Rehoboth Elementary Fifth Graders are The Future of Engineering

On March 28, families, classmates and staff gathered in the cafeteria of Rehoboth Elementary to admire the Engineering Expo projects fifth graders have been working on over the last several weeks.

“For the project, we were tasked with identifying a problem and then had to design and present a creative solution for that problem,” said Rehoboth Elementary fifth grader Fletcher Houck. The problems students opted to solve for varied, however it was required to be something that they commonly encountered in their daily lives. “I was very impressed with all of the projects our students put together for this year’s expo,” said Fifth Grade Spanish Immersion Teacher Oliday La Ragione, who also coordinated the Engineering EXPO. “They had an incredible variety, from self-watering dog bowls to modern day projectors. I am certain that we have some future engineers in this class!”

“It was cool to see the different types of problems everyone selected,” continued Everly Otens. “Some people showed pictures of the problems and their solutions because it was at their house, while others were able to share actual prototypes of the solution they designed.” Students also had to get creative when it came to the materials utilized to build their prototypes. “Several projects used wood as their main material,” said Ava Kaskey. “But other materials were things like pool noodles, popsicle sticks, plastic jugs and other common household items.”

Students had roughly six weeks to identify their problem, test their theories on what would solve the problem, and then created a poster board or digital presentation to share with judges on March 25. Judges divided points based on eight different criteria: students ability to describe the problem, their ability to  explain a solution or possible solutions, the plan/design of the solution, the prototype created, whether or not the prototype worked, their ability to describe an aspect of the design they had to improve upon, the re-test of the prototype after the improvement was made, and their overall creativity of the project.

Caroline Feist solved for a problem that many living in Sussex County during the spring months might relate to. “My problem was that my family has really bad allergies, so my solution was to create an air purifier.” Caroline’s first prototype included a fan and one air filter, but she realized soon after that one was not going to work the way she intended it to. “I quickly realized that attaching four square air filters to the box fan was going to be way more efficient than using just one air filter,” Caroline shared. “I started out by putting the filter I made near my dogs’ kennels thinking it would reduce some of the dog hair, but it didn’t,” she continued. “I did more research on particulate filters and realized that the filters were purifying much smaller allergens. I moved the filter to my room, skipped a dose of my allergy medicine and noticed I didn’t sneeze as much, and my eyes weren’t as itchy. I think this is because the filter I used was rated for fine particulates, things much smaller than hair.”

Mia Barnes identified a unique solution to a problem that many may experience but not think twice about. “My problem is that my markers dry out, and it happens to me a lot,” Mia shared. “My solution was to create a refillable marker, called the Re-Inkable.” Mia’s marker is a small tube-like canister with a hole in one end, and a cap on the other. Inside the canister is a sponge that soaks up the ink. By pressing the open end of the canister to a piece of paper, ink will transfer. When it’s time to refill the marker, simply open the cap and drop ink into the tube. “I also made a holder for the marker, kind of like a cap,” continued Mia. “I looked around my house to try to find something that would fit correctly like a cap would, but I used a small box and created a holder for the marker instead.”

Other projects showcased included the Purr-Tect, by Everly Otens. “My cat is always scratching our couch, and when he does the threading on the couch comes out. I was able to find three different solutions to this problem, and all kept our cat from scratching the couch, but ultimately the best solution was the third one, using vinegar spray.”  Ava Kaskey designed a modern-day projector using a cardboard box, flashlight, magnifying glass, clear paper, and black paint and paper. “I had to do a lot of research to figure out the best way to put a projector together,” Ava shared. “I learned that the box had to be a certain size, and that the flashlight had to be positioned in a very specific place for it to fully project the image.” Fletcher Houck’s problem was also related to many pet owners. “My dog drinks a lot of water,” said Fletcher. “I was always having to refill his bowl, so I decided to use a plastic container and an old lemonade jug to create a water dish that refills as he drinks from the container. I was able to figure out that the jug holds the same amount as six of his regular bowls, so we’re having to refill his water dish less than before.”

Congratulations to the following medalists for the 2025 Rehoboth Elementary Engineering EXPO:

Sra. Oliday La Ragione’s Homeroom:

• Willam Emmert
  • Problem: In Florida, many houses get flooded due to high water levels.
  • Design: Floating House
• Caroline Feist
  • Problem: My seasonal allergies are really bad.
  • Design: Air Purifier
• Rowan Rosero
  • Problem: The light of my Alexa is too bright, and the music is glitchy.
  • Design: Cardboard cover up

Ms. Stephanie Gantomasso’s Homeroom:

• Fletcher Houck
  • Problem: My dog drinks too much water. 
  • Design: Auto-watering bowl
• Avery Lee
  • Problem: I always forget to bring my water bottle to my bedroom. 
  • Design: The water dispenser
• Iris Sandoval
  • Problem: When I pick up shells from the beach, they are always full of sand and the sand ends up in my mom’s car.
  • Design: The seashell scooper

Ms. Tina Windsor’s Homeroom:

• Defne Atak
  • Problem: People lose their homes in an Earthquake.
  • Design: Earthquake Resistant House
• Alice Baich
  • Problem: Pointe shoes wear out too quickly and cost a lot of money.
  • Design: The Perfect Point
• Everly Otens
  • Problem: My cat scratched the blue couch in my house.
  • Design: Purr-tect

Ms. Amanda Stallings Homeroom:

• Porter Marvin
  • Problem: People around the world don’t have clean water.
  • Design: Water Filter
• Henry Gardner
  • Problem: I was bored at home
  • Design: Hydraulic Judo Robot
• Isabella Moldovan
  • Problem: My little sister is always losing the caps to our markers when she colors.
  • Design: Two in One Marker Saver

Mrs. Katie Hill, Mr. Scott Pierce and Ms. Jennifer Dicecco:

• Alexa Fruchtman
  • Problem: Waterslides keep getting shut down due to lack of safety.
  • Design: Model water slide
• Maddie North
  • Problem: Ice cream melting and getting on your hand in the summer. 
  • Design: The Drip Catcher
• Ava Kaskey
  • Problem: Projectors are expensive. 
  • Design: The simple projector.