Students show their work at first Cen-Tex Homeschool Science Fair
By BRITTANY FHOLER
Cove Leader-Press
The Cen-Tex Homeschool Science Fair was held last Saturday afternoon at the Copperas Cove Public Library and featured approximately 20 entries from the classic volcano all the way to a presentation about what socks are best for shocking.
Stacy Marston started the Cen-Tex Homeschool Science Fair to offer something for the homeschooling community of Copperas Cove a chance to come together and experience something new.
“I just wanted to kind of put something together that the homeschool kids don’t get a lot of opportunities to do, and a science fair is one of them,” Marston said. “I thought it would be a good idea, and it turned out to be a pretty good idea.”
Judges included Trevor Dutson, Sarah Seidler, Kevin Marsh, Reggie Horn, Gary Young and Teresa Chavez.
Brooklyn Moss, 9, won the award for Best Environmental Project for her project on “Why Do Volcanoes Erupt?”.
Volcanoes erupt due to pressure in the magma chamber, according to Moss. She said she chose volcanoes for her project because she thinks volcanoes are “pretty cool.”
Her mother, Kaitlyn Moss, said the decision was all Brooklyn’s.
“She picked a topic, and I just kind of helped,” Kaitlyn said. “I told her it was vinegar and baking soda, and she had to figure it out herself. I mean, I cheated and looked it up, so I knew if we needed it, but she finds volcanoes interesting.”
Kaitlyn said she appreciated the science fair, especially for families like her own.
“I think it’s really cool especially because it’s a lot of the homeschool kids, and a lot of us here in Cove now homeschool, so I think it’s nice that we have the same opportunities that kids in public schools have. That was a huge disadvantage to pulling for homeschool, but I mean, Stacy pulled this together and allowed those kids that don’t have that opportunity to have the opportunity. It gets them that school interaction, so I thought it was pretty neat.”
Aaliyah Roman, 9, focused her science fair project on Saving the Orangutans.
“I just thought I would do that since orangutans are my favorite animal,” Roman said. “They have red hair, and they like to climb, like me.”
Roman said it was fun learning all of the facts about orangutans, and she enjoyed learning how to help protect and save them. Orangutans are critically endangered, she added.
Roman won the award for 1st place for her age group.
There were three different age groups of scientists.
The 5-to-7-Year-Old Scientists are as follows:
Ryder Gnatkowski- “Magnetic Levitation”
Ava McDaniel- “Why Does Stinky Cheese Smell Like Feet?”
Marcello Lopez- “Jesus Takes Away Our Sins”
Elizabeth Hallam- “What Are The Best Socks for Shocking?”
Ethan Cook- “Untitled”.
The 8-to-10-Year-Old Scientists are:
Guillermo Lopez- “How Jesus Takes Away Our Sins”
Aaliyah Roman- “Save the Orangutans”
Krysten Torres-Smith- “Elephant Toothpaste”
Parker Schappel- “Does Color Effect Taste?”
William Rakowski- “Adding Mass to a Ceiling Fan”
Brooklyn Moss- “Why Do Volcanoes Erupt?”
Summer Cortez- “Training Cats”
Corbyn Gnatkowski- “Are Legendary Creatures Real?”
Immanuel Bardowell- “Algae Grows”, which won the Emerging Scientist Award.
The 11-and-up Scientists are:
Isaiah Lake- “Naturally Filtered Water”
Mathias Hansen- “How Does a Piano Work?”, which won the Emerging Scientist Award
Isabel Cristina Ramos- “Minecraft in Real Life”
Cosima Bardowell- “Save the Trees”
Presley Gnatkowski- “Medical Field Enhanced Life Experience”
Joseph Marston- “Invisible Germs”, which won an award for Grossest Project.
Bailey Danelz- “How To Remove An Eggshell Without Cracking The Egg”
Mathis Greenberg- “Cyborg Hand”
Sponsors of this year’s science fair include Last Drop; Sargent’s Trophy Company; Promotion Motion; Altitude Trampoline Park; Chick-fil-A, Homeschool House; Spare Time; La Garita Restaurant; Dairy Queen; Rotary International; McAlister’s Deli; Axed Out and Urban Air.