The Science Fair-IB Expo and the Electric Project

[Wise Old Owl]

DING DING DING DING!! There we go, folks. Maybe he saw it with his mom, knew he would not have another chance, and ran back to see it real quick before he had to take off to an...um...'appointment'?

I've been thinking that Kyron told someone else about seeing the electric project too. While in that conversation he realized he left his "math book, homework, lunch money, lunch," something in the car. It was then arranged that he would meet the car just outside that south door - actually run out to the car - to get whatever it was he forgot - then he could go on to see the electric project or he went to the electric project first and watched for the car on his way back......JMO

 

[scandi]

I was totally frustrated after I had my Gestalt moment and the Theories thread got locked. So I posted what I could here as it was partially about the electrical project. lol

Now I realize it is very difficult to not mix the discussion of that project with a theory on what really happened that morning. I'm headed back over to the Theory thread as I think it is back open again.

What a night, eh?

 

[Shutterfly]

Think maybe the "electricity project" could have something to do with one of these? It just occurred to me that I saw more than one of my kids introduced to one of these in 2nd grade. It's that thing you put your hands on and your hair stands on end. It's purpose, I think, is to illustrate the nature of static electricity. It's a plasma ball, in the unlikely event that any of you haven't seen one.

I'm just sayin'...

If you wanna get little kids attention, one of these will have them flocked around you like the ice cream truck. There's nothing quite like seeing your best friends hair stick straight out like a troll.

 

[SunsetHeel]

The focus of the day at the school seems to have been the IB Expo. International Baccalaureate programs can be controversial in some school districts. The Skyline website states: Skyline is currently a candidate school for the IB PYP and MYP Programmes. So they aren't technically accepted yet. The Portland School system is undergoing some fiscal adjustments. The Willamette Weekly had an article the morning that Kyron disappeared about the high school realignment. If someone was angry about the proposed changes and wanted to change the direction, would they have thought that the school would not be approved for the IB program if they lost a child during the IB Expo? It is expensive to be an IB school. This is a rather far fetched scenario but it is something I have been wondering about. An IB expo is not a traditional science fair, an International Baccalaureate program is an international based curriculum. It isn't guided by the local school board. You have to follow the curriclum that comes from Europe.

 

[grandmaj]

NO sleuthing minors or mentioning minor's names. This is a big :nono:

 

[Mylou]

This electric exhibit really plays on my mind. Has anyone found out if it even existed? Where it was suppose to be exhibited? Who told Kyron about it? Were any other children aware or told of its existence/non existence?

 

[angelmom]

this statement is contradicting the statement that T gives saying Kyron never made it back to the classroom when they then divided into smaller groups for the tour, rather Kyron was last seen in the hall alone setting off to see the "electric" science project

Any opinions on the contradictions?

Thank you! I have been thinking about this contradiction all day. T gives contradictory information. Either he left to go see the "electric exhibit" or he was in class and in a group for the tour. If there really was a cool electric exhibit, I would think T would have seen it and not spoken of it in the abstract--"a cool electric" vs "the cool electric" if he had seen it as well.

Unless...T and Kyron were not in the same group. Say the teacher was in the room and, as enough children arrived, sending them with the chaperone to see the exhibits. Since we know Kyron was there early, maybe he was in one of the first groups. It is possible that T and Kyron saw one another when T was on his way into the classroom and Kyron was already in a group (loosely) and on his way to see the cool electric exhibit.

So Kyron goes along with the rest of his group, T goes into the classroom and is added to a different group, and they don't cross paths.

If the groups were kind of loose - as in, we're going to 6th grade first and we walk sort of together but not really in a line or anything (it's only 5-6 kids and the hallways are likely crowded with other classes doing the same thing) and then they visit 6th grade. When it's time to switch rooms, the leader gathers them up and they go onto the next grade, and I would assume she would count each time. (But maybe not).

If the chaperone can't swear to when she last saw Kyron with the group, then T could be right. When the groups recollected in the classroom, that could be when the chaperone noticed him missing, and T would have been there.

That could also be why the timeline has been so hazy - maybe the chaperone isn't really sure (maybe she doesn't know all the kids very well) and the kids statements about the last time he was with the group conflict...well then LE would be very careful b/c of dealing with young kids AND not having a time they can confirm.

In the same way, if the teacher thought Kyron was in the bathroom, she may have looked for him or asked another teacher to look for him when he didn't return promptly. All it would take is another teacher saying, "I saw him with Terri...maybe they left. Half my class is gone!" or the teacher wondering if she misunderstood about the appointment and assuming that she must have.

It is not necessary that any of these statements are contradictory. We have not seen the complete statements - only bits and pieces.

 

[Kimster]

STOP typing out the names of minors!

KNOCK IT OFF COMPLETELY!!!

Link to the source naming the minor if you'd like, use initials as listed on the source or even better you can post "Kyron's friend".

We need to do our best ABOVE AND BEYOND to protect minors!

Please edit your posts or alert your post if it has the name of a minor and we will edit it for you.

Kyron is the ONLY MINOR I want to see the name of posted in this forum!

 

[momtective]

I just wonder if the Dam on Sauvie Island could be considered an electric project.

 

[scandi]

I just wonder if the Dam on Sauvie Island could be considered an electric project.

Does it have a powerhouse?
Also wanted to say :hand:

 

[RoughlyCollie]

BANG It just hit me as to why. He knew he had to leave school to get picked up and wouldn't be there for the tour. He wasn't about to miss that project IMO.

I think his comment about going to see this project in that set of circumstances could be the nitty gritty to solving this case and naming those involved.

I think he knew he was leaving school, too. I wonder if he mentioned it to anyone. Maybe that's one reason for the questionnaire.

IF SM turns out to be the perp, I wonder if she let him wear that CSI t-shirt on purpose, as just another revenge/anger manifestation of a twisted mind.

 

[momtective]

Does it have a powerhouse?
Also wanted to say :hand:

Have no clue what it has but in my mind it would be a terrific electric project to see for a 7 year-old.
:hand: back at cha Scandi.

 

[Noway]

There may have been an exhibit at the science fair that lead to someone telling Kyron about "a cool electric exhibit" but IMO this was a way to get him out of the school.

From the photos I looked at, posted in the Skyline Elementary thread ([ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5313412&postcount=50"]page 2[/ame]), there was no place for a car to park near the exit closest to his classroom. He would have had to meet someone at another place on the grounds. That doesn't mean he didn't go out that door, just that from there, he went somewhere else.


I found this blog (odd in places IMO) about the dam. I don't know if there is anything useful here ... just reading it now. ETA: There are "Powerhouse" photos ... view from Table Mountain Trail if that means anything ...

http://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2008/01/bonneville-dam-columbia-river.html

 

[scandi]

I think he knew he was leaving school, too. I wonder if he mentioned it to anyone. Maybe that's one reason for the questionnaire.

IF SM turns out to be the perp, I wonder if she let him wear that CSI t-shirt on purpose, as just another revenge/anger manifestation of a twisted mind.

WOW, great thinking Roughly. You could be right on both counts !

 

[scandi]

There may have been an exhibit at the science fair that lead to someone telling Kyron about "a cool electric exhibit" but IMO this was a way to get him out of the school.

From the photos I looked at, posted in the Skyline Elementary thread (page 2), there was no place for a car to park near the exit closest to his classroom. He would have had to meet someone at another place on the grounds. That doesn't mean he didn't go out that door, just that from there, he went somewhere else.


I found this blog (odd in places IMO) about the dam. I don't know if there is anything useful here ... just reading it now. ETA: There are "Powerhouse" photos ... view from Table Mountain Trail if that means anything ...

http://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2008/01/bonneville-dam-columbia-river.html

Bonneville Dam is about 40 miles up the Columbia River East of Portland. Is there some link to it with the case? Ta

 

[Calliope]

.T says that is the last he saw of Kyron because Kyron never made it back to the classroom

"He walked by the hallway and I'm like, 'Hi, Kyron,' and he's like, 'Hi. I'm going to go see this cool one. It's electric.' I'm like, 'Alright, bye.' And that's the last time I saw him," T said. "He never did make it back to class."
http://www.kptv.com/news/23842774/detail.html

so if this statement from Kyron's best friend T is true than how do explain the huge inconsistency with the following statement

~snip the first person to notice Kyron Horman was missing was a substitute teacher who was taking a head count as the second and third grade class was re-assembling after visiting other classrooms for a science fair at Skyline School last Friday.

"And she was like 'oh no where's Kyron there's only five' and Mrs. Porter was like it's okay calm down, calm down he's probably in the bathroom or getting a drink of water and she said alright I'm going to leave and she left, " says T.

~snip T says Kyron was in school for at least an hour Friday morning and that he saw Kyron's step-mother leave the school without Kyron.

~snip Upon hearing the substitute teacher noticing that Kyron was not present in the classroom, T says the regular teacher said Kyron had probably gone to get a drink of water or to use the bathroom.

~snip T's grandmother says F-B-I agents and Multnomah County investigators have asked T's and his grandmother not to speak with the media, for reasons they did not divulge. Fuhrur says she decided to allow her grandson talk ~end snip

http://www.koinlocal6.com/content/ne...P3tb3MkZg.cspx

[I believe the "substitute" was an adult chaperone for the group of 6 that Kyron was supposedly in] I understood this above statement to mean that upon returning to Mrs. Porter's classroom that the chaperone did a final head count and voiced concern when she realized their were only 5 students and that Kyron was the one unaccounted for.(this tells me that Kyron was in the classroom when the students were divided into small groups and then headed out to tour the science fair) Mrs. Porter seems to tell the chaperone that he[Kyron] is probably just in bathroom or at water fountain. The chaperone then leaves.... Therefore this statement is contradicting the statement that T gives saying Kyron never made it back to the classroom when they then divided into smaller groups for the tour, rather Kyron was last seen in the hall alone setting off to see the "electric" science project

Any opinions on the contradictions?

He may have last seen Kyron as he describes AND heard the teacher/chaperone's conversation if he was not in the same group as kyron. His statement that he "never made it back to class" isn't necessarily a contradiction. I took it to mean he didn't make it back as they had finished their group tours.

I think it was the reporter who made the assumption Kyron was there at least an hour based upon T's statement. IOW, the reporter knew the kids were coming back to their classes shortly before 10 to start their day, so he put two and two together (that it was apparent Kyron was in the group and wasn't missed until the group returned to class). I don't think the boy actually said that himself.

 

[Noway]

Bonneville Dam is about 40 miles up the Columbia River East of Portland. Is there some link to it with the case? Ta

Maybe not.

What is the dam on Sauvie Island? TIA

From this:

I just wonder if the Dam on Sauvie Island could be considered an electric project.

 

[momtective]

Maybe not.

What is the dam on Sauvie Island? TIA

From this:

I googled earlier because I didn't even know if there was a Dam on Sauvie...this is one of what I found mentioning Sauvie Island Dam near Scappoose. http://www.hookandbullet.com/fishing-sauvie-island-dam-scappoose-or/

 

[DidionFan]

Is my understanding correct that the project was already set up at the school? The reports I read said he was anxious to show it to his SM, which made it seem as though it was already set up. do we know for certain?

Hi JBean - I have been trying to find reliable source material on this - my early recollection from news was: the whole reason TH drove that morning was so Kyron wouldn't have to carry his project on the bus. Yet the early morning photo has a pretty empty classroom (people are just arriving), and yet the projects are fully set up - like, all the desks are ready. Wanting to "show off" the project seems also like it was set up the day before, and he wanted to show his display set up on his desk. I am a little confused on this, and I don't know what difference it really makes, because TH could have equally driven him that morning so she could look at the projects with him, regardless of when they were set up or brought to school - seems like many kids would have been driven to school vs taking a bus that morning.

But the discrepancy still bothers me, because it's not clear, and could be important...And also because I could promise up and down I read that she drove because they brought the project that morning, (and think I also read they had worked on it all night, but that may have mentioned elsewhere), yet they seem like they were set up the day before...in which case, a parent would have helped that day, too?

 

[DidionFan]

Is my understanding correct that the project was already set up at the school? The reports I read said he was anxious to show it to his SM, which made it seem as though it was already set up. do we know for certain?

Here's an Oregonian article:

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/06/details_emerge_about_the_day_k.html

It says both. Article implies Kyron was excited to show off this exhibit, kind of sounds like the ride to school was more the parents touring exhibits, already set up.

Later, CM says, "He was so excited about his science project," said Carol Moulton, Horman's mother and Kyron's grandmother. "They had worked on it together. He was anxious to take it to school and show it off."

But, I don't know how exact CM's statement should be read - talking to press early on, being a grandma living out of the household, condensing facts, she may have not literally meant "taking the project that morning," as she wasn't there and may not have known the background of the fair...so....My gut says they were set up the night before.

The only other issue is the picture: I thought there was something about that that they'd stayed up all night before the fair finishing it...but that may have not been news source I am running off of...

Again, either way - TH would have driven him anyway to look at his project...Who brought it to school and when is not confirmed.