Virginia Science Olympiad

[Anonymous]

My son's future middle school has a team. What is involved? Can someone provide a useful high-level overview?

[Anonymous]

Just because they have a team now, is no guarantee they will have a team in the future.
You need parent volunteers, and probably a teacher to sponsor.
Are they going to middle school next year?
If not, you might look at getting a science olympiad team in your elementary school.

[Anonymous]

Science Olympiad team in our elementary school requires parents engagement. Parents take all mentor responsibilities. The teacher just coordinates at the beginning and every competition. Will there be teachers coaching middle school science Olympiad team?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son's future middle school has a team. What is involved? Can someone provide a useful high-level overview?

Weekly involvement of the child for a couple of hours a week plus time for the competitions. Parents supervise and guide some during these sessions which are either after school or at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Science Olympiad team in our elementary school requires parents engagement. Parents take all mentor responsibilities. The teacher just coordinates at the beginning and every competition. Will there be teachers coaching middle school science Olympiad team?

There is likely parent involvement, but a lot of schools require a teacher sponsor, possibly even coaching in person(which makes it much harder to get a sponsor). Particularly for Science Olympiad which involves access to labs.

[Anonymous]

I heard this is a Golden Ticket into TJ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I heard this is a Golden Ticket into TJ?

Maybe in the past. Now nothing academic matters besides being in algebra 1 in 8th grade

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard this is a Golden Ticket into TJ?

Maybe in the past. Now nothing academic matters besides being in algebra 1 in 8th grade

Some people claim this but it's mostly a way to trick others into not taking advantage of these opportunities.

[Anonymous]

https://www.fcps.edu/registration/thomas-jefferson-high-school-science-and-technology-admissions/tjhsst-freshman


Students will be evaluated on their grade point average (GPA);

a student portrait sheet where they will be asked to demonstrate Portrait of a Graduate attributes and 21st century skills;

a problem-solving essay;

and experience factors, including students who are economically disadvantaged, English language learners, or special education students.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, seems like SO would strongly demonstrate at least some of the POG attributes and some 21st century skills, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son's future middle school has a team. What is involved? Can someone provide a useful high-level overview?

Find a SO summer camp program that will prep them otherwise, they have almost no chance of making the team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son's future middle school has a team. What is involved? Can someone provide a useful high-level overview?

Find a SO summer camp program that will prep them otherwise, they have almost no chance of making the team.

LOL no. Don’t do this, it’s a waste of money. As long as your kid shows some aptitude in science, they will likely make the team at any middle school except for maybe Longfellow or Cooper (which are VA’s nationals-qualifying teams, so more people probably want to get on).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard this is a Golden Ticket into TJ?

Maybe in the past. Now nothing academic matters besides being in algebra 1 in 8th grade

The fact that you don’t know what matters is not evidence that nothing matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Science Olympiad team in our elementary school requires parents engagement. Parents take all mentor responsibilities. The teacher just coordinates at the beginning and every competition. Will there be teachers coaching middle school science Olympiad team?

AFAI, all mentor roles in LMS/Haycock SO are fulfilled by parents. It is fun for both kids and parents.

[Anonymous]

...and parents are super disappointed if their kids team get disqualified!