Students succeed at Science Olympics

Posted on Sep 30, 2009

Forty teams of middle school girls from schools throughout Connecticut spent Saturday, September 26, competing in a variety of science challenges. They built a tower that would support weight, launched a homemade rocket and calculated the age of a “fossil.” Wind Over Wings, a non-profit wildlife rehabilitation and education center, brought four of their feathered friends including a great horned owl for a presentation on birds. 

Science Olympics was created to promote science education for girls and to provide participants the opportunity to enjoy themselves while applying the basic themes of science in a practical, experimental context. The theme for the event is “Science is FUN!” The Science Olympics for Girls is held twice a year and, at each session, participants spend the day doing tasks that show that girls not only do science well, but also have fun while doing it!

Students worked in teams, with the winners as follows:
 
Grade 6:
1st Place: The Einsteins from Wintergreen Magnet: Vanessa Brokaw, Nicole Wilkes, May Var, Alyssa Gilbert
2nd Place: The Forces from St. Catherine: Elizabeth Sargent, Caroline Sargent, Alana Murphy, Julia Spillane
3rd Place: The Moles from Greenwich Catholic: Katie Sullivan, Susanna LaPointe, Julianna Armentano, Rachel Cohane

Grade 7:
 1st Place: The Koalas from Greenwich Catholic: Alexa Granser, Carly Imbrogno, Grace Ohara
2nd Place: The Helices from St. Joseph: Sydney Carter, Veina Pilla, Malkia Okech, Jennifer Gorel,
3rd Place: The Beakers from Trinity Catholic: Maria Camponetti, Katharina Focke, Brianna Samaranayake, Chelsea Campana

Grade 8:
1st Place: The Galaxies from All Saints: Alex Marcarelli, Olivia Maffei, Christina Garvey, Kassidy Greer
2nd Place: The Atoms from St. Catherine: Erin Milner, Kathryn Mortati, Victoria Cilurzo, Mary Spillane
3rd Place: The Newtonians from Edgewood Magnet: Shea Hastings Connors, Margaret Keenan Connors, Christine Puglisi, Sarah Lincoln

Mixed Grades:
1st Place: The Torques from St. Ann: Margaret Gallagher, Megan McAndrew, Paige Vollero, Nicole Veeley
2nd Place: The Punnet Squares from Longfellow: Caroline Santiago, Desiree Anique Walker, Uraisa Staley
3rd Place: The Alkanes from St. Thomas and Hillcrest: Amber-Claire Domond, Ann Marie Guzzi, Brittany Sendzik

The spring “games” are scheduled for Saturday, May 15, 2010. Parents, students or teachers interested in learning more should contact scavar@lauraltonhall.org.