The Mother Mary Campion Center and Hope Memorial Library buzzed with excitement as grade 8 students joined forces with the Science Fair Club to present their innovative STEAM fair projects. Held on Thursday, April 24, the event welcomed the entire Oak Knoll community to celebrate creativity, teamwork, and scientific discovery, giving attendees the chance to engage with students, explore their methods, and admire their efforts.

The fair featured an impressive array of inventions and experiments, each reflecting the students’ curiosity and ingenuity. 

Gianna Mazzoni ’27 and Bevin Perdue ’27 engineered a catapult designed to gently launch water balloons, even enlisting faculty members as enthusiastic targets during live demonstrations. 
Arianna Garcia ’29, Layla Wells-Roth’29, and Sloane Makowski ’29 built a homemade projector and experimented to determine the optimal placement of an object to create the crispest image.
Sophie Jarbath ’27, Bridget Cussen ’27, and Maddie Parks ’27 created an edible water bottle — a sustainable invention using seaweed chemicals to make a film around water — and offered visitors a sample of their invention.
Ellis Sobers ’29 extracted iron shards from several commercial cereals to demonstrate the iron content they contain.

“It was a pleasure to help the students through the process of planning and executing their projects,” said Upper School Science Teacher Anna Khan. “I think that it’s very important for students of all ages to work with their hands, and this project presents a nice opportunity to make something, experiment, and have fun with their friends while doing it. I am very proud of everyone who participated in the STEAM fair this year.”

For many students, the fair was as fulfilling as it was fun. 

“I enjoyed participating in the STEAM fair because I was able to work as a team, and I enjoyed working with my classmates,” said Zoey Dalvi ’29. “I had a lot of fun while also learning through the process. My team created bouncy balls, and I found it interesting to see which could bounce the highest and how we could recreate something we played with as kids. I am extremely happy with how everything worked out, and I am looking forward to the next one.”

Participation in the STEAM fair is a key component of the grade 8 science curriculum each year. Students in all Upper School grades who are passionate about invention and scientific collaboration can also join the student-led STEAM Club and channel their creativity toward optional projects for this annual event.