Fremont students create traps to catch a leprechaun

Posted March 21, 2018 11:00 pm

Fremont School District 79

Fremont Elementary School kindergartner Sophia Gelvan, 5, with the leprechaun trap she designed to defend her classroom. Courtesy of Fremont School District 79

Kindergartners at Fremont Elementary School recently designed leprechaun traps with straws, Popsicle sticks, shoe boxes, and (chocolate) gold coins in the hopes of luring the sneaky creatures away from a path of destruction.

Teachers share with their students tales of how, in years past, leprechauns would creep into their classrooms overturn chairs, leave footprints everywhere, and turn the water green.

The magic of their story rubs off on the students who enthusiastically work with their parents and siblings to create traps for the leprechauns so they don't turn their classroom into chaos. Before "setting" traps, students share with one another how they work.

While the St. Patrick's Day activity is a Fremont Elementary School tradition, teachers also use the practice to introduce students to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Math).

With the help of their family, students create levers and pulleys for their traps, discuss gravity and weights, and colorfully decorate their traps.

Nikko Jackson, 6, explains how his leprechaun trap works to his classmates at Fremont Elementary School in Mundelein. Courtesy of Fremont School District 79

Aiden Rubin-Vayner, 5, demonstrates his leprechaun trap. Kindergartners at Fremont Elementary School use STEAM principles to incorporate levers, pulleys and other simple devices into their traps. Courtesy of Fremont School District 79

As part of an annual tradition at Fremont Elementary School, kindergartners like Ava Bonner, 5, hear stories about mischief-making leprechauns, then construct traps to capture them. Courtesy of Fremont School District 79

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