Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 students put their scientific ingenuity to the test on Saturday, February 4 at the annual Science Olympiad. The Olympiad was held at Emerson Middle School, 8101 N. Cumberland, Niles.
About 175 enthusiastic students competed in a series of Olympic-type team events. The Olympiad is an extracurricular program that challenges students in grades 3-5 to stretch the science skills and technology design they learn in the District 64 curriculum in fun ways.
“The Science Olympiad lets students encounter problems in science and engineering, and become actively engaged in solving them. In the process, they develop skills and dispositions important for 21st century learners, including reasoning, critical thinking, creativity, and teamwork. It’s the type of education we provide across the curriculum, but in a special way at this annual event,” explained Dr. Tony Clishem, District 64 Curriculum Specialist for Science. District 64 has hosted the Olympiad for more than 20 years.
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Students registered in November for one of five events. Each event is co-sponsored by District 64 and one of the elementary school PTO/As. Volunteer parents work as coaches for students organized into teams and coordinate the events.
Five competitions were held simultaneously beginning at 9 a.m.: Aerodynamics – design a paper airplane and fly it to a target; Mystery Box – identify the properties of the contents within various boxes using all senses other than sight; Rubber Band Catapult – design and construct a catapult to shoot a rubber band at a target placed within a given range; Structures – build tall, free-standing structures with drinking straws and straight pins; and Egg Drop – design and build a “catcher” from paper and tape to cushion the drop of an egg from increasing heights.
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The 2012 Olympiad winners in the five events are:
Aerodynamics
1st Place/Gold Medal: Jack Dombro & Owen Mech, Grade 5, Field Elementary School;
2nd Place/Silver Medal: Mason Conrardy & Nicholas Walczak, Grade 3, Carpenter School;
3rd Place/Bronze Medal: Billy Peck & Cole Schmeisser, Grade 5, Field School
Mystery Box
1st Place/Gold Medal: Jack Massari, Liam Cannon & Will Stonebridge, Grade 4, Field School;
2nd Place/Silver Medal: Erin Converse, Sarah Biagi & Madeline Biagi, Grade 5, Washington School;
3rd Place/Bronze Medal: Emma Winckler & Sophie DiMaso, Grade 3, Field School.
Rubber Band Catapult
1st Place/Gold Medal: Billy Buerk & Ethan Rich, Grade 3, Field School;
2nd Place/Silver Medal: Stephen Pontikes & Damien Emmer, Grade 5, Franklin School;
3rd Place Tie/Bronze Medal: James Lawrin & Joey Sagmeister, Grade 4, Field School; Victoria Pontikes & James Keefe, Grade 5, Franklin School; Molly O'Brien, Grade 3, Emily Schneider, Grade 4, & Karen Van Den Eeden, Grade 4, Washington School.
Structures
1st Place/Gold Medal: Emily Buerk & Sabrina Nash, Grade 5, Field School;
2nd Place/Silver Medal: Madison Purtell & Katy Harms, Grade 5, Roosevelt School;
3rd Place/Bronze Medal: Matthew Asson & Alex Gonzalo, Grade 3, Field School.
Egg Drop
1st Place Tie/Gold Medal: Nichole Botello & Trisha Warren, Grade 3, Field School; Brian Farrell & Everett Bochat, Grade 3, Washington School;
2nd Place/Silver Medal: Raymond Menarik, Grade 4, & Charles Monical, Grade 3, Franklin School;
3rd Place/Bronze Medal: Bridget Stonebridge, Olivia Sivore & Rhiannon Sites, Grade 3, Field School.
Additional information about each event can be found on the Science Olympiad page on the District 64 website: www.d64.org.
