Monroe-Woodbury’s best and brightest on display at EXPAND Night
Central Valley. The students explored a variety of concepts, including AI for medical diagnostics.
| 18 Jun 2024 | 03:53
North Main fourth graders Reagan Fumagalli, Eden Ilori, Eva Francis, and Violet Korba present “The Extravagant Hotel.” (
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North Main third grader Ariyanah Paisley Douse with her “Honey Doggy” project.
Sixth graders Giovanni Ross and Samir Malik collaborated on “The Sovereign Nation of Gimble.”
Pine Tree fifth grader Isabella M. Gonzalez with her project “The Future of Health.”
Hard work, creative thinking and critical problem-solving skills were on display during last week’s Monroe-Woodbury EXPAND Night celebration held at the high school. The June 13 event showcased the works of gifted and talented students in the District’s EXPAND (Exceptional Pupils Adding New Dimensions) program, which encompasses grades 3 through 8.
Students worked on individual as well as collaborative projects, with each elementary school focusing on a different venue for the design process.
“We all did contraptions and contraptioneering at the elementary level focusing on innovation using the research and design process,” said North Main Elementary School Gifted and Talented/STEAM teacher Katie Oppelt. “Each unit we cover a different strategy or a different skill with different processes. Sometimes we want them to work independently, do their research, write a script, do an independent part of a collaborative project and some projects are fully collaborative. Then they need to really communicate and work and present together which is a different muscle to stretch.”
One student explored the idea of using artificial intelligence (AI) technology as a way for people to self-diagnose when they are sick.
“’The Future of Health’ is about a self-diagnosis tool that is able to help you understand the type of sickness you have, the cause of it, and the medication needed,” Pine Tree fifth-grader Isabella M. Gonzalez said of her project. “Mr. Peterson was talking to us about a futuristic project and my mom gave me the idea of doing something with healthcare.”
So, will (AI) one day replace doctors?
“Possibly, one day,” she said. “But I also believe that AI could run tests for them and act as a nurse.
Another project focused on creating a toy that can be used to provide comfort to kids of all ages.
“Honey Doggy is a dog that you can cuddle,” said North Main third-grader Ariyanah Paisley Douse. “I have a dog, but I would say it is better to cuddle this dog because he smells better and is more fluffy. All ages can use it and maybe use it as a roleplay toy. You could have a tea party with it.”
Adding to the night’s success, $750 was raised for the Odyssey of the Mind/Frank Moscati Creative Spirit Scholarship, which will be awarded to a student who has demonstrated an understanding of the spirit of being a contributing member of a creative problem-solving team at Monroe-Woodbury. The recipient must consistently demonstrate a concern for the team above personal needs or have gone the extra mile to do what is ethically correct. The recipient will embody the spirit of seeking to do one’s personal best, have a love for creative problem-solving, and take joy from working with others.
Visit bit.ly/4crB259 to learn more about EXPAND.