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Helping Young Scientists To Excel
Team
These blossoming young scientists at Riverbank Language Academy competed at the 30th Annual Science Olympiad earlier this month along with several other schools in the Middle School division. Photo Contributed

 

Two teams from Riverbank Language Academy (RLA) in the middle school division were prepped for the 30th Annual Stanislaus County Regional Science Olympiad earlier this month at Modesto Junior College, where more than 550 students represented middle/junior high and high schools in the area.

“We had a group of 30 students compete in different areas,” stated Vanessa Rojas RLA Director/Principal. “The competitive tests are well-balanced among various science disciplines of biology, earth science, chemistry, physics, and technology. The event tests students’ science knowledge and mastery of the process skills.”

There were several schools that competed in the middle school division and RLA students placed third and fourth in specific categories. In Crime Busters, Joey Timpone and Mathias Van Houten took fourth place. Jonathan Camacho and Mathias Van Houten took third place in Elastic Glider. Third place winners Marisol Garcia and Marissa Garza competed in Bridge Building with Jefferson Zambo and Jonathan Camacho taking fourth place. In Air Trajectory Blanca Negrete and Brian Ramirez placed third.

Reina Lopez-Negrete, Eddie Negrete and Martin Gonzales were the coaches for the RLA Science Olympiad teams.

This all day event began at 8:30 a.m. and finished with an awards ceremony. The following junior high/middle schools participated in the Olympiad: Blaker-Kinser, Cardozo, Hart-Ransom Charter, Hickman Charter, Hickman Middle, La Loma, Oakdale Charter, Our Lady of Fatima, Paradise, Prescott, Riverbank Language, Roosevelt, Sacred Heart, Savage, Somerset, Turlock and Ustach.

The high schools that competed are as follows: Beyer, Central Catholic, Ceres, Downey, Enochs, Gregori, Hart Ransom Charter, Modesto, Oakdale, Oakdale Charter, Turlock and Whitmore Charter.

The event is sponsored by the Stanislaus County Office of Education, US Bank, Modesto Junior College, and the Education Foundation of Stanislaus County.

The Northern California (Nor Cal) Science Olympiad State Finals are scheduled for Saturday, April 16 at California State University, Stanislaus, in Turlock. The top four teams in each division advance to the finals.