They showed off their findings for the school's Family Science Night on Feb. 16. This year's science fair was the first time every single student participated, either through projects done individually, in small groups or as a class. Fourth- and fifth-graders are required to do their own science projects, but other grade levels were well represented. Parent volunteers estimate that students entered about 150 science projects in the school's fair, a change from previous years.

"The science fair at its low point only had about 60 displays," said Karen Perizzolo, one of the parent volunteers. "There was very poor attendance."

To encourage more participation, Perizzolo began the school's science docent program three years ago, in which parents visit classrooms with science enrichment lessons. Perizzolo also puts resources together so teachers can easily duplicate the lessons and experiments by themselves.

"The experiments in science books, in general, are not very exciting," Perizzolo said. "I've put together things that are more hands-on and relatively easy for teachers to do."

Perizzolo said she wants to convey to the students her excitement about science, in hopes that they, too, will be excited. Docents say the turnout at this year's science fair is an indication of the success of their program. Since the introduction of the science docent program, they say they are seeing more individual or group projects, which to them means that more students want to try science on their own.

"We're trying to stimulate them so they're excited by science, because at their age the facts they're learning are not critical. What you really want to [show] is that science is fun," Perizzolo said.

For the science fair, docents wanted to make sure that students initiated their projects with limited help from parents, and the evening reflected the students' efforts. This was a science fair, after all, and not a spelling bee, so misspelled words were forgiven.

Students scurried from project to project in the school's multipurpose room, as they were curious to see what their peers had tested and discovered. Many of the projects began as humble observations from daily life. One kindergarten class studied whether cocoa dissolves faster in hot or cold water.

"We talk about how molecules in hot water move faster," said Vasanthi Arjavalingam, another science docent and the chairwoman of this year's science fair.

For fifth-grader Amin Mirzadegan, the science fair was an opportunity to determine who would have the cleanest mouth--boys or dogs.

"We heard rumors that a dog's mouth was cleaner," he said.

Amin and three of his friends swabbed the inside of their mouths and those of two pet dogs. Over the course of several weeks, they found that the Petri dishes belonging to the students grew the smallest number of bacterial colonies.

"It was really fun," Amin said.

For Janelle Williams, it was a frequent occurrence at recess that compelled her to study the forces behind static electricity.

"When I go down a slide, my hair stands up," said the fifth-grader.

She said she and a friend enjoyed working on their project, rubbing a balloon on their heads and hearing the small crackle in the air when they put the balloon next to a radio antenna. Science isn't foreign to Janelle and is likely to remain in her future.

"I want to study animals because I want to be a surgeon when I grow up," she said.

Other projects compared the cleaning power of different brands of toothpaste, the bubble-blowing strength of various gums and the nourishing properties of caffeine for plants.

Everyone was a winner that night. Each student received a ribbon for participating.

"We didn't want to make to make it competitive, so that everyone learns something from the experience," Arjavalingam said. "Competition takes the fun out of it."

She and Perizzolo are looking for a similar brand of enthusiasm from students next year.

"At the end of the science fair, they're inspired by projects they see and can't wait to do theirs next year," Arjavalingam said.