Students from Indian Wells Elementary School found fun and frolicked at the Navajo County Fair in Holbrook earlier this month, thanks to funding from the Johnson O’Malley Association. The second, fifth and sixth graders enjoyed an interactive Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) exhibit, watched some entertaining shows, participated in a scavenger hunt and listened to a concert. At the STEM exhibit, they made giant bubbles, played giant chess, solved puzzles, and enjoyed optical illusions, as well as engineered and assembled small-wheeled vehicles and other contraptions. There was plenty of concentrating, laughing and positive social interaction going on at this exhibit. They also enjoyed a comedy show by Farmer Phil and a magician. Poppin’ Penelope provided fun for the students by making custom balloon art for them. After lunch, they worked on a scavenger hunt that required them, among other things, to seek out former IWES students who had animal exhibits at the fair. This was a blast for many of the students. They eagerly scoured the fairgrounds for specific award-winning sheep, goats, market steers, pigs, poultry and rabbits. They also hunted down specific open class exhibits. Animal diagrams challenged them to figure out which parts of an animal are eaten and which are not. It was a fun-filled, educational day with a mechanical bullriding highlight, featuring “bullrider” and fifth grade teacher Cale Allen, who lasted for at least five seconds atop that motorized bull amid enthusiastic student cheering. The day wrapped up by rocking out to the music of Holbrook High School’s Fusion Band. Organizers offered their special thanks to Cale Allen and Hoby Wilhelm for coordinating the field trip, IWES food services for student sack lunches, the Holbrook Unified School District department of transportation for getting the students and staff to the fair promptly and safely, and the Navajo County Fair Board for providing the interactive STEM exhibit.
