St. Gerard Majella School Science Fair 2011-2012
August 22, 2011
Dear Parents and Students,
This year’s science fair is open to all grades. Completion of a science fair project will be mandatory for
grades 5 and 7. Although grades 1 and 2 will complete a class project, students in those grades may
also do an individual project. The project is optional for all other grades. If students choose to do an
optional project, it is up to the discretion of the teacher as to how much credit they will receive for
participating in the science fair. Please note that Grade 5 students will all complete individual projects.
Students in all other grades may complete the project individually or team up with another partner or
partners. Participation is strongly encouraged for any interested students in grades K through 8. Any
questions regarding a student’s project should be directed to the student’s current science teacher.
Participating in the science fair can provide many benefits to the students. A science project requires
the students to focus on a specific problem or topic. They learn techniques for researching and
collecting information, utilizing library resources, contacting and interviewing “experts”, and surfing the
Internet. They learn how to plan and design an experiment or study and experience the thrill of a
“hands-on” activity. They also quickly learn that things in the real world don’t always proceed as
planned. Patience, perseverance, attention to detail, alertness, and flexibility are just a few of the
essential skills that can be developed and enhanced in the students during the course of their project.
The students learn to evaluate raw data and apply statistics or arrange data to look for trends, patterns,
etc. and then interpret these results and make a conclusion. The students also get to use creative and
artistic skills for designing and constructing a display that effectively presents the project to the general
public. If one really looks at the skills required for a science project, it becomes obvious that these are
essential skills required for success in most any field or occupation.
The St. Gerard Majella School Science Fair will be held on December 13-15, 2011.
**Please go to the Greater St. Louis Science Fair website for more information.**
The science fair committee will offer assistance to anyone in need. In the past, St. Gerard Majella
students have produced a multitude of excellent science projects, and we look forward to seeing this
tradition continued. We wish all our students a productive and rewarding year. We sincerely appreciate
everybody’s cooperation and assistance in this endeavor.
Science Fair Committee Chairpersons: Matt Ryan and Sally Harris