Dear Parents/Guardians,

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This year in science, the 7th and 8th graders will have an opportunity to participate in PJAS or Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science.  This is a competition in which students choose an area of interest in science, ask a question and state a hypothesis after thorough research. Then, they design an experiment to test their hypothesis and conduct the experiment. These experiments can be done at home or after school with me acting as supervisor. Students collect data, analyze it and come up with a conclusion. At this point, students create a Google slides presentation and write a ten minute speech about their project.  

 

This year’s regional competition will take place at Duquesne University on Saturday February 2nd, 2018 in the afternoon.  We will meet in the lobby and then walk the students to their presentation rooms where they will present their slide presentation to approximately ten other student participants and two to four judges. After all presentations are given, everyone meets in the auditorium where every participant is given a first, second or third award.  Some may even receive a perfect score and be eligible for a monetary prize.  Those that receive a perfect or first award will go to Penn State University in the spring to compete with students from all over the state.

 

All 7th and 8th graders will do a PJAS -like project for a grade.  However, those that want to compete will be registered sometime in October.  Those that are competing will need to stay after school as needed in order to be prepared for competition.  I will be staying after school on Thursdays until 4:00.

 

Please discuss this opportunity with your child and fill out the bottom of this page.  If you have any questions, feel free to email me at nlaird@saintanneschool.org.  I encourage you to visit the PJAS website, www.pjas.net/region7, for more information.  I am looking forward to working with your children.

 

Sincerely,

Nancy Laird