Several LCS middle school students in the RISE Institute competed in the State Science Fair during spring break, and it was a good night for Lakeland Christian School. Congratulations to the following students on winning several awards and recognitions:
Seventh graders Jacquelyn Moseley, Victoria Benson and Taylor O’Byrne teamed up and placed second in the Microbiology category for their project entitled “The Fight for Flight: Investigating Ophryocystis elektroscirrha”. They also received the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service Award of Excellence and an invitation to participate in the prestigious Broadcom MASTERS research competition. This was their first State Science Fair competition.
Seventh grader Evan McLoughlin won first place in the Biochemistry division for his project investigating the effect of Methylphenidate on cricket neuron action potentials. In addition, he received the Dr. Benjamin Cole Award of $100 and was nominated for the Broadcom MASTERS science research competition.
Evan is pictured here with Polk Regional Science Fair Co-Director Kim Rex, RISE Institute Director Jennifer Canady and Polk Regional Science Fair Director Stephanie Gore.
Competing in her third State Science Fair, eighth grader Julia Canady placed first in the Botony division and received the Ying Scholar $500 Grand Award for Best in Show- Jr. Biological Sciences. Additionally, Julia received a USDA Award of Excellence, a $25 award from Brevard Intercostal, and the $50 James F. Miley Award. She was also invited to participate in the Broadcom MASTERS research science competition.
Julie is pictured here receiving the Ying Scholar Grand Award for Best in Show.
Lee Wall (Mathematics) and Kacey Mewborn (Zoology) also competed at the fair.
Three LCS chessplayers participated in the Polk County Scholastic Chess Association Championship Tournament held March 16.
Players were divided into 16-player sections based on their performance during the regular season. Competing in their A Sections (the second-highest) Braden Tan finished 2-2 in the Primary Division and Christian Herman scored 1.5 points in the Elementary Division. They received tournament knight trophies.
Tom Bowers competed in the E Section in the Middle Division and won a 2nd Place trophy with a score of 3-1.
Coach Mark Williams was pleased with the team’s performance, winning 54 percent of their games.
The regular season is four monthly tournaments starting in October and a final Championship Tournament in March. Coach Williams is hoping to have several more players from the two weekly chess clubs ready to compete next season.
Over the summer, LCS students participate in a number of different activities and conferences in an effort to become better students, leaders and well-rounded citizens. Here are some of the programs our students will participate in during the summer of 2013:
Sophomore Amanda Fulton will attend the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership program at Eckerd College. HOBY programs provide youth (selected by their schools) the opportunity to participate in unique leadership training, service-learning and motivation-building experiences. Amanda is the daughter of Chuck and Kathy Fulton.
Junior Ashlyne Wells (daughter of Eric and Stacey Wells) and Matthew Buchy (son of Rose Buchy) will attend Girls’ and Boys’ State in Tallahassee this summer. These week-long programs teach students how the government works while developing leadership and an appreciation for their rights as a citizen.
Congratulations to LCS seniors Scott Benton, Christina Sierra and Lymaries Velez on being recipients of the Elk’s Club Most Valuable Student Scholarships. Christina moved on to the State level and won an additional $4,000.
Scott is the son of Randall and Karla Benton. Christina is the daughter of Luis and Elizabeth Sierra, and Lymaries is the daughter of Kenny and Ana Velez.
Senior Scott Benton was nominated by the LCS faculty and the senior class as this year’s Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizenship Award winner. This award recognizes students for their dependability, service, leadership and patriotism.
Scott is the son of Randall and Karla Benton.
Junior Derek Andersen recently won first place in the Lakeland South Rotary Speech Contest. He will go on to compete at the Group level. The topic of this year’s contest was “Peace Through Service.”
Derek is the son of David and Katy Andersen.
LCS senior Hannah Duncan has been awarded the prestigious Presidential Scholarship from Samford University in Alabama. She will received $18,500 each year for four years.
The Presidential Scholarship is awarded to students who have distinguished records of achievement and who intentionally use their exceptional talents, abilities and personal commitments to better society.
Hannah is the daughter of Glen and Betty Duncan.
On Saturday, March 16, LCS RISE Institute students Taylor O’Byrne, Jacquelyn Moseley and Evan McLoughlin competed in the Orlando Science Center Challenge, a science fair competition featuring the winners in physical and environmental science categories in the six surrounding counties.
Evan McLoughlin won the chemistry/biochemistry division, earning a medal and a $200 cash prize. His project investigated the effect of Methylphenidate (Ritalin) on cricket action potentials. Only one award was given per category.
Jacquelyn Moseley and Taylor O’Byrne also represented Polk County and LCS with excellence with their investigation of OE protozoan on Monarch butterflies. Victoria Benson, another member of their research team, was very ill and could not participate.
Presented by Bright House Networks, the Science Challenge encourages excellence in science education and provides an intermediate event between the County Science Fairs and the State Science Fair. It operates under the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) rules. Participants are the first place winners in the physical science competitions in county Science Fairs in the six surrounding counties (Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia).
The categories included are: Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth & Planetary Science, Engineering, Mathematical Sciences, and Physics and Astronomy.
Evan, Jacquelyn, Taylor and Victoria will be joined by Julia Canady, Lee Wall, and Kacey Mewborn in representing Polk County and LCS at the Florida State Science and Engineering Fair on March 24-26.
LCS eighth grader Julia Canady has been named a national finalist in Young Naturalist Awards for her research project “Weed Warfare: Investigating Allelopathy.”
The Young Naturalist Awards is a research-based science competition for students in grades 7-12 sponsored by the Alcoa Foundation and the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. This is the first time that an LCS student has participated in this research competition.For more information on the Young Naturalist Awards, visit their website at www.amnh.org/learn-teach/young-naturalist-awards
Julia’s project won her first place in the Botany category at the 2011-12 Regional Science Fair and State Science Fair. She was also nominated for the Broadcom MASTERS – “Math, Science, Technology and Engineering for Rising Stars.” – award.
She also won first place in the Botany category at this year’s Regional Science Fair in late January. Julia will compete in the Florida State Science and Engineering Fair on March 26-28.
Congratulations to LCS seventh grader Lee Wall for winning the Polk County Spelling Bee on Tuesday, March 5. Lee will travel to Washington, D.C., in May to compete in the National Scripps Spelling Bee.