News
High school team competes in Regional Science Olympiad at St. Rose
Feb.
9, 2009
Mohonasen High School was one of 18 teams from 14 schools that competed in the Regional Science Olympiad at St. Rose this past Saturday, February 7. The teams were vying for the opportunity to represent the Capital District at the State Science Olympiad at West Point in March.
Josh Bradt, Kevin Curtis, Julie DellaVilla, Stephan DiIorio, Joe Korszun, and Elizabeth Rickard-Jackson represented Mohonasen in the day-long event. Josh and Julie earned a second place score in remote sensing, in which remotely obtained information—such as satellite images—are analyzed to determine human impact on the Earth. The coaches also recognized Elizabeth and Josh, both seniors, for their participation in the Olympiad for all four years of high school.
There were 21 events where students, working in teams of 2 or 3, demonstrated knowledge and skill in all areas of science and technology. Events like astronomy, cell biology, environmental chemistry, and physics lab, for example, required students to perform hands-on lab experiments. Other events, such as bridge building, trajectory, and solar power, required that structures be built prior to the event.
Lua Rafalak-Lawrence, a Mohonasen physics teacher, has coached the team for the past several years. She is joined this year by earth science teacher Paul Nooney. Mr. Nooney brings experience to Mohonasen as an assistant Olympiad coach with Columbia High School, a perennial Science Olympiad winner.
Preparing students for Science Olympiad
competition begins in the fall. Teachers often volunteer their time,
sharing their expertise in individual subject areas.
One of our goals is to get students involved at an earlier age.
Participation in extracurricular academic activities, such as
Science Olympiad, brings real world application and relevance to
classroom instruction. Although a larger team will enable Mohonasen
to participate in more events, thus becoming more competitive, the
real winners will be the students themselves. These experiences
prepare students in ways that reach far beyond the classroom.
Getting students “hooked” while in middle school can maintain the
enthusiasm for learning that often disappears as students get older.
One of the most frequently heard comments from students involved in
this program is, “I wish I could do this again.”
