Sleep deprivation in students, Disney ride engineering, the physics of atomic bombs, and feline genetics were just some of the fascinating topics on display at this year’s Grade 8 Research, Experience, Action, Designed by You (R.E.A.D.Y.) Project presentation on May 18. 

Grade 8 students spent the entire year working on their projects in Technology and Innovation class while also learning about various mediums, including 3D printing and web design.

“Some students were so interested in their topics that they took extra time to deeply explore how to create them, or poured a lot of energy into their research outside of class time,” said upper school computer science teacher Sabrina Balducci, who led this year’s course. “Some of them taught me new things about their subjects in the process!”

Students focused on selecting a topic of interest in the class's first semester, conducting guided research, and gathering credible information. In the second semester, they shifted their attention to designing and building the product. With no two projects alike, the process required each student to take initiative, think creatively, and refine ideas through trial and error. The final presentations reflected a deep understanding of their subject and newfound technical skills.

“I was very interested in the mechanics of the ‘Tower of Terror’ ride at Disney World,” said Benji Stergiou ’30, who built a working model of the ride. “The most challenging part was getting the mechanics to work, but I never gave up on it, just like Walt Disney.”

“I’ve always loved cheetahs,” said Sheherazad Edibam '30. “Doing my research for the R.E.A.D.Y. project, I learned about the Taqpep gene, which is a mutation that creates a king cheetah and other rare felines like the white tiger.”

“I researched aerodynamics on aircraft,” said Chase Eisenberg ’30, who used 3D printing to create a model of a jet. “This really helped me understand how everything works together to maintain a better flight, like how drag actually makes things smoother.”

Formerly led by middle school Computer Science and Digital Applications teacher Sue Laramie, Balducci led this year’s class with support from teacher-librarian Kim Klein. The shift stemmed from a departmental desire to strengthen the bridge between divisions.

“I spent the year transitioning the Grade 8 students to the upper school environment by bringing them into the upper school innovation lab, making their transition into high school a little easier,” Balducci said, noting that Laramie brought Grade 5 students to the middle school innovation lab this year to help bridge their transition from Lower School.

As the Grade 8 students passionately described their work, it was clear that the yearlong process had equipped them with the confidence to explore new ideas and bring them to life, skills essential for their transition to upper school in the fall.