Outside the Box Day 2025

 

An entire day dedicated to STEM activities and engineering design challenges where students are given a challenge and a list of recyclable materials that must be used to solve their challenges.  Each grade level will have their own specific challenge, their own specific list of materials, and their own special time of the day dedicated to Outside the Box Day (OTB Day).  

 

Here’s a couple ways that we can come together as a community:

1.  Parents and family members can join your student’s classroom to participate in Outside the Box Day!  

Each grade level will include their OTB Day time frame of when they will be participating in their OTB Day activities in their Grade Level Newsletters.  

**Make sure your volunteer application is up to date and you are cleared to join us in the classrooms.**  

A short video briefing/pep talk will be available for parent volunteers upon arrival at the school on Monday, November 17, 2025.  All volunteers are required to watch the short video before participating in OTB Day.  Thank you.  

 

2. Parents and families can help to supply our classrooms with recyclable materials!  Here’s a breakdown of the needs per grade level:

              – Kindergarten: 

-cardboard boxes

-egg cartons

-plastic containers

-styrofoam trays

-toilet paper/paper towel tubes

– First Grade:

              -cardboard boxes

-toilet paper/paper towel tubes

-plastic containers

-plastic bottle caps

-egg cartons

-styrofoam trays (ie: meat tray from grocery store)

– Second Grade:

              -shoe box lids (1 per student)

-bottle caps

-egg cartons

-thin cardboard boxes (CEREAL boxes are preferable)

-toilet paper rolls

– Third Grade:

              – paper towel rolls

-toilet paper rolls

-cardboard

-cans

-bottle caps

– Fourth Grade:

              – plastic bottles

– juice jugs

– egg cartons

– styrofoam

– plastic containers

– cardboard milk boxes

– yogurt containers

– cereal boxes

– take out containers

– Fifth Grade:

               – air pockets

– styrofoam trays

– packaging peanuts

 

**Please address the materials you bring in to Mr. Villacrusis (formerly “Mr. V.”) and note which teacher/grade level you would like to donate your materials to. ** 

 

3. Continue the conversation at home!  

Encourage more creative ways to “upcycle” recyclable materials around the home and find new ways to use household items to make everyday life more efficient, or maybe even easier!  When there’s dialogue around a design challenge or experiment, who knows what new learning and new thinking may STEM from these types of conversations at home!

 

Thank you so much for your support and enthusiasm in making Outside the Box Day a great success!