Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) held the 10th annual History, Industry, Technology and Science Expo, also known as HITS, on March 21 at St. Charles High School.
Each year the Expo features student history and science fair projects on display for judging. Science fair project categories included behavioral/medicine and health science, chemistry, Earth and space Science, engineering, environmental science, life science, consumer science and physics.
One student is annually named the overall grand winner for their science fair project.
This year, the grand winner was seventh-grade student Charlotte O’Driscoll, a student of the Neighborhood Creative Arts Center (NCAC) for her project titled, “Egg-streme Decay.” O’Driscoll also earned a first-place award for her project in the secondary level, behavioral and medicine health science. The following students also received awards for their science fair projects.
Elementary school division
First-place awards
- Nora Bozick, third grade, Mary H. Matula Elementary School — “Is the 5-Second Rule Real,” elementary behavioral/medicine and health science.
- Aaron Parkar, fifth grade, Berry Elementary School — “Cookie Chemistry: Turning Up the Heat,” elementary chemistry.
- Aurora Banaszak, fifth grade, Berry — “The Color Detector Showdown,” elementary computer science.
- Kourtni Johnson, fifth grade, Berry — “Eye-C Water,” elementary consumer science.
- Allie Marson, fourth grade, St. Mary’s School Bryantown — “Sprout Showdown,” elementary Earth and space science.
- Zoe Barb, fifth grade, J.P. Ryon Elementary School — “Beyond the Fold: Paper Planes,” elementary engineering.
- Micah Harrington, third grade, Malcolm Elementary School — “JARrassic Park: Ecosystem in a Jar,” elementary environmental science.
- Elise Blosfield, third grade, NCAC — “Spiny Dogfish Shark Dissection,” elementary life science.
- Benjamin Coombs, fifth grade, Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School — “How does the spacing in dominos affect how fast they topple,” elementary physics.
Second-place awards
- · Sloan Moore, fourth grade, Mitchell — “How do different drinks affect tooth enamel,” elementary behavioral/medicine and health science.
- · Megan Nelson, fifth grade, William A. Diggs Elementary School — “Can milk create plastic,” elementary chemistry.
- · Eddie Sommella Jr., fifth grade, Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer Elementary School — “Which sunscreen provides the best protection,” elementary consumer science.
- · Kaiori Belle, fourth grade, Berry — “Condensation Nuclei vs. Cloud Thickness,” elementary Earth and space science.
- · Thomas Winston, fourth grade, Diggs — “Building the Roads Better,” elementary engineering.
- · Gianna Lucky, fifth grade, Mitchell — “Impact Crater,” elementary environmental science.
- · Charles Jenkins, third grade, Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School — “How does different light affect how plants grow,” elementary life science.
- · Logan Kelly, fifth grade, St. Mary’s School — “Paper Airplanes with Different Types of Paper,” elementary physics.
Secondary division
First-place awards
- Charlotte O’Driscoll, seventh grade, NCAC — “Egg-streme Decay,” secondary behavioral/medicine health science.
- Jason Falkler, seventh grade, Milton M. Somers Middle School — “How does the launch angle, pull back angle and ball type effect the distance on a catapult,” secondary mathematical science.
- Ti’Laisha Cooper, senior, and Taylor Glover, senior, North Point High School —
- Roots to Riches: Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria and their Clover Hosts,” secondary environmental science.
- Theresa Milazzo, eighth grade, Southern Maryland Christian Academy (SMCA) — “Squeaky Clean — Right,” secondary life science.
- Sariyah Ruffin, seventh grade, Mattawoman Middle School — “The Science of Sound: Using Ultrasonic Waves to life Small Objects,” secondary physics.
Second-place awards
- Praise Nkwo, seventh grade, Theodore G. Davis Middle School — “Energy Generating Floor Tile,” secondary engineering.
- Eyram Komlan, seventh grade, Matthew Henson Middle School — “Mnemonics vs. Repetition,” secondary life science.
- Rayjon Stanford, seventh grade, Mattawoman — “Investigating how hovercraft design affects lift and stability,” secondary physics.
Special awards
- Lauren Counts, senior, and Reign Ysabelle Veloza, senior, North Point — “War of the Antiseptics,” College of Southern Maryland (high school).
- Praise Nkwo, seventh grade, Davis — “Energy Generating Floor Tile,” College of Southern Maryland (middle school).
- Elise Blosfield, third grade, NCAC — “Spiny Dogfish Shark Dissection,” College of Southern Maryland (elementary school).
- Jordan George, sixth grade, SMCA — “Which Earth is best for growth,” La Plata Garden Club (middle school).