Rep. Rutigliano judges Trumbull student inventions

TRUMBULL – Rep. Dave Rutigliano (Trumbull) was extremely familiar with the classrooms and hallways of Tashua Elementary School when he visited to judge student invention projects, Thursday. Both of his sons graduated from the K-5 school.

Dozens of 5th grade students taking part in the Connecticut Invention Convention displayed their inventions  for Rep. Rutigliano and a group of volunteer judges that included former educators, administrators, parents and relatives of students.

More than 130 Connecticut schools and 10,000 students participate annually in the convention, designed to promote creativity and critical thinking skills in the state’s youth.

“My son took part last year, and it was a great experience for him. I’m happy to volunteer and help. I hope that these kids gets far in the competition. You can tell by looking at their inventions that they put a lot of effort into their work,” Rep. Rutigliano said.

He viewed a number of student projects including,

Emma Dubeau’s No Tip Dog Dish which uses Velcro to hold dog dishes in place.

Oliva Gavlick’s Walking Light Express illuminates evening and early morning walks by attaching flashlights to dogs’ collars.

Roger Trapasso’s Wipe Away Wipes demonstrates how Velcro can be used to attach disposable wipes boxes to lunch boxes.

Zach Jager’s Skate Grip 5000 assists people with tightening hockey skate laces.

Olivia McCue’s The Cart Sack attaches disposable grocery bags to the front of grocery carts.

Brian DeLaRosa’s EZ Twistiez are replacement lamp switches made larger to ease their use.

Rep. Rutigliano and Trumbull BOE member, Rosemary Seaman, were both judges at Tashua Elementary School for the 2015 CT Invention Convention.

The student inventions that received the highest scores will be displayed May 2 at UConn.

The Connecticut Invention Convention started in 1983 as part of the Connecticut Educators Network for the Talented and Gifted. The program is open to K-8 students in Connecticut.