North Adams Students Show Off Science LearningBy Jack Guerino, iBerkshires Staff
11:10PM / Thursday, March 06, 2014 | |
 Pupils in Grades 6 and 7 participated at the science fair on Wednesday at Sullivan Elementary School. See more photos here. |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Sullivan Elementary School sixth- and seventh-graders participated in a science fair Wednesday afternoon.
The science fair is a mandatory citywide event for sixth- and seventh-graders and makes students utilize the scientific method. Students are able to pick a subject they are interested in and work on it from home.
"Everyone has a lot of fun at the science fair," science teacher James Holmes said. "On the day of science fair, the gym is filled with judges and students and teachers from all the other grade levels."
The students begin working on their projects in October and have them on display in the school gym.
Holmes explained that students must keep a log journal, produce a typed paper, have their project on a poster board and, finally, provide an oral presentation.
"The judges ask students a series of guided questions about their project, check their poster board, log book and then they tally the scores," said Holmes. "At Sullivan we name the top six finishers and those finishers will be able to compete at the Regional Science Fair held at [Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts] on May 3."
This year’s winners were Reece Racette, Megan Guyette and Madison Tatro; Obilio Rodriguez and Anthony Mitchell; Isabel Lescarbeau, Ayrian Quinones and Christopher Bostwick, tied in fifth place, and Will Schrade.
The judges consisted of community citizens, MCLA professors and administrators in the North Adams School District, and Mayor Richard Alcombright and police officers.
Holmes asks police officers to come in and help judge the fair because he believes it is important for the students to see the police as positive role models.
"The reason I do this is to get the sixth- and seventh-grade students who need and like positive role models and we like the police to be involved with the kids," Holmes said. "The officers feel it's important to project the message that the police are positive role models in the community and students respond great to that."
Holmes explained that the kids enjoy having the police officers judge and enjoy explaining their projects to them.
"The kids really enjoy having the officers here as judges it’s a wonderful thing that they do," he said. "Our students love having them in the school and the officers integrate so well with the students."
Holmes added that the police officers are a tremendous help and really support the Sullivan students.
"They volunteer the time and do things like this all the time for Sullivan school and I can't say enough good things about the North Adams Police Department," he said.
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