Months ago, students decided on scientific questions they wanted to investigate. Then, using the Scientific Method, they formed a hypothesis, researched, gathered data, and interpreted the results. Many created graphs and charts. Students showcased their research and data on boards illustrating all aspects of their projects.
On March 31, 2015 family and the community came to campus to see all of the projects.
Blue ribbon winners Kayla Enger and Jessica Milazzo pose by their project board. These eighth graders did a two part study on the effects of electronic devices on living subjects. They looked at the effects of wifi exposure on humans by measuring the heart rate of blindfolded and ear-muffed subjects. The second part was measuring the growth changes of rye grass exposed to a continuous cell phone signal. 
Fourth grader Autumn Blagg poses next to the project board she put together with classmate Kaeli Sheffield. The blue ribbon winners made lotions, then tested them and decided which one worked the best.
Family and community members stopped by the multipurpose room to check out the projects. Students thoroughly enjoyed sharing their results. This excellent, school wide effort was organized by SFCS teachers under the leadership of seventh and eighth grade teacher Chivonne Wilde. Both the quality of the inquiry based projects and their presentation was tremendous, representing hours of work by the students with help and guidance from their teachers, and in some cases, family members at home.
While every student displayed a winning effort on scientific testing and analysis, a few school-wide standouts are:
7th/8th grades
1st Place -Kayla Enger/Jessica Milazzo (Modern Technology);
2nd Place - Ian Harry (Lips-a-Plenty);
3rd Place - Shayna Henry (Different Soil); and
Honorable Mention - Judith Phillips/Carter Brown (Music for Your Brain)
5th/6th grades
1st Place – Clifton “Mikey” Owens/Malte Salonen (Video Games and Blood Pressure);
2nd Place - Marilyn Moore/Daniela Garagarza (Golden Ratio);
3rd Place - Samantha Stevenson/Bradlie Teixeira/Autumn Mangan (Does Smell Affect Taste?); and
Honorable Mention - Spencer Baumann/Allex Smith (Slime)
3rd/4th grades
1st Place - Kaeli Sheffield/Autumn Blagg (Super Lotion);
2nd Place - Sayer Harry/Jamie Ardell (The All Seeing Carrots);
3rd Place - Eris Moore/Malachi Shelton/Livier Ocampo (Taste Buds); and
Honorable Mention - Gabe Walters/Johann Hill-Zeck (Which Cup Won’t Crush?)
1st/2nd grades
1st Place - Elle Sexton (Feathered Friend's Favorite)
2nd Place - Eva Walker/Mylee Allen/Leighla Roupe (Stopping Rotting Apples)
3rd Place - Tyler Knauf, Blaze Brunson, Laten Butler (The Tasty Taste Test); and
Honorable Mention - Rhu Jones/Lily Graumann/Kaia Ramirez (Grey Water...Harmful or Helpful?)
Transitional Kindergarten/Kindergarten
Entire class science projects (Which Marker is Most Washable/What Happens to Bread When Touched With Dirty Hands?)
In addition to viewing Science Fair Projects, many visitors on March 31 bought taco dinners made by Mrs. Wilde's seventh and eighth grade class, bought starter plants for their home gardens and ready to eat vegetables to take home at the Learning Garden, and browsed and bought books at the Usborne Books book fair, earning free books for the school in the process.
Here is a sampling of plants that were available at the plant sale. All proceeds from the sale go right back into buying supplies for the Learning Garden.It was a wonderfully successful and satisfying event. SFCS wishes to thank everyone who came out and showed their support of the school and students.
Sierra Foothill Charter School is a free, non-profit, K-8 public school. For more information, contact the office at (209) 742-6222 or visit SFCS’s website: sierrafoothillcharterschool.org. To stay up to date on all the latest happenings, “like” SFCS on Facebook.
