This year’s Science Fair was a great success including participants from all four Valley schools. The Seventh-Day Adventist School, SAMS, BCE, and Acwsalcta School were all well represented at the fair.
The Bella Coola Science Fair, hosted by School District 49, had approximately 135 student participants and 65 projects in four divisions. This was record high participation and the first time in many years that all of the valley schools have been involved.
The Science Fair Committee wants to thank all of the students and the many volunteers who made this year's fair successful with their efforts. Each of you is a winner! You all did a great job! We look forward to your participation next year.
After careful deliberation our judges awarded prizes to those people who demonstrated the best understanding of their chosen subject matter. In the Primary and Intermediate Divisions the prizes were science kits, toys, books, and games. In the Junior and Secondary Divisions the prizes were cash.
The winning entries are as follows. Primary Category (K – 3). First Place, ‘How to make the Strongest Electromagent, Hayden Mullins. Second Place, ‘Sinking and Floating/Density,’ Jaymen Schieck. Third Place, ‘Flat or Arch Bridges #1,’ Ronald Wheatly and Jasper Durocher. Honourable Mention, ‘Which Objects Sink?,’ Ariel Mackenzie.
Intermediate Category (Gr. 4 - 5). First Place, ‘Pop Clock,’ Andrew Stewart. Second Place, ‘Going Soft,’ Cela Jones. Third Place, ‘Water Wave,’ Byron Know. Honourable Mention, ‘Volcano,’ by Rachel Chatham.
Junior Category (Gr. 6 - 7). First Place, ‘Water Wheel,’ Shiloh Peasgood ($100). Second Place, ‘Tsunami,’ Kristen Clair and Faith Fontaine ($75). Third Place, ‘Coffee/Plant Growth,’ Shayden Younker and Vernon Nelson ($50). Honourable Mention, ‘Wind Turbine (Raine Cross and Aiden Hindley).
Secondary Category (Gr 11. – 12). First Place, ‘AM Radio,’ Jordan Tuck ($100). Second Place, ‘Ethylene, The Ripening Horomone,’ Lauren Harrison ($75). Third Place (tie), ‘Wind Turbine,’ David Ratcliff, Keenan Peasgood, Matilda Stewart ($50). Third Place (tie) ‘Mini Electric Motor,’ Samuel Stewart ($50).
Class Prize: Primary. First Prize – ‘The Great Egg and Vinegar Experiment.’ Amanda Racher’s Grade 1 Class from Acwsalcta School ($50 gift certificate at Kopas Store). Second Prize – ‘Winter Fun.’ Veronica Persico’s Kindergarten Class from Acwsalcta School ($30 gift certificate at Kopas Store).
Intermediate Category. First Place: ‘The Amazing Celery Experiment.’ from the SDA school by Lillion Carlson, Torger Matthews, Odin Matthews, Hayden Cahoose, Dylan Cahoose, Markus Nelson, Jonathan Ratcliff ($50 gift certificate at Kopas Store)
There was also a special ‘Boat Float’ competition. This competition is meant to run as the participants are waiting for judging deliberations. The competition challenged participants to design a boat that could float the most weight with dimensions limits of 2 ft x 2 ft with a 2 lb weight limit.
There were many creative designs! Big thank you to Angela Clair, Charlie Endicott, and Tanya Durocher for running this event. Also big thanks to Sandie MacLaurin for arranging equipment, Jim Clair and Cory Morrison for bringing over the extra big tubs and to Bella Coola Valley Seafoods for lending the tubs to float the boats!
The winning boats were: First Place, Sadie Gunderson (155lbs), Second Place, Hayden Mullins (95lbs), Third Place, Trenton Nelson (60.6lbs), Most Creative Boat, Markus Nelson.
The Science Fair Committee is looking for members to carry on the tradition of running the Science Fair in the future, as both current members of the committee will not be available next year. Please contact committee members Sara Germain at SAMS or Jennifer Tyre at BCE if you are interested in joining; just a love of science and community are needed!