Numerous science projects filled Goulding Hall during the annual Family Science Night on February 28 at Lucerne Valley Elementary School.
Principal Burt Umstead greeted families who came to support their students, all of whom created projects. Mr. Umstead handed over emcee duties to teacher Leah Paddack who introduced the winners and participating community members.
This year, Austin Marshall and Sarah Alvarado from the Mitsubishi Cement Corporation Educational Foundation and Middle High School Principal Nate Lambdin and Assistant Principal Kelly Boeing served as judges of the science projects.
Following the awards presentation, families visited classrooms where additional science projects and demonstrations were held. In one classroom, Barstow Bureau of Land Management Ranger Arturo Basulto showed visitors a small, non-venomous snake. Others volunteer in the BLM demonstration room were Martin Brander, Jamie Livingood and Lorenzo Encinas.
The Desert Crossroads Garden Club of Lucerne Valley, which sponsors the school’s garden, demonstrated how earth worms can be harnessed to make compost. Club members Linda Riddle and Sue Nolan led the demonstrations.
Victor Valley College photography instructor Sarah Alvarado, and David and Millie Rader of Mitsubishi Cement oversaw the MCCEF’s demonstration room. The High School Art Club led a fun artistically inclined demonstration with Playdough. Other hands-on demonstrations included “Magic Milk,” “Marble Maze,” “Habitat Hidden Pictures,” “The Wonders of Beans,” Candy Estimation,” “Abandoned Mines and Geology,” “Local Wildlife With Real Animals,” “Wild Land Fires,” “Fun With Cement,” “Lava Lamps” and Marshmallow Towers.”
While there were countless science projects that set out to prove a myriad of previously unsolved mysteries, seven were selected as Science Night winners.
• Fourth-grader Caleb Heuer in Mrs. Eller’s class won the school’s Mojave Environmental Educational Consortium award for his project “Rocks — Don’t Take Them For Granite.”
• Zoey Davis, a 6th-grader in Mrs. Paddack’s class, won first place overall for her project, “The Memory Game.”
• Mrs. Hankins’ 5th-grade student Mikayla McCuistion won second place overall for her project “The Adventure of Radio Waves.”
• Sixth-grader Alexah DeLira in Mrs. Paddack’s class took third place for “Handedness Sensitivity.”
• Zoey Davis, a 6th-grader in Mrs. Paddack’s class, won first place overall for her project, “The Memory Game.”
• Mrs. Hankins’ 5th-grade student Mikayla McCuistion won second place overall for her project “The Adventure of Radio Waves.”
• Sixth-grader Alexah DeLira in Mrs. Paddack’s class took third place for “Handedness Sensitivity.”
K-3 Student Projects:
• Taking first place for younger student science projects was Jennaeve Terrill in Mrs. Nelson’s class for her science project, “How Does A Chick Breathe In Its Shell?”
• Kenzie North in Ms. Brander’s first grade class took second place for her “Hovercraft” project.
• Jayde Nichols in Mrs. Nelson’s 2nd grade class won third place for “Quicker Picker Upper.”
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Photos by Peter Day