ESFDB holds annual school-level STEM Fair

For the fourth year, Eskuelan San Francisco de Borja played host to the annual school level STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Science Fair last Feb. 23.

Fun with parachutes, homemade electric fan, how to cure toothache with Chamorro medicine, engineering with LEGO blocks and bricks, and other interesting projects were on display at the school cafeteria.

Students from kindergarten to eighth grade were given the opportunity to conduct scientific research in the areas of chemistry, environmental science, life science, physics, engineering, technology, and mathematics.

“Our students did an outstanding job on their STEM Fair projects. It is our hope that our students who participate in the STEM fair will develop a life-long passion and interest in these subjects that will inspire, encourage, and prepare them in the future,” said administrator/principal Carmen H. Atalig.

Atalig says the fair was more than an opportunity for students to dig into creative and fun aspects of science, but that it was also a good way to explain and develop the scientific method, which was a new experience for one kindergarten student and the first graders.

“It helped reinforce the scientific method and for others it was the first time they’ve used it,” Atalig said. “They conducted their experiments on their own and were writing the complete procedure. That was the main goal for our first year students.”

“With the school level event seeing great success every year, I hope the students continue to improve,” said school science coordinator Mary Rose Lucero.

“We congratulate all the students and winners, and look forward to working with them again next year that will help them become more aware, motivated, active and collaborative in their projects,” added Lucero.

“Investing in science, investing in our youth, investing in their education, is going to be the greatest foundation to allow them to prosper and preserve and build a very promising future in their Luta community or CNMI as a whole,” said board chair Edward C. Maratita Jr.

Maratita added, “that motivating and inspiring these students to think about how that research could also be used to solve key problems and questions for the benefit of their community.”

During the fair, students had the opportunity to showcase and discuss their projects with three judges.

After the judging, the winners will represent the school and the Luta community at the upcoming CNMI PSS Island Wide Science Fair to be held on Saipan sometime in March of this year.

The students that will represent the school and Luta community are John Henry V. Tacud (2nd Grade), John Anthony Tobongbanua (3rd Grade), Éclair M. Ladao (4th Grade), Kaitlyn Balgoa (5th Grade), and Angelo Lucero (8th Grade).

The administration, faculty, staff, and students would like to express their appreciation to the parents, Orly Soria, Solly Takai-Nakamura, and Tita A. Hocog.