At Brookside Elementary School, learning doesn’t stop when the final bell rings—it just gets a little sweeter.
Recently, Carver’s After the Bell students rolled up their sleeves for a hands-on gingerbread house activity led by Monica Cervantes, a dedicated Brookside daytime teacher and Carver staff member who manages the After the Bell program at the school. What looked like a festive holiday project quickly became an engaging STEAM experience filled with creativity, problem-solving, and joyful collaboration.
Armed with graham crackers, icing, and colorful decorations, students set out to design and build their own gingerbread houses. Along the way, they explored core engineering and design concepts—figuring out how to create stable structures, testing what worked (and what didn’t), and revising their plans in real time. Measuring ingredients, estimating quantities, and balancing shapes brought in math skills, while discussions about structure and materials introduced science thinking in an age-appropriate, accessible way.
Just as important, the activity encouraged artistic expression and teamwork. Each gingerbread house reflected a student’s personality and imagination, while shared supplies and group problem-solving fostered communication, patience, and cooperation. Monica’s warm guidance and classroom expertise helped create an environment where students felt free to experiment, take risks, and learn through play.
This is what After the Bell is all about: extending the school day with enriching experiences that make learning feel fun, relevant, and memorable. Thanks to caring educators like Monica Cervantes, Brookside students are discovering that STEAM learning can happen anywhere—even with a little icing on top.
