After seventh grader Chloe Kim finished taking a practice test as part of the Science Olympiad team, she researched some of the questions she got wrong.
Then, she added new information to her cheat sheets, with the hope of improving her understanding. For the events Kim participates in, the cheat sheet can be double sided with information in small fonts. The font gets smaller as she adds to the sheet throughout the year.
Kim is one of 30 students who secured a spot on Longfellow Middle School’s prestigious Science Olympiad team. Over 100 competed for one, taking tests and building devices, with the hope of keeping the Fairfax County school’s reputation in tact.
Longfellow’s team has won 13 consecutive state titles, and is eyeing a 14th. The school has won the state championship 19 times.
“It’s a big commitment,” seventh grader Will Stacy said.
Once students earn a spot on the team, they pick from one of 20 science topics to learn about over the course of the year. Many of the options are displayed on the wall outside the school’s technology lab, where the team meets.
Competitions range from tests to building events, which require students to construct something from a set of materials. Some events involve creating a binder with relevant information.
“It’s a great experience if you want to major in science or if you want to be a doctor,” seventh grader Ava Jain said. “It helped me feel like I belong somewhere.”
Jain spends 16 hours each week studying and taking practice tests. For her track focus, she builds upper and lower rotors and motor sticks for “fragile helicopters.” The team meets three times per week, and some students organize late-night Zoom calls to review.
“It takes up a lot of time, so you can’t really do other stuff, like MathCounts and debate,” seventh grader Delina Gessesew said.
Coaches and parent volunteers work with the group, helping to review with the goal of ensuring the school’s standard is upheld. Many of the concepts students learn are high school level.
“The coaches are really dedicated,” parent Amit Sharma said. “They have created a legacy of winning this over decades.”
Notes from each year are saved and shared with the next team’s kids, and there’s a network of former team members to reach out to if students get stuck.
“Getting our device to work consistently, it’s a big problem,” said eighth grader Mattias Gessesew. “Our device just doesn’t work sometimes.”
As for handling the pressure of participating in a program that’s had routine success, Kim said it’s “more of a motivation for me, because I can see how well others have done before me, and I want to live up to that example.”
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