Students compete in National Science Bowl and Science Olympiad

This year marked a milestone for Rose Hill Middle School (RHMS) as students competed in two major STEM competitions for the first time: the National Science Bowl and Science Olympiad. Our students represented the school across both programs, putting RHMS on the map in regional STEM competition circuits.

National Science Bowl

Two RHMS teams competed at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Science Bowl (NSB) regional event hosted by the Bonneville Power Administration on Saturday, February 7, at the University of Portland. The National Science Bowl is a nationwide academic competition in which teams of middle and high school students answer questions in science and math in a fast-paced, quiz-bowl format. Nine students represented RHMS across two teams.

RHMS Team 1, made up of Myra Narayandas, Aditya Darapu, Vihaan Mittal, Meera Kamalanath, and Vihaan Arora, won two of their four matches, including strong victories over Crossler MS (70-22) and Skyview MS (68-26).

RHMS Team 2, consisting of Isiodos Dimtsas Oliveira, Thushitha Sai Gaduputi, Rushank Reddy Mallu, and Odysseas Dimtsas Oliveira, also competed and gained valuable experience in their first regional competition.

Science Olympiad

RHMS also fielded a team in Science Olympiad, one of the premier team STEM competitions in the nation. A team of 15 students competed in 23 events spanning earth science, biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering. Students prepared for their events through in-school coordination and additional effort outside school hours.

The team competed in an Invitational on January 31 and then at the Regional competition on March 7. The students showed solid improvement between the two events and finished 12th overall at Regionals, missing qualification to the State competition by just 6 points. It was a remarkable result for a first-year team competing against schools with established programs.

Looking ahead

There has been a lot of excitement from both students and parents about continuing STEM competitions at RHMS. Beginning next academic year, the RHMS Science Club will shift its focus to competition preparation, giving students even more opportunities to challenge themselves, build teamwork skills, and represent their school.

Students interested in science, math, or engineering are encouraged to get involved. No prior competition experience is needed. The program is open to all RHMS students, and team placements will be determined through an optional assessment in May.

RHMS Science Club is run by parent/guardian volunteers through the PTSA. For more information about the program or how to get involved, contact science@rhmsptsa.org or (602) 405-5322.