March

Mock Trial - Students participate as attorneys and witnesses in a simulated criminal or civil case where they prepare and then compete against other gifted students from various districts. Students utilize critical thinking skills to plan a defense or prosecution/plaintiff strategy to win the case and sharpen their public speaking skills. Students will practice and prepare for this event in the previous months during GATE class. A Google Form for interest will be posted at the beginning on November. The first 14 students to sign up will be on the team. The trial date is March 10 with a snow date set for March 12. 

STEM Design Challenge -  Students will compete in teams to collaborate on a STEM design competition. The competition will take place on Friday, March 20, 2026. 

Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair - The Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair will take place at the Kamin Science Center on Wednesday, March 25.  Middle school students will design, implement, and present original experiments for a chance to win cash prizes and scholarships. Students will need to design and implement their project in advance. This competition can be done individually or as a group.  Content themes would be one of the following: Chemistry, Engineering, Environmental Science, Health and Nutrition, Outer Space, and Physics. Fill out the Google Form on Google Classroom to participate in the PRSEF. 

Battle of the Brains Competition - This competition is for the well-read student with a great deal of general knowledge. Students work with their teammates to answer questions in the fields of math, science, social studies, music, current events, literature, art, and logic. The Battle of the Brains Competition will take place at NA on Friday, March 27, 2026.