Gillette Road Middle School STEM club shines at Catapult Competition

October 22, 2025: This past Saturday, the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Club from Gillette Road Middle School (GRMS) participated in the Museum of Science and Technology (MOST) Catapult Competition in Syracuse, sending 11 teams and 18 students to proudly represent the North Syracuse Central School District (NSCSD)! Each year, The MOST organizes four Design, Build & Compete outreach programs, along with a regional science fair, to engage students around STEM. Students come not just from Central New York, but from schools as far as the Canadian border to Pennsylvania.

Over the past five weeks, GRMS’s STEM Club students have been hard at work designing, building, testing and perfecting their catapults for both accuracy (hitting the bullseye) and distance (launching the farthest). Their dedication, teamwork and problem-solving skills truly paid off at this weekend’s event!

Out of more than 100 teams competing, GRMS 5th grader Parker White (pictured above) proudly earned 2nd Place in the Junior Division. Advisor Ms. Roffo shared, “I am so proud of how hard each of our students has worked throughout these past several weeks on designing, creating and refining their catapults. Their enthusiasm has been remarkable, and it’s a joy to watch them strengthen their critical thinking, problem-solving and creativity.”

She added, “We’re incredibly thankful to The MOST and its sponsors for providing our students with opportunities and materials that make hands-on, project-based learning both fun and collaborative.”

Next up, the GRMS STEM Club will begin working on bridge design and construction for the organization’s “Bridges, Build ‘Em and Bust ‘Em”  competition on Saturday, November 15.