Mountain View provides half-day preschool sessions to about 40 students. In the fall, the school will provide a half-day program to up to 150 students, plus add a wraparound program of before and after care for working parents.

To make room for the early childhood wing, fifth-graders moved this year to Longs Peak Middle School.

Preschool and kindergarten students will learn a design thinking process, which includes using empathy, prototypes and feedback to solve design challenges. As the students move up through the grades, teachers are expected to continue the STEM focus.

For a recent challenge, preschool students listened to a book about a gingerbread man who was eaten in the end, then made boats to get him safely away. They also tested their creations, made from foam, tape, clothespins and other materials, in water to see how long they would float.

Read the full story at dailycamera.com.