Curiosity abounded in Riverside School’s gymnasium during its STEM Fair open house on April 8. Students showed off their tri-fold presentations to a packed house of friends, family, and teachers. Students across all grades were invited to pick an area of focus – Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math – and find answers to questions or develop a project using those skills. Participation in the fair was entirely voluntary. However, according to this year’s co-chairs Kimberly McConnell and Maxine Yang, over 250 students participated, representing more than half of the school.
The projects at this year’s fair touched on topics ranging from the human brain to crystals to asteroids, with one “out of this world” project inspiring awe and delighting the crowd. A team of students and Riverside parents successfully launched a weather balloon and candy into space and back with a GoPro camera that captured footage from space and within the atmosphere. After the mission, the team recovered the device (and intact candy!) from a farm in Amagansett, New York. The project’s success marked an exciting triumph after last year’s “failure”, when the weather balloon drifted more than 300 miles off the coast of Massachusetts and was lost.
Riverside Principal Jason Martin, who is in his first year at the school, commented that “[the fair] was a collision of curiosity and critical thinking!” His remarks highlight Riverside School’s dedication to academic excellence, fun, and (perhaps most importantly) perseverance.
