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Imagination, Intelligence & Innovation at Ranney

According to Albert Einstein, “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” With help from science teachers, advisors and administrators including Gerald Gance, Valerie Schwake, Marnie Jones, Alison DiStefano, Robert Bowman, Ph.D., and Michael Dunn, Upper School students used imagination, intelligence and innovation to express themselves at the 3rd Annual Science Expo on Thursday, March 31 in RSPA Panther Hall.

Among the 49 projects presented, mostly by members of the Upper School Science Research Club, subjects ranged from health and medicine to scientific theory. While juniors Jaya Sondhi and Pratika Mikkilineni used their “Blame it on the Alcohol” project to compare normal liver cells to those exposed to various types of excessive alcohol consumption, Sam Tkach ’12 and Walter Cuje ’12 experimented with a non-Newtonian fluid like corn starch to see how it would respond under various conditions.

A presentation by Science Research Club member Christa Dalmazio ’12 entitled “Good Vibrations: Science of Singing,” used a self-made diaphragm to describe how the vocal chords produce sound. As is the mission of the Science Research Club, Christa who is a music enthusiast and performer, went beyond the classroom to investigate a topic of extreme interest, used her imagination in developing a simulated model of her findings and applied the topic to real world situations. Like Christa, ninth grader Vincent Morano also relied on his own personal interests to develop a project. “I have been collecting shells and fossils throughout Monmouth and Ocean Counties with my dad since I was a toddler,” said Vincent.

Vincent’s presentation known as “Ecosystem Formation,” explored fossil formation in New Jersey and consisted of a display of over 40 sponges, sea urchins and shells. This project, along with ones from Hannah Skolnik ’11 and Diane Scavelli ’11, recently took third in a Jersey Shore Science Fair at Richard Stockton College. In addition, a project by Christopher Schwake ’12 also earned silver at the event in Pomona, New Jersey.

Following the Thursday Upper School Science Expo, Vincent, Hannah, Diane and Christopher took their projects to the 63rd Delaware Valley Science Fair at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks on April 5th, 6th and 7th. Competing amongst some of the region’s top student-scientists, Vincent earned Honorable Mention in the Earth and Space Sciences category, Diane received a Category Award in Medicine and Health, and Hannah secured a Special Award in Biochemistry and U.S. Air Force Award. Only 15 students from the Delaware Valley Science Fair will advance to an Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles, California from May 8-13. High School students from 65 foreign countries and 48 states will compete for scholarships and prizes during the event. Albert Einstein would be proud!
 
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Ranney School

235 Hope Road
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
Tel. 732.542.4777
Our mission is to know and value every child, nurturing intellectual curiosity and confidence, and inspiring students to lead honorably, think creatively, and contribute meaningfully to society. 

We envision Ranney School as a nurturing learning community, in which families, faculty, alumni, and all of Ranney’s constituents collaborate to know and value every child, foster individual talents, sustain powerful connections between children and adults, and graduate resilient, globally-minded citizens.