At Timothy Christian School, science is more than a subject—it’s an opportunity to explore God’s creation with wonder, purpose, and excellence. This spring, both our middle school and elementary students showcased their hard work and creativity at our 2025 Science Fairs. These events not only highlighted academic achievement, but also glorified Christ through learning.
Middle School Science Fair: A Legacy of Inspiration and Innovation
Now in its fourth year, the TCS Middle School Science Fair has become a much-anticipated academic tradition. Spearheaded by Middle School Science Teacher, Mrs. Nyrie Janho, the fair was founded in honor of someone who left a lasting mark on the school community.
“This was our 4th Annual Science Fair here at TCS! I dedicated the fair to the Lord first, but then also to Mrs. Linda Pierre, whom we dearly miss and look forward to being reunited with in heaven. One day, four years ago, she came into my classroom, and in her Linda way said, ‘Nyrie….’ And then paused. I always knew she had something on her mind when she would come in and start like that! She continued, ‘Nyrie…. I think you should do a Science Fair.’ Linda was always thinking about ways to enhance the TCS middle school experience. At her suggestion, I considered it, and by God’s grace decided to host a science fair that year and a tradition was begun.
In science, we want students to learn core concepts that form a foundation for higher education but more importantly, we want them to learn how to do science. This is what the science fair is all about. By completing these projects, students develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and research skills that will benefit them far beyond science. The entire process requires the students to master the science practices resulting in applied science.
My favorite part about this year’s science fair was the addition of judges. We were privileged to have 5 judges with robust experience in STEM careers. The judges included Mr. Don Williams who taught physics for many years at schools in New Jersey, Nigeria, and Thailand. Mrs. Angeli Johnson, who is a learning design manager at the organization FirstGen Forward in addition to teaching AP Bio part time at TCS. Mr. Marc Dyer, a geotechnical engineer whose notable projects include Red Bull Park Stadium, Meadowlands Racetrack Grandstand, Seton Hall University Welcome Center, and Watchung Square Mall. Dr. Bob Heffner who was a product development manager at Colgate-Palmolive, taught Marketing and Earth Science at Pillar College, and AP Chemistry at TCS. And Dr. Denise Gemmellaro who holds a PhD in Entomology with a dissertation in Medico-Legal Forensic Entomology, which is the application of the study of insects to criminal investigations. I am so grateful to these brilliant judges who generously gave of their time and talents to judge the projects.
The students who won the science fair are truly to be commended, as the judges that chose their projects as winners were science experts! The 2025 Middle School Science Fair winners are as follows:
7th Grade
🥇 Ezekiel Ditan — How does the pH of water affect plant growth?
🥈 Kaylee Richards — How does the amount of time kneading dough affect bread rise?
🥉 Shayla Paul — How does the amount of eggs affect the height of the cake?
8th Grade
🥇 Brayden Dong — How does the amount of rennet affect the final mass of the cheese curd?
🥈 Hannah Arnold — How does the type of light source affect wavelength distribution observed in a homemade spectroscope?
🥉 Ivy Portee — Which method, no-till or plow-based, is best for retaining surface moisture and preventing runoff?
Congratulations to the winners!
Next year, I look forward to adding a design and engineering unit to the 8th grade curriculum. With this addition, the 8th graders will complete a design and engineering project to be displayed at the “TCS Science & Engineering Fair!” Additionally, I would like to explore how we can get our winning students to enter their projects in a regional science fair or perhaps host a regional one of our own. It would be neat to see the high schoolers complete a science fair in which they explore the answers to testable questions to which we do not yet know the answers to!
All glory be to Christ.”
Elementary Science Fair: Bright Ideas from Young Explorers
Younger students in grades 1–5 took part in the Elementary Science Fair, where over 40 participants eagerly shared their projects with peers and judges alike.
“Every few years, we host a Science Fair for our elementary students,” said Elementary Principal, Mrs. McInerney. “This year, the kids did a wonderful job creating and presenting their projects. I loved seeing the hard work put into each project! Zion Tinsley won first place and his project was AMAZING on the Black Hole. I’m thankful for all the parents assisting their kids with such excellence.”
This year the students were allowed to keep their projects in the classroom for a week so they could explain their findings to classmates, an added opportunity for presentation skills and reflection.
Here are the winners of the 2025 Elementary Science Fair:
1st Place 🥇
Zion (Grade 4): Black Holes
AJ (Grade 5): Mag Lev Train
2nd Place 🥈
Kaylee (Grade 5): Soil Erosion
Ryan (Grade 3): Glowing Flowers
3rd Place 🥉
Jeremy (Grade 3): Candy Rainbow
Journey (Grade 5): Tornado in a Bottle
From black holes to bread rise, from plant growth to magnetic levitation, our students are learning to explore God’s creation with excellence and wonder. These science fairs are more than just academic milestones, they are powerful expressions of how curiosity, guided by faith, can point us back to the Creator.
Congratulations to all our budding scientists and thank you to the teachers, parents, and judges who made these events possible. We give God all the glory for the curiosity, excellence, and joy on display this year.
