By Moneth G. Deposa
Variety News Staff

NEARLY 900 students of Garapan Elementary School yesterday celebrated the last day of their Science and Math Awareness Month by staging the finals of their paper airplane contest on campus.
GES principal Yvonne R. Gomez said students from kindergarten to sixth grade joined the week-long contest.
“Every class had their own contest, from kindergarten to sixth grade, and they each picked two winners from their classes who competed in today’s annual schoolwide paper airplane competition,” Gomez told Variety.
The contest was one of the activities celebrating February as Science and Math Awareness Month for GES.
Gomez said only one criterion was used in judging the contest: the airplane had to be made from an 8x11sheet of paper.
“They can design it but the only requirement is the use of a piece of paper and that’s it…they’re in,” she said.
The winner was third grader Nathan Pangelinan who is in Derwin Johnson’s class.
The sixth grade student of Nick Budano, John Santy, placed second, while second grader Hong Yoon of Jan Springer’s class finished third.
Each received certificates of participation and gifts from the school.
“Every year we pick science projects and activities which have low-cost factors — meaning, materials are readily accessible to students. I think this month’s celebration was a big success,” Gomez said.
The activities also included a science fair which featured projects involving coins.
“If you come to the campus, you will also see every classroom door decorated with posters of the 43 U.S. presidents and this activity also turned out to very useful for the students as they got to know and learn more about these important persons,” she said.
GES has 870 students and 42 classroom teachers.
Today, the school will start promoting reading among its students as March has been designated Reading Awareness Month.