For the first time in Pinewood history, junior high has launched a Science Olympiad team, which is set to compete in March. The team is currently made up of 15 junior high students and supported by Pinewood parents, including Nancy Shen and Tony Ventrice.

   Shen, whose daughter Isabel Leung is a seventh grader on the team, said her family became involved in Pinewood’s Olympiad team, which inspired her.

    “My son was on the Science Olympiad team,” Shen said. “We watched his competitions, and it [was] very motivating. I want to see kids exposed to different science fields nowadays. I hope they can find where their interest is [through the competition].”

   Shen says that preparing for the Science Olympiad takes commitment. When preparing for competitions, each student is responsible for mastering three to four science-related topics, often studying outside of school.

   “The kids have to [be] self-motivated and do research online,” Shen said. “They have to Google online and then find Youtube videos, documents, past exams, and all kinds of things.”   

   While members meet regularly to prepare, Leung has some personal methods of studying for the competition. 

   “First, you need to schedule with your partners when you want to meet up,” Leung said. “Then it’s helpful to look through what to study, and, for example, make a binder with notes.”   

   Leung said that time has proven to be one of the team’s biggest challenges.

   “The first competition is pretty early, so we don’t have a lot of time to prepare,” Leung said. 

   To help students make the most of their preparation, parents such as Ventrice focus on certain topics and guide students through their research.

   “I’m helping them understand the ‘Experimental design’ event,” Ventrice said. “They need to learn the process and be able to design their own experiment based on a prompt provided at the time of the competition.”

   Ventrice also emphasizes the importance of teamwork and the positive impact the competition has on the team.

   “It’s good for them to take ownership of a challenge and work as a team to divide responsibilities and agree on an approach with limited instructions,” Ventrice said.

   As the team prepares for its first invitational tournament on Nov. 8, students and parents continue to work together in preparation. 

   With the dedication of its students, the guidance of parent mentors, and the support of the Pinewood community, the junior high Science Olympiad team is set to participate its very first year of competition at Pinewood.