Hilltop Montessori science fair winners recognized

Hilltop Montessori School hosted its annual science fair Friday, Dec. 9. 

Students in first through eighth grade participated, and each child had to present their findings orally as part of their project. In keeping with the Montessori philosophy, students were encouraged to offer positive comments for each other’s projects; however, students in fifth through eighth grades were offered the chance to have their projects judged as part of the evaluation process. 

The judges were Anand Iyer, M.D., a third-year fellow in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine at UAB; Laura Tatum, a retired teacher with Shelby County Schools, and Logan Ertel, an expert in herpetology, with a background in nursing. 

Winners of the science fair were judged based on creativity, scientific thought, thoroughness, skill and clarity. 

This year was particularly impressive as two first place winners were given. Willa Rose Akins, a fifth-grade student, won first place for her project, “The Bunny Effect-Confirmations and Bias” and Liam Falconer won first place for his project which centered around fishing, called “Knot What I Expected.” Emma Burke placed second for her project entitled, “The Stroop Effect.” 

 All winners will represent Hilltop Montessori School at the UAB-CORD science fair in March. 

– Submitted by Michele Wilensky.