Colonie Central High School’s AP Physics students wrapped up their final day of class with two interactive and engaging projects that combined scientific understanding with creativity, and hands-on application. As part of a generally new tradition, students painted ceiling tiles to illustrate significant concepts or discoveries in physics that they wanted to highlight. Each tile, added to a growing "timeline of physics" on the classroom ceiling, featuring colorful graphics, explanatory text, and the names of the graduating students—leaving behind a permanent legacy for future classes to admire and learn from.

At the same time, students took part in the Great Paper Roller Coaster Challenge. This multi-week project pushed students to design and build detailed roller coasters using only paper and cardboard. The goal was to get a marble to travel through loops, turns, and drops, putting physics concepts like momentum, energy, and motion to the test. Many students spent extra time outside of class, including free periods and after school, to perfect their designs.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Perry, along with members of the Board of Education, visited the class on the final testing day to see the roller coasters in action and learn more about the accompanying ceiling tile displays.

“These projects are a great example of the student-driven, creative learning happening here at Colonie,” said Dr. Perry. “You can really see how much thought, effort, and teamwork went into this work—from both the students and their teachers.”

Physics teacher Michele Famoso said she was proud of the students’ efforts. “These projects bring together everything they’ve learned throughout the year, but they also give them a chance to be creative and work as a team,” she said. “It’s fun to watch how excited they get when they see it all come together. These are the kinds of things they’ll look back on years from now.”