The Wondry
"Wisdom begin in wonder." -Socrates
The Library Media Center was renovated through private donations made to the Ottawa Hills Schools Foundation Full STEAM Ahead Capital Campaign. Now called The Wondry, the new learning space for elementary students opened on Aug. 14, 2023. The Wondry is staffed by Amanda Sanderson the building’s Literacy and Innovation Specialist.
The OHES Library special area will now be known as STREAM, which stands for Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. The vision and purpose of STREAM is to provide students with a dynamic learning environment that integrates science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics with literacy skills.
While we've embraced the STEAM approach, our commitment to literacy and Ohio's library standards remains steadfast. Students will still have access to The Wondry's 16,000+ books, and will be provided a wide range of reading materials aligned with their interests, levels, and curriculum. Incorporating the "R" for Reading in STREAM emphasizes the importance of literacy as a fundamental aspect of a well-rounded education.
Learn more about STREAM here
See the district's book collection development policy here
Thanksgiving Day Parade - Robot edition
STREAM teachers Mrs. Sanderson and Mrs. Peete worked with students to create their very own robot edition of the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Kindergarten students recorded the crowd sounds, 1st grade students designed the buildings and practiced making arrays, 2nd grade students designed the character floats, 3rd grade students designed the NYC landmarks and the smaller floats, 4th grade students helped set the design of the larger parade route, 5th grade students created the routes for the ozobots, and 6th grade students coded the Dash robots to follow the parade route.
Creating The Wondry
Following the successful Full STEAM Ahead Capital Campaign by the Ottawa Hills Schools Foundation to add enhancements at the junior/senior high school, the Foundation focused their next goals on adding enhancements at the elementary school.
In 2023 the Foundation was able to raise 100% of the funds privately to create:
The Wondry & The Golden Sycamore Tree by The MacMillan Family
The STEAM Center Driven by The Jim Yark Family
The Makerspace by Molly Zraik and the Brown Family Boys
The Meadow by the Imam Family
The Learning Hill by the Family of Sam and Alec Carson
Cub Reading Nooks by the Shall Family and the Lewis Family
The ARTLab by Claire and Caroline Arnos
The 6th Grade Science Research Lab by Lawrence and Christine Spetka