Science Olympiad is a competition where team members compete in a variety of specialized events. Some are engineering events such as Bridge and Wheeled Vehicle, some are lab events such as Crimebusters or Experimental Design, some are knowledge events such as Anatomy and Meteorology, and some test students' ability to think on their feet such as Fast Facts (like Scattergories) or Picture This (like Pictionary). The program has grown from 10 team members the first year (2018-19) to 25 team members participating for the 2022-23 school year.
Traveling to out-of-state competitions provides important opportunities for the team members to test the projects they built and their skills under competition conditions early in the year, as well as learning from observing other teams and interacting with tournament volunteers. There will not be any competitions in Iowa until February. The competition in Iowa in February is only running 12 events in each age division (MS and HS) whereas 28 events were run in each age division at Boyceville and Belleville.
Team member Izee Burch has this to say, "In Chem Lab and Crimebusters, we are able to work with different powders and liquids to see how they react to each other. For Anatomy, we get to learn what parts of the respiratory system and the digestive system do and what they are."
Initially, the PTA sponsored our registrations. Since that time, the Booster Club has provided tremendous support for registration fees and equipment expenses such as buying a good launcher for the Ping Pong Parachute event. The team has also raised money through gift card sales, working concessions, the "Want to Build a Snowman" contest, and donations from families.
A huge thank you also goes to Alytheia Barnes for embroidering our team sweatshirts, Mr. Monroe for getting the van from Tripoli for us so we could leave for Boyceville sooner, and all the parents who have helped with practice and/or chaperoned our trips to competitions! Chaperones this year were Brad Hjelmeland, Holly Benning, Carl & Katie Limyao, Kelley Gregorsok, and Brian Foelske. Also, Star Rupe, Brad Hjelmeland, and Kelley Gregorsok helped run events at Belleville, which lowered the cost of our registration.
Here are the results from our fall invitationals:
Belleville Invitational in Belleville, WI -- November 12
20 students in grades 6-12 competed at the tournament.
The Middle School team placed 9th out of all middle schools. (All middle schools were in one division.)
Bryce Jensenius and Elliot Foelske were the event champions in Write It / Do It, an event in which one team member writes instructions for building something (such as a Lego creation or craft) and then the other team member tries to build it as close to the original.
Medalists: Jillian Anderson (3), Dalton Brinkman (3), Izee Burch, Elliot Foelske (3), Jacob Foelske (2), Noah Gansen, Anna Gregorsok, Kale Gregorsok, Bryce Jensenius (3), Carter Limyao (3), Wyatt Maassen (3), Austin Oltmann. Number in parentheses is how many medals they had for students who medaled in multiple events.
This was the first competition experience for most of our new 6th grade team members: Caeson Cross, Brady Eastman, Jacob Foelske, Addison Krogmeier, Alayna Leibold, Kensi Limyao, Keilee Porter, Jace Rupe.
Boyceville Invitational in Boyceville, WI -- December 3
18 students in grades 6-12 competed at the tournament.
The Middle School team placed 3rd in the small schools division and brought home a trophy.
Noah Gansen was the event champion in Green Generation (an environmental science event)
Medalists: Danica Brinkman (5), Izee Burch (2), Caeson Cross, Elliot Foelske (4), Jacob Foelske (3), Noah Gansen (3), Kale Gregorsok (4), Aidan Heiser (4), Carter Hjelmeland (3), Bryce Jensenius (4), Alayna Leibold (2), Carter Limyao (3), Kensi Limyao (2), Wyatt Maassen (3), Keilee Porter (3), Emmet Reed (2), Mercy Reeves (2), Jace Rupe.
The Janesville community should be very proud of how well these teams represented both our school and our state!
