BY ANGELA MATUA
Student inventors gathered at St. Mary Gate of Heaven on Friday to display their work at the first “Invention Convention” in Ozone Park.
The sixth-graders were tasked by their science teacher, Joan Sorrerio, with creating a complex machine made of several simple machines, which can include levers, wheels, inclined planes and nuts and bolts.
“It’s really a test to be functional. It’s meant to be innovative and kind of get them involved in technology and practicing their presentation skills,” Sorrerio said.
In the past, St. Mary Gate of Heaven hosted science fairs but decided to take a different approach after the state requested that schools focus more heavily on science, technology, engineering and math. Through this project, students have been exposed to activities such as making blueprints and taking measurements.
Nayasha Ramnauth created a machine to help a specific segment of the population.
“My goal was to help the handicapped get their clothes,” Ramnauth said.
She used wood, a 20-foot rope, two 20-foot chalk lines, nuts, bolts and screws to fashion a machine she calls “Handy Dandy” that pulls clothes toward a person when they twist the crank on a chalk line.
Michael Panarse created “Fish Feeder” using simple tools such as an incline plane, metal wires, a toy railroad car and rubber bands. The feeder worked on a pulley system and when Panarse pulled a string, it triggered the fish food holder to spring forward and drop fish pellets into the tank.
Joshua Rampioray wanted to “make you a coffee in an instant” with his invention, “Hot Stuff.” He used wood, pipe holders, valves, hoses, sugar, diluted coffee, milk, a funnel and gears to build a coffee machine. The liquids and sugar were poured into different hoses and met in the funnel. To mix the coffee, he attached a spoon to a crank and then arranged a set of gears to twist the spoon into a cup.
Students presented their project to Sorerio and three were crowned winners at the end of the convention.
Nicole Morales won for “The Bucket Trap,” a mousetrap that lures mice on to a ramp and then to a cylinder covered in peanut butter. As they reach the peanut butter, they become trapped into the cylinder, which drops them into a bucket.
Jonathan Ruano received a second-place prize for the “The Fast Track Abstract,” which helps painters paint a canvas, and the third-place winner, Jose Acevedo, created an egg-cracking machine titled “The Eggonator.”
Democratic District Leader Frank Gulluscio and state Sen. Joseph Addabbo attended the event to show their support and browse the inventions.
“As a former teacher here and a member of the board of directors I’m really excited that the kids have taken initiative to go to the next level,” Gulluscio said. “The buzz and the smiles on the kids faces, it’s just enormous. I’m very happy for the kids and very happy for the school.”
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