Students Showcase Innovation, Inquiry, and Interdisciplinary Learning Across Two Academic Galleries
Reading, MA — Austin Preparatory School opened its doors for the inaugural Middle School Academic Symposium. The evening reimagined two longstanding traditions, the Grade 6 Egyptian Museum and the Grade 8 Science Fair. Families moved through two distinct academic galleries, with Ancient Egypt exhibits lining the first floor and nearly one hundred student-designed science investigations showcased in the school’s fourth-floor laboratories.
Grade 8 Science Fair: Discovery on Display
The Grade 8 Science Fair featured an impressive 97 poster-style exhibits spanning a wide range of scientific disciplines. Projects explored physical science concepts through studies of motion and sports, measuring the force on a hockey puck, the impact of a stick’s swing, and even the tension inside a ballet pointe shoe. Others ventured into electrical engineering, using lemons and potatoes to power lights, while several students conducted detailed water-quality analyses. Several students made use of Austin Prep’s Digital Fabrication Lab to 3D print elements for their projects. Throughout the evening, students confidently presented their hypotheses, methodologies, and conclusions to judges and visiting family members, demonstrating not only scientific understanding but also poise and intellectual ownership.
Grade 6 Egyptian Museum: The Ancient World Comes Alive
On the first floor, Grade 6 students brought the ancient world to life through a collaborative Humanities effort uniting Theology, English, and History. The Egyptian Museum galleries featured carefully constructed exhibits inspired by artifacts and archaeological sites, with students stationed beside their displays to explain the cultural and historical significance behind their work. Visitors encountered a wall of hieroglyphic jokes, lively book commercials developed in English class, and students in costume proudly wearing “Ask Me About…” badges to invite conversation.
The evening reflected Austin Prep’s commitment to interdisciplinary, student-centered learning experiences. What began as two separate signature projects has now evolved into a unified academic showcase, one that will continue to grow next year with the addition of a Grade 7 capstone component, further strengthening the arc of scholarship across the Middle School years.
For more information on Austin Prep Middle School Academic Programs, visit:
https://www.austinprep.org/academics/middle-school-academics
