What started as a whim on the Black Top at Kings Road School has turned into an absolute Kings Road School phenomenon. Earlier this year, while Mr. Levine was doing arrival duty on the blacktop, he saw a student attempting to solve the Rubik’s cube while waiting for the bell to ring. Mr. Levine, who taught himself how to solve the cube so he could teach his own children, approached this student and started to show this student the algorithms needed to solve the cube. Other students, observing this, began to bring their own cubes in, and within a few weeks, Mr. Levine was working with about 20 students helping them learn the 8 algorithms (series of moves) for the solve.

Soon it was clear to Mr. Levine and Principal Dr. Koop that the Rubik’s cube had enormous educational and social benefits. Realizing this they put the following initiatives in motion:

  • “Pop up” Rubik’s Cube Boot Camps for any interested 4th and 5th-grade student. These pop-up boot camps are being held before or after school, during indoor recess, and “Fun Fridays”
  • A grant proposal from the Madison Education Foundation has been submitted to purchase 30 Rubik’s cubes for the school.
  • A decision to use the Rubik’s cube as the building block for this year’s Peer Leadership program. 4th and 5th-grade students will learn the cube and they will, in turn, be trained on how to teach interested 3rd graders how to solve. 4th and 5th graders will learn the foundations of positive leadership and coaching such as positive re-enforcement.
  • A late spring Rubik's Cube competition. This will mirror the Rock, Paper, Scissors competition from 20-21 in excitement. More information TBA.