• The South Middle Science Olympiad Team earned a total of 13 medals at the Long Island Invitational Olympiad Tournament on Saturday, Dec. 7. 

This competition included the top 43 Science Olympiad teams from middle schools across the tri-state area. The nine-hour tournament was comprised of 23 events in which students demonstrated their ingenuity and knowledge in science, engineering, and technology.

In addition to earning team points for successful challenges, medals were awarded to the top competitors in each event. South Middle students won medals as individuals and in pairs for challenges such as Dynamic Planet, Heredity, Rube Goldberg Machine, Ping Pong Parachute, Water Quality, Write-it Do-it, and Meteorology.

Advisors for the South Middle Science Olympiad Team are Tobias Hatten, South Middle science department head, and Randy Lane, technology teacher. 

According to Mr. Hatten, the Science Olympiad provides a team-sport atmosphere where students work together towards a goal. “It makes science social as it is in the real world,” explains Mr. Hatten. “The experiences from Science Olympiad could be the spark that allows students to become scientists and engineers to solve the biggest problems of the future!”

• On , Thursday, May 3, students at North and South Middle traveled to New York City for the No Place for Hate Recognition Ceremony. For the third year, South Middle has been recognized as a No Place for Hate School, and earned a gold star distinction. More pictures can be found in our News Archive.

• South Middle students, Eric P., Tristan W., Erin W., Samantha Z., and Richard Z., participated in the Department of Energy National Science Bowl in Washington D.C. from April 25–29. earning South Middle’s best ever finish at the this national event to date.

The event included two days of competition. On 4/27, teams participated in the academic portion of the competition, which features a fast-paced, question-and-answer format that covers a wide range of science disciplines. The South Middle team placed in the “elite eight” of this bracket-style competition, out of 48 teams. They won $1000 for the Science department.

On 4/28, the team won the National Middle School Cyber Challenge, a “Jeopardy-like” question-and-answer-style Capture the Flag system. The team was awarded a trophy for their first-place finish and $500 for their school’s science research program.