Mr. Power’s fourth grade students are building an amazing project in Lower School STEM lab. Mrs. Gnemi’s class made “Powersland” during their Amusement Park Design mission using LEGO and K’NEX products. Each team made a working attraction and either a concession, game, ticket booth, or bathroom. This project encourages creativity, fine motor skill use, and engineering savvy. Other classes will continue work on Powersland and build a carousel, swing ride, double Ferris wheel, drop tower, swinging pirate ship, and launch-style coaster. Amusement Park Design is one of five new rotating fourth grade missions that each class will experience throughout the year. The other four rotations are rocketry, skyscrapers, advanced EV3 robotics and stop-motion animation.
Related News

Morgan Cheatham and Crystal Gao Named National Merit Semifinalists
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced Wednesday that Jackson Academy seniors Morgan Cheatham and Crystal Gao are semifinalists in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program. “Jackson Academy is thrilled that Morgan and Crystal are being recognized. For many years, they have represented the best of Jackson Academy in the classroom and the greater community,” said Head of Upper School Kyle Nichols. “As long as they have attended JA, these students, their families, and Jackson Academy have partnered to foster their pursuit of excellence.”

Safety Drills Part of a School’s Routine
At Jackson Academy, the safety of our students, faculty, and staff is at the heart of everything we do. Creating a secure learning environment requires both planning and practice, and our school takes this responsibility seriously. Through a comprehensive approach that blends nationally recognized best practices with the care of our dedicated team, JA ensures that safety is not left to chance.

Firefighters Share Their Stories with Fourth Graders on 9/11 Anniversary
On the 24th anniversary of September 11, 2001, fourth graders listened as local firefighter and Fire Training Academy leader Barry Burnside described the events of 9/11. Then he and his spouse, fourth-grade teacher Kerri Burnside, connected the students via Google Meet with firefighter Carl Schramm. Schramm was one of the New York firefighters at Ground Zero on the day of 9/11 when the World Trade Center towers collapsed after direct hits by terrorist-flown planes.