The Mellon Middle School Supernova team, under the direction of Conceptual Physics teacher Cindy Bronen, has won its third  Phipps Fairchild Challenge, a national competition consisting of a series of challenges ranging from art projects to essays designed to foster an awareness of our natural world and environmental issues.
 
For Challenge 3, Language Arts 8 teacher Ms. DeRienzo guided her students to complete an environmental project and write a corresponding essay in Language Arts.  After the team teachers chose the top twenty essays, Ms. DeRienzo bundled them into a booklet with a student created cover.  Subsequently, judges awarded the team and the booklet first place for having not only the highest number of participants, but also the highest scores, including one perfect score. Furthermore, Noah Schultz won Honorable Mention for his individual commitment to eating organic foods. As a result, students were invited to appear on the Saturday Light Brigade radio program.