VASJ Science Chair Melissa Grai took six of her AP Chemistry students to judge the seventh-grade science fair at Ss. Robert and William School in Euclid.
“It went really well and they were very thankful for our help,” Grai says.
This is the fourth year VASJ students have been asked to judge the fair. The top three students will move on to the regional competition, making the scores given by VASJ students very important.
The VASJ students spent most of their day at Ss. Robert and William School, judging and scoring each of the participants. It was an eye-opening experience for some about how much work goes into evaluating projects.
“I appreciate my teachers efforts more now,” says junior Eleanor Boru. “It was a really great experience.”
The seventh graders, understandably, were nervous to present in front of high school students. Surprisingly, the VASJ students were nervous, too. They wanted to make sure they were judging everyone fairly.
“At first it was a little difficult but we started getting the hang of it and by the end,” says VASJ junior Mary Furlan. “I had a really good time.”
Junior Tim Raddell was teased by his classmates for his rigorous evaluations of the seventh graders.
“I was told I was a harsh grader, Tim says. “I have high standards for myself so I have high standards for others, too.”
High standards and all, the Ss. Robert and William students were impressive.
“Their communication skills were better than I expected,” VASJ senior Leon Rockmore Jr. says.
The knowledge demonstrated at the seventh-grade level surprised the VASJ students.
“They were in seventh grade but some of their topics connect with what we were learning in AP Chemistry, like reaction rates,” says VASJ junior Shirley Kennebrew
Each year, Grai is impressed with the way the VASJ students represent the school and themselves. But what she is most proud of is not the level of professionalism or knowledge they demonstrate, but rather their kindness.
“It is amazing to see the kindness and compassion from our students,” Grai says. “They wanted to give good scores to the students who were trying hard. It was nice to see students being thoughtful and considerate of others.”