Coolidge Science Team Wins 25th Mass Science Olympiad title

On March 3, 2018, Reading’s A.W. Coolidge Science Olympiad Team won first place in the Massachusetts Science Olympiad State Competition at Assumption College in Worcester, Mass. Having earned its 25th state title, the team has the honor of representing Massachusetts at the National Science Olympiad Competition in May at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, Colo.

The Massachusetts Science Olympiad offers middle school students the opportunity to compete with their peers in science and engineering events. This year, 33 middle schools competed in 23 events, spanning multiple STEM fields of study. Sample events this year include Battery Buggy, in which teams construct vehicles that use electrical energy to propel them a specified distance; Dynamic Planet, in which students take a written test on the structure of the earth’s crust; and Herpetology, in which students are tested on their knowledge of amphibians and reptiles. This year’s team is made up of 30 dedicated students who each contributed to the team’s success: eighth graders Elliot Choi, Lauren Ciccariello, Margaux Gellot, Dylan Herlihy, Pete Koster, Charlie Lloyd, Sam Lonks, Chloe Mathieu, Zachary Nichols, Akshay Rao, Dylan Ren, Ryan Segalla, Brody Wolter and Dylan Wolter; seventh graders Christian Alfieri, Natalie Benassi, Alex Bica, Jessica Hayes, Natalie Ho, Abigail LeBovidge, Sean Murphy, Sachin Patel, Maya Serrano and Scott Upton; and sixth graders Charlotte Gellot, Vedant Narayan, Elena Nichols, Riya Patel, Sivan Schwarzmann and Hanna Wiggins.

Collectively, the regular team earned nine gold medals, four silver medals, one bronze medal and four fourth­place ribbons. The Coolidge alternate team also earned first­place ribbons in five events and second­place ribbons in eight events. This year’s team is led by Karawan Meade, an alumna of the team. She is supported by Dan Cody, Jerald Coyne and Molly McIver, all science teachers at Coolidge. The coaching staff is, in turn, supported by parents, teachers, community members and high school student team alumni who serve as event coaches for the 23 events. The Coolidge School Science Olympiad Team is committed to excellence in science and sharing its love of science with the community. Team members are selected each fall after two afternoons of tryouts that include a written exam and hands-on building tasks.

The road to Nationals is paved with the hard work of fundraising! The team will host its annual Huge Multi-Family Yard Sale, Bake Sale and Raffles on Saturday, May 5, 2018. For more information about this community event, or to learn how to donate items to the yard sale, visit www.coolidgeyardsale.org.