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San Dimas – In March, San Dimas High School students were very successful in the 2006 Los Angeles County Regional Science Olympiad held on the campus of Cal Poly, Pomona. Members of the team from San Dimas High School in the Bonita Unified School District brought home two first place, one second place and two fourth place trophies. San Dimas science teacher Brian Elliott served as the faculty advisor and mentor to the team. The Regional Science Olympiad involved tests of scientific knowledge as well as scientific and engineering principals. Some competitions were paper and pencil exams, some were lab experiments, and others required designing and building devices to perform specific tasks. 30 high schools from across Los Angeles County competed in 23 science events. Taking first place in the Robot Ramble competition were San Dimas juniors William Hsu and Lang Wang. The team designed and built a robot that was required to pick up randomly scattered objects and return them to a designated box. The pair was assisted by Munjal Thakker. The Tower Building category was won by junior William Hsu, assisted by senior Allison Falkenstein. Second place in the Storm the Castle competition went to junior Charley Zhang with assistance from Willie Sanders. Fourth place in Rocks and Minerals went to junior Tom Britt and senior Amelia Messinger, and senior Matt Forgey and junior Tom Britt won fourth in the Don’t Bug Me competition. |
“The accomplishment of the team from San Dimas High School can be attributed to their teacher and advisor, Brian Elliott, and the strong science program at San Dimas,” said Dr. Robert C. Otto, superintendent of the Bonita Unified School District. “These students demonstrated their ability to solve complex engineering and scientific problems under the intense pressure of competition. The awards are really a tribute to the hard work the team put into preparation and their diligence and drive to succeed.” “I’m very proud of these young people. They put in long hours, worked very hard and gave their all in the competition,” said Mr. Elliott. “These are the researchers, scientists, inventors and professors of the future. I am very pleased to have been able to work with them and see them do so well.” The Science Olympiad is an international nonprofit organization devoted to improving the quality of science education, increasing student interest in science and providing recognition for outstanding achievement in science education by both students and teachers. Bonita Unified School District works in partnership with the community to create a safe, challenging and comprehensive learning environment that will shape character, nurture intellect and build skills for success in an ever-changing world. |