation processes in sustainability.
Define the Challenge
Students identify problems and research constraints, learning to ask the right questions before jumping to solutions.
Ideate & Design
Brainstorming sessions and sketching phases where creativity flourishes and multiple solutions are explored.
Prototype & Build
Hands-on construction using various materials and technologies to bring designs to life.
Test & Iterate
Critical evaluation and refinement, learning that failure is part of the innovation process.
Grade Level Snapshots
5th Grade — Water Conservation & Responsible Water Use 💧
Students are learning how daily habits impact water usage and exploring conservation strategies. They will also hear from a guest speaker (Union City Water Inspector) about real-world water management.
Aligned CA NGSS Standards:
  • 5-ESS3-1 — Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect Earth's resources and environment.
  • 5-ESS2-2 — Describe and graph amounts of water in various reservoirs to provide evidence about distribution of Earth's water.
  • 5-ETS1-1 — Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or want that includes criteria for success (applies to conservation solutions discussion).
6th Grade — Human Impact on Ecosystems (Zoo Enclosure / Habitat Design) 🌎
Students will design either a redesigned zoo enclosure or a natural habitat for an endangered species, focusing on how humans affect ecosystems and how environments can support species survival.
Aligned CA NGSS Standards:
  • MS-ESS3-3 Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing human impact on the environment.
  • MS-LS2-5 Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.
  • MS-ETS1-2 Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process.
7th Grade — Rock Cycle & Erosion Labs 🪨
Students will investigate rock samples and model processes such as weathering, erosion, and formation through hands-on activities.
Aligned CA NGSS Standards:
  • MS-ESS2-1 Develop a model to describe cycling of Earth's materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.
  • MS-ESS2-2 Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth's surface over time.
  • MS-ESS2-4 Develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earth's systems (connection to weathering/erosion).
8th Grade — Gravity, Magnetic Fields, and Space Forces (Art Integration) 🪐
Students will explore gravitational pull, magnetic fields, and Newton's Law of Gravitation through physics and art integration projects depicting and simulating planetary forces.
Aligned CA NGSS Standards:
  • MS-PS2-4 Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on masses of interacting objects.
  • MS-PS2-3 Ask questions about data to determine factors affecting strength of electric and magnetic forces.
  • MS-ESS1-2 Develop and use a model to describe the role of gravity in the motions within galaxies and the solar system.
Extending STEAM Learning at Home
Encourage your child to research local environmental initiatives, participate in community clean-up efforts, start a home recycling or composting project, watch documentaries on climate change and sustainability, or design a "green" invention. Discuss ways your family can reduce its environmental impact and support their efforts to become environmental stewards.
How to Stay Involved and Support Your Child's Enrichment
Your Partnership Makes a Difference
Parent involvement amplifies the impact of enrichment programs and shows your child that their learning matters beyond the classroom. We offer multiple ways for you to stay connected, ask questions, and contribute to our vibrant enrichment community.
Whether you have five minutes or five hours, there's a meaningful way for you to participate and support your child's enrichment journey at Allegiance STEAM Academy.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities (March 2026)
Join us for Spring Concert performances, STEAM Lab showcases, Spring Field Day, and Spring Celebration events throughout the year. Volunteer opportunities include helping with events, sharing career expertise, or supporting classroom activities.
  • Spring Concert Performances (March 20-21)
  • STEAM Lab Showcases (March 24-26)
  • Spring Field Day (March 28)
  • Spring Celebration Events (March 30)
Communication Channels
We welcome your questions, feedback, and ideas! Connect with enrichment teachers through Parent Square or use our emails below! Your input helps us continuously improve our programs.
Archive
February 2026
February 2026 Updates Archive
Here’s a look back at the exciting enrichment content and key events from February 2026, offering a comprehensive overview of your child’s learning journey and opportunities for engagement.
Language Immersion Focus
Spanish Curriculum
This month, the Spanish curriculum focused on building foundational vocabulary and grammar. Students delved into learning adjectives to describe people and objects, and expanded their conversational skills by mastering family vocabulary.
Mandarin Chinese Celebration
Our school celebrated Chinese New Year on February 20th, immersing students in cultural traditions, festive activities, and the significance of this important holiday.
Physical Education Highlights
Winter Olympics Challenges
In Physical Education, students participated in exciting Winter Olympics-themed challenges, promoting teamwork, physical activity, and friendly competition while learning about different winter sports.
Music Department Performances
Enrichment Showcases
  • 2nd Grade Suessical Performances (February 4)
  • 5th Grade American Revolution (February 10 & 17)
  • 4th Grade Gold Dust or Bust (February 11-12)
  • Student-Led Celebrations (February 18-19)
STEAM Lab Projects
February was a bustling month in the STEAM Lab, with students across all grades tackling innovative and engaging projects designed to foster critical thinking and practical skills.
Lower Grades Focus
  • Animal Needs and Survival: Understanding essential requirements for animal life.
  • Light and Sound: Exploring basic principles through experiments.
  • States of Matter: Investigating solid, liquid, and gas forms.
  • Inheritance Traits: Discovering how traits are passed down.
  • Earthquake Engineering: Designing structures to withstand seismic activity.
Upper Grades Innovation
  • Ecosystems & Energy: Reviewing food chains, webs, and energy pyramids.
  • Cells & Environmental Change: Observing plant cells and effects of saltwater.
  • Cellular Respiration: Understanding energy release through yeast observations.
  • Kinetic Energy: Reviewing concepts and calculation methods.
  • Design Process: Advanced projects followed the "Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test & Iterate" innovation process.
Contact & Monthly Update Archive
Spanish (Grades 4-8)
Teacher: Sr. Gancz & Sra. Bobadilla
Mandarin (Grades TK-3)
Teacher: Ms. Janice
Email: ​
Music (TK-8)
Teacher: Mr. Sanchez
Physical Education (TK-8)
Teacher: Mr. Borges, Mrs. Cameron, Mr. Cordts
STEAM Lab (TK-4)
Teacher: Mrs. Cunningham
STEAM Lab (Grades 5-8)
Teacher: Mrs. Hameister