MANCHESTER – Township Middle School Engineering Team members along with the STEM/STEAM classes, fellow students and their families came together for the 2022 STEAM Innovation Fair recently. The two-hour event held at the Manchester Middle School gymnasium showcased individual and student team talent.
STEAM teacher and coach Maura Simister said, “We have a lot going on here and the kids continue to amaze me every year. Everything they do is unbelievable and they work as a team. We need to get excited about all their projects and the work they do.”
Simister said, the event provided the MTMS engineering team the opportunity to educate the community on the effects of plastic pollution to the ocean. The students shared how “underwater robots are helping with the research, exploration, and education in the sustainability of the ocean.”
Attendees at the fair had the chance to be good environmentalists by trading in 10 single use bottles for a new reusable water bottle. The water bottles were provided through donation of the Manchester Township Education Association and reusable bags were provided by businesses in the area.
The teacher’s union provided a Pride community grant for both the food and the reusable water bottles /reusable bags. They served up two decorative cakes that celebrated the night’s event along with a wide variety of food.
“We all know our ocean is in trouble because of plastic bags and microorganisms eating the plastics, so we need to be cognizant and understanding of what is going into the ocean. The students have been doing their research and have been involved in competitions and in the last two years they have been creating robots to learn more about what is in the ocean water,” Simister added.
School Vice Principal Steven Ninivaggi said, “the innovation fair is something we started years ago and we are really excited about bringing it back. We have an Engineering Club that competes in schools and college campuses and they are showing off their submersible robots that they use to compete in pools. This is an event that we can celebrate all that.”
“What is really unique about Manchester Middle School is that we have a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) program here that every student goes through 6th to 8th grade regardless of who they are. Everyone goes through a rotation and that is what this is all about. This is showing a lot of their different projects,” he said.
Ninivaggi said that he and Simister collaborated to win an OceanFirst Foundation grant to start the STEM program “and it just blossomed.” That program has been going on for four to six years now.
“She has kept this thing alive so in a way this is a celebration of that,” the vice principal added. “We are proud of our program, our students and our relationship with the Joint Base, our parents who have all helped this program along. It really is a program that reflects the community as well as the school.”
Sean Asciorle, an 8th grade student, explained attendees about the work performed and problems that he and other Engineering Club members overcame with their submersible robots. He spoke to them outside the gym next to a small inflatable pool that featured the robot.
“It goes faster backwards than forwards. That was a problem we had last year so this year with our new robot we fixed that by putting the motors on backwards,” Sean added.
He was joined by fellow team members students Nathan Hankins and Andrew Van Pelt. “I think it is a good opportunity to get out there and use your mind to do something good. We were working with Clean Ocean Action and we even tried to start our own company,” Sean said.
Sean added, “I want to do something in the engineering field as a career.”
Andrew said, “the Engineering Team is really fun. We do a lot of hands-on tasks.”
Meanwhile, seventh grade students Abigail Soriano and Emely Anne Martinez stood behind a display at their table that featured graphics of the many subjects that they had researched as members of the Presentation Team.
Simister said the duo “were restating their presentation from the annual Seaperch Competition that was held at Neptune Aquatic Center a few weeks ago. The competition is sponsored by the Navy for students to become more knowledgeable of STEM topics.”
Abigail and Emely-Anne said that they are trying to educate the public that engineering isn’t just about building robots. There are much more facets to the project.
Abigail said, “now that I am getting older, I want to join the Navy Civil Engineer Corps. That is what I am looking at now.”
“It is my second year working on the Presentation Team and I really enjoy it,” Emely-Anne said.
Parent Meghan Drozdz was present with her sons Adam, a 6th grader, and Carter, a 3rd grader. “My son Adam is in the Engineering Club and loves it. I think it is great for them. It is great for their minds “
Carter remarked “I made this,” holding up a jar filled with colorful items that included soap and water.
“It looks like a volcano,” his mother interjected. “We love science.”
Elissa Wagner, an 8th grade science and social studies teacher, said her subjects compliment the STEM class curriculum. “STEM class is an elective and the kids take it one semester in 6th, 7th and 8th grade.”
Simister made sure the program and event were inclusive to all students. “I have a group of students who are learning low and non-verbal and what we did is to give them connect kits and their job was to take all the parts out and put them together.”
The result was various colorful vehicles and objects that filled a display table. “This is why we can’t forget those children. We need to make more programs for these children,” Simister added.
