Assumption Students Take 2nd, 3rd and 4th Place at
Alameda County’s Science and Engineering Fair
San Leandro, CA: A virtual ceremony was held in late March recognizing four Assumption students for placing 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the annual Alameda County Science and Engineering Fair – Sofia, Sean, Keira and Braelynn. While all seventh and eighth grade students were required to submit a project to the school’s annual science fair, these four students voluntarily decided to also submit a project to the annual Alameda County Science and Engineering Fair.
Isabel Gregorio, science teacher for middle and junior high grades, supported the students’ efforts by teaching them in advance the elements of a successful science fair submission, which included learning how to write a good research question, and how to conduct fair trials of an experiment.
Students were, ultimately, required to present their projects to a panel of five industry science and engineering experts who were tasked with judging each one.
Sofia and Sean, both in eighth grade, partnered on a project to study the effectiveness of various brands of disinfectant wipes to rid surfaces of bacteria. They took third place. Keira, a seventh grader, placed fourth for her project that tested different juice powders to see if their sugar content would have an effect on how intense the stain was, or how hard it would be to remove it. Braelynn, a seventh grader, grew plants and made them listen to different types of music - classical and rock – to understand if it had an effect on their growth. All winners received a hard-earned ribbon and prize for the time and dedication they put into their projects.
When asked about how this all made her feel, Ms. Gregorio shared, “I was blown away by their creativity, dedication, and execution of their science fair projects. I am blessed to have students who are willing to go above and beyond what they’re asked to do – they didn’t have to join the County science fair, but it was clearly well worth it for them!”