2004 Mesas Mail-In Contest a Success

2015 MESAS MAIL-IN CONTEST

TOTAL NUMBER OF ENTRIES: 538

Winners Announced May 2015

By Dr. Don M. Jordan, MESAS State Director

The State-wide MESAS mail-in contest was held this winter & spring. There were 538 entries, with 401 students from grades 4-6 (E Contest) and 137 students from grades 6-8 (M Contest). This year, the contests enclosed a broad range of topics with an emphasis on Plants, Animals, Microbiology, Geography, Environmental Science, Computer Science, and Measurement following the Common Core Guidelines of South Carolina. We would like to extend our most sincere appreciation to the creators of the 2015 MESAS Mail-in Contest. They are: Dr. Don Jordan, Frank Jordan, Amber Atkinson, all of the Center for Science Education at USC with additional support from the council of South Carolina Academy of Science.

Awards were given in four categories; Grand, State, Regional and School Winners. A unique feature of the contest is that every school that participates is guaranteed at least one winner. The Grand Prizes went to 32 students ( 13 M and19 E) from six regions who submitted the top overall papers.

Region I: Brady Haas, Alexandra Krinke, and Sydney Lee of Powdersville Elementary (Sponsor Christy Papala), Lauren Minter of Springfield Elementary School(Sponsor Anne Glawe), Jacob Smith of Hodges Elementary School (Sponsor Cindy Hamlett), Ritika Surabhi, Jan Nawratil, and Carolina Villanueva-Suarez of Christ Church Episcopal School (Sponsor Cynthia Campell), Sarah Huska of The Huska Academy (Sponsor Daniela Huska), and Chloe Ellenburg and Cole Rogers of the Youth Leadership Academy (Sponsor Deboarah Garrick); Region II: Drayton Privette and Carlynn Rychener of Lake Murray Elementary School (Sponsor Kelly Reese) and Bailey Plemons of Hillcrest Middle School (Sponsor Carrie Hall) ; Region III : Louis Prete and Matthew Prete of A.R. Rucker Middle (Sponsor Jennifer Prete), Andrew Abramson and Saylor Bacon of St. Joseph Catholic (Sponsor Suzanne Richardson), and Abby Seay of Lugoff Elementary School (Sponsor Melissa Lloyd) ; Region IV : Ayan Guha of Montessori School of Florence (Sponsor Simi Sacher), Thomas Wukela of Savannah Grove Elementary School (Sponsor Samantha Broughton), Elena Morgan of All Saint’s Episcopal Day School (Sponsor Angie Lynch), Stephen Wukela of Savannah Grove Elementary School (Sponsor Samantha Broughton), and Mary Watts of Williams Middle School (Sponsor Sheila Barnes) ; Region V : Drew Hodges of Lakeview Elementary School (Sponsor Cleva Garner), Isobel Meroe-Epes of Porter-Gaud School (Sponsor Peyton Sasnett), Kennedy Lyon of Orange Grove Elementary Charter School (Sponsor Kennedy Lyon), Katie Radovanovic and Gelsey Jaymes from Porter-Gaud School (Sponsor Peyton Sasnett), and Joceana Bailey and Destanee Timmons of St. Stephen Middle School (Sponsor Kerrilynn Savage) ; Region VI : Marin Moody of Richard Carroll Elementary (Sponsor Lee Ashe)

The contest scores were very good overall and a good percentage of the entrants qualified for an award. We had 293 winners out of 538 participants (approx 54.5% of the total number of participants were winners). Certificates and prizes were mailed out to each student’s principal so that the awards could be presented at each school’s Awards Assembly. We congratulate each and every contestant for his or her excellent effort! We encourage every student in all South Carolina schools to participate next year. Below is a list of the winners and their school. Please note the cash prizes were limited to the Grand & State Winners for 2015.

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Congratulations to all the winners and everyone who participated!!

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