District 64 contest helps students learn to love science
By TRACY GRUEN Contributor February 6, 2012 4:24PM
Winning teams in the District 64 Science Olympiad competed in several events and received first-, second-, or third-place medals. | Joe Cyganowski~For Sun-Times Media
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Updated: April 10, 2012 11:54AM
Students were busy launching paper airplanes at a target on the floor and building tall structures using straws and pins — but it wasn’t just regular Saturday morning fun.
Students in Park Ridge-Niles District 64 were competing in the annual Science Olympiad held Feb. 4 at Emerson Middle School in Niles.
For more than 20 years students in the district have participated in the annual Science Olympiad.
It is a family affair, with parents volunteering as both coaches and judges in the competition, which involves third- through fifth-graders competing for medals while learning and having fun.
This year about 175 students participated in the friendly competition that featured various events, such as the Catapult, which involved shooting a rubber band at a target; Aerodynamics, which required throwing a paper airplane at a target; Structures, for which students worked together to build skyscrapers out of straws and pins; Egg Drop, in which they designed a device to successfully catch an egg dropped from 12 feet; and Mystery Box, in which participants had to guess what was in different containers based on the objects’ various properties.
“We just want to encourage their interest in science,” said Anthony Clishem, District 64 science curriculum coordinator for kindergartners through eighth-graders.
Clishem said studies are finding that some students lose interest in science in high school and college because the math and science becomes more difficult. He feels it is important to spark kids’ interest in science at the grade-school level so it stays with them.
“We really try to plant those seeds earlier,” Clishem said.
Students dedicate much time and effort to prepare for the big competition.
Clishem said students practice well ahead of time.
“I’m so happy,” Emily Buerk said of how she and her teammates performed in the Structures competition. “It was very exciting.”
Buerk and her teammates were working hard to create a 10-foot, 7-inch structure out of just straws and pins. They won first place for their effort.
“It really got us interested in science,” Buerk said of the Science Olympiad.
Steve Buerk, Emily’s dad, who was cheering the team on said: “These events are great for instilling discipline.” He added that he believes the Science Olympiad also teaches children that good preparation leads to success.
Roberto Botello’s daughter, Nichole, participated in the Egg Drop and took first place in the competition. He felt it was a good opportunity for the children to be involved in a competitive atmosphere and also learn about science.
The 2012 Science Olympiad winners included:
• in Aerodynamics — first place, Jack Dombro and Owen Mech, Grade 5, Field School; second place, Mason Conrardy and Nicholas Walczak, Grade 3, Carpenter School; and third place, Billy Peck and Cole Schmeisser, Grade 5, Field School.
• in Mystery Box — first place, Jack Massari, Liam Cannon and Will Stonebridge, Grade 4, Field School; second place, Erin Converse, Sarah Biagi and Madeline Biagi, Grade 5, Washington School; and third place, Emma Winckler and Sophie DiMaso, Grade 3, Field School.
• in Rubber Band Catapult — first place, Billy Buerk and Ethan Rich, Grade 3, Field School; second place, Stephen Pontikes and Damien Emmer, Grade 5, Franklin School; and third place, James Lawrin and Joey Sagmeister, Grade 4, Field School; Victoria Pontikes and James Keefe, Grade 5, Franklin School; and Molly O’Brien, Grade 3, Emily Schneider, Grade 4, and Karen Van Den Eeden, Grade 4, Washington School.
• Structures — first place, Emily Buerk and Sabrina Nash, Grade 5, Field School; second place, Madison Purtell and Katy Harms, Grade 5, Roosevelt School; and third place, Matthew Asson and Alex Gonzalo, Grade 3, Field School.
• Egg Drop — first place, Nichole Botello and Trisha Warren, Grade 3, Field School; Brian Farrell and Everett Bochat, Grade 3, Washington School; second place, Raymond Menarik, Grade 4, and Charles Monical, Grade 3, Franklin School; and third place, Bridget Stonebridge, Olivia Sivore and Rhiannon Sites, Grade 3, Field School.
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