The annual Grade 5 Science Fair filled the lower school gym with curiosity and creativity on Wednesday, May 20, as students proudly presented research through colorful displays, interactive demonstrations, and hands-on experiments. 

Guided by their interests and questions, the young scientists explored topics ranging from chemistry and engineering to environmental science and human behavior. Throughout the fair, families, faculty, and peers moved from project to project, speaking with students about their hypotheses, methods, and discoveries. The event reflected the power of inquiry-based learning, as students demonstrated scientific understanding with confidence, effective communication skills, and a clear enthusiasm for research.

After discovering a mutual love of plants, Cece Bellmare '33 and Margot Villalong '33 were inspired to research seed paper.

“As you can see, the difference is the paper has way more plants growing than just the seeds,” said Cece, pointing to their experiment. “We’d like to make bookmarks and things for people to bury in the ground and grow more plants,” added Margot.

“I wanted to know how boba balls were made so I could make a different version,” said Mackenzie Mehu ’33, who partnered with Beyah Garcia ’33 on a culinary exploration of the popular drink additive. “This could help businesses because if their boba isn’t good, people won’t want to buy it,” noted Beyah.

“I tested spots in the school for bacteria. I thought it would be the bathrooms, but it was actually our hands,” said Harrison Burke ’33. “I’d like to test someone's phone for bacteria because the nurse told me no one really cleans their phone.”

More than final presentations, the projects showcased scientific thinking and the problem-solving processes. Through experimentation, observation, and data collection, students learned how to refine ideas, analyze results, and communicate their findings clearly.