CARROLLTON
What happens when you combine science, technology, engineering, art and math? Elementary school students in Isle of Wight County know, and they presented their findings this past Monday evening. That’s when Carrollton Elementary School became the host site of the 2016 Search Extravaganza in Carrollton Elementary School. The theme was “Art: Full STEAM Ahead!”

At the appointed hour, parents, siblings, relatives and friends filed into an open space where students displayed their projects, everything ranging from three-dimensional displays of famous people to handwritten and hand-drawn stories that will become one-of-a-kind books. As people walked by, they could ask about what each student had created.

Kameryn Barnett of Carrsville Elementary School not only made a diorama about author Rick Riordan, but also had several of his books on hand as reference. The fourth-grader waxed enthusiastic about the writer’s books. She explained that his son had encouraged him to publish the stories he was telling about Percy Jackson and the adventures with Greek gods of mythology.

“Thrilling and exciting. Fast-paced and well-written,” that’s how the 9-year-old describes his books, which include “The Trials of Apollo” and “Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard.”

Nearby, fellow student Aaron Grass, 6, had made a display in tribute to the late Ray Tomlinson. Who, you might ask, was Ray Tomlinson? The kindergartener explained that Tomlinson was the computer programmer who came up with the first email system back in 1971.

Windsor Elementary School students presented their unique stories, including “Ninja Pigs,” by third grader Allison Martins, 5. “The Story of Foxalina” was written by first grader Keegan Shannon, 7. Dylan Hatfield, 11, used a laptop to present his story, “Quest to Kill the Wall of Flesh,” which he said is based on a video game. The stories will be published in book form courtesy of a

Georgie D. Tyler Middle School students made displays showing animals such as: Jacob Machner’s Siberian tiger; Eva Fong’s giant panda; and Conner Karmilovich’s leatherback sea turtle.

Students attending Carrollton and Hardy schools had dioramas featuring artists such as Madison’s Smith’s Georgia O’Keefe; Addison Hardman’s Vera Wang; Andrina Camilleri’s Dorothea Lange; and Luca Camilleri’s Alfred Nobel, to name a few.