Science Olympiad Team Awarded at State Level

Morganton Day School’s middle school Science Olympiad team just returned from the state competition in Raleigh with some impressive awards to show for their hard work. In the state-wide competition including middle and high school teams, MDS won second place in the Team Competition event, which involved a series of puzzles and challenges.

MDS students Ellie Deacon and Ruthie Collett won first place in the Applied Anatomy and Physiology event. The girls had to read descriptions of rare physiological issues and then complete tasks and answer questions.

All the students joined in excited cheers at the announcement of MDS coach Leslee Bentley as Outstanding Coach of the Year, a fitting recognition of her commitment to guiding the team all year. Dedicated parents also helped the students prepare for the science competition throughout the year.

Students competed in events such as the battery buggy, roller coaster creation, poisons and potions, and bottle rocket parachute. They researched, designed, tested, redesigned, and finally took their knowledge and final products to Raleigh for the state competition. They showed commitment and persistence through the engineering design process and had lots of fun along the way.

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.