St. Mark Students Qualify for CT Science and Engineering Fair

St. Mark School in Stratford recently held their Annual Science Fair. Students in grades 7 and 8 participated in two months of project research, experiments, and data collection in preparation for the event. The top three projects in each grade qualify to compete at the 72nd Annual Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair, March 9-14, 2020 at Quinnipiac University in Hamden.

Students were challenged to identify a problem, formulate a hypothesis and then follow the scientific method to prove their theory. All work was conducted during classroom time in accordance with St. Mark School Personalized Learning Curriculum.

Principal Melissa Warner shared, “It is inspiring to see our students work through a creative approach to problem-solving by finding inspiration from the world around them. This type of hands on learning is critical to encouraging our young people to seek careers in science and engineering fields."

The students presented their projects to a panel of eight judges that included scientists, heads of school science departments and engineers from Medtronic, a global leader in medical technology, services, and solutions.

Michelle Grasso, Senior Principal Reliability Engineer at Medtronic shared, “We were honored to be asked to help judge the 7th and 8th grade science fair at St. Mark School. It was a true pleasure to see these respectful budding scientists present their ideas and posters in such an organized and comprehensive manner. It was evident they dedicated a lot of time to prep for the fair, and it paid off!”

St. Mark School Science Fair Projects

8th Grade

• 1st Place: Shannon Maconochie & Isabella Tiberi, “Egg-xtraordinary Brine Shrimp” - the effect of caffeine on a brine shrimp’s hatching rate
• 2nd Place: Julia Lacasse, “A Big Fan of Wind Turbines” - how the shape of wind turbine’s blades affects DC output
• 3rd Place: Matteo Cono, “NO3 Nitrates in the Housatonic?” - testing nitrate levels in the Housatonic River
• Honorable Mention: Ceira Gallagher, “Sit Up Straight” and Ryan Blake & Liam Mallon, “Soaring Through the Sky”

7th Grade

• 1st Place: Shaelyn Averaimo, “The Key to Safety is in Your Hands” - how hand washing techniques can affect the spread of food allergens
• 2nd Place: Sydney Lombard & Olivia Szczerba, “Sniffing Science” - the effect of age and/or gender on scent preference
• 3rd Place: David Hefferon, “Magnets and Liquid Density” - the effect of liquid density on a magnetic field
• Honorable Mention: Joseph Scalzo, “Oil & Water”

St. Mark School is a Nationally Recognized Blue Ribbon School of Academic Excellence and a New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) accredited school, serving students in Pre-K through Grade 8. For more information, visit www.stmarkschool.org or call (203) 375-4291.