Writer / Allie Nash
Holy Cross Lutheran School students got an “out of the box” experience at Science Day on Nov. 7.
The idea to start Science Day came when a lot of girls at the school were not enjoying science or wanting to be involved, but Geiger said that has changed.
“I had a parent of a fifth grade girl tell me that her daughter wanted a job in science,” Geiger said. “And when her mom asked her why, she said it was because of Science Day.”
This was the fourth year for the school to host Science Day. The focus of the day was movement, friction and force. To help students understand science, Indy Car owner and driver, Ed Carpenter, told them how it plays a large role in his car and his success.
Carpenter answered students’ questions, like “How does an engine work?” and “Do you like dogs?”
“It’s always fun for me to come and visit schools. As a parent of three, I understand the importance of a good education because I was fortunate to get an education that a lot of drivers don’t get. “But he said that visiting a school on Science Day was especially important.
“We can give them a glimpse to what may seem boring in class or school,” he said. “They get see how it relates to the real world and how you can do something really cool and really fun with it. Hopefully it will make them see what they are doing can be really fun someday.”
Younger students rotated through Science Day stations that consisted of experiments and activities. Parent volunteers with a career or background in science ran many of the stations. The older students, including seventh and eighth graders, learned about friction and force from doing an Amazing Race-like activity.
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“Science Day helps students associate fun with science and learning,” said Principal Karen Geiger. “Everyone is playing, from 2-years-old to eighth graders, and they are all gaining something.”
But Geiger did have a goal for the day.
“We want them to want to figure something out and [know] that they can; to have a love for science and a passion for learning.”
