Science Olympiad Teams to Represent Oklahoma at National Tournament

Casady's Science Olympiad Teams successfully defended their 2017 championships by taking first place in both B and C Divisions of the team competitions of the 2018 Oklahoma Science Olympiad State Tournament.
Winning the top spots at the state tournament has earned our Cyclones the honor of representing the State of Oklahoma again at the National Science Olympiad Tournament at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, May 17-19. This is the seventh consecutive year for Casady's Division B Team to win the state tournament.
 
Casady sent four teams to the state tournament, which included two B Division teams and two C Division teams. Fifty-one students (32 UD students and 19 MD students) competed in 23 C Division build and study events and 23 B Division build and study events. Events range from Astronomy to Microbe Mission to Potions and Poisons to Mystery Architecture to Helicopters, and everything in between.

“Science Olympiad is truly a unique experience for our students,” said Nathan L. Sheldon, Head of Casady School. “The strength in Casady’s program and the continuous engagement and hard work by our students and faculty sponsors year-to-year shows incredible dedication and interest in our School’s STEM curriculum.”

Casady’s B Division teams finished first and fourth at the State Tournament and have competed since 2012, earning the top spot each year. The C Division teams also finished first and fourth at the State Tournament. C Division teams have only competed for five years, and as four-time state champions, have won the state tournament every year since 2015.

  • C Division teams placed first in 14 of the 23 events -- a new record for Casady Upper Division students
  • B Division teams placed first in 16 of the 23 events.
"Science Olympiad competitions are like academic track meets," as stated on the Science Olympiad website. "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."

Students participating in Casady's Science Olympiad program work on their projects during the week and on Saturdays when they are preparing for a competition. Students began preparing for the Science Olympiad season in September and have participated in three local tournaments and tournaments in Kansas and Missouri. The state tournament is the culmination of multiple events that began in the fall.

Casady faculty include Shannon Semet and Aric Sappington as head coaches for Middle Division students and Lisa Bek-gran as the head coach for Upper Division. Jake Staats assists in MD and Eric Ebert in UD. Lu Taucer has also been helping with a chemistry lab this year, and Tom Lester shares duties as a bus driver and chaperone.

Science Olympiad is Seeking Mentors
The Casady Science Olympiad Team is looking for mentors to prepare for the National Tournament. Mentors should be willing to donate two or more hours of time to share their expertise. Science Olympiad students compete in 23 STEM events, including build events, study events, and combination events. Each event has very specific rules and guidelines, and faculty sponsors would be happy to share those with anyone interested in helping the team.

If your professional field is related to forensics, materials science, infectious diseases, remote sensing, thermodynamics, microbiology, or herpetology, please contact the Science Olympiad faculty sponsor Mrs. Lisa Bek-gran at bek-granl@casady.org to schedule a time to meet.
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Casady School is an independent, co-educational, college preparatory, Episcopal day school serving students in pre-k-12. Educating Mind, Body, and Spirit.
Casady School is a PreK-12, independent, college preparatory Episcopal day school committed to deeper-level learning. Casady School welcomes a student body that reflects the diversity of the world around us and therefore does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, nationality, or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletics, and other school-administered programs generally accorded or made available to students at the School.