PITTSBORO — Chatham County Schools announced the winners of the 2022 District Science Fair on Thursday, Dec. 1, at Jordan-Matthews High School.
The competition was steep this year, with several award-winning entries. CCS is appreciative of the highly qualified judges who dedicated their day to evaluating the entries.
“Our students did an outstanding job presenting their entries with poise and knowledge. This was a difficult task for our judges, based on the number of substantive and well-developed entries from our students,” LaShonda Hester, executive director of Middle School Instruction, said. “We were so excited to be back to in-person presentations and awards. I want to thank our teachers, science fair coordinators and principals who work diligently at our schools to bring science to life every day in our schools.”
The overall fair winner, who received a $100 prize, was Rebecca Hoopes from Margaret B. Pollard, whose project was “Trunks and Tops: Estimating Relationships Between Tree Height and Circumference in Pinus taeda.”
Hoopes’ brother, Jacob Hoopes, won last year’s district competition.
Judges could award honorable mention, third place, second place and first place in each category. First-place projects in 3rd through 12th grade will proceed to the Regional Science Fair.
The Kindergarten through 2nd-grade projects do not move on to a regional or state competition. Chatham County Schools has chosen every year to offer this category because the district believes it’s valuable for students.
Sherri Homan, the instructional program facilitator for Middle Schools, coordinates the science fair each year, and she will be helping prepare for the Regional and State competitions.
K-2 Division
The following are winners in the K-2 Class Division; the K-2 class and K-2 Individual categories are for Chatham County Schools only.
Honorable Mention
“Name brand or store brand cookies...Which tastes better?” by Claire Palmer from Bonlee School
“Bubble Pop” by Reese Burbank from North Chatham Elementary
“What Shape Ice Melts the Fastest? “ by Bernadette Foreman from Pittsboro Elementary
“What food makes ants strong?” by Mia Pecot from Chatham Grove Elementary School
“Which trees make the most oxygen?” by Johanna Stone from J.S. Waters Elementary
“The Gingerbread Boy’s Escape Boat” by Ms. Easterling’s Kindergarten Class from Perry Harrison Elementary
“Photosynthesis” by Vanessa Phillips from Siler City Elementary
“Keeping flowers fresh” by Lillian Weatherington and Eleanor Weatherington from Chatham Grove Elementary
“Magnificent Mentos” by Graham Baucum from Pittsboro Elementary
“Milk Bones” by Kimber Starr from Siler City Elementary
“Alcohol’s Effect on Leaves” by Arabel Gaines from Siler City Elementary
“Gymnastics: Balance and the Senses” by Sydney Wolfe from North Chatham Elementary
“Rainbow Celery” by Lilly Hart from J.S. Waters Elementary
“Repurposing Plastic Bags” by Mrs. Marlette’s Class from Perry Harrison Elementary
3rd Place:
“Designing Earthquake-Proof Buildings” by Maya Merricks from Pittsboro Elementary
“Toys vs. Hurricanes” by Greyson Bochicco and Harrison Chastain from Chatham Grove Elementary
2nd Place:
“Stop the Spread” by Mrs. Vazquez’s Class from Perry Harrison Elementary
1st Place:
“The Sweet Spot” by Bryce Meulendyke and Ayden Williams from North Chatham Elementary
“Which surface lets a soccer ball roll the farthest?” by Keaton Jett and Audrey Jett from Chatham Grove Elementary
3-5 Division
The following are winners in the 3-5 Biological Science Division.
Honorable Mention:
“How much will the grass grow under certain conditions?” by Lauen Plante from Pittsboro Elementary
“How Long It Takes A Pumpkin To Rot” by Ethan Leonard from Silk Hope School
“Practice Makes Perfect — Progress” by Hannah Webster from North Chatham Elementary
3rd Place:
“Polar Plunge” by Ana Burbank from North Chatham Elementary
2nd Place:
“Is My Dog, Jet, Right or Left Pawed?” by Jack Tarpley from Chatham Grove Elementary
1st Place:
“Which Liquid is Best for Propagating Pothos?” by Andrew Zwahlen and Lydia Zwahlen from North Chatham Elementary
The following are winners in the 3-5 Earth and Environmental Division.
3rd Place:
“Worse Because It Was Wet? Salt Water Versus Tap Water” by Sarah Hoopes from Chatham Grove Elementary
2nd Place:
“Can We Purify Water with Daily Materials?” by Waylon Bryant, Mackenzie Gregory and Collin Palmer from Bonlee School
1st Place:
“The Best Roof Case Scenario” by Emma Heron, Ava Delaney and Ayla Cousett-Keyser from Chatham Grove Elementary
The following are winners in the 3-5 Chemistry Division.
Honorable Mentions:
“The Chocolate Factory” by Emma Suczynski and Owen Suczynski from North Chatham Elementary
“Cleaning Copper” by Gabriel Hooft from Siler City Elementary
“Fizzy Bath Bombs” by Maxie Mitchell from Silk Hope School
“Can I relight a stick without a match, using oxygen?” by Calvin Weber from Pittsboro Elementary
“What’s Poppin: Which brand of bubble gum makes the biggest bubbles?” by Emma Boyd and Ximena Cervantes from Pittsboro Elementary
“Cake Quest” by Caroline Owens from North Chatham Elementary
“The Egg Shell Mystery” by Carisa Andrew from Silk Hope School
“Perished Produce” by Eliza Andros and Addy Davis from North Chatham Elementary
3rd Place:
“What an Ironic Breakfast” by Tymere Greene from J.S. Waters School
Tie for 2nd Place
“Does temperature affect battery performance?” by Alice Drust from Pittsboro Elementary
“The Water Races” by Gwendolyn Frankowski from Chatham Grove Elementary
1st Place:
“Boiling: It Was a Solution” by Lillian Kizer from Chatham Grove Elementary
The following are winners in the 3-5 Engineering and Technology Division.
3rd Place:
“Poppin’ Wheelies” by Jesse Ritter from Bonlee School
2nd Place:
“Which flies best?” by Rafael Magana-Salinas and Jocelyn Magana-Salinas from Virginia Cross Elementary
1st Place:
“Power of Pollination” by Jack Walker, Summer Fitzgerald and Sophia Wight from Perry Harrison Elementary
The following are winners in the 3-5 Physics/Math Division.
3rd Place:
“Is the Iron in Cereal Magnetic?” by Wesley Chappell from Pittsboro Elementary
“The Physics of a Car Crash” by Elias Koshy from Chatham Grove Elementary
Tie for 2nd Place
“Food in Flight: Which food will go furthest, fastest, and have the most airtime when launched from a potato cannon?” by Wyatt Lawson from Pittsboro Elementary
“The Physics of Engineering the Perfect Yo-Yo” by Leo Stewart from Chatham Grove Elementary
Tie for 1st Place:
“Effect of Friction and Angle of Incline on a Sliding Object” by Megan Leonard from Moncure School
“Stop! Get Out of the Pool” by Amaya Milliken, Anna Miller and Mackenzie Cress from North Chatham Elementary
6-8 Division
In the 6-8 division, students competed in one of seven categories.
The following are winners in the 6-8 Biological Science A Division.
Honorable Mentions:
“Flourishing Florals: Which Liquid Colors Flower More?” by Summer Causey, Hannah Culberson and Athena Dispenette-Estrada from Silk Hope School
“How Much Sugar is Needed to Make Sweet Tea Preferred by the People in Siler City” by Matthew Cunningham, Preston Smith and Reagan White
3rd Place:
“Do You Know What You Are Eating” by Saddler Hamm from Margaret B. Pollard Middle School
2nd Place:
“How Do Ants & Their Broods React to Heat” by Jake Tripp from J.S. Waters School
Tie for 1st Place:
“Colored vs. Pencil Note” by Grace Wilson from Margaret B. Pollard Middle School
“Trunks and Tops: Estimating the Relationship Between Tree Height and Circumference in Pinus taeda” by Rebecca Hoopes from Margaret B. Pollard Middle School
The following are winners in the Biological Science B Division.
3rd Place:
“Eggs vs Water” by Ian Perry from Margaret B. Pollard Middle School
2nd Place:
“Flavored Eggs” by Cason Hayes, Sayvion Burnette and Bryson Alston from J.S. Waters School
1st Place:
“What’s Poppin: Why Does Popcorn Pop” by Ella Davis and Juliana Andros from Margaret B. Pollard Middle School
The following are winners in the Chemistry Division.
Honorable Mention:
“How Does the Temperature of An Onion Affect How Much you Cry” by London Crowling from Margaret B. Pollard Middle School
Tie for 3rd Place:
“Paper Towel and Water Absorption” by Yamilet Camacho from Chatham Middle School
“Cookies” by Tiffany Glinoga and Emily Jump from Margaret B. Pollard Middle School
2nd Place:
“What Aerosol Will Launch a Potato the Farthest” by Ivey Mitchell from Silk Hope School
Tie for 1st Place:
“Chocolate Brands” by Betzy Hernandez and Maria Serrano from Chatham Middle School
“Vitamin C Levels and Sunlight” by Khalil Shaw from Chatham Middle School
The following are winners in the 6-8 Earth/Environmental Science Division.
Honorable Mentions:
“Commercial vs Natural Cleaning Supplies” by Sophia Grimes and Carmelina Beasley from Chatham Middle School
“The Effect of Decomposers in a Sealed Terrarium” by Ben Galbraith from Moncure School
“Water Filtration” by Elsa Sandvik from Margaret B. Pollard Middle School
3rd Place:
“Which Type of Soil Has the Highest pH?” by Reece Adams and Giovanni Ramos from Margaret B. Pollard Middle School
2nd Place:
“Burnt Soil vs Unburnt Soil” by Keylor Urena-Secena from Chatham Middle School
1st Place:
“What Secrets do macro-invertebrates tell about Chatham County’s waterways?” by Reagan Sandel, Kinley Jordan and Madelyn Smith from Chatham Middle School
The following are winners in the 6-8 Physics Division.
3rd Place:
“Effects of Size Bouncing” by Charlotte Britt and Levi Culberson from Silk Hope School
2nd Place:
“Different Shooting Styles” by Francisco Arteaga, Ridge Hicks and Elijah Rodriguez from Silk Hope School
1st Place:
“Air Pressure in Soccer Balls” by Jose Mejia, Valentin Gorostieta and Alexis Ochoa from Chatham Middle School
The following are winners in the 6-8 Technology Division.
3rd Place:
“Apple Sense” by Addison Overman and Reid Caviness from Bennett School
2nd Place:
“The UVB Problem” by Caroline Sawyer from Moncure School
1st Place:
“Thermal Alternatives” by Jaden Guzman from Chatham Middle School
The following are winners in the 6-8 Engineering Division:
1st Place:
“What Burns Faster” by Christian Kennan and Lariah Rogers from Margaret B. Pollard Middle School
9-12 Division
The following are winners in the 9-12 Biological Science Division.
3rd Place:
“Feeding Time” by Andrew Brown from Jordan Matthews High School
Tie for 1st Place:
“The Effect of Different Music on Human Physiology” by Athena Phan from The Chatham School of Science and Engineering
“Tomatosphere” by Fatima Lavariega from Jordan Matthews High School
The following are winners in the 9-12 Biological Science Division.
2nd Place:
“Does Light Kill Bacteria” by Christian Lopez from Jordan Matthews High School
1st Place:
“Fast Food Burger Project” by Skylar Breedlove, Markel McSwain and James Bain from The Chatham School of Science and Engineering
The following are winners in the 9-12 Chemistry Science Division.
2nd Place:
“Candles” by Martha Flores from Jordan-Matthews High School
1st Place:
“Another One Bites the Rust” by Karsyn Vann and Lizzie Bare from Jordan-Matthews High School
The following are winners in the 9-12 Earth/Environmental Sciences Division.
1st Place:
“Particle Pollution” by Carly Cardman and Emily Dekaney from Jordan-Matthews High School
The following are winners in the 9-12 Physics Science Division.
2nd Place:
“Hooke’s Law” by Julie Mateo and Jolitzy Fernandez by Jordan-Matthews High School
1st Place:
“Under Pressure: How PSI affects the distance a ball travels” by Maggie Thornton and Buck Thornton from Jordan-Matthews High School
The following are winners in the 9-12 Technology Science Division.
2nd Place:
“Salinity and Aluminum” by Rebecca Narccizo and Alex Maldonado Reyes from Jordan-Matthews High School
1st Place:
“Frequencies” by Jennifer Garcia-Torres from Jordan-Matthews High School
The following are winners in the 9-12 Engineering Science Division.
2nd Place:
“Tension in Bridges” by Noah Emery, Mia Splendore and James McNabb from The Chatham School of Science & Engineering
1st Place:
“Testing Trebuchet Trajectory” by Caden Bailey, Leah Riggsbee and Mason Kratky from The Chatham School of Science & Engineering