A Tradition of Excellence since 1657

Southdown's Science Fair a Showcase

Southdown Primary School has some hardworking and bright students. A recent science fair showcased 80 projects and put those qualities on display for all to see.

The fair is an annual event that brings together students, families and teachers in a joint quest for scientific inquiry. Every class in the school contributed a project to the fair as did many individual students.

This year's fair was again full of innovative ideas and real-world applications. Projects about traffic patterns, animal behavior, consumer product comparisons – even household plumbing – showed a keen eye for how to apply science to everyday lives. Projects about visualization, aerodynamics, electricity and robotics took the science content level to new heights.

"The science fair was an overwhelming success," Principal Michelle Marino said. "I was impressed with the projects and the effort and dedication that went into each one. The best part was having the opportunity to listen to each of the student scientists present their projects. It was obvious that they not only learned a tremendous amount about their scientific topic and method of conducting an experiment but realized the importance of inquiry, fidelity and realizing that success is linked to effort, no matter the scientific outcome."

Judges selected first, second and third place honorees for each grade level. Each class also submits a cooperative project and competes for the "Best Class Project" award. The first place individual student winners will move on to participate in the annual Brookhaven National Laboratory Elementary Science Fair on May 7.

The fair has a very definite educational purpose. "It's about strengthening the next generation's science skills so they can compete in tomorrow's world," said David Crimi, Southdown's Science Fair coordinator and a teacher at the school. "Besides, there are dozens of lessons learned while going through the process of completing a project."

Every class in the school visits the fair during the regular school day. An evening session is also held so parents and other family members can marvel at the work produced by ingenious students.

Each participant gets a taste of success on the evening of the fair. Just following the project through – complete with all the details – is a challenge for many primary school-age children. "The quality of the projects gets better every year," Mr. Crimi pointed out.

The process starts many weeks before the fair as students discuss their ideas with their parents and teachers. Each volunteer participant receives an information packet from school with ideas, guidelines, and – most importantly for older students – an explanation of the scientific method, a prescribed set of steps used by scientists to conduct valid experiments. They receive reminders and encouragement at school, but the bulk of the work happens at home. "It's a great way for families to bond in an active, meaningful way," Mr. Crimi said.

"I love the science fair because it gets kids to think outside the textbook and have fun trying out a new idea," said Grace D'Alessandro, a PTA volunteer. "It was a great night for parents to see and encourage the children's efforts."

In his January State of the Union address, President Barack Obama asserted, "It's not just the winner of the Super Bowl who deserves to be celebrated, but the winner of the science fair." The Southdown School community couldn't agree more.

Final results of the 2011 Southdown science fair:

Kindergarten

1st Grade

2nd Grade

3rd Grade

4th Grade

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