Marks school’s first medal in any event at the state-level competition
A team from St. Barnabas Catholic School in Northfield won first place in their category at the Ohio Science Olympiad championship this spring during a virtual state-wide competition, marking the school’s first medal in any event at the state level.
Danielle Ferree, 8th grader, and Alex Aguilar, 7th grader, took first place in the Build Events’ Electric Wright Flier Division B (Middle School). Dani and Alex had made three aircraft and named their best one, “Bed Bound Betty,” that flew a local record flight time of 1 minute, 12 seconds inside St. Barnabas gym April 9, 2022, the date all entries competed.
The Electric Wright Flier team was coached by parent Karyn Aguilar and Steve Zaborszki, a former St. Barnabas parent and current parishioner. Many other parents, teachers, and parishioners mentored the other 13 team members. Catherine Cohara, a St. Barnabas 8thgrade teacher, served as overall head coach.
St. Barnabas has competed in Science Olympiad for the past nine years and qualified for state-level competition three out of the last four years. In 2022, the entire team finished 18th overall out of 37th middle school teams.
“Dani and Alex worked together to build their first plane which was used extensively to learn and improve upon,” said Zaborszki. “Then they applied what they learned to each build their own individual planes. Dani completed her plane first and used the team’s best-chosen capacitor, motor, and propellor. Alex broke his hand mid-season yet still managed to finish his plane, overcoming an impressive handicap!”
Zaborszki said Alex even learned how to launch the plane with his non-dominant left hand. Dani would plug in the charger, then plug the motor in while Alex launched it, because he couldn’t work the plugs with one hand. When state competition day came, Alex stayed with the winning formula continuing to launch with his left hand even though his cast had come off.
“It was a remarkable demonstration of commitment and teamwork by both students,” Zaborszki said. “We could not be prouder of their accomplishment!”
Founded in 1984, Science Olympiad is the premier team science competition in the nation, providing standards-based challenges to 5,500 teams at 400 tournaments in all 50 states. Science Olympiad functions much like a football or soccer team, requiring preparation, commitment, coaching and practice throughout the year. Each school-based team is allowed to bring 15 students who cross-train for a variety of events in their skill set.
Zaborszki said Science Olympiad competitions are like academic track meets, consisting of a series of 23 team events in each division (Division B is middle school; Division C is high school). Each year, a portion of the events are rotated to reflect the ever-changing nature of genetics, earth science, chemistry, anatomy, physics, geology, mechanical engineering, and technology.
By combining events from all disciplines, Science Olympiad encourages a wide cross-section of students to get involved. Emphasis is placed on active, hands-on group participation. Through the Science Olympiad, students, teachers, parents, principals, and business leaders bond together and work toward a shared goal.
St. Barnabas School, a 2011 National Blue Ribbon School founded in 1957, has approximately 600 students with a 3- and 4-year-old preschool program and two classrooms of each grade level, K-8. The school’s philosophy is to be committed to Catholic education that is grounded in the Gospel message, rooted in Catholic tradition, and infused with spiritual values that engage all stakeholders in prayer, worship, and service. Its mission: “Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and in partnership with our parish community, we nurture the seeds of faith and learning, cultivate the tree of knowledge and follow the path of Christ while serving others.”
For more information on the Olympiad, please contact Steve Zaborszki through St. Barnabas Parish, 9451 Brandywine Road, Northfield, OH 44067 at 330-467-7959, or go to https://ohso.osu.edu/tournaments/state/events. For information on St. Barnabas School, call 330-467-7921 or visit https://www.sbcatholicschool.com/Default.aspx.
