PASCAL Private English School Larnaka Science Fair 2023

Larnaka
May 2023

On Friday, 28^th April 2023, our Science Fair event took place amongst students of Year 1, 2 and 3 at PASCAL Private English School Larnaka.

The event consisted of 3 distinct competitions for each year group. Year 1 students were challenged with a STEAM activity where they had to design and build a bridge made of spaghetti to hold the maximum mass possible. Year 2 students had to make their own indicators that would detect the pH of solutions in the lab using natural substances such as vegetables. Year 3 students prepared presentations on Famous Scientists and their Discoveries which they presented to judges who then asked them questions about their chosen topics.

The activities of the event were chosen according to our school’s aspirations to become an Eco-school. Quality of education and raising awareness amongst our students about sustainable development are some of the aims and goals we share with the Eco-school community. 

Teachers of the Science Department had begun the preparations for this event months in advance by choosing the nature and topics of the competitions for each year group and preparing the students who would participate.

In Years 1 and 2, all students had the opportunity to express interest in the competition. Year 1 judges were our very own IB1 students, Elyad Nemati Babaei, Jad Khiami and Sofia Kuzmanovic. Year 2 judges were Ms Flora Charalambous and Mr Soteris Hadjidemetriou.

In Year 3, the presentation which students prepared was compulsory for their assessment in science. Students with the top 10 presentations according to set criteria that involved presenting to Dr Despina Kaittani, were chosen for the final Science Fair competition. The 10 selected students presented their work to our honorable judges, Mr George Troullias, Director, Science communicator, Astronomer, and Researcher at Kition Planetarium & Observatory and Mr Rolandos Constantinides Biologist, Zoologist and Air Traffic Control Officer at Larnaca International Airport.

Winners of the Year 1 competition were:

• In 3^rd place, Konstantinos Koletsis 1A and Haikon Bustness 1B.
• In 2^nd place, Demetris Frangoudes 1D.
• In 1^st place, Iaroslav Furzigov 1A and Avraam Koletsis 1A.

Winners of the Year 2 competition were:

• In 3^rd place, Marcus Anastasiou 2B and George Mappouras 2B.
• In 2^nd place, Anna Michail 2B and Gemma Boughous 2B.
• In 1^st place, Andrea Zissimou 2B

Winners of the Year 3 competition were:

• In 3^rd place, Joude Mami 3A.
• In 2^nd place, Alexandros Papathanasiou 3C.
• In 1^st place, Gabriella Demetriou 3A.

Ultimately, the purpose of the Science Fair was to provide students with a valuable experience, that encourages their participation in a friendly competition, under conditions that promote the development of sustainability, research, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills that enrich their scientific knowledge and cultivate a mentality of becoming life-learners.