This year at Epiphany, we are becoming a little greener! Thanks to the support from the A & A Hixon Fund we are a more sustainable and environmentally conscious school. We have partnered up with two great organizations to raise awareness among our students and get them to be active members of the community.

In partnership with the Food Project, 6th grade students have a raised bed in the Dudley Square greenhouse where they grow fresh vegetables and herbs. While at the site, students get their hands dirty in the soil and learn about the whole life cycle of a plant, from putting the seed in the ground to fertilizing, all the way to pulling the fresh vegetable out and bringing it back to school to eat it. In addition, the interns at the greenhouse present eye-opening workshops that teach the students all about the food industry and what they can do to make an impact in their local communities.

Epiphany is also collaborating with E.O.M.S. Recycling to start a brand new composting program. After looking at how much food waste we were creating through providing three meals a day at the school, we decided to look at better ways of getting rid of our excess food. E.O.M.S. is a recycling company that picks up excess organic materials and takes it to a site in MA to be composted and used as soil fertilizer and mulch. Students are learning to be more aware of how they get rid of waste, and our school is becoming more conscious of our environmental impact. So now, instead of throwing away any uneaten or untouched food, students put all waste into a separate bin that gets picked up once a week. During breakfast, lunch, and dinner a couple of students are in charge of taking the bin in and out of the school, giving them an opportunity to take more ownership in creating a more environmentally conscious school. Our weekly trash pick-up has significantly decreased, and we are on our way to becoming a greener school!

3rd Place Winner, Dowey Tran poses with his Science Board

This year's 7th and 8th graders searched for intellectual meaning by examining different scientific topics of their choice. Over the course of five months with the help of teachers and tutors, students did a tremendous amount of research for their individual science projects. Students worked on conducting experiments, doing research, and writing reports in their classrooms.

Students chose to explore a range of different topics, all approved by Mr. Penney, Co-Chair of the Science Department. Ideas for this year's science projects came from curious students who were determined to become experts in a particular topic. After much preparation, the students presented their findings in a two-day fair at the school on April 4th and 5th.

During the first day of the Science Fair, forty students shared their hypothesis, presented their experiments, and displayed their findings to other students and teachers, who circulated the room, observing and assessing the projects. Judges reviewed each project and evaluated students on creativity, presentation, investigation of hypothesis, procedure and results. Guest Judges included volunteers, Science and Skills teachers, and members of the Board of Overseers. Judges then chose ten finalists to move on to Day Two of the Science Fair. Mr. Penney describes the process as similar to "an American Idol panel", with each individual student making a formal presentation. 

3rd place went to 7th grader Dowey Tran, who researched different types of fruit batteries to determine which fruit produces the most electrical output. 2nd place went to 8th grader Shantez Cole, who researched and tested the affects of temperatures on a student's ability to complete basic math tests. Finally, 1st place was awarded to Antoinette Bullard, an 8th grader; her experiment was comparing the "hardness" of bottled, distilled, and tap water.

Congratulations on a job well done to all the students who participated in this year's Science Fair, especially those who made it to the top!