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Hundreds of families funneled into Winchester High School on April 2 to look at specimens through microscopes, toy with 3-D modeling on computers and try out pulse oximeters.
Science & Engineering Night invited parents and children in grades K-8 to visit the high school and watch 39 demonstrations of what students learn in the high school’s 13 science courses. The event, which drew 471 families, also showcased students’ projects and the school’s equipment.
“It’s great to show people in the town what science offerings they have here,” said Brendan Connors, a parent attending the night with his son, Ian.
The equipment shown to families was paid for with grants from the Winchester Foundation for Educational Excellence, a nonprofit dedicated to raising money for Winchester’s public schools. The organization also funded the event.
The event was planned as a collaboration between the biology and engineering departments.
Ann Ritchie, director of science for grades K-12, said she hopes the night will encourage more collaboration among departments in the school.
High school students who were part of the National Honor Society and the school’s Science Olympiad team ran demonstrations.
“The way the big kids and little kids interact is so inspiring,” Ritchie said. “That’s what makes this night so unique.”
Students planned most of the activities. One student asked if they could bring in the Mystic River Association to do a demonstration about herring migration and how citizen scientists count the fish during their migration, Ritchie said.
“The [high school] kids are excited,” said Ipshita Chakladar, one of the teachers who organized the event. “We get our energy from them.”
The first floor of the high school included 3D printing, a robotics demonstration, a construction and manufacturing booth, and a booth for the foundation.
An engineering section on the first floor showcased the engineering classes’ creations as well as the wood shop. The creations included a safe made out of wood, a xylophone and a garbage compactor.
On the second floor, families participated in activities that showed off the biology and anatomy courses. Activities included a brain speed test that asked kids to match the hand symbols pasted to a wall within 10 seconds and test their understanding of anatomy by naming parts of a model.
Within the high school’s library, families could test out button-making machines, music production, wood burning machines and a 3D modeling computer program. There was a showcase of high school students’ projects, including a jacket that helped people with period cramps.
Anthony Zidell, a resident of Crescent Road, came with his daughter to check out what the high school had to offer.
“It’s really remarkable to see everything the high school has access to,” Zidell said, adding he couldn’t wait to send his daughter to the high school.
K-8 students who came said their favorite parts of the event were the wood shop, the heart monitors and the robotics.
Aurelia Gugliotta, a student at Lynch Elementary School, went with her mother because she loves science.
“I love it,” Gugiotta said when asked about her favorite part of the event. “All of it.”
Tavishi Chattopadhyay is a journalism student at Boston University. This story is part of a partnership between Winchester News and the Boston University Department of Journalism.
