Elementary STEM students from throughout Copiague School District participated in the Kites Over Babylon challenge, themed “America the Beautiful” at Cedar Beach on April 10.

The students have been working remotely on aerodynamics lessons including Bernoulli’s Principle with elementary STEM teacher Karen Wiking. During their lessons, the students created Google Slides and shared kite blueprints and designs with each other in Google Meet and breakout rooms.

Students were given the opportunity to pick up kite kits and get to work. The kits included six wooden dowels (two sizes), 200 feet of string, thick plastic, electrical tape, brown sheet paper, sketch paper and four straws. The students created designs based on the research and collaboration.

Nineteen Copiague elementary families competed on the challenge day in three categories: most unusual, funniest and most creative. Copiague won first place overall with a kite designed by Isabella Rufrano, a fourth grader from Great Neck Road Elementary School. Copiague students also won for the most creative kites, with kites designed by Abigail Guashpa, fifth grader at Deauville Gardens West Elementary School and Jake Vargas, fifth grader from Susan E. Wiley Elementary School.

The following Copiague Elementary STEM students participated in the event: Jodi DeMeo, MacKensie Goodman, Blake Merriweather, Isabella Rufrano, Milana Johnson, Emilio Reyes, Tyler Diffley, Joseph Mendoza, Rebecca Molina, Juliet Nohs, Nicolette Orlando, Olivia Bucello, Alexa DeLeon, Aiden Azemi, Abigail Guashpa, Dylan Molina, Londynn Rogers, Jake Vargas and Julianna Taveras.