For Immediate Release

Thursday, April 26, 2018

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Two Winthrop Elementary School Students Place in Cambridge Science Curiosity Challenge 

MELROSE — Principal John Maynard is pleased to announce that two Winthrop Elementary School students received awards for their entries into the Cambridge Science Curiosity Challenge.

The friendly competition was part of the annual 10-day Cambridge Science Festival, which showcases how science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) are present in everyday life. Every year, organizers host activities, demonstrations, workshops, tours, debates, contests and talks at the MIT museum.

Students who participated in the challenge were tasked with writing essays or drawing pictures to illustrate their curiosities.

Out of more than 3,900 entries, Winthrop second grade students Seth Hamilton and Ava Rhuda were chosen to be among the 120 students to receive a Curiosity Challenge Award. They were recognized at a ceremony on April 22 at MIT where they received a certificate for their achievement, along with a Cambridge Science Curiosity Challenge tot bag and a book of all the winning entries.

Hamilton, from Amy Ogiba’s second grade class, drew a picture of dinosaurs, in all shapes, sizes and colors. He presented the question, “will we ever be able to bring the dinosaurs out of extinction by using cloning and DNA extraction?”

Rhuda, from Paige Kelly’s second grade class, drew a picture of two monkeys sitting on a tree, posing the question, “why do monkeys groom other monkeys?”

“This was a fantastic program and it was very exciting to see how curious all of our students are,” said Ogiba. “Curiosity leads to successful scientists and innovative thinkers.”

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