By: | April 10, 2024 | Local | Fair Haven
On Saturday, March 16, sixteen Rumson Fair Haven students descended upon Stockton University to participate in the annual 2024 Jersey Shore Science Fair. The fair, in its 49th year, serves middle to high school students from 40+ schools from New Jersey's coastal counties, Cape May, Atlantic, Ocean, and Monmouth, and offers fourteen different categories and three levels for each category for participation and judging.
This year, RFH had a larger number of students participating in the science fair as it is the first year that RFH implemented a mandatory research project for all 11th-grade students in Biology Honors courses. Those selected to enter the Jersey Shore Science Fair stood out amongst them all.
Mentored and aided by the RFH Biology staff, Mr. Michael Haughwout, Mrs. Valeri Kilar, and Mrs. Cheryl Laviola, students felt confident and enjoyed the experience of a larger science fair. After weeks of research, data analysis, and preparations followed by hours of setting up and presenting at the fair, several honors were bestowed, including a third-place finish in the team projects category for Annabelle Costello and Chloe Dengler with their study of The Effect of the Environment on Fingerprint Development and second place in Botany for Ellery Donaldson with her study on How Positive and Negative Reinforcement Affects Chia Plant (Salvia hispanica) Growth. Both studies were invited to the Delaware Valley Science Fair to present their findings further.
Three other groups received Honorable Mentions in their respective categories. Mr. Pennetti, Supervisor of STEM, explains, “Mrs. Kilar, also our STEM Club advisor, took the lead to organize and showcase some of our students’ best work and we are extremely proud of not only what they’ve been able to accomplish, but in how far our STEM program has flourished over the last few years.” In addition to the groups invited to the prestigious Delaware Valley Science Fair, the students will also present at RFH’s very own science fair later this spring.
