DALLAS — Combine Dr. Seuss Week with a dynamic PTO and any elementary school will come alive. And, on March 7, the Dallas Elementary School took that to an even higher level.
Parents, grandparents, siblings both younger and older and dozens of assorted friends were on hand for the school’s annual science fair, an evening where the youngsters show off their projects examining the natural world and how it works.
Easily the stars of this year’s event weren’t even students. Dusty and JJ, a pair of chinchillas, got attention from visitors young and old. And their owners, fourth-grader Emily Davidson and her sister, Sophia, in second grade, were glad to help the soft, furry pair demonstrate their skills at eating Cheerios and cuddling.
The science part of their display was an experiment about whether a chinchilla has a favorite color.
“We set up circles of different colors on a board, and JJ went first to the blue. Then he went twice to the red, so we decided his favorite is red,” Sophia said. “Dusty didn’t want to do the experiment. He just wanted to snuggle in Emily’s lap.”
That wasn’t the only scientific finding, though. Throughout the school’s gym were dozens of displays, showing the results of the youngsters’ research into a variety of topics. There was the standard baking-soda volcano as well as examinations of the sugar content of a variety of foods, tornado testing, studies in gravity and friction and water’s effect on rock as well as a study of the solar system.
There were also a few new scientific studies, such as showing how to create slime and how to make raisins dance.
Two of the fifth-graders didn’t actually do a science experiment, but brought their prize-winning invention to show off. Dominick Zangardi, of Shavertown, and Charlie Rischawy, of Dallas, were on the four-person team that represented their school in the recent STEM competition at Misericordia University. They took second place with a motorized Tinker Toy-like contraption that moved and picked up objects.
Lauren Clark, a fifth-grader, joined forces with her second-grader sister Olivia to show how to make bath bombs.
“We wanted to show how kids can make their own bombs with stuff in the household,” Lauren said.
The girls credited their dad Shawn for helping them set up the cardboard working surface in the family’s Shavertown garage – and then doing a major clean-up after the project was finished.
“Every year, it’s amazing to see what the kids come up with and the different projects they bring to the science fair,” said Kristina Coy, the event’s chairwoman for the past five years. Her daughter Abbie, now a fifth-grader, had researched how music affects the heart rate and blood pressure as her final science project before heading to middle school next year.
The annual science fair is now dedicated to the late Arlene Besecker, a fourth-grade science teacher who passed away several years ago. Participation is voluntary among the students and the youngsters work on their own, bringing their finished products for the display.
“There is a bit of help from the parents,” Coy said. “But you can see there aren’t displays that show adult involvement in their research or their work. The kids do it all on their own.”
Each youngster who brings a display goes home with a certificate and a ribbon, she said.
That wasn’t the only attraction for the evening, either.
Down the hall in the school’s library, a lively book sale was going on with some serious shopping for books, sequined journals and a variety of book-related items. Youngsters – and parents who had their wallets open – milled around the room, browsing and picking up reading materials. The line for the cashier wrapped around several tables, guided by a PTO volunteer with a sign showing where the line formed.
And down that same hall in the school’s cafeteria, there was plenty of information for parents and youngster to help plan for summer vacation, something that isn’t that far off. Representatives from agencies like the Girl Scouts, the Make a Joyful Noise music school and the area’s state parks were on hand to distribute brochures about the activities they offered. There also were folks from the YMCA’s Camp Kresge, Camp Orchard Hill and Bear Creek Camp, as well as the athletic and academic camps offered by area colleges and universities with displays and camp schedules for anyone interested in summer activities.
“It’s always a great time when we can sponsor a fun event like this,” Coy said. “The youngsters get a chance to do something outside of the classroom and show off a little for their parents and friends. And, I think the best part of it all is seeing what the kids come up with. And the pride they take in their work.”
