Port Jefferson Students Recognized in Science Competition

Fourth-grade SEAL (Studies Enriching Academic Learning) students at Edna Louise Spear Elementary School participated in the Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision science competition, which encourages K-12 students to imagine what technology might be like in the future.

One student team, Peggy Yin and Sapphire Perera, envisioned the iHeat, a portable, earth-friendly heater for the iPhone.

Inspired by the events of Superstorm Sandy and those victims left without electricity and heat for weeks, the pair thought it wise to design a small heater that could charge with natural resources.

“Since many people have iPhones, we thought it would be great if they can pull out their phone and adjust the temperature to fit their needs if they are too hot or cold,” the students stated in their write-up.

The team invented, designed and prepared a 15-page research document that earned them the distinction of honorable mention, signifying their place among the top 10 percent of all ExploraVision projects submitted to the competition.

“This is an incredible accomplishment,” said Superintendent Kenneth Bossert. “Our fourth-graders ranked higher than hundreds of their high school counterparts.”