Kilmer, Fairfax H.S. Win VA Science Olympiad at R-MC

2011 Virginia Science Olympiad Tournament Click on VSO to view a photo gallery.

Randolph-Macon College hosted more than 700 middle and high school students at the Virginia Science Olympiad State Tournament on Saturday, March 26, 2011. Student teams were challenged by mind-boggling scientific and mathematical problems, which included building robots and elevated bridges, analyzing forensic crime scene evidence, and getting acquainted with turtles and snakes. Opening ceremonies began at 8:45 a.m. and included a parade of schools participating in the tournament.

Science Olympiad events were designed to encourage a variety of intellectual and practical skills. Some events called for a quick recall of specific facts, while others required concept development, a process skill, or an application of a specific concept. Some events required students to work cooperatively to build an apparatus. Points were assessed to each team based on national judging criteria for each event. Ribbons and trophies were presented to the highest-scoring teams during an awards ceremony that began at 6:15 p.m. The highest-scoring team will represent Virginia at the National Competition on May 20 and 21, 2011 at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. This is the 27th year of the National Competition.

The Virginia Science Olympiad is a national non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of K-12 science education; increasing male, female and minority interest in science; creating a technologically literate workforce; and providing recognition for outstanding achievement by both students and teachers. These goals are achieved through Science Olympiad tournaments and non-competitive events; incorporating Science Olympiad into classroom curricula; and teacher training institutes.

Randolph-Macon’s science faculty gave numerous presentations throughout the day. Ongoing campus tours were also available to include new athletic facilities and Andrews Hall, a residence for freshmen slated to open in July 2011.

Here are the team results for the 2011 Virginia Science Olympiad Tournament:

	Division B	Division C
1st	Kilmer	Fairfax H.S.
2nd	Longfellow	Langley H.S.
3rd	Lake Braddock M.S.	Lake Braddock H.S.
4th	Rachel Carson	Thomas Jefferson H.S.