Science fair brings students, families out to Honey Dew Elementary

This year, University of Washington community volunteers from three departments attended the fair. A neuroscience team brought its optical and auditory illusions.

By Tracey Compton • February 6, 2014 8:26 pm
Chris Zawislak of Auburn High's First Robotics Club demonstrates a Frisbee shooter for students at Honey Dew Elementary School's Science Night.
Chris Zawislak of Auburn High's First Robotics Club demonstrates a Frisbee shooter for students at Honey Dew Elementary School's Science Night.

Students squealed with excitement and hovered over bowls of goop and laptops at Honey Dew Elementary’s Science Night Jan. 30.

In its second year, the event at the school was organized by the Parent Teacher Association and brought out many families. Previous to Honey Dew opening as a kindergarten-through-fifth-grade school, the PTA held the same science fair at Maplewood Heights Elementary.

This year, University of Washington community volunteers from three departments attended the fair. A neuroscience team brought its optical and auditory illusions. The Earth and Science group engaged students with its “Rock Out” mineral displays and a UW Severe Weather team did atmospheric can crushing and made clouds in bottles.

Along with the UW exhibits, the Auburn High School First Robotics Club entertained students and parents in the school’s cafeteria. The club’s candy-spraying robot was a crowd favorite.

Families also accompanied students to exhibits in classrooms, where students could participate in science experiments.

Fourth-grader Ellie Bashaw’s favorite exhibit was the Museum of Flight’s portable planetarium, which filled one entire classroom. Her father Mark Bashaw is the chairperson of the event, which Ellie has attended since she was a Maplewood Heights student.

“I really like it because it’s fun and I like the fact that my dad always does it and it’s nice to kind of connect with him,” she said.

The Museum of Flight also captivated students in the gym with their “Flying Gizmos” show.

“It’s awesome; I’m overwhelmed,” said Mark Bashaw of the turnout. “It’s really, really great.”

He has helped bring in science groups previously to Maplewood Heights and now to Honey Dew, as a way to expose students to science and possible careers in the field. Mark is a software tester at Microsoft and said that science has always been one of his passions.

“It’s always been very popular,” he said of the science fair. “Last year with the school just opening, we didn’t have as big a turnout. This year we got a little more advertising out, so a huge turnout this year.”