Hoover Middle students demonstrate WEB program and Randall students showcase STEAM projects

Hoover Middle School principals and student WEB leaders presented the WEB program — an eighth‑grade mentoring initiative that pairs older students with sixth graders to ease the transition to middle school. The principal introduced student leaders (Lindsay Freeman, Samantha Smith, Heidi Convertis) and described Webb Wednesday activities designed to build community and leadership.

The board heard a student-led icebreaker and short demonstrations; board members reacted positively and thanked the students and staff. The meeting included a musical performance introduced by Hoover staff (a rendition of the anthem from the film Harriet) that board members described as a reminder of the district’s emphasis on equity and student voice.

In a later presentation on elementary STEAM, Kim Berkey (elementary school improvement coordinator) described the district’s use of Project Lead the Way for K–5 STEAM instruction: students receive two 40‑minute STEAM sessions weekly, working through modules that include structure and function, pushes and pulls, light and sound, programming/patterns and simple machines. Randall STEAM teacher Mrs. Claypool presented classroom videos showing students building compound machines and experimenting with light and sound; two students (Brody and Ben) were recognized with a vision-of-excellence award for engineering work and curiosity.

Board members praised the programs and linked elementary STEAM work to potential future secondary options (such as aviation pathways) and requested continued reporting as projects scale. Administrators noted grant support for adaptive PE and other programs that contributed to student opportunities.