STEM Monthly Newsletter
December 2025
Holiday Science & STEM Pack
Spark some holiday magic with festive STEM fun—this Christmas STEM Pack includes experiments like building candy-cane catapults and testing snowflake insulation to see what keeps things frozen the longest! Dive into hands-on, winter-themed challenges that let kids explore engineering, physics, and materials science while wrapping up their learning for the season. Click HERE.
Holiday Themed Challenges
Santa STEM Challenges
Holiday Science Experiments
Elf STEM Challenges
STEM Gift Giving
Spark imagination and generosity with fun, hands-on experiments that double as unique gifts!
Dive into creative STEM projects where students build, decorate, and give away their work—all while learning science and engineering in the process. Click HERE.
Holiday Hamster Maze Madness
A-MAZE-ing Winter Marble Run!
After the holly-jolly hamster maze adventure, let’s keep the holiday fun rolling—literally! Mazes are a fantastic way to explore STEM skills like problem-solving, design, and engineering, so grab some LEGO bricks and a marble and create your own festive maze challenge full of twists, turns, and winter wonder!
Goats in Coats
Goat Coat Runway: Fashionable Farm Friends Hit the Winter Catwalk!
Get ready for the cutest fashion show of the season — the Goat Coat Runway! At some animal sanctuaries, both younger goats (who haven’t grown a full winter coat yet) and older goats (who don’t stay as warm as easily) bundle up in specially designed winter “goat coats.” These stylish jackets help protect them from chilly temperatures, wind, and rain while they play, explore, and strut their stuff around the farm.
These coats aren’t just adorable — they’re science in action! The materials help trap heat, keep moisture out, and give each goat the insulation they need to stay safe and healthy all winter long.
Goat Coat STEM Challenge:
Imagine you have been asked to design a warm and cozy outfit for a very special goat on a chilly day. Which material would keep a goat the warmest? Test different fabrics such as felt, fleece, cotton, foil, and even paper towels by wrapping them around a small model goat and measuring how well each one holds heat. Use your results to choose the winning design for the Goat Coat Runway Challenge!
Guess the Holiday Song by the Emoji
Guess the Picture: Holiday Edition
Matilda - 1 Month Update
She has grown 4-inches in just one month! That’s like growing as tall as:
- A stack of 2 juice boxes, or
- A dollar bill turned sideways, or
- A grown-up’s smartphone!
She is now 34 inches tall (that’s almost 3 feet!) That’s about the height of:
- A Golden Retriever
- A Kindergarten backpack standing up
- Half the size of a refrigerator!
She now weighs 115 pounds That’s about the same as:
- A baby grand piano lid,
- Two large German shepherds, or
- 115 science textbooks (if each weighed 1 pound!)
Baby cows grow quickly because their bodies are busy building:
- Strong bones (thanks, calcium!)
- Powerful muscles
- A healthy digestive system for eating all that hay and grain
Farmers and veterinarians use math and measurements just like these to make sure calves grow at a healthy rate. When we measure her height and weight, we’re using real-world STEM skills—just like animal scientists do!
Florida Dairy Farmers' Holiday Recipes
Try out some of these amazing dairy recipes for the holiday season from the Florida Dairy Farmers. Click on the picture for the recipe.
Peppermint Chocolate Yogurt Bar
Pumpkin Spice Mousse
Gingerbread Egg Nog
STEM Competitions
Future Creatures Challenge
Ready to imagine the creatures of tomorrow? This challenge invites students in grades K–12 to pick a current rainforest animal and design how it might adapt for a future habitat affected by climate change. Illustrate both the present-day and future versions of your animal, and write a short explanation of the changes you envision.
Rube Goldberg Machine Contest
Students in grades K–12, get ready to unleash your creativity and engineering genius in the Rube Goldberg Machine Contest! Design a wonderfully wacky chain-reaction machine that completes a simple task in the most delightfully complicated way possible, and show off your STEM skills with style!
Robofest
Students in grades 4–12 are invited to design, build, and program autonomous robots in the exciting Robofest competition! Dive into STEM challenges that mix coding, engineering, creativity, and teamwork, and see how far your robot can go.
STEM Shout Out!
SAMS Career Day
DIAMS In Action
VCS "S"TEM
Special Thanks to Mrs. Gregos, CSA Science & STEM Supervisor
cgregos@charterk12.com