Student Spotlight: Zachary Dimitrelias

Writer / Matt Keating
Photography Provided

Zachary Dimitrelias, a fifth grader at Stone Creek Elementary in Noblesville, is excited about engineering and encourages other students to learn more about one of his favorite subjects.

His mother, Angela Thompson, says he has learned a lot this school year.

“Zach really enjoys learning about new things in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics (STEAM) class with his teacher, Amanda Hoffman, at school,” Thompson says. “His favorite activity so far this year has been Robotics lessons. Zach was selected by his teacher, Mrs. Hoffman, to demonstrate robotics to the Noblesville School Board last fall.”

Zach also recently built a boat at home and has been testing and rebuilding it.

“Zach came home from school one day with the idea of building a boat in his head, and I told him to go make it happen,” Thompson says. “He used items from around the house and constructed his first boat.”

Zach built his boat out of drinking straws, tape, foil, popsicle sticks and Saran Wrap. “We tested it in our pool, and it kept tipping over, so he added outriggers on either side to keep it from tipping and it worked,” Thompson says. “He built a second boat shortly after that where he used the same materials but reinforced it to make it stronger than the first boat.”

Zach is currently making his third boat, which will be the biggest boat of them all.

“This boat will have a flat bottom, and he is excited to test it,” Thompson says.

Thompson added that Zach thoroughly enjoyed his project at home.

“Zach tested his boats in the swimming pool,” she says.

School Activities

Zach is a busy student who also finds time to get involved in school activities.

“Zach plays football for the Noblesville Elementary Football League (NEFL), baseball at Noblesville Youth Baseball (NYB), and loves basketball,” Thompson says.

At school, Zach is part of the Instruments Club.

“After school, he also loves being outside and building forts in the woods,” Thompson says. “He built a great treehouse in the woods at his dad’s house with his dad and his little brother, Noah. It was constructed of wood up on a tree with a bridge they could use to get to the treehouse. They worked hard to ensure everything was supported correctly to hold the weight of the wood, and the people inside the treehouse. It also had walls and a roof.”

Zach also works on a treehouse with one of his best friends, Janner, and Zach created his fort using large sticks, leaves, branches and dirt.

“Zach also has an affinity for Legos and anything he can build,” Thompson says.

Future Plans

Zach is already interested in pursuing engineering in college and as a career.

“He is a big Purdue sports fan and plans to go there for college where he wants to study to become an engineer, and play on the Purdue basketball team,” Thompson says.

Noblesville Fan

Thompson says Zack loves the people of Noblesville.

“He says everyone is nice, polite, kind and caring,” Thompson says. “He loves the way Noblesville decorates the town square at Christmas, and he also loves that his friends are all here.”