WEST ORANGE, NJ - The Blazing Eagles, Hazel Elementary School's science team, took Fifth Place overall at the annual eSTEM competition for grades 3-5, held at the New Jersey Instititute of Technology on March 20. In addition, they took Second Place in the Engineer's Logbook section of the competition.

"We were represented by six incredible students: Penny, Felix, Oscar, Ursa, Shep, and Adrian, who worked tirelessly to prepare for this event," said Principal Joel Castillo.

The students were accompanied to NJIT by Coach Castillo and Coach and Science teacher Rosemary Pepi-Martos. 31 schools across New Jersey participated in the challenge, now in its third year.  

"The students met 2-3 times per week, including Saturdays, for six weeks, to design, build, and refine their prototype for the competition," Castillo continued.

Their challenge? To create a solution for natural disaster preparedness. They chose to tackle wildfire prevention by developing a sensor-based alarm system that detects dangerously dry soil around campfires—helping to prevent wildfires before they start.

"Using the engineering design process, they brought their vision to life with 3D-printed components (shoutout to our Library Media Specialist Joyce Soto), coding via microbit, and hands-on craftsmanship with drills, paint, hot glue, and even a commercial shaver (thanks to our Art teacher Michelle Ledesma!" Castillo explained.

Hazel Blazing Eagles Team (not pictured: Ursa)

Hazel Blazing Eagles team (not pictured: Ursa)