Port Orchard’s Mullenix Ridge Elementary School hosted its annual Engineering Night Jan. 21 with more than 300 students and parents soaking in STEM-related activities.

STEM refers to class subject matter relating to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Mullenix Ridge’s curriculum recently changed to become STEM-focused, which has generated activities such as Engineering Night.

“The staff is attending STEM conferences, visiting STEM schools, providing after-school activities centered on STEM, teaming with PSNS (Puget Sound Naval Shipyard) and designing schoolwide activities focused on science and math,” Martha Riley, a teacher at Mullenix Ridge, said.

During the event, teachers and PSNS STEM outreach program members hosted tables that supplied hands-on activities. They were chosen by each grade-level team.

The table sessions shared lessons on civil engineering, aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, neutral buoyancy, STEM and first-aid practices.

“It was important we chose activities that students in our classes really enjoyed and that are grade-level appropriate,” Riley said. “A few grade levels picked two, so there were about 15 teacher-led tables.”

Activity sessions chosen included: Foil Boats, where students could make a boat out of foil and see how many pennies it could hold while staying afloat; Pom Pom Launchers, where they could make a catapult to launch a small pom pom as far as you can; Kites, in which youngsters were able to design a kite that would fly; First Aid, which was set up by the U.S. Naval Hospital; and Pneumatic Rockets, where a paper rocket with right angles could be designed so it could fly as high as it could go.

The class on pneumatic rockets was a big draw. Along with different construction-paper and style ideas for rockets, an air compressor was set up on the table to shoot the rockets at targets.

Students — and several parents who were equally intrigued — were able to position the compressor to the angle they wanted and pull the lever to shoot their rocket in the air.

“Engineering night tends to bring more dads who have just as much fun as the kids,” Riley said.

The event was free. Blueprints listing the activities were handed out to every student and parent entering the gym.

“Engineering night always has a great turnout,” Riley said. “Kids are passionate about hands-on learning, which is one reason our staff decided to become a STEM-focused school.”

Mullenix Ridge recently applied for a grant through Washington state’s Secretary of State office to help support the STEM focus.

The South Kitsap school is one of 230 in the state that will be receiving the grant. It will get 50 new STEM books and three professional-development titles for teachers from the Washington State Library and Institute of Museum and Library Services.