Over 20 students from schools in Central Louisiana competed at the Louisiana Region IV Science and Engineering Fair held Saturday, February 5 at the LSU-A Campus in Alexandria. East Natchitoches Elementary School and Natchitoches Junior High set the pace, bringing in a bus with 9 students under East Natchitoches Elementary Principal Chrystal Davis, 5th grade math and science teacher Erin Hollister and Natchitoches Junior High Teacher Marques Washington. A student from NSU Middle Lab School rounded out the Natchitoches contingent. The students were the top finishers from the competitors at their school’s science fair. It should be noted that the Natchitoches group comprised half of the competitors present. That is a remarkable achievement that speaks well of the students and their teachers.
As a writer for the Natchitoches Parish Journal and a former teacher in one of the poorest parishes in the state, I have long maintained that there are talented and intelligent children in each and every one of the parish’s schools. It is quite evident that the leadership and faculty of East Natchitoches Elementary School and Natchitoches Junior High share that belief. It is long past time for each school in the parish to have students competing at the Regional Science and Engineering Fair.
All of the work on the Science Fair projects were done at home by the students on their own time. Likewise, the teachers spent quite a bit of time outside of class making sure the projects complied with the fair’s myriad rules. It was neither a quick nor simple undertaking.
Several superb young men and women from our local public schools won their category and will go on to compete at the State Science and Engineering Fair held on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge.
The Natchitoches Parish Journal would like to commend Principal Davis, the faculty and staff of East Natchitoches Elementary School and Natchitoches Junior High, as well as teachers Erin Hollister and Marques Washington. We also wish to commend each of the young men and women who so ably rose to the challenge. It was a job well done. Our parish’s children are as able as those anywhere. All they need is an opportunity!
