In case you're curious how we fared at the end of our season...
Dear Team. We finished 9th overall among 13 top notch teams, right behind Naperville North. Ahead of them was Libertyville who was just behind University of Chicago Lab School and IMSA. This year the top five are going to state. That means U of C Lab school is staying home as our Region’s Alternate team. I had an interesting conversation with the U of C Lab coach while we were waiting to hand out medals. After he first very generously complimented those of you he saw in events, he told me their science team competes in three other programs like Science Olympiad including WYSE, an Engineering focused program and one built around the Environment. Guys, we finished three behind them!! Spirit Award; the only award that really matters. Twenty years from now it won’t matter how many medals we had clinking around our necks at the end of the day. But it will matter for eternity that we treated one another in God honoring ways. Matt. 22:37-40, “Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Studying God’s creation (science) is one way to love the Lord with all our mind. (We can appreciate God’s handiwork as well as improve our ability to care it.) But the second greatest commandment is to love our neighbors. That, my dear team, was on display in full glitter gel color today. Before awarding this honor Dr. Thuys said that, in addition to the standard qualities of sportsmanship, wearing team colors, etc., the reason we won the spirit award was, “…showing appreciation to the judges.” Imagine that! Sophia told me when they presented their thank you card to the Experimental Design Supervisor she replied like this. “Your team picture is cute but you’re blocking your school logo on the wall.” Sophia replied, “That’s not our school.” Then another judge in the room said, “They are the homeschool team.” Jake told me one of his judges picked up the thank you card from where he had it under the table thinking it was litter or something. Then after she looked at it she appreciated the gesture. Devon and Riley went back to the Wind Power room with their thank you card that had been left in the homeroom. Their judge was impressed by the effort behind that sentiment and hung around chatting with the guys. So how did we place in our events? We earned six medals with one seventh place finish just out of the running. Here is the results summary with a few comments. (Oh, those powerhouse teams that came in ahead of us? They actually ranked behind us in a number of our medaling events so I’m including that for our medalists in parentheses.) 1st – Astronomy, Jake. By himself. In a room where there was questionable activity going on. In the middle of a long day. You did great, Jake. We’re all proud of you. 4th - A&P, Matthew & Rachel. Who knew there was so much to skin, hair, and nails? Who did? You did! Way to go. (You came in ahead of Metea, Lyons Township, IMSA, U of C Lab and all the teams below us.) 4th - Bridge Building, Jake & Leo. All the sand in the bucket! All the sand! For one brief shining moment anyway. (You came in ahead of Libertyville, U of C Lab, Waubonsie, Metea, and all the teams below us.) 4th - Wright Stuff, Jake & Kurt. One good flight and one flash in the pan. Still, it was a beautifully engineered device. We have high hopes that both of you will continue to soar for the clouds in future. (You came in ahead of Waubonsie, Lyons Township, Libertyville, Neuqua, Naperville North, and all the teams below us.) 4th - Write It Do It, Nekijilyn & Jonathan. This is a very respectable finish among a very competitive field. WIDI is a skill all of us need to develop as it becomes a resource in so many areas. The fact that you landed in 4th, writing / building a device with pieces you haven’t worked with before, illustrates you have the skill. (You came in ahead of Libertyville, Waubonsie, Neuqua, U of C Lab, IMSA, Metea, and more.) 5th – Forensics, Sophia& Rachel. This is the highest finishing place our team has earned in this event, an event MOMR didn’t think we’d ever have a chance in. (You came in ahead of Libertyville, your lab partner-friends from Neuqua, U of C Lab, IMSA, and all the teams below us.) That’s six Regional medals for our little team; a nice collection of bling, indeed. We know it is true that some medal places can be separated by as little as .001. So, finishing in 7th is also very respectable. Each of these helps the team score overall by not dragging us down. (The top five teams that are going to State had eight 7th place finishes.) 7th - Wind Power, Devon & Riley. Did you all hear Congressman Foster’s comment about going home after competition or waking up the next day with ideas on what maybe could be done differently? Over the course of this season the Wind Power device has undergone a significant evolution; after each competition. One more time out and this device would have been in strong medal contention. (You came in ahead of Lyons Township High School, the 2nd place overall team.) Eighth place is also a good result. Think of where you each were when the season started. It is also worth mentioning that all the rest of these actually did finish in the “not last” category. It’s a good starting point. I sincerely hope we can grow from here. Well done everyone. 8th - Disease Detectives, Rachel & Jake. 8th - Electric Vehicle, Leo & Jack. 8th – Fossils, Kurt & Jack. 9th - Chem Lab, Jake & Sophia. 9th - Game On, Greg & Devon. 9th – Hydrogeology, Kurt & Nekijilyn. 9th - It’s About Time, Leo & Sam. 10th - Air Trajectory, Sophia & Jonathan. 10th - Cell Biology, Matthew & Nekijilyn. 10th - Dynamic Planet, Kurt & Jake. 10th - Experimental Design, Sophia, Rachel, & Greg. 10th - GeoLogic Mapping, Jake & Sam. 10th - Green Generation, Sophia & Rachel. 10th - Protein Modeling, Matthew & Sam. 10th - Robot Arm, Leo & Jack. 11th - Invasive Species, Devon & Riley. With such an exciting day going on I think one of my favorite moments happened at about 3:15pm when we were all in the homeroom after the testing was done. You guys were chatting, parents were talking, little kids were playing on the floor, and there was science-y stuff all over the room. It felt cozy like hanging out after a family holiday meal. Thank you all for competing together with such a spirit. That plaque, special as it is, does not convey the spirit of community you all so easily project. It is an honor to be considered among you. Blessings, Mrs. Guo
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It's a false choice really. Science isn't against The Bible. I had some fun illustrating that recently while posting results from a Science Olympiad Invitational. Enjoy.
Dear Team. So how did you like Huntley? The clean new facility, hearty lunch, and exciting pre-awards entertainment all make it fun. But, being able to compete with Division A teams makes it great! (Division A is made up of smaller or newer teams. Division AA is larger, more experienced teams.) We will see a mix of Division A and Division AA at Regional but there will be fewer teams total. ~ Of the 44 total teams competing on Saturday, there were 25 classified as Division A. Our team ranked 8th out of those, and 22nd overall ahead of 4 Division AA teams. We did not win the Spirit Award this time around. (I will be posting a separate message on that topic as well as some encouragement on what everyone can do to potentially increase scores across the board. Simple really, if you are in an academic event, study more. If you are in build event, improve your device. If you are in an inquiry event, practice to improve your speed or accuracy. For all events, know your rules.) ~ The 12 of us competed in all 23 events. That alone is an accomplishment to be proud of. Competing as an academic team of homeschoolers on the same playing field with institutional school teams of 15 plus alternates and still covering all the bases, demonstrates great sportsmanship and community spirit. On top of that, we medaled in 9 events with one landing just out of medal contention in 6th and another right behind in 7th. (6th place will be medaled at Regional and 7th helps the overall team score.) Here’s the summary. For a change of pace, rather than writing personal comments on each event, this time I’ve decided to share a related bible verse. The point is to encourage you that, like all aspects of science, what you are studying and working on is a way to understand part of God’s creation and therefore worth your time and effort. *Astronomy, Jake& Jonathan = 1st Place Division A (2nd overall) Psalm 147:4, “He determines the number of stars and calls them each by name.” (NIV) *Wright Stuff, Jake& Kurt = 2nd Place Division A (15th overall) Isaiah 40:31a, “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles.” (KJV) *Air Trajectory, Sophia & Jonathan = 4th Place Division A (9th overall) Isaiah 60:8, “Who are these that fly along like clouds, like doves to their nest?” (NIV) *Anatomy & Physiology, Rachel & Matthew = 4th Place Division A (14th overall) Matt. 10:30, “And even the very hairs of your head are numbered.” (NIV) *Bridge Building, Jake & Leo = 4th Place Division A (10th overall) Gal. 6:2, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (NIV) *Disease Detectives, Rachel& Jake = 5th Place Division A (13th overall) I Kings 8:37, “When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come *Forensics, Sophia& Rachel = 5th Place Division A (13th overall) Num. 32:23b, “…be sure that your sin will find you out.” (NIV) *Geologic Mapping, Jake & Sam = 5th Place Division A (15th overall) Josh 18:8a, “As the men started on their way to map out the land, Joshua instructed them, ‘Go and make a survey of the land and write a description of it.’ “ (NIV) *It’s About Time, Leo& Sam = 5th Place Division A (16th overall) Josh. 23:1a, “After a long time had passed and the Lord had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them…” (NIV) Dynamic Planet, Kurt & Jake = 6th Place Division A (17th overall) Psalm 148:7, “Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths.” (NIV) Fossils, Kurt & Jack = 7th Place Division A (19th overall) Job 19:24, “that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead, or engraved in rock forever.” (NIV) Electric Vehicle, Leo & Jack = 9th Place Division A (22nd overall) Jer. 4:13, “Look! He advances like the clouds, his chariots come like a whirlwind, his horses are swifter than eagles.” (NIV) Green Generation, Sophia & Rachel = 12th Place Division A (25th overall) Gen. 1:28a, “God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” (NIV) Cell Biology, Matthew & Nekijalyn = 13th Place Division A (31st overall) Psalm 139:13, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” (NIV) Chem Lab, Jake & Sophia = 15th Place Division A (28th overall) II Peter 3:10, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.” (NIV) Experimental Design, Sophia, Rachel, Sam = 15th Place Division A (29th overall) Daniel 5:16a, “Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. (NIV) WIDI, Jonathan & Nekijilyn = 15th Place Division A (29th overall) Zech. 8:9, “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Now hear these words, “Let your hands be strong so that the temple may be built.” ’ “ (NIV) Hydrogeology, Kurt & Nekijalyn = 17th Place Division A (34th overall) Psalm 1:3a, “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season.” (KJV) Protein Model, Matthew & Sam = 18th Place Division A (33rd overall) I Sam. 6:5a, “Make models of the tumors and of the rats that are destroying the country, and give glory to Israel’s god.” (NIV) Wind Power, Devon & Riley = 20th Place Division A (38th overall) Psalm 78:26, “He let loose the east wind from the heavens and by his power made the south wind blow.” (NIV) Game On, Devon & Riley = 22nd Place Division A (40th overall) I Cor. 9:25, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” (NIV) Invasive Species, Devon & Riley = 22nd Place Division A (40th overall) Isaiah 40:8, “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” (KJV) Robot Arm, Leo & Jack = 24th Place Division A (43rd overall) Gen. 8:9b, “He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark.” (NIV) It really is a privilege to be working with all of you toward our academic team goal. I encourage you to plan out these next two weeks with research, study, and practice on your events so we can do our best to finish strong at Regional on March 5th. The next thing you need to plan on is meeting with your partners on your own. This should happen over these next two weeks before our next team meeting on March 4. THEN REGIONAL COMPETITION ON MARCH 5 AT NEUQUA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL IN NAPERVILLE. Blessings, Mrs. Guo |
Brenda G.Enjoying the journey through my kids' childhood as a home educating mom. (And no, I don't have time for a blog but sometimes you just gotta write.) Archives
April 2019
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