On Saturday, March 24, 2018, the Walpole School Science Olympiad team, made up of 26 seventh, eighth and nineth grade students, won the State Championship for the second time in two years at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH.  With this win, Walpole will represent the State of New Hampshire in the National Science Olympiad Tournament in Fort Collins, CO. on May 17 and 18, 2018.  We are seeking donations in funding $22,000 to help cover transportation and housing costs.

As their coach, I am so proud of every one of these students for their year long commitment and all they have learned through their failures, reiterations, and ultimate successes.  They have battled through the extreme expectations of their events, challenges of partner dynamics, endured long hours after school, faced exhaustion, sickness, being overbooked, even entertained some creeping thoughts of maybe Science Olympiad is not what they want to be doing right then, AND YET THEY HAVE STAYED WITH IT to follow through on a commitment and earn the well deserved achievement.  I am so impressed by what these students have given to the program.  Their quest for learning and ability to take on the rigor of high school and college level material is mind boggling to me.  Meanwhile, they seem completely unfazed by it all.

In addition to the immense amount of science content, there are so many intangibles students take away with them from being on the team.  Through STEM, they learn the design process, the scientific method, develop study and organizational skills, but also build perseverance and a willingness to face and try what seems an impossible task.  Not one student has given up this year.  Even the independence of navigating some elite college campuses during the competitions lets them see themselves as future co-eds.  It gives them a vision and a confidence that will set them apart from their peers.

“I won a gold medal and am going to the Nationals.  That means to me that I am important.  I actually felt important.  That was a first for me.” – Walpole 8th Grade Science Olympian

As a team, we have raised over $7000 through out the year to allow us to fund the program and travel to Dartmouth, Cornell, and state tournaments, as well as running one of our own.  As we continue to fundraise, we have many mini events planned: Rent-a-kid for spring clean up, a spaghetti dinner, paint night, movie night for our primary kids, science night for kindergarten through fifth grade, a letter writing campaign, grant writing, car washes, bake sales, flower sales and more.  We are trying hard to reach our goal, but we need your help.  We are so grateful to everyone who supported us in the past.   Any donation, large or small will be greatly appreciated.  Thank you for thinking of us.