Tomlin Family Application Lab at Corbett Prep

It was DOUBLE the fun! This year, we had TWO FORT DAYS in the Tomlin Family Application Lab at Corbett! Both the 5th-grade Silver Class and the All-Stars Class got a chance to have a Fort Day after Lauren Zopatti and a group of families in the All-Stars won the Fort Days at our annual Big Event. Students in those classes used big pieces of cardboard and all the cool App Lab tools to create forts, castles, and armor. It all ended with a legendary water battle. Thank you to all the parents who participated and helped make memories for both classes. Corbett Preparatory School of IDS

Our 1st and 2nd-graders stepped into the role of engineers as they used K’NEX to design and build swings while exploring simple machines in the Tomlin Family Application Lab at Corbett Prep. Their challenge was to design a swing that could keep a ping-pong ball inside while in motion!

Students tested ideas, made changes to their designs, and discovered how balance, structure, and motion all work together. It was a fun, hands-on way to build problem-solving skills while thinking like real engineers. Corbett Preparatory School of IDS

Our Upper Primary students took their learning beyond the classroom and into nature at Fort De Soto Park on Wednesday. This trip has become a favorite for the teachers in the Tomlin Family Application Lab at Corbett Prep, who get to share their knowledge and expertise.

Mr. Robert Johnson guided students into the seagrass beds, where they caught and released some of the animals that call this habitat home, while learning about the rich biodiversity of our coastal ecosystem.

Along the coastal dunes, Mrs. Popalis helped classes search for and document signs of animal life. One highlight for students was getting to touch a horseshoe crab molt, which sparked lots of great questions.

Mrs. Wallen shared her incredible knowledge of nature throughout the hike, helping students make meaningful connections to what they are learning in the classroom. And as she tells it, a group of dolphins appeared offshore and completely stole the show!

This Upper Primary trip is connected to the IB Unit "Sharing the Planet" with the central idea that living and nonliving things work together to maintain a healthy ecosystem. Corbett Preparatory School of IDS

5th graders are programming robots and competing in Robo Sumo Battles in the Tomlin Family Application Lab at Corbett Prep. Students are learning to build and code using the LEGO Spike Prime education kits. In teams, they are designing robots that can push an opponent’s robot out of the sumo ring. They have coded the robots’ light sensors to detect the white outer ring to try and stop before driving out of bounds. This project combines coding, engineering, strategy, teamwork, and fun! Corbett Preparatory School of IDS

Our 1st- and 2nd-graders are examining erosion as they continue to learn about mangroves and the important role they play in our ecosystems! Today, students took their learning a step further with a hands-on activity using water, sand, and makeshift mangroves to see how they protect our shorelines from erosion. Students also explored how, during major weather events, mangroves help protect land and people by absorbing the energy from wind and waves.

This learning experience connects to the IB Unit, Sharing the Planet, with the central idea that living and nonliving things work together to maintain a healthy ecosystem.

Teachers from the Tomlin Family Application Lab at Corbett Prep will soon join the students on a classroom trip to Fort De Soto Park, where they will see an ecosystem in action and make real-world connections to what they have been studying. Corbett Preparatory School of IDS

Kindergarten students became young biologists in the Tomlin Family Application Lab at Corbett Prep as they explored the fascinating life cycle of a mealworm!

Using real mealworms and pupae, students carefully observed each stage under microscopes and got an up-close look at how living things grow and change. They discussed the incredible transformation from egg → larva (mealworm) → pupae → adult darkling beetle.

Students even had the exciting opportunity to gently hold the mealworms as part of their observations. This hands-on experience brought science to life and encouraged curiosity, discovery, and wonder.

This learning experience connects beautifully to our IB Unit, How the World Works: Discovery, as students investigate life cycles and explore how living organisms change over time. We are so proud of our thoughtful and inquisitive young scientists! Corbett Preparatory School of IDS

Our PreK3 students had so much fun during Storybook STEM with the Tomlin Family Application Lab at Corbett Prep! First, they listened to the classic story The Three Little Pigs and talked about the different houses in the story. Then they became little engineers, using building materials to create homes made of straw, sticks, and bricks. Each structure even included an adorable 3D-printed pig inside!

Once students felt their houses were strong and sturdy, the Big Bad Wolf (who was really a fan in disguise!) came by to test their creations. The excitement and problem-solving were incredible to watch as students observed which materials were strongest and why.

This hands-on lesson connects beautifully to our IB Unit, How the World Works, with the central idea that observations can lead to an understanding of patterns and cycles. Preparatory School of IDS

Our 1st- and 2nd-graders are exploring the wonders of mangroves and the important role they play in our ecosystems! Students first learned how mangroves survive and adapt within their unique ecosystems, discovering the important role they play in protecting wildlife and the environment. They then put their learning into action by using Play-Doh to create their very own mangrove ecosystems, complete with animals living around the roots and water.

This learning experience connects to the IB Unit, Sharing the Planet, with the central idea that living and nonliving things work together to maintain a healthy ecosystem.

Teachers from the Tomlin Family Application Lab at Corbett Prep will soon join the students on a classroom trip to Fort De Soto Park, where they will see an ecosystem in action and make real-world connections to what they have been studying. Corbett Preparatory School of IDS

Kindergarten students are becoming “Principled Thinkers” as they explore measurement. As part of our IB Unit, Sharing the Planet, students are measuring objects around the Tomlin Family Application Lab at Corbett Prep with rulers to carefully observe items such as Legos and other building tools. Students are then going outside the App Lab to measure items in nature.
Through these activities, students are developing their understanding of measurement while building the learner profiles of being Principled by making thoughtful, responsible choices, and Thinkers by asking questions, analyzing, and reflecting on their learning. It is always inspiring to see our youngest learners making connections between math, nature, and caring for our planet! Corbett Preparatory School of IDS

On our first day back, we brought engineering and storytelling together for PreK3 students through a hands-on experience inspired by The Three Billy Goats Gruff! As part of our IB unit, How the World Works, students explored how patterns and cycles help us better understand the world around us. After listening to the story, students began thinking like engineers as they designed their own bridges using a variety of materials. Students used tape, popsicle sticks, foam, and other materials to design and build bridges for their 3D-printed goats to cross. Throughout the process, they demonstrated the IB Learner Profile by being inquirers as they explored different ideas, knowledgeable as they applied what they’ve learned about structures and patterns, and thinkers as they problem-solved and tested their designs, making sure the goats could cross safely. Corbett Preparatory School of IDS Tomlin Family Application Lab at Corbett Prep