BPS celebrates STEM Learning at Annual Region VI Boston STEM Fair

Boston Public Schools (BPS) celebrated the creativity, innovation, and passion of our students at the 79th annual Region VI STEM Fair!

Students presented projects that spoke to the social and scientific issues currently impacting them and their communities.

BPS celebrates STEM Learning at Annual Region VI Boston STEM Fair

Boston Public Schools (BPS) celebrated the creativity, innovation, and passion of our students at the 79th annual Region VI STEM Fair! The Region VI STEM Fair is a wonderful opportunity for students to develop skills, such as collaboration, problem-solving, critical thinking, developing and testing hypotheses, and data analysis, which all play an important role in our students’ overall success.

STEM is all around us in nearly every aspect of our lives. The City of Boston is home to pioneers in the fields of robotics, biotech, and medicine. Our young people should be immersed in all that our great city has to offer and the Region VI Boston STEM Fair allows our students to express their creativity and learning of key science concepts outside of the classroom.

Students presented projects that spoke to the social and scientific issues currently impacting them and their communities. Among the projects were Planetary Lunar Landing Devices, Wastewater Treatment, Color Choice & Identity, Fire Alarm Safety, Academic Stress & Mindfulness in Seniors, Light Pollution in East Boston, and Cuffless Blood Pressure Devices.

This year, the STEM Fair included:

190 Student Participants
12 Participating Schools
118 Projects submitted for Judging

BPS is grateful to all of our STEM educators who are working every day to foster critical STEM skills in our students and inspire them to apply those learned skills to classroom work and to real-world situations. The STEM Department is committed to continuing to provide programming opportunities for our K-12 students and families throughout the district.

The Region VI Boston STEM Fair Awards Ceremony took place on March 11 at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School. The ceremony featured musical performances from students at the O’Bryant School of Math & Science along with a Presentation of Colors by the Community Academy of Science and Health (CASH) JROTC program.

Matolah Dankoff, a Grade 7 Student at Boston Latin School won the Christa McAuliffe Grand Prize for the Junior Division & Cabot Corporation Grand Prize for her project: An Introduction to Hand-Eye Coordination.

Shuting Zhu and Louis Chiu, Juniors at the John D. O’Bryant School of Math & Science won the Christa McAuliffe Grand Prize for the Senior Division, and Sanofi Specialty Care Grand Prize for their project: Cuffless Blood Pressure Measurement Monitor via Pulse Transit Time Analysis and Arduino. They will now represent BPS as the Nominees for the Massachusetts State Delegation for the International Science and Engineering Fair in Columbus Ohio in May.
BPS will also have 23 Middle School projects that will move on to compete at the Massachusetts Science and Engineering Fair in May at Clark University, and 14 High School projects will move on to the Massachusetts Science and Engineering Fair at Gillette Stadium in April.
The Boston STEM Fair team is grateful to the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center for hosting the 79th Region VI STEM Fair, to the Madison Park Community for hosting the STEM Fair Awards Ceremony, and to the Madison Park Culinary Arts and Hospitality programs, which helped to cater and set up the ceremony.

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School Wellness Councils

Boston Public Schools understands that physical, social, and emotional well-being and positive development are inextricably linked with academic success. School-based wellness councils are the primary engines for creating safe, healthy, and sustaining learning environments at each school. School Wellness Councils act as a shared leadership team to implement the District Wellness Policy and wellness-related policies at each school. All Boston Public Schools are required to establish and maintain a school-based Wellness Council.

School-based Wellness Councils must, annually:

Convene at least 4 times per year (though monthly meetings are recommended)
Review wellness-related policies in the 8 policy areas
Complete an assessment of their school health environment
Write a Wellness Action Plan for the school year based on the assessment
Implement the Wellness Action Plan

Wellness Action Plan

Wellness Councils are responsible for assessing the school on implementation of the District Wellness Policy, developing a Wellness Action Plan, and implementing the Wellness Action Plan. A Wellness Action Plan is a dynamic tool to guide a school’s wellness work and is a required component of the Quality School Improvement Plan (QSP).

See SY24-25 School Wellness Action Plan Goals

Need Help?

Check out our new videos to support wellness councils in creating a plan and working together to improve well-being in their school.

Technical assistance can be provided for starting a Wellness Council, improving Wellness Council functionality, completing the Alliance’s Healthy School Program Assessment, writing a Wellness Action Plan, and other school wellness initiatives. Short-term technical assistance usually involves one or two sessions in person or via phone or email.

The Wellness Council Coaching Program helps school leaders and staff who need more assistance in starting a wellness council or implementing a specific part of the Wellness Policy. Coaching is a longer-term relationship with your school that involves at least 3 meetings and monthly check-ins to provide assistance that meets your school’s needs.

Resources

District Wellness Policy Circular (HWD-01)
Wellness Council Requirements Checklist
Wellness Policy One-Pager Overview
Working on Your Wellness Council (Google site for BPS staff)

Contact Us

wellnesscouncils@bostonpublicschools.org