SCIENCE is a Beautiful Thing!

The Science Olympiad once again finished a very successful Science Olympiad season yesterday with a third place win at the State Science Olympiad tournament in Hammond. We finished third after powerhouses Glasgow Middle (Baton Rouge) and St. John Berchmans (Shreveport).

It is such a joy to advise and coach such a wonderful group of students and be able to spend the day with great parents (and grandparents).

Congrats to our State award winners:

Anatomy & Physiology: Izzy & Alexis (coach Dr. Ramsay)--- 3^rd place

Crime Busters : Maliah & Carolyn (Dr. Boue)--- 2^nd place

Disease Detectives: Amelia & Reva (Dr. Sus) --- 3^rd place

Elastic Launched Glider: Emy & Izzy (Mr. Kyle) --- 2^nd place

Fossils: Henry & George (Mr. Thompson)--- 3^rd place

Herpetology: Harriss & Sam (Amy Kyle) --- 1^st place (2^nd year in a row!!!}

Poisons & Potions: Andrew & Reva (Dr. Boue) --- 1^st place {2^nd year in a row!!!}

Road Scholar: Henry & George (Mr. Chopin)--- 2^nd place

Solar System: Andrew & Harriss (Mr. Parks) --- 1^st place {2^nd year in a row!!!}

Thermodynamics: Henry & Amelia (Dr. Lovelace) ---1^st  place

Yours in science, y'all!

Periodic Table {Ware}

On Friday after the Science Olympiad Assembly, the Science Olympiad team presented me with a couple gifts. One happened to be a wine glass shaped beaker. WOW! How creative! I just had to use it as a martini glass for Sunday funday.

Cheers!

Sippin' Science, y'all!

Oops! We Did It Again!

I was joyfully surprised yesterday with a great video from this year's season of Science Olympiad. Set to the tune of Britney's "Oops! I Did It Again", the members really hit it out of the park. Thanks to the Chopin Family for organizing this video.

Thanks to a great team and a great Science Olympiad year. I am blessed.

Did it again, y'all!

3rd Place: State Science Olympiad

Yesterday, the Science Olympiad team traveled to Southeastern University in Hammond to compete in the State Science Olympiad tournament. Our middle school team placed 3rd overall in the State. What an awesome accomplishment for such a young team led by only one 8th grader.

Congrats to our team, y'all!

Oops, We Did It Again!

4-peat! Congratulations to our Science Olympiad team for placing 1st in Regional Competition on Saturday for the fourth year in a row. Our team certainly dominated the competition.

1st place, y'all!

The Weekend That Was {March 11-12}

This has been a busy week and weekend. On Saturday I traveled to my alma mater, Nicholls State University, with my Science Olympiad team to participate in Regional competition. It was a long day of science-related events, 23 to be exact. I am happy to report that my team, St. Paul's Episcopal placed 1st again for the third year in a row. Our team will now head to State competition at Southeastern University in April.

I returned to New Orleans last night to continue celebrating my birthday month. We dined at my favorite New Orleans restaurant, Upperline. Cheers! I needed the cocktails after the stressful week I had.

The Weekend, y'all! 

We Did It Again!

Two years in a row, St. Paul's Science Olympiad team took first place honors in Regional competition. WooHoo! I am one happy sponsor.

It is so hard to tell from year to year what type of successes we will have. Our students work very hard and are serious about their performance. Our students and parents are elated.

For those of who do not know:

Science Olympiad competitions are like academic track meets, consisting of a series of 23 team events in each division (Division B is middle school; Division C is high school). Each year, a portion of the events are rotated to reflect the ever-changing nature of genetics, earth science, chemistry, anatomy, physics, geology, mechanical engineering and technology. By combining events from all disciplines, Science Olympiad encourages a wide cross-section of students to get involved. Emphasis is placed on active, hands-on group participation. Through Science Olympiad, students, teachers, parents, principals and business leaders bond together and work toward a shared goal.

Teamwork is a required skill in most scientific careers today, and Science Olympiad encourages group learning by designing events that forge alliances. In Elevated Bridge, an engineering whiz and a kid from wood shop can become gold medalists. Similarly, a talented builder and a student with a good science vocabulary can excel in Write It Do It, one of Science Olympiad's most popular events.

The culmination of nearly 300 regional and state tournaments is the Science Olympiad National Tournament, held at a different university each year. This rotating system gives students the opportunity to visit new parts of the country and tour colleges they might consider for their undergraduate studies, and provides a memorable experience that lasts a lifetime.  

Here's a breakdown of how we did this year:

Our team placed 1^st, 2^nd, or 3^rd in 17 of 23 events.

·       Air Trajectory (coach: Mr. Hermo): 1^st place {Stone & Vincent}

·       Anatomy & Physiology (coaches Hannah Albritton & Doug Bostick) : 3^rd place {James & Grant}

·       Bottle Rocket (Mr. Hermo): 3^rd place {James & Armand}

·       Crave the Wave (Mr. Carrier): 1^st place {Brian & Antonio}

·       Crime Busters (Dr. Lillis): 1^st place {Andrew & Crane}

·       Disease Detectives (Rusty Gutierrez): 2^nd place {Stone & Janey}

·       Dynamic Planet (Mrs. Schwank): 1^st place {James & Antonio}

·       Elastic Launch Glider (Rusty Gutierrez): 2^nd place {Josh & Kaylee}

·       Food Science (Gillian Eggleston): 1^st place {Janey & Rachel}

·       Fossils (Mr. Thompson): 1^st place {Brian & Ben}

·       Invasive Species (Mrs. Farnsworth): 2^nd place {Crane & Brian}

·       Mission Possible (Mrs. Malone): 3^rd place {Crane & Erica}

·       Picture This (Gwen Bostick): 1^st place {Janey & Erica}

·       Reach for the Stars (Mr. Parks): 2^nd place {Brian & Vincent}

·       Road Scholar (Mr. Chopin): 2^nd place {Grant & Andrew}

·       Scrambler (Mr. Hermo): 2^nd place {Armand & Antonio}

·       Wind Power (Gerald Myers): 1^st place {Ben & Armand}

Our team now will prepare for State Competition on Saturday, April 9 at Southeastern University in Hammond. Stay tuned.

And thanks to the many of you who gave us well wishes.

1st place, y'all!

Why I'm So Busy...

Science Olympiad. 23 science-related events in one day. Preparation is a nightmare, and it is a month earlier than usual. Here's how my classroom looks this week.

Tomorrow, I'll be spending the day at my alma mater Nicholls State University for the Regional Science Olympiad tournament.

I admit it. I too am a science nerd and have been for most of my life. LOL!

I'll definitely be more "normal" next week. Normal? Whatever that is, right? Until then, bottle rockets, scramblers, wind machines, and more......

Science Olympiad, y'all!

Hammond America.....From Steaks to Science

On Friday, J & I headed to Hammond America (that’s Hammond, as in across the lake) as it is affectionally referred to by BFF MAC. My school’s Science Olympiad team participated in the State Science Olympiad hosted yearly at Southeastern Louisiana University.

We are very fortunate that friends of ours live so close to the university in downtown Hammond. Since the Olympiad starts at 7:30 a.m., it is really a pleasure to be able to crash at BFFs MAC and MA’s charming Hammond home. Our hosts are always welcoming.

MAC's charming Hammond home

On Friday evening, we were treated to a relatively new restaurant in the downtown Hammond area, The Steakhouse. The restaurant was a hit. From the charbroiled oysters, crab cakes, filets topped with crabmeat, and macaroni & cheese, the food tasted delicious. I am so happy that BFF MAC suggested this new eatery. I especially appreciated being able to order my steak by the ounce- great concept. We even were introduced to the nice owners. I am certain that The Steakhouse will be a Hammond staple for a while to come.

Cheers!

Our waitress

MAC & MA

The owners of The Steakhouse

On Saturday, the Science Olympiad team participated in the State Olympiad. From 7:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., my day was full of bottle rockets, catapults, food science, towers, anatomy, and more. I am happy to report that St. Paul’s placed in the top 3 in 5 of our events. Kudos team!

The team

Crime Busters

Bottle Rocket

Storm the Castle

Jump to it

From steaks to science, my weekend was a great one!

Steaks & Science, y’all!