High School Students to Assist Seventh Graders

High school students at Northwest Academy will be paired with seventh grade students for the first time to help them with their science fair projects. In a program called Science Mentors, the older students will help the younger students by giving them guidance and direction with their projects.

“The goal isn’t for the high schoolers to do any work for them,” Emily Davis, middle school science teacher and director of the science fair, said. “The goal is for them to really help the kids understand the science behind their project.”

Along with Davis, science teachers Molly Sultany and Andy Davis came up with the idea.

“We were talking about goals for our science team this year and we thought it would be awesome if middle schoolers and high schoolers could work together more,” Emily said. “The science fair seems to be the best way to do that because it’s not just physics, biology or chemistry; it can be all of it.”

Science Mentors provides an opportunity for the seventh graders to work with high schoolers and gives the high schoolers a chance to be leaders.

“You learn more when you have to teach someone else about it and I’ve never really been a leader or a teacher before, in science especially,” Stella Kaplan, a sophomore, said. “So I hope to further my knowledge and understanding of science while I help them.”

The mentoring will begin in December and continue through early February. The pairs will meet during lunch and discuss different aspects of the projects.

Teachers offered the opportunity to sophomores, juniors and seniors during science classes and the spots filled up very quickly.

“If I was in seventh grade I would be a little intimidated, but I’d also be really excited because I would know that my project would have a bit more of an advanced design,” Emma Hirsch, a sophomore, said. “It would be nice to have another point of view.”

Interaction between grades is something that Northwest Academy encourages and has always tried to incorporate in school activities.

“It’s always been important for us not to completely separate the middle school and high school,” Scott Kerman, Assistant Head of School and Director of Curriculum and Instruction, said. “We look for positive opportunities where the high schoolers can lend their experience and knowledge to the middle and these academic exchanges are a great opportunity for that.”

Science Mentors is a great opportunity for the high school to collaborate with the middle school.

“I think my project will turn out better and more advanced because there will be two perspectives on the idea,” Arden Horacek, a seventh grader, said.

The high school students who participate, as well as seventh grade families, are encouraged to attend the science fair which will be held on Feb. 25, 2016.