It’s that time of year again. Fall is in the air, leaves are on the ground. Pumpkin pies in the oven, and the kids are back in school. While for many parents the kids being in school is a sigh of relief, a calm in the midst of the storm of childhood angst, it also brings about its own set of ramifications. What to wear today? Where’s my homework? Does Billy like me? But perhaps that scariest of questions, the one many a parent has sworn was immediately followed by the Psycho soundtrack (rreeeennn, rrreeeen, rrreeeen), the Holy Grail of parent nightmares—-”Mom, I have a science project due next week. Uhmmm, what should I do?”

Now, we all know that this is immediately followed by the lecture that my dearly departed father titled, “You need to get your priorities in order…” i.e. “This assignment didn’t just pop up overnight.” However, no amount of lecturing by the parent is going to accomplish the end goal: a satisfactory project that the STUDENT can complete and actually LEARN.

So, here I am. I’m sure in this world of cyber-anomynity, I will feel free to divulge many dark secrets. Here is one of my deepest: I LOVE science. Not just a little bit. A whole lotta love. Like a bee to the flower. Moth to the flame. Nerd to the pocket protector. While my classmates in highschool all had a crush on the quarterback of the football team, I secretly thought my chemistry teacher was “IT,” in a pale skinned, balding, corduroy-pants-with-flannel-shirt sort of way. Why? Because he brought science to life. Yes, chemistry was challenging. Yet I saw so many applications to everyday life. Do you realize how often you use the concept of limiting reagents? So, I went on to college to graduate with a B.S. in Chemistry and spent many years as a bench top chemist and later as a technical consultant.

But I digress. These days my job title is mostly “Mom.” Occasionally, I get a chance to tutor in math and science. The only chemicals I’m touching these days, however, are the ones found in diaper ointment and children’s Tylenol. I miss it, though, and these fall days where school is in session remind me of my science past. As I watch the parents around me struggle with the elusive science projects, I realized that perhaps I could offer some help. A Geek’s Guide to the School System, if you will. From elementary to middle school to high school science. From someone that enjoys science and was excited to do science fair projects, let me share some ideas, concepts, insights.

Science is amazing. It is real. It is doable. Let’s jump into it together…but for tonight, that is enough. Next post: “What I would do for a science project if I knew then what I know now.”

Until then,

Cecilia

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