By David Vitrano

L’Observateur

RESERVE – Riverside Academy’s first Math and Science Night started with a bang — literally.

Some of the school’s science students created a volcanic eruption to the delight of the school’s younger students outside the cafeteria to kick off the evening.

Inside the cafeteria, the school’s sixth- through 12th-graders manned tables with activities for the Pre-K through fifth-graders. The experiments demonstrated simple scientific ideas through fun experiments, such as creating a tornado in a bottle and creating simple boats to demonstrate buoyancy.

According to Assistant Principal Rhonda Perkins, the root for the idea originated in the school’s new elementary science lab. She said the idea was to get the younger students genuinely excited about science.

Perkins said the event was almost entirely student run, with students coming up with the experiments and donating all the necessary materials.

She said this fact probably led to the event’s great success.

“It’s like they were part of it,” she said. “They took ownership.”

In all there were 17 different activities to entertain the youngsters, and Perkins said the overwhelming participation meant the school will try it again next year.

Said Perkins, “We didn’t know if it would take off, but they’re having a ball.”