Manchester Teacher Brings Science Fair To Families For 2021

Updated, May 6, 10:30 a.m.

MANCHESTER, NJ — A virtual meeting for people who want to participate in the Manchester Township Middle School's "Hydroponic Garden in a Box" project has been postponed to May 17, the district announced Thursday.

STEM teacher Maura Simister is hosting a Google Meet for families to learn more. You can click this link to join the meeting, or join the meeting by phone by calling 218-451-4269 and enter this PIN: 487 321 325#

One of the events lost in the pandemic in 2020 was the annual science fair at Manchester Township Middle School. It's a chance for students to show off what they've learned, and for families and the school community to see the ingenious projects that resulted.

Simister, who launched the STEM program at the middle school, was determined that 2021 would not see a repeat of the loss of the science fair, and to that end, she is inviting families to participate in the middle school's virtual STEAM fair through its Hydroponic Garden in a Box project.

Simister, who was honored as the middle school's teacher of the year in 2016, established the district's first multi-grade level STEM program for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders at the school with a grant from NavAir. She also established a Future Engineers Club that participates in a variety of robotics competitions.

The district posted a video from Simister talking about the project. You can watch it below.

Click here to get Patch email notifications, or download our app to have breaking news alerts sent right to your phone. Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com Follow Manchester Patch on Facebook.