RCES students win awards at regional science fair at UVA
While most Rappahannock County Elementary School students and staff were enjoying a well-deserved spring break featuring leisurely wake-up times and activities, some of them gladly gave up a day of their vacation to represent RCES at the 35th annual Piedmont Regional Science Fair.
Sixteen RCES students and two of their teachers boarded a bus in the early hours of their first day of break and headed to UVA in Charlottesville to compete with more than 300 of their peers in the arena of science.
Selected by their science teachers to represent Rappahannock County in this annual event, the 16 sixth and seventh graders put their talents up against those of students from almost 40 other schools from 13 other counties. When the final votes were tallied, six of the 16 received regional honors, bringing home five honorable mentions and one third place recognition.
The RCES students selected to compete in this event included seventh graders Alec Petty, Matthew Paratore, Evan Jenkins, Bryce Fryant, Matthew Sisk, Agustin Garcia, Dom DelGrosso, Rachel Weghorst, Eve Vandrey, Taylor Settle, and Morgan McKinney. The sixth grade was represented by students Cassia Gainer, T.J. Keane, Luke and Sara Beth Ellis, and Heather Williams. The students were proudly escorted by sixth grade science teacher Layne Vickers and seventh grade science teacher Elaine Frank. Everyone enjoyed their day in Charlottesville, coming home with new ideas for future projects as well as new friends from other schools.
While all the students were winners by virtue of qualifying for the regional event, several of them received additional honors from the regional judges in Charlottesville. A third place ranking was awarded to seventh grader Rachel Weghorst for her report on the effect of ultraviolet rays on cellular DNA or, more specifically, “which time of interval of ultraviolet radiation exposure eliminates the most bacteria on an unexposed side of a bacteria dish.”
Honorable Mention recognition was given to five RCES students. From the sixth grade Heather Williams was recognized for her project on solar ovens and Cassia Gainer garnered honorable mention with her project on the effect of class size on temperatures in the classroom. Seventh grade honorees included Alec Petty for his project evaluating methods of cleaning up oil spills, Agustin Garcia for his chromatography project with tree leaves, and Dom DelGrosso for his project on the effect of weather on rifle marksmanship.
At the day’s end the students and their teachers arrived back in Rappahannock, ready to enjoy their spring break with the added satisfaction of a successful science fair competition behind them.
— Jimmy Swindler