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Bellbrook Middle School racks up consecutive wins for school, teacher

Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Youth Science Opportunities.

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By Katherine Ullmer, Staff Reporter Updated 10:53 PM Thursday, September 2, 2010

SUGARCREEK TWP., Greene County — It is getting to be old hat for Bellbrook Middle School and Cathy St. Pierre, 7th grade science teacher at the school.

“We did it again!” was St. Pierre’s message to colleagues and friends when she learned late Wednesday, Sept. 1, the middle school had won the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Youth Science Opportunities during the 2009-2010 school year from Governor Ted Strickland and the Ohio Department of Education, for the 14th consecutive time. It was the 20th consecutive win for her.

“I’m just so excited for the school and the kids,” St. Pierre said. “It’s never ordinary or expected.”

St. Pierre said she loves seeing the students become interested in science beyond the textbook.

She’s not beyond begging for money and 100 people to be science fair judges, she said. “It’s truly a team effort. I’m blessed to be in a school system that supports the students and programs,” she said. “I could offer every opportunity, but if the student didn’t have an intrinsic interest it wouldn’t matter. The first credit goes directly to our students,” she said.

Also the Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Education Foundation has given them more than $2,000 to go to the Dayton Challenger Space Center. They got money from the PTO and others and the students give of their time after school, she said. “It takes the whole community to support the program.”

Only 115 Ohio schools and 418 teachers were selected this year. To qualify schools had to conduct a local science fair with 20 or more students and send one or more of these students to the district science day. Student involvement beyond the classroom is also a requirement.

Bellbrook Middle School’s win was documented with statistics. The school had about 55 student entrants and 50 student projects, with 60 percent of the entrants (31) earning superior ratings to qualify for the district science day. Fourteen students participated in the West District Science Day at Central State University. Six students qualified for and participated in the state science day, with four students there earning superior ratings.

The school’s students participated in numerous outside activities, including the Mission to Mars program at the Dayton Challenger Space Center and an after-school program at Wright Patterson Air Force Base involving scanning with an electron microscope.

Other area schools and teachers listed as award winners included: The Dayton Islamic School in Beavercreek, and teacher Jeanette Godsey; Brookville High School, and teachers Jeff Davidson, Abbie Hartge and Cindy Tucci; Incarnation School in Centerville, and teacher Linda Bruns; Bishop Leibold, East and West Campus, in Dayton, and teachers Beth Allaire, Roseanne Place; Carroll High School in Dayton, and teachers Suz Levy, Laura Wright, Laurie Fuhr, and Kathy Keller; Thurgood Marshall High School in Dayton, and teachers Lee Benson and Henry Noble; Baker Middle School in Fairborn, and teachers Chris Henson, Virginia Knisley, and Beverly Stambaugh; Archbishop Alter High School in Kettering, and teachers Bonnie Walter, Barbara Groene, Jennifer Butler, Michelle Popp, Michael Thuente, and Randy Reeder; St. Albert the Great in Kettering, and teachers Kelly Alter, Peter Dunlap, and Christine Evans; Ridgewood School in Springfield, and teacher Gail Daniels; Tippecanoe Middle School in Tipp City, and teachers Mark Mays, Meredith Conner, Len Kenyon, Curt Earl, Dale Bonifas, Greg Kinnison, and Jennifer Wysocki.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-341or kullmer@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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