Welcome to Science Olympiad
We expect a lot of fun to be had by all this year. This information page will answer many of the questions that are common for students that are new to Science Olympiad
Q: What is Science Olympiad?
A: Science Olympiad is a nationwide organization that holds competitions between schools on science and technology related events. There are 23 events this year which cover all science disciplines as well as five technology events that require construction of some type of device.
Q: What would I do as a team member?
A: Each team member will select either 2 or 3 events to prepare for competition. Some of the events require research, gathering and organizing information, learning new skills and then demonstrating them at the competition. Other events require building some device to be tested on the day of the competition.
Q: How much time must I commit?
A: We will meet Thursday of each week after school from 2:30 to 4:00. These meetings will be in Mr. Ruston’s room at the High School. You can ride your bus when it leaves the Middle School and get off when it stops at the High School. We will also have one meeting each Saturday from 8 AM – 11 AM. We are willing to work with students that have other obligations such as music or sports but you should plan to be at every meeting that you don’t have a conflict. There are also optional meetings on Tuesdays from 2:30 – 4:00.
Q: When is the competition?
A: The date of the Competition is Saturday February 10, 2018. All of our work in Science Olympiad culminates in this one day competition. You should be sure to mark your calendar early and be sure that you have no other commitments on that day. The events of the competition will consume most of the day.
Q: What are the benefits of Science Olympiad participation?
A: First, of course, is the chance to participate in an event that is designed to bring fun and enjoyment to the experience of learning science. In addition,Science Olympiad is recognized with great prestige at the most selective universities across the country. Participation is certainly something that students should include in application materials when applying to college. There is a generous scholarship given out each year to a JCHS senior that has participated in Science Olympiad.
Science Olympiad 2017– 2018 –
Please give the following letter to your parents and return it with the bottom information completed.
Letter to Parents:
I are very pleased that your child is expressing an interest in the Science Olympiad team. We are planning to work very hard this year and look forward to seeing that hard work pay off at the competition. Ihope you will encourage your child to take this commitment seriously. There is a lot of fun to be had but like anything there is nothing like the feeling of winning the rewards that come with hard work. Based on the interest so far I know we have the talent on this team to come away from the competition loaded down with medals.
One of our goals this year is to expand the opportunity for parents to participate in and support your child’s effort. Unlike sports we have only one competition with a long preparation season. Because of this often parents wish for more involvement in the Science Olympiad prior to the competition. We would like to invite parents to contribute to the team in a variety of ways.
- Please browse the list of events. If any of them catch your interest or are areas that you have special expertise we would welcome your input supporting our team. You are always welcome to attend meetings and help students by sharing your expertise.
- Saturday meetings are long and we usually offer snacks for the team. If you are willing to provide snacks for students on a Saturday please notify us ahead of time to avoid doubling up. It would be greatly appreciated.
- Preparation for competition requires paying registration fees, purchase of reference resources, construction materials, team shirts and a variety of other materials. If you’re like me you hate having kids come home with an obligation to sell stuff so that we can afford to exist. Therefore, instead of sending your child home with boxes of candy bars, we are seeking donations. No donation is too small and will be put to meaningful use by the team. You may attach a check to this form when you return it.
If you ever have any questions or concerns about how the team is progressing please do not hesitate to contact me by email or by phone763-1256.
Sincerely,
Chris Ruston
Student name______
Parent name (printed) ______
Parent Signature ______
Please provide a phone number in the event we need to cancel meetings due to weather or other emergencies. ______Is this a cell phone? Yes / No
A cell number capable of texting can be included in our REMIND service that automatically notifies team members of weather related cancellations.
I have included a donation in the amount of __$______for use by the Science Olympiad team
(Make checks payable to Johnson City Science Olympiad)