Fall 2019 Science Courses
October – December, 2019

We've decided to "pause" The Stars Challenge for the 2020-21 school year because of the coronavirus.  We're leaving the old course descriptions here so you know what to expect when we return.  Thanks for your understanding.

The courses that we’re offering this fall are listed below and longer descriptions follow. We’re accepting applications now. Click here for the brochure (pdf) for our Fall 2019 courses.

• 6th Grade: Forensics by Ms. Carleigh Engstrom.  Tuesday evenings at Biotech High School in Freehold.
• 6th & 7th Grade: Explore Our Shore Like Never Before by Ms. Diana Burich.  Saturday mornings at Sandy Hook.
• 7th & 8th Grade: Olympics of the Mind by Mr. John Valente.  Tuesday evenings at High Tech High School in Lincroft.
• 7th, 8th & 9th Grades:  Science, Creativity and Experimental Design by Mr Roche.  Tuesday evenings at High Tech High School in Lincroft.  It looks like this course is full.

Key Dates:

• September 20: Applications due. 
• September 26: Notification of acceptance by email.
• October 1: The $500 tuition is due. Please send your check to

The Stars Challenge
PO Box 402
Colts Neck, NJ 07722

• October 1 & 5: Classes start.

Fall 2019 Short Course Descriptions:​

• 6th Grade – Forensics.  Tuesday evenings at BTHS.
  • Did you ever wonder how investigators solve crimes?  Do you enjoy watching episodes of CSI?  Well, this course is for students who love solving mysteries. Each session will provide students an opportunity to build investigative skills and work like a crime scene investigator.  Students take active roles as characters in the mysteries.  Student-sleuths will analyze physical evidence and debate possible hypotheses.  We will learn how to use evidence to reconstruct a crime scene. Labs will show students how to analyze lipstick samples, fiber samples, and mystery powders.  If mysteries have always intrigued you, and you would rather be actively solving them than just reading about them, then this forensics course is perfect for you.  More…
     
  • Check out the pictures from previous courses in 2016 (pdf), 2017 (pdf) and 2018 (pdf).
     
  • Ms. Carleigh Engstrom teaches Molecular and Agricultural Biotechnology at Biotechnology High School starting October 1.  More…
     
  • The class will meet on Tuesday evenings from 6 to 8 at Biotech High School in Freehold, NJ.  Fill out your on-line application here.
     
  • The tuition is $500.  Some needs based scholarships are available.
     
• 6th & 7th Grade – Explore Our Shore Like Never Before.  Saturday mornings at Sandy Hook.

  • Summer may be over but you can still enjoy the beach and learn much more about it. This course provides hands-on investigations of the marine, coastal and estuarine habitats of the New Jersey shoreline. For example, have you ever wondered why waves push your surfboard forward or how rip currents form? You’ll get to know first-hand some of the unique marine life of the Jersey Shore from plankton to crabs, fish, reptiles and mollusks. You will also participate in several dissections. Classes will be held at Sandy Hook where you will participate in hands-on investigations of the park’s salt marsh, barrier beach and maritime forest environments. We will also build Aquabotz. Sound mysterious? Come join us! More…

  • Click here to see photographs from Ms. Burich's courses in Fall 2016 (pdf), Fall 2017 (pdf) and Fall 2018 (pdf).

  • Ms. Burich is the K-12 Program Coordinator of the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium on Sandy Hook where she oversees on-site educational programs administered by over 35 field instructors to more than 16,500 children each year. In addition, she facilitates hands-on marine science and ecology programs through NJMSC’s “Oceans to Go!” series. More…

  • This course will meet on Saturdays from 9 until Noon at Sandy Hook beginning October 5. Fill out your on-line application here.
     
  • ​The tuition for this course is $500.  Some needs based scholarships are available.
     
• 7th & 8th Grade – Olympics Of The Mind.  Tuesday evenings at HTHS.

  • Creativity is the name of the game in this course! With your newly made friends, you’ll use your creativity and knowledge of physical science to create solutions to design challenges. For example, one challenge will be to build a memorial tower to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the founding of your town. You’ll need to design your tower out of a single sheet of copy paper. Winning towers typically reach heights greater then six feet! Another challenge will be to build a marble roller coaster that enables a marble to take the longest time to reach the bottom. A third challenge is pulling your 5 year old daughter up out of a well using only wind power. Will your team win the challenge? This is your opportunity to innovate – to explore. This is Olympics for the mind! More…

  • Click here to see pictures from Mr. Valente’s earlier courses in Fall 2016 (pdf), Fall 2017 (pdf) and Fall 2018.

  • Mr. John Valente is a teacher at the Marine Academy of Science and Technology (MAST). He teaches physics with an emphasis on physical oceanography and he teaches AP physics. He is also the Vice-President of the New Jersey American Association of Physics Teachers and conducts frequent workshops for physics teachers with the goal of improving physics teaching. More…

  • This course will meet on Tuesday evenings from 6:00-8:00 pm at High Technology High School beginning October 1. ​Fill out your on-line application here.​

  • Tuition for this course is $500.  Some needs based scholarships are available.

• 7th, 8th & 9th Grades – Science, Creativity and Experimental Design. Tuesday evenings at HTHS.  It looks like this course is full.
  • Perhaps you've wondered if you could somehow measure the intelligence of your pet? Or wondered if using headphones while gaming will drain your iPhone battery faster than using the built-in speakers? … or how effective waterproof mascara is? ... or how computers can be programmed to perform all of the data collection for your science lab homework? Some of the experiments that students decided to perform in an earlier course are here. You’ll be challenged each week with opportunities to creatively investigate topics in a variety of scientific disciplines in this out of the ordinary science course. More…
     
  • Click here for pictures from Mr. Roche’s course in Fall 2011(pdf), and Fall 2012 (pdf).  We're bringing back this classic course!
     
  • Mr. Roche is a research advisor and biology teacher at High Technology High School.  He has been honored with numerous teaching awards and serves on the board of directors for the AAAS / American Junior Academy of Science.  Mr Roche will be assisted by Ms Babbin and Ms Ellsworth.  All three teachers work cooperatively to help students meet their freshman and sophomore research requirements at High Technology High School in Lincroft.   More…
     
  • This course will be taught on Tuesday evenings from 6:00-8:00 pm at  High Technology High School beginning October 1. Fill out your on-line application here.
     
  • ​Tuition for this course is $500.  Some needs based scholarships are available.

 print