Sammy Hillenmeyer and Joe Winterlich have been recognized among the top 300 scholars in the 80th Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS), the nation's oldest and most prestigious science and mathematics competition for high school seniors.  As scholars, they are in the running to make the top 40 finalists list (to be announced on January 21). 

As students in King's Advanced Science Program for Independent Research and Engineering (ASPIRE), Sammy and Joe are both conducting original, impressive research as interns in a R01-level research laboratory. 

JC Fredette '21, Ronnie Harvey '22, Sammy Hillenmeyer '21, Nick Jiang '22, Nadia Kucher '21, and Joaquin Silvani '21 are all studying multivariable calculus with Mathematics Faculty Dr. Laura Toniolo. Recently, these six students had an opportunity to collaborate together to transform the theoretical material they learned in class into an actual product, a Quadrics Mobile. Nadia describes the hands-on project, sharing, "Graphing quadrics in 3D is much more challenging than you would think, so by printing them, we were able to visualize what we had learned. Not only were we able to visualize our quadrics in a physical object, but we had to overcome several obstacles to ultimately balance our quadrics and create a functional mobile."

Jenna Du Puis, Mathematics Faculty and Middle School Mathematics Coordinator, is in awe of her students. Mrs. Du Puis reflects on the wonder and joy she feels in helping Grade 7 and Grade 8 students learn to think and work as mathematicians and demonstrate their understanding as critical thinkers. Bruno Reinhoefer Ribeiro '26, a Grade 7 student in Mrs. Du Puis' Geometry class, describes the biggest challenge as "using new algorithms such as substitution, same base/same altitude, etc. My favorite thing to learn in this class is probably proofs since they are always logical and satisfying to do." 

A unique co-curricular STEM project geared toward life-science is taking place in the Upper School. Students, guided by Acting Chair of the Science Department Nick DeFelice, are constructing a living, biologically cycling ecosystem – a vivarium. Ian Marsh '21 describes his enthusiasm in addressing this challenge, saying, "To be able to help make a habitat for a species that is near endangerment is a great experience that I am so happy to be a part of." 

Nick DeFelice, Acting Chair of the Science Department, is enthusiastically collaborating with Science faculty across the school to build upon the student experience.  The objective, as Mr. DeFelice describes it, is to "teach students to think and work like scientists, as they engage in expanded opportunities for hands on work that is designed to allow students to ask questions, form hypotheses, design experiments, analyze data, form conclusions, and communicate findings as a way to learn the content and to demonstrate their understanding."  King teachers are coaches, guiding students in their investigations and journey in learning about certain topics of the natural world.

Children are innately curious about the world around them. King's Lower School science program amplifies this sense of wonder, teaching young scientists the steps in research: beginning with developing an evidence-based claim and progressing to learning to reason philosophically about natural phenomena.  

Students were tasked with building a skeleton using only the materials that they had at home. They were required to follow a rubric, which outlined what bones they had to present, the composition inside of bones, the types of tissues that would surround a joint, make two moveable joints and demonstrate their movement, illustrate a fracture and name its type and then show the types of muscles and name them.

The 2020 Summer Olympics may have been postponed but the Grade 6 Math Olympiad Challenge has begun. Lee Couch, Mathematics Faculty, proposes one challenge per week, which is an optional assignment for students who desire more math equations, problem-solving, and challenge.

Lindsay Silbereisen, Science Faculty, did her best to bring back some 'norms' to her class last week, during the first week of KingIsHome Remote Learning. "Normally, students arrive to class, sit down, and start their 'Do Now' warm-up question on Google Classroom. The Do Now is intended to review and reinforce content from the previous lesson. Last week, I asked them to do the same but remotely."

The week-long fair was slated to occur on March 9-14 at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT, but the global coronavirus pandemic forced fair directors to convert the fair from a traditional in-person event to a virtual science fair for the students' safety. Collectively, King students had a Top 10 finisher in every category in which we competed and King School occupied 10% of the finalist positions – a truly impressive showing!