Winners of the Egg Drop competition include Tori Hammitt, back left, Marley DeBlois, Brittanna Barke, Malachi Moya, Ryan Nelson, Reece Gibbs, Lillian Fox, Shayla Sharp, Anthony Rodriquez, Sophia LeMaster, Trinity Kellogg, front left, Kaylee Hoquin, Anzlee Barke, DeAndre Walker, Rylee Bowen, Emma Nelson, Elaina Strand, Ava Schies, Kylia Stelzriede, Gabriel Hammitt, Nevaeh Rameriz, Vivian Dobyns and Tanner Foy. Not pictured is Aden Owens. Photo by Rebecca Nelson

News

Egg drop competition kicks-off Science Fair

February 13, 2020February 10, 2020 Stacy Fisher, Staff Writer

Science Fair volunteer leader and Westwood School District substitute teacher Carol Ross helped organize the Egg Drop competition Feb. 4, held outside in the playground area of Fletcher Walker Middle School.

Open to students from K through 12, the Egg Drop contest is a classic science class experiment for students of all ages. The effort takes a combination of strategy, skill, and just a little luck.

During the Egg Drop competition at Westwood High, Jon Foy, retired science teacher and volunteer at Westwood Unified School District, stands next to the edge of the roof overlooking the playground, while dozens of elementary school students sit on the pavement, accompanying with enthusiastic cheers every specially designed container that came tumbling down. Foy is instrumental in facilitating the Science Fair for science month, scheduled from March 23 through the 26. Photo by Stacy Fisher

Ross said the event was designed as a kick-off for the upcoming Science Fair scheduled from March 23 through the 26 as part of science month.

Jon Foy, science and English teacher at Fletcher Walker Middle School (retired), stood next to the edge of the roof of one of the buildings overlooking the playground, while dozens of mostly elementary school students sat on the pavement below and watched, accompanying every specialized container that came tumbling down with enthusiastic cheers.

Foy, a Westwood resident, began volunteering at Westwood Unified School District three years ago, he said, and is instrumental in facilitating the Science Fair.

He said the teachers and staff go a long way to make the venture successful, noting that this year they’re adding robotics at a demonstration level.

The idea of the egg drop is to see which packaging of the egg or eggs protected them from breaking when they hit the ground, explained Ross.

“We wanted to see which eggs would land without cracking open, using different techniques.”

Students can be very creative, she remarked. “I have seen some really awesome containers,” designed to hopefully protect the raw eggs when they slammed onto the cement sidewalk after being dropped.

Kids who participated in the egg drop competition received special certificates, she added.

During the planned science fair in March, volunteers from the community will judge the various exhibits designed by students.

“We really have a lot of enthusiastic kids who love to get involved in science,” Ross said, adding that, “The fair has really grown over the past three years,”

Ross said the kids don’t get to do enough science with all the budget cuts, so hosting the Science Fair is a great way to introduce students to the world of scientific study and critical thinking.

“I think it helps to stimulate excitement about going to school and learning how things work.”

Superintendent and Westwood High School principal Michael Altenburg was also on hand to observe the egg drop. He said he wanted to encourage students to learn about science too, and that the Science Fair was an ideal opportunity to get kids excited about the subject.