Upper School and Lower School students at St. Margaret’s came together for an annual cross-divisional science activity, uniting kindergarten students and AP Environmental Science students for a dynamic volcano-building lesson in the Lower School Outdoor Classroom.

Upper School science teacher and department chair Edmund Herlihy and Lower School science teacher Chelsea Shoemate designed and led the collaborative lesson, bringing the divisions together. The unit lesson gave students from both divisions a unique opportunity to engage in hands-on learning and scientific discovery together.

Students used Oreo cookies to model tectonic plate movement and explore how Earth's plates interact. From there, the LS and US students teamed up to construct sand volcanoes, using a classic baking soda and vinegar reaction to simulate eruptions. Before triggering each eruption, the teams predicted how different volcano characteristics might affect the surrounding environment.

Upper School students visiting Lower School for this collaborative lesson remain one of the year's most popular activities, especially for senior AP Environmental Science students. These Upper School science students take their roles seriously and strive to make the visits memorable for our school’s youngest Tartans. These special connections with the kindergarteners provide a full-circle moment as the seniors begin their final academic year at a place they’ve called home for years.

According to Mr. Herlihy, students in AP Environmental Science get to become educators during these cross-disciplinary moments. “They get to practice skills that build effective communicators like empathy and patience, in front of a captive audience of young kids who look up to them,” Mr. Herlihy explained. “These opportunities for our eldest students to engage with their classmates from all levels, across all disciplines is so unique to St. Margaret's and this community.”

This cross-divisional unit lesson is a hallmark of St. Margaret’s experience. It gives students a chance to interact in new and creative ways while deepening their learning. The lesson emphasized scientific modeling, environmental awareness, and the value of mentorship, with Upper School students guiding and encouraging their younger peers throughout the process.

Mrs. Shoemate shared, “This experience is all about sparking a lifelong curiosity for science from an early age. By working hands-on with the older kids, my hope is that they see their future selves in these Upper School students and know that, one day, they will be the ones leading the experiments.”

St. Margaret’s regularly integrates cross-divisional programming into its academic calendar, thanks to its unique Early School-through-grade-12 campus model. These collaborative opportunities not only enrich the educational experience but also foster a strong sense of community across all grade levels.

Kindergarten students especially benefit from seeing themselves as part of a larger science community—they realize they are learning the same subject as older students, which helps them see science as a continuous journey. This shared experience fosters excitement and a sense of belonging for all involved.

Cross-divisional activities embody the spirit of St. Margaret’s by connecting learners across grade levels. For the kindergarten scientists, this lesson sets a wonderful tone by sparking interest and excitement in science from the very start.

The volcano project was one of several cross-divisional activities this school year, continuing a tradition of joyful, meaningful academic connections at St. Margaret’s.