Lynwood – Lynwood Unified School District students experimented with static electricity, observed models of city landscapes and reviewed book reports during the annual Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Fair where students explored the work of their peers across the District.

Each of Lynwood Unified’s 18 schools contributed projects that were publicly displayed on May 16 in the city’s Bateman Hall, where the community could take the educational tour. Elementary schools visited the showcase in shifts throughout the day, while some children brought their parents for demonstrations of engineering, science, history and world geography.

“The GATE Fair is an important annual event that gives our students the opportunity to express their passions and the lessons they have learned,” said Juanita Naranjo, Lynwood Unified’s Educational Services Coordinator, who helped oversee the event. “Many of the schools spent much of the year putting together their projects for this event, and the final results are a great source of pride for all who participated.”

At the fair, each table station highlighted contributions from a particular school.

Marshall Elementary School fourth-graders walked through Bateman Hall, marveling at the work while stopping to explain their own book report artwork. Jacquelyn Flores produced a report on “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” the first book in the wildly popular series.

“It’s my favorite one because I love all of the magic,” Flores said. “The book also has a lot of good lessons, like remembering to always be kind to people.”

Fellow fourth-grader Dayanara Lopez completed her report on the book “Wonder,” about a young boy with a facial deformity. Lopez said the book helped her learn to be understanding of all people and their differences.

“It’s not often that our students get the opportunity to share in what their peers are learning across school lines,” Lynwood Unified Board of Education President Alfonso Morales said. “All of our schools should be proud of the work that they produced and the inspiration they provided to their classmates.”

Lynwood Unified partnered with STAR Education for the GATE Fair. STAR provided science stations that allowed the students to experiment during the event, including a Van de Graaff generator, which created electric charge. Students also toyed with motors and generators to learn about electrical engineering.

“With our District’s increased emphasis on STEAM, the GATE Fair was a great opportunity to inspire our students’ interest in science and technology,” Lynwood Unified Superintendent Gudiel R. Crosthwaite said. “I’m proud of our District for putting on another successful fair.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

052318_LUSD_GATESFAIR1: Roosevelt Elementary School students display their book report projects during the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Fair on May 16.

052318_LUSD_GATESFAIR2: Students view an ocean ecosystem diorama during the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Fair on May 16. The event showcased works of science, engineering and literature from students across the District.