Batchelder Celebrates Regional Science Champs

The L.D. Batchelder School honored an impressive team of third graders Wednesday, regional winners of the 26th annual Toshiba/National Science Teachers Association ExploraVision program, the world's largest K-12 science competition.

The Batchelder students, winners of Region 1, are Alberto Russo, Liam McGaffigan, Patrick McGaffigan, and Damian Andrusyshyn.

The team advances to the national phase of the competition and will compete against five other regional winners from Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Tennessee, and Arizona. The national winners will be announced in May. Winners receive a $10,000 U.S. Series EE Savings Bond (at maturity) and will also receive a Toshiba laptop for their school, and each member of the team will receive a Toshiba Canvio® Hard Drive.

All first and second place national winners will receive an expense-paid trip for themselves and their parents/guardians, teachers and mentors to Washington, D.C. for an awards weekend in early June. Students who travel to Washington will meet with members of Congress during a visit to Capitol Hill and display their winning ideas during a Science Showcase. The Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision weekend concludes with an awards ceremony, where winners will be formally recognized for their creativity and accomplishments.

Since its inception in 1992, more than 400,000 students from across the United States and Canada have participated in the Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision program. The Batchelder students were one of 24 regional winning teams, including six in the K-3 age group.

The students' project involved the creation of what they called, "Integrated Smart Wireless Agriculture Remote Management (iSWARM) for farmers.

In their own words:

iSWARM is a smart farming wireless sensor system that works as the farmer's "eyes and ears" to automatically monitor the conditions of the soil and crops. It provides real-time conditions and alerts farmers to the first signs of problems. The system will be low cost and scalable so that farms of all sizes can benefit from the technology.

Photo by L.D. Batchelder School

Left to right: Jon Bernard, superintendent of North reading public schools; Suzanne Callanen, Coach; Dan McGaffigan, parent leader; students Patrick McGaffigan, Liam McGaffigan, Damian Andrusyshyn, and Alberto Russo; Al Russo, parent leader.