Nashua, Manchester, And Hampstead Students Win At Science Fair And Poetry Contest

MANCHESTER, NH — Manchester hosted 486 students on Wednesday for the New Hampshire Drinking Water Festival, State Science Fair, and Poetry Contest, an annual event held during National Drinking Water Week.

The festival recognized student work in water science and poetry while giving children a chance to learn more about drinking water, conservation, and related careers.

In the fourth and fifth grade Water Science Fair, students presented research projects to panels of judges.

First place went to Vanessa Trill and Ella Chiccarelli, fifth graders at World Academy in Nashua, for their “Buoyancy” project. Second place went to Malcom Blake, a fifth grader at Mills Falls School in Manchester, for “How do different pH Levels affect fossils.” Third place went to Caroline Becerra, a fourth grader at Webster School in Manchester, for “Walking Water.”

The poetry contest drew 246 entries from students in grades three through five under the theme “Water into Words.”

First place went to Felix Segatto, a fifth grader at 2nd Nature Academy in Nashua, for “Save It to the Cloud.” Second place went to Annabell MacDonald, a fourth grader at Hampstead Central School in Hampstead, for “Water Feelings Through the Water Cycle.” Third place went to Nicholas Ellis, a fourth grader at Hampstead Central School, for “The Beautiful Sounds & Sights of Water.”

The poems are available on the New Hampshire Water Festival Poetry Contest webpage, linked here, and the NHDES Facebook page.

The event also featured hands-on activities led by professionals on topics including watershed protection, water conservation, pollution prevention, and ecosystem services. According to the announcement, students were able to explore water issues affecting New Hampshire and the world while learning about water-related careers.

Students also voted for the Best Tasting Water Award, which goes each year to a municipal water system selected during the festival. This year, Plymouth Village Sewer and Water District won the prize after the student taste test.

Participating teachers received their choice of a classroom set of science equipment, and grand prizes included water well tests. The annual event is sponsored by the New Hampshire Drinking Water Coalition and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.