When St. Peter Tri-Parish School students returned to school this September, their teachers were already working on a plan to become a STEAM academy. The teachers of St. Peter’s were also planning to take this idea one step further to incorporate religion along with science, technology, engineering, arts and math for a new acronym, STREAM. Pope Francis’ visit to the United States was the perfect opportunity for the students to put this into practice.

The premise of the month-long inter-curriculum project is based on Pope Francis’ quote: “The book of Genesis tells us that God created man and woman entrusting them with the task of filling the earth and subduing it, which does not mean exploiting it, but nurturing and protecting it, caring for it through their work.”

Across the school, students and teachers participated in the development of a “7 Days of Creation” mural. The mural background was painted by the middle schoolers who learned in science about the microorganisms that inhabit the earth. During religion, they read the Pope’s encyclical on the environment. In addition, the 8th graders took what they learned about the Pope’s teachings on the environment and recorded podcasts to share with the school every morning during his visit to the U.S.

The elementary grades celebrated the Pope’s visit by making and wearing a miter, the traditional ceremonial headdress of the Pope. On the morning of the Pope’s Parade in Washington, D.C. students in grades 1, 2 and 3 gathered to watch the parade on their classroom SmartBoard. The children in the school’s early childhood program participated by making three-dimensional art of all of Earth’s living things and learning how we must care for all of God’s creatures.

St. Peter Tri-Parish School, a collaborative of St. Benedict, St. Peter & St. Timothy parishes, is a Catholic elementary school, grades Pre-K through 8th, located in the Gaspee section of Warwick. The School’s mission is to provide its students with a quality Catholic education in an atmosphere of mutual respect that fosters spiritual, academic and social growth. Their philosophy of education emphasizes the significance of each individual’s contribution to the Christian community and to society. St. Peter School is still accepting applications for the 2015-16 school year. Contact Joan Sickinger at 781-9242. For additional information log on to www.stpeterschoolri.com.