Congratulations to our middle school students who had been diligently working with Mr. Pendergrass, middle school science teacher, on their science fair projects for the past couple of months. Students presented their work individually to judges during the week of February 15th, and then showcased their projects to the school community on Friday, February 19 prior to the awards ceremony.

The following students received special awards in the categories of Engineering, Life Science, Psychology, and Physical Science:

1. Dallas Martell, Grade 8 – Engineering Award
“A Study on Propulsion: What shape of submarine prop works best?”

2. Amanda Holt, Grade 8 – Life Science Award
“Attracting Birds with a Bird Bath: Do birdbaths and feeders attract more birds than feeders alone?”

3. Jessie Kennedy, Grade 7 – Psychology Award
“Psyched Up or Out: If you are told that a climbing route is easier than it really is are you likely to preform better on it?”

4. Ethan Hoak, Grade 7 – Life Science Award
“Optical Obstacle: Does density of a fluid correlate with the fluids index of refraction?”

The following students received first, second, and third place awards for their grade level:

Grade 6
1. Alex Rosenthal – “Mass and Catapult Launch Distance: How does mass effect launch distance for catapult projectiles?”
2. Wolfie Davis- “Pulling Power of Pulleys: Do power pulleys create more mechanical advantage than traditional pulleys?”
3. Mason Altadonna- “What Angle to Shoot: What angle will result in the greatest distance for a soccer ball launcher?”

Grade 7
1. George Huffman- “Does the Sun Make Cents for my School? – How much electricity could a rooftop solar array create at Mater Christi?”
2. Juliet Hasenberg- “Optical Illusion: Does a laundry detergent’s Ph correlate with the presence of optical brighteners?”
3. Emily Bloom- “Got Chalk: Does chalk improve grip duration in climbers?”

Grade 8
1. Madeline Sawyer- “Music to our Ears: Which type of violin bow creates the highest quality sound?”
2. Claire Ammirato- “Medicine Mixtures Matter: Which type of acetaminophen dissolves fastest?”
3. Bryanna Boucher- “Hot or Not: Which material is the best insulator?”

Thank you to all of the judges from our community who volunteered – we appreciate your time and expertise.
Well done to all of our middle school students!

View more photos on our SmugMug page or by clicking the URL below.