We had FHE's largest turnout ever at this year's science fair. Thanks to Polo Park Recreation Center for hosting the event and also to Kathy Meyer and Wayne (from Polo Park) for being our judges again. They had a hard task due to the excellent presentations made by all our students.

Benjamin Key (3rd Grade) and Benedict Donadio (3rd) entered separate projects on electrical circuits. Dillon Ayuso (5th) and Jonathan Bonetti (4th) teamed up to enter a heat operated boat which won 1st place in our elementary level fair and 3rd at the Regionals in High Point at the Environmental Park. Emily Parks (4th) won 2nd place at both our fair and the Regionals for her study on birds. Nina Bonetti (5th) and Max Ayuso (6th) teamed up on electrochemistry project to win 3rd place in our fair and to advance to the Regionals.

In the middle school competition, we had a difficult decision in the Life Science Category. Melanie Moorefield (7th) entered a well-written research paper on cloning and Hannah Giles (7th) a project determining that cats are right handed that clearly showed the scientific method. Our judges chose Hannah to move on to Regionals after a long discussion period. Both girls' projects were great! With no competition within FHE, John Bortins (6th) entered a project on erosion in the Earth Science Category, Robert Bortins (8th) entered a project on electromagnetic fields in the Applied Science Category, and Sadie Giles (7th) entered a project on music in the Physical Science Category. Unfortunately, none of our entries placed in the Regionals middle school level.

In the high school competition, Aron Giles (9th) went to Regionals with a computer program he wrote that measured the ability to win a game show based on probability. We were disappointed when he placed 3rd in the Regionals because we all know how long it takes to write a computer program (that works!) and how few 9th graders are even capable of writing code let alone designing the mathematical equations to measure the probability. I never will be able to figure out how some judges think!

A particularly nice surprise from an organizer's point of view was how many FHE families came to observe our fair. About ten families came to view the competition that were already at the recreation center practicing girl's basketball. (Congratulations on such a successful first season, girls!) Plus, an additional ten families came just to see the entries.

I hope FHE members will continue to increase the number of projects entered because of the educational benefits in learning how to communicate scientific ideas. Remember, only a small part of science takes place in a lab. Most scientists spend their time researching ideas and information so they can be successful in the lab. Lab work has its rewards but only after a lot of long tedious, exacting labor. And then the rewarding results are useless if the scientist can't communicate his/her new knowledge to others. Do not get discouraged by the expense or time it takes to do lab work as a home schooler. I suggest you do your best at earning at least one lab credit during the high school years if your child is college bound. On the other hand, entering a good science fair project each year from 3rd grade on up and recording it on a permanent transcript will help to show you did not neglect lab work in your home school. So, plan now to enter a fair project next year.