The Richland School District has kicked off middle school science classes for highly capable students. The rigorous science courses are the first step in establishing a comprehensive Highly Capable (Hi-Cap) program that will challenge advanced students.

In this photo, Enterprise Middle School sixth grade students Grant Mickelson (l) and Jordan Kelly use convection tubes to investigate
how the temperature of a surface affects the movement of air above it. "Students observe smoke as it is introduced over warm and then cold surfaces," explained teacher Debbie Ellefson. "This helps us understand how storms form over the warm waters of the tropics."