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.
Grades 4-8
Language Learning
Spanish Enrichment (Grades 4-8)
This Month's Learning Focus
Our Spanish curriculum integrates authentic cultural experiences, from exploring Spanish-speaking countries to celebrating traditional holidays and customs. This month your child is diving into exciting new vocabulary themes and grammar concepts that build fluency and confidence in Spanish. This month, our 4th-grade students are focusing on adjectives and family vocabulary, culminating in a family tree project where they will present and describe their family members. For Grades 5-8, students are covering "La Casa y Quehaceres" (Household Items and Chores), and towards the end of the month they'll begin the annual music competition "Locura de Marzo" where students hear 16 songs and vote for the overall winner—like March Madness for music.
Supporting Learning at Home
- Practice vocabulary during daily routines like mealtime or car rides
- Watch Spanish-language movies or shows with subtitles together
- Encourage your child to teach you new words they've learned
- Explore Spanish music and discuss the lyrics and cultural context
Upcoming Events
Mark your calendars for our Student-Led Celebrations February 18-19 where students will showcase their learning in the Spanish classroom.
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's focus includes new character recognition, tones practice, and vocabulary related to everyday life. Students are engaged in songs, games, and storytelling that make language acquisition natural and joyful.
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 learning about Chinese New Year through stories, culture, and age-appropriate language activities. Students are exploring the legend of the Nian Monster (年獸) and how it connects to traditional Chinese New Year customs.
Cultural Focus Through storytelling and visuals, students are learning why people celebrate Chinese New Year with:
Red envelopes (紅包)
Firecrackers (鞭炮)
Dragon and Lion dances (舞龍舞獅)
Lanterns (燈籠)
Spring couplets (春聯)
Students are also learning traditional Chinese New Year greetings, including:
恭喜恭喜 (Congratulations / Best wishes)
恭喜發財 (Wishing you prosperity)
大吉大利 (Great luck and great fortune)
馬年快樂 (Happy Year of the Horse)
Older students are also introduced to the traditional story of Ne Zha, the Third Prince (哪吒三太子) and his role in Chinese folklore.
Chinese New Year Celebration Event
We are excited to host our Chinese New Year Celebration on:
Date: February 20
Time: 8:55 AM – 11:20 AM
Time: 8:55 AM – 11:20 AM
Students are welcome to wear red to school on this day to celebrate Chinese New Year and bring good luck!
To help make this celebration successful, we are kindly requesting parent volunteers and donations. If you are able to help, please sign up through SignUpGenius. Your support is greatly appreciated and helps make this cultural experience memorable for our students.
SignUpGenius Link
Grade Level Highlights
Our curriculum introduces the Nian Monster story and Chinese New Year customs through a tailored approach, ensuring age-appropriate learning and engagement for every student.
- Kindergarten
- Listening to the Nian Monster story through pictures and actions
- Recognizing key vocabulary with visual aids
- Participating in songs and movement activities related to the celebration
- 1st Grade
- Retelling parts of the Nian Monster story
- Naming Chinese New Year items and explaining their meanings
- Connecting traditions (like firecrackers) to the Nian Monster legend
- 2nd Grade
- Describing Chinese New Year customs in simple sentences
- Explaining why specific traditions (e.g., wearing red) are used
- Comparing Chinese New Year celebrations with other holidays
- 3rd Grade
- Retelling the Nian Monster story in sequence with greater detail
- Learning the traditional story of Ne Zha, the Third Prince (哪吒三太子)
- Explaining Chinese New Year traditions with cultural reasoning and historical context
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 learning more about Chinese New Year can be seen below :
Legend of the Nian Monster (Chinese New Year Story – Animated)
This video helps students understand why people use red decorations, firecrackers, and loud sounds during the Chinese New Year. Don't forget—even a few minutes of exposure each day makes a meaningful difference!
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: Locomotor skills, cooperative games, and body awareness activities
- Grade 1-3: Skill fundamentals in dribbling, kicking, & underhand tossing
- Grades 4-6: Sports fundamentals in football, volleyball, & frisbee
- Grades 7-8: Advanced individual and team sport techniques in bowling, badminton, and Bocce ball and fitness goal-setting on our monthly mile run, pacer, and weightlifting skills on the RIG.
Upcoming Events & Challenges
Mark your calendars for our Winter Olympics! We hope to celebrate student achievement and encourage friendly competition through a variety of Olympic inspired events at the end of February.
Grades TK-4
STEAM Lab
STEAM Lab for TK-4
This Month's Theme
Students are learning how nature and engineering work together to help animals, people, and structures survive. Each grade level is engaging in creative, hands-on projects that encourage problem-solving, design, and scientific thinking.
Grade-Level Projects
- TK/K: Animal Needs and Survival – Students are studying how nature gives animals different traits to help them survive in their habitats.
- 1st Grade: Light and Sound – Students are studying light and sound and how they are used to communicate. They will create a blueprint for a STEAM Lab-built carnival game that incorporates sound and light to communicate with the player.
- 2nd Grade: States of Matter – Students are studying the three types of matter and how most matter can change into another form through physical changes. They will plan and build a solar oven and note reactions to crayons.
- 3rd Grade: Inheritance Traits – Students have been studying animal and human inheritance traits and how they are passed down to offspring. Each student will examine physical and behavioral traits of an animal and create a "playing card" highlighting key survival traits. They'll also create "challenge" cards showing threats in different habitats, then play a game to see if their animal can survive the challenges.
- 4th Grade: Earthquake Engineering – Students are studying the effects of earthquakes on human-made structures. They will research how engineers use progressive methods and materials for taller buildings to withstand earthquakes. Working in teams, they'll create a bridge that can hold weight while withstanding a massive earthquake using limited materials.
Think Tank (TT)
The "Animal Needs and Survival" project is adapted to the needs of each student with help from their para.
Science Discoveries
Hands-on experiments exploring basic scientific concepts like properties of matter, life cycles, and simple chemical reactions that amaze and educate.
Technology & Coding
Introduction to computational thinking through unplugged activities, simple coding games, and age-appropriate robotics that build logical reasoning.
Engineering Challenges
Design-thinking projects where students plan, build, test, and improve their creations, learning the engineering process through engaging challenges.
Art Integration
Creative expression meets technical skill as students use art to communicate scientific ideas and design aesthetically pleasing, functional solutions.
Simple STEAM Activities for Home
Encourage your child's natural curiosity by trying these easy activities at home! Explore nature together to observe animal traits, build structures with household items to test stability, experiment with light and sound to create messages, or investigate states of matter by making a solar oven with recycled materials and seeing what melts inside. These hands-on projects reinforce what they're learning in the STEAM Lab.
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
Join us for enrichment showcases at STEAM Live, musical performances, and Student-Led Celebrations throughout the year. Volunteer opportunities include helping with events, sharing career expertise, or supporting classroom activities.
- Musical Performances
- 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)
- Chinese New Year (February 20)
- STEAM Live (May 14)
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.