Roadtown, Tortola - Teams from the Althea Scatliffe and the Francis Lettsome Primary Schools won the Science and Mathematics quizzes respectively on Thursday as a part of the 2009 BVI National Science Fair.

In the science category, team members Shaenadia Maximim, Tarique Maduro and Taj Malone of the Althea Scatliffe Primary School beat teams from the Ivan Dawson, Joyce Samuel, Bregado Flax and the Enis Adams Primary Schools to finish in the top three. Other top finishers were the BVI Seventh-day Adventist School which finished in second place and the Francis Lettsome Primary School placed third.  

Students Ryan Chalwell, Alexia Mitcham and Demitri Browne led the Francis Lettsome Primary School to victory in the mathematics category. The three-member team, which faced questions individually and then as a team, beat four teams for their top finish. The Ivan Dawson Primary School placed second and the Isabella Morris Primary School third. Other participating teams were the Leonora Delville and the Robinson O’Neal Primary Schools. Education Officer Ms. Lorna Dawson presented teams with medals for their accomplishments.

In other awards and placements, several other schools took home awards for their Science, Mathematics and Technology projects. Awards were given in six additional categories. Students from the Francis Lettsome Primary School won the Lower Primary Science Project category with their project entitled ‘Hydropower Lift’ while the Isabella Morris Primary School won the Upper Secondary Science Project category for their project, ‘Eco-friendly: Homes with Less Carbon’.

The Upper Primary Mathematics Project category was won by the Ebenezer Thomas Primary School with their project entitled ‘3-D Illuminations’.

The Ivan Dawson Primary School won the Upper Primary Technology Project category with their project entitled ‘Wind Energy’. The Elmore Stoutt High School won the Upper Secondary Technology Project category with  a project that demonstrated a ‘Cost Effective Way to Construct a Solar Water Heating System’ and the Upper Secondary Science Project category was won by the St. George’s Secondary School with  ‘St. George’s Carbon Footprint’. There was also a fishing tournament that was won by the Isabella Morris Primary School.

One other activity is planned for this year’s science fair which is the secondary schools debate to be held on June 6 at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College Auditorium at 8 p.m.

The 14th Annual BVI National Science Fair was held under the theme, ‘A Change in our environment: Reducing the BVI Carbon Footprint’. It is an initiative under the Department of Education to promote the use of science outside the classroom and to foster new interest in students for mathematics and science alike.