Middle School Students Take 3rd in Regional Science Competition

On March 16th, fifteen Morganton Day School middle school students packed up a battery buggy, a roller coaster, a bottle rocket, a boomilever, their test tubes, and lots of knowledge and headed to CVCC to compete in the regional Science Olympiad competition. Throughout the day, they participated in twenty-one different events against seventeen middle school teams.

Teams of students used the engineer design process to accomplish various challenges. They took tests, participated in labs, and tested previously created prototypes. After a full day of scientific challenges, students waited for their results. Excitement filled the air as each and every MDS student was called up for at least one medal, and team members placed in 13 events, including Mechatronics, Anatomy & Physiology, Crime Busters, Density Lab, Disease Detectives, Duct Tape Challenge, Dynamic Planet, Fossils, Heredity, Meteorology, Roller Coaster, Solar System, and Thermodynamics.

At the end of the day, Morganton Day School came home with a third place trophy and a position in the state competition. The team will head to Raleigh to compete at the state level in April. This week, our scientists were back at work researching, improving, and testing their designs.

“To be there the moment the children realized all their hard work and hours of studying paid off was priceless. Their joy and excitement was contagious,” said Leslee Bentley, Science Olympiad coach and technology teacher at MDS.

NC Science Olympiad, an annual competition begun in 1974, aims to encourage students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (S.T.E.M.) degrees and careers in North Carolina. Science Olympiad tournaments have challenging, hands-on events in all scientific disciplines, designed to strengthen students’ skills in science content and process.

Morganton Day School instructs students from preschool through 8th grade, with an emphasis on inquiry-based learning and S.T.E.A.M. If you would like more information or a tour, please call (828)437-6782 or visit morgantondayschool.com.