The Manor School’s LEAP class designed this model of the Manor School ouot of cans and boxes for the Cangineering event. Photo by Donna MacKenzie
What is a great way to combine teaching the various STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) skills and helping students realize the value of giving back?
At Honeoye Falls-Lima’s Manor School, it is the annual Cangineering event.
Held to coincide with Thanksgiving, the school picks a theme for it. From there, the students at Manor design and build their creations out of canned foods and boxed food items. Sometimes, the classes work collaboratively across the grade level and sometimes the projects are done by individual classes. The children go around and vote on each project and the school also has guest judges. After the judging, the entire school fills the gym to hear the results of the voting for various awards. The total number of cans/boxed food collected is also revealed. The food is then packed up and delivered to local organizations.
The theme this year was What The Students Were Grateful/Thankful For and it was held on November 21. A total of 4,573 items of canned food and boxed food were donated this year to local families and the food pantry at St. Catherine’s of Siena Church in Mendon. In prior years, the food has gone to Foodlink, FISH, veteran facilities and schools in the City of Rochester, said Manor School Principal Joelle Weaver.
A portion of the Friendship Train, designed by the third-grade classes at Manor School for the Cangineering event, is shown complete with a railroad crossing sign. Photo by Donna MacKenzie
The second graders’ project was collaborative and showed the Manor School teachers and staff who they were grateful for. With attention to detail, the students formed the body of the teacher or staff member with the cans and boxes and then placed a photo of the teacher or staff member where the face should be. They received the Best Representation of the Theme Award.
Third-graders worked collaboratively across the grade level to produce the Friendship Train, complete with the sound of trains. Outside each classroom was part of the train which was underneath a scene depicting various areas it would traverse in or near such as mountains, a forest and the ocean. They were presented with the Widest Project Award.
The fourth graders showed they were thankful for the HF-L School District with the cans and boxes spelling out HF-L. They also incorporated a unit of study on Native Americans such as the Iroquois and the wampum belt by making a wampum belt of the cans and boxes and hiding the letters in it. They captured the Best Use of Cans in the Design Award.
The LEAP class re-created the Manor School out of their cans and boxes, using a map of the building and labeling each room of the school building on the cans and boxes.
The fifth-grade classes of Mrs. Pangia, Mr. Thering and Mrs. Vitale showed they were grateful for the Earth’s Rainforest and Nature, again incorporating part of what they are currently learning about in their classrooms. They received the Most Creative Award. The fifth-grade class of Mr. Tran created the Earth and Sun. The fifth-grade students in Mrs. Allison’s and Mrs. Camobreco’s classes created a Mountain with hiking and a campfire featured in it. They received the Tallest Project Award.
Even the library got in on the fun by using boxed food to resemble books in their project “Grateful for Great Books”.
