Students Rise to the Occasion with Sensational Science Fair

Students, teacher, and parents were hard at work last week adding final touches to science projects. Students began research weeks ago, and the products produced proved to be both highly informative and creative.

For the past four years, the school has organized an academic fair. Recent subjects included a writing workshop, and during the Year of Faith, students created faith-based projects. The faculty thought it would be good to return to a good ole' science fair for 2015. Judges were recruited, and although their task was quite challenging, the overall objective was surely attained: students either explored a scientific subject or utilized the scientific method to learn a new truth about God's creation. Each student either contributed to a classroom project or created a very comprehensive individual project. Students allowed their  interests to drive their research, which led to interesting and practical discoveries.

For their part, the judges were tasked with observing and interacting with students across all grade levels (PreK-12). The Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten each created a classroom project, with individual students adding their own imprint on the group display. During the fair, the judges asked questions and students answered intelligently and well.

1st, 2nd, and then 4th - 10th grade completed either individual or team projects.

It was a truly unique but illustrative event, largely because observers were able to view students from age 3 to high school perform academically. We are very grateful for the efforts and sacrifice of our esteemed judges, Mr. Jack McCarthy, Mr. and Mrs. Morris, Mrs. and Mrs. Stout, and Dr. Mary Bellino.

Alas, below are the top three individual performers from each classroom, plus an honorable mention for either individual students or classrooms.

1st grade: Students created a diorama based on a story taken from the Imagine It! reading program titled, The Cactus Motel. Students were required to give an oral presentation that included specific details from the story.  They talked about desert animals, cactuses, and spoke about details that made a cactus a cactus hotel.

  • Audrey Wenger
  • Caitlin Richardson
  • Blaise McMenaman

2nd grade

  • Nora Walsh: Welsh Mountain Pony
  • Marianne Dowsett: Yellow-Spotted Salamander
  • Adalynn Beturne: Orca

4th grade

  • Anya Moorehouse: Making Maple Candy: How Does Temperature Effect It?
  • Susan Kanu: The Effect of Temperature on Crystal Formation
  • Lyndsey Patten: Making an Acid Indicator with Red Cabbage

5/6th grade

  • Maryl Rees: Estuaries
  • Luke Bartlett: Converting sound energy
  • James Thibault: Converting electrical to sound energy
  • Brenden Moorehouse: Salt-iodine
  • Caleb North: Sensory objects and reducing stress
  • Jesse McDonnell: Impact of technology on learning

7th grade:

  • Morgan Blackinton: “Do mints cool down hot water?”
  • Curtis North: “Got pain?”
  • Andrew Normandin: Aluminum v. wood baseball bats

Individual Student Honorable Mention:

  • Mary-Grace Klucinec: “What can make the most ice melt?”
  • Hannah Fraioli: Electrolytes and sugar in energy drinks
  • Alex Kalpakgian and Leo Souliotis: Scientific development of weapon
  • John Paul-Martin: Cardio-vascular system
  • Rosie Treece: DNA extract
  • Classroom Honorable Mention
    • 3rd grade: International space station
    • Kindergarten: Light and color
    • Pre-Kindergarten: How do plants grow?
    • Junior High Engineering: Magnetic-levitated powered vehicles
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