STEM School Students Embrace
Science Fair
Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School students embraced the building first science fair, developing interesting projects and learning an awful lot along the way.
“Students have been working with the scientific method and learning about how scientists solve problems,” Principal Rae Montesano said. “Now they had a chance to research and explore one of their own questions. In the other schools, doing a science fair project is optional for the younger grades. In keeping with our mission, however, we felt it was important that every student submitted a science fair project.”
The school is in its first year of operation. Its initial enrollment is 150 spread across grades three, four and five. Sixth grade sections are being added for next September when the school’s enrollment will surge past 200.
Students were given the parameters for their science fair projects and then worked on them at home. “Once a week, time was set aside in class for students to ask any questions they may have had,” Ms. Montesano said. “After students conducted their research, they had to report what they did using a presentation board and the format required by the Brookhaven National Laboratory for their elementary science fair.”
Projects were brought to school one morning and nine Huntington High School science teachers spent over four hours judging that afternoon. The faculty members evaluated 145 projects in all, awarding first, second and third place, plus honorable mentions for each grade level.
The following day students had an opportunity to visit the fair. Parents were invited to the school that night. “We had a wonderful turnout as students came back and brought their parents,” Ms. Montesano said. “The projects of the first place winners in each grade level are being entered in the Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Elementary Science Fair. Congratulations to teachers and students for their success.”
The top finishers include:
3rd Grade:
1. Dominick Vidota
2. Sana Amin
3. Mackenzie Ahern
Honorable Mention: Nick Baretta
Honorable Mention: Liam Tucker
4th Grade:
1. Kathryn Sanseviro
2. Alec Cordeiro
3. Lucas Petrizzi
4. Honorable Mention: Will Spada
5th Grade:
1. George Morris
2. Julie Rogel
3. Andrea Seferian
Honorable Mention: Aaron Chin
Honorable Mention: Ethan Franciscovich
Honorable Mention: Brian Wong