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A NEED for science

Dave Borowski | Catholic Herald

Fourth grade students test wind speed using anemometers in the school parking lot.

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Gabe Matta, brother of club member Nick Matta, uses the Van de Graff generator in class and at the Family Energy Night at the school April 21.

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Students watch the reaction when Mentos are placed in a liter bottle of Coke.

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Last school year, Our Lady of Good Counsel science lab
teacher Samantha Forbes started a club to encourage students
to think about technology and its interaction with the
environment. About 20 students signed up for the Science Club
and its twice-monthly meetings.

Forbes, who earned a bachelor’s in natural resources and
environmental sciences from the University of Illinois and a
master’s in education from Marymount University in Arlington,
said she developed a love of science from a program her
middle and junior high school participated in called the
National Energy Education Development, or NEED project. Her
father worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
and her mother was a school teacher, so science education was
a natural career path for her.

The Science Club met in the lab, and in the first half of the
school year, they ran experiments like changing dry-ice to a
gas and using fruit and vegetables to generate electricity.

“They were eye-catching experiments,” said Forbes, adding
that they were something that would keep the attention of
children 8- to 11- years old.

The group elected officers – a president, vice president and
secretary.

After Christmas vacation that year, she asked her students if
they would want to do some environmental science experiment.
The students liked the idea.

The club assessed the fluorescent lighting at the school to
figure out if they were the old and inefficient technology
(magnetic ballast), or newer and efficient technology
(electric ballast.)

They used meters to measure the electrical efficiency of
everyday school supplies such as electric pencil sharpeners.

They put together a PowerPoint presentation that listed the
goals of their study and if they were achieved. The project
summary also was sent to the NEED project for award
consideration.

The school won the Virginia Elementary School of the Year
award and national honors – the Outstanding Project
Recognition award.

The school is beginning to implement Science, Technology,
Religion, Engineering and Mathematics or STREAM. It’s an
evolution of the Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics program, or STEM program. The religious aspect of
the program for the Science Club is care for the environment
as Pope Francis called for in his encyclical “Laudato Si’.”

This year, the Science Club grew to 35 members. The members
decided to concentrate on outreach to the community and the
school on energy issues. Club members first educated
themselves on energy and how to conserve it, and then taught
other students.

“Kids teaching kids,” said Forbes.

They also cleaned up the school grounds.

The club decided to teach the community about energy
conservation with a Family Energy Night on Earth Day, April
21, which drew people who saw exhibits on recycling, ecology
presentations and games.

Science Club President and fifth-grader Jack Gillespie
presented the project to the Parent Teacher Organization.

Again, a PowerPoint presentation of their goals and successes
was submitted to the NEED project.

And for the second year in a row, they won the Virginia
Elementary School of the Year award, and will pick up their
award June 27 at a ceremony in Washington.

Parent Meg Gillespie said, “Ms. Forbes commitment to share
her love of science with her students has provided a large
group of OLGC students with a fun and educational
after-school program that they should all feel proud of.”

Forbes often quotes Pope Benedict XVI’s 2008 address at World
Youth Day when talking about caring for the environment.

“The wonder of God’s creation reminds us of the need to
protect the environment,” the pope said, “and to exercise
responsible stewardship of the goods of the earth.”

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