3/11/25 | 3/11 Meeting Recap

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Hello, all!

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Thank you for attending today’s meeting. In case you missed it and would like to catch up, here are the slides. 

 

Reflection Form:

 

Everyone, please fill out this reflection form to share your opinion about what went well this year and what can be improved so we can shape the team for next year. All responses will only be shared with the coaches and captains, so please be honest!

 

States Recap:

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Great job, everyone! We placed in the top 20 in every event that counted towards our team score. Additionally, we put up a fight with Belmont and Winchester for 3rd place -- we were only 18 points away from snatching a podium spot! 

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We want to give a huge thanks to everyone who helped with our build and study events! Our amazing result represents months of collaborative work and hours of after-school study, build, and practice time.

 

Looking Forward:

 

Because MCAS will occur on the week of March 25, we will not be meeting.

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On April 8, we will introduce this year’s captaincy elections. It is important to show up even if you are not running for captain because we will go over next year’s team structure. 

 

On April 29, we will hold our captaincy elections. Every candidate will give a speech followed by a quick Q and A session. Voting will occur following the meeting.

 

Senior Gifts:

 

It’s that time of year! Members have begun planning Senior Gifts to give at the end-of-year party. Please join in with the planning in the #senior-gifts Discord channel.

 

Additionally, we kindly request all non-senior members to chip in $15 to help purchase Senior Gifts. Please let us know if you have troubles covering the costs, and we will help out!

 

Reimbursements:

 

Now is the perfect time to get your purchases (e.g. printing for binders/reference sheets, build materials) reimbursed using Science Team’s funds. Please note that tax will not be reimbursed. In order to reimburse, you must show proof of purchase by:

• Giving Dr. Ng your receipts and credit/debit card statements.

• Your name and amount on the receipt must match.

 

Please reach out to Dr. Ng if you have any further questions!

 

See you in a couple weeks!

 

Sincerely,

Lulu, Marty, Eli, and Dr. Ng​

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3/10/25 | 3/11 Meeting Reminder

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Hello, everyone!

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We want to remind everyone that even though our competition year is over, we are not done! It is extremely important that you continue to attend Science Team meetings because we will be shaping next year's team! We want to know what went well this year, what can be improved, and we will also be selecting our student leaders for next year’s endeavors. You'll continue to be making a difference! 

 

This is an orange week, so we will have our meeting in the engineering room. Our meeting will include a States recap, future plans, reimbursements, and most importantly, year-end reflections. Whether you have gone to competitions or not, we highly encourage everyone to come to the meeting!

 

Excited to see you soon! 

Eli, Lulu, Marty, and Dr. Ng​
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3/3/25 | Week of 3/3 – Come help organize and pack up (leftover snacks FCFS!)

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Hello, everyone!

 

We placed 5th in the state! Our team’s overall score is 41 points better than last year, so we are extremely proud of everyone! We had many extremely high placements, which you can see listed below. Thank you to everyone who made this possible: not just the competitors, but everyone on the team that helped to create binders and reference sheets, work on builds, and support competitors!

 

Postseason clean up

1. Everyone: We are missing some calculators (especially 4-function), rulers, protractors, stopwatches, goggles, maybe other things. If you borrowed anything at any point in time (e.g. for an invitational), please bring them back so Dr. Ng has them for class and for next year's team. 

2. Builds: For all members involved in build events, please stay after school for 30-60 minutes on Monday and Tuesday to help clean up Dr. Ng’s room! Our work over the past 6 months has left quite a battleground. Let’s organize everything to build a secure foundation for next year. 

3. Study events: Please make sure you bring back binders, field guides, study sheets, etc. After Builds finish cleaning up by Wednesday 3/5, please organize the binder shelves and other materials. If you borrowed materials like glassware or goggles from other teachers, make sure to return them ASAP. 

4. There are a few bags in Dr. Ng’s room that were used to bring food to competitions. Some of them are reusable. If these bags are yours, please bring them home, otherwise, the team will keep them to transport competition materials in future years.

 

Top 10 placements at States

• 1st in Chemistry Lab, Forensics, and Chemistry Clue

• 2nd in Optics and Write It Do It 

• 3rd in Geologic Mapping

• 4th in Dynamic Planet and Materials Science

• 5th in Astronomy, Codebusters, and Helicopter

• 6th in Robot Tour, Tower, and Quiz Bowl

• 8th in Microbe Mission

• 9th in Entomology

• 10th in Anatomy and Physiology

 

Because this is a Blue Week, we will not have a whole team meeting. But please come help clean up this week. Even though competitions are over, our year is not! No matter how involved you've been this year, make sure you come to our next few meetings as we prepare for next year and celebrate at our year-end party! 

 

We'll see you the next couple of days for cleanup! 

Eli, Lulu, Marty, and Dr. Ng

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2/25/25 | 2/25 Meeting Recap

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Hello, all!

 

We want to thank everyone who took the time to attend today’s meeting. For those who couldn’t make it today, here are the slides.

 

1. Congratulations to our Brown competitors! Both teams did an amazing job, we made top 10 finishes in multiple events, including Chemistry Lab, Ecology, Forensics, Optics, and Tower.

 

1. STATES INFORMATION: We have 3 more days until States, the most important competition of the season!

   1. Competitors: you must give your NPS form to Dr. Ng and fill out the online States waiver!

   2. Our focus should be on practicing under competition conditions as much as we can this week. 

   3. States competitors, please tell the captain responsible for your event (the one in your Discord group chat) your practice schedule for this final week. This schedule involves meeting times with your partners and individual study time.

   4. Communication is super important! Some States competitors have rarely been responding to their messages. Please be sure to check your notifications.

   5. We need everyone's help to get our competitors ready! What will you do? 

      1. Improve binders and study sheets

      2. Help finalize and test builds

      3. Reread the rules for anything we might miss

      4. Pack up for Friday

   6. See below for 2025 invitational tests that you can look through or take. 

      1. MIT

      2. Harvard

      3. Brown

      4. Columbia

      5. Princeton

      6. Purdue

      7. USC

      8. Penn State

      9. Georgia Tech

      10. UChicago

      11. Virginia Tech

      12. Camas

      13. Northview

      14. UT Austin

      15. Mason

      16. UCR Highlander

      17. High Desert

   7. Here's how to get to soinc.org's great materials for your event:

      1. Go to soinc.org

      2. In the top right corner click the search bar and type in the event name and search it

      3. Click the result that has only the event name, not "(event name) C"

      4. The "Resources and Links" section is at the top, we recommend looking through these

 

1. REIMBURSEMENTS: Everyone who bought materials for Science Team-related activities (e.g. builds, binders, cheat sheets) can get their money reimbursed using Science Team’s funds. If you are interested in getting your payment reimbursed, please send Dr. Ng your payment receipt and credit/debit card statement (see slides for details).

 

1. FUTURE LEADERSHIP: Looking forward, we only have a few more team gatherings before the year comes to a close and leadership is passed on. 

   1. We suggest everyone consider over the next couple weeks whether they or someone else on the team would make a good captain for next year. 

   2. In the spring, each candidate will present a captaincy statement, a speech, and a written response to any member’s campaign questions.

   3. Students from any grade level can apply for captain. Every year, at least one captain cannot be a senior, so do not feel discouraged from running if you are not a rising senior.

   4. If you are interested in running for captain, please contact Marty, Lulu, or Eli if you have any questions.

   5. More information will come in the next few meetings! 

 

1. NSSP: The Newton Summer Science Program (NSSP) is an annual summer camp that has been led by Lulu and other Science Team members over the past few years. 

   1. This program enables Science Team members (and other students) to teach middle schoolers about a science topic over a week-long course. 

   2. Many student volunteers build strong leadership, organizational, and communication skills through this program. 

   3. Stay tuned for a student teacher interest form!

 

Let's work together and sprint across the States finish line this week! 

 

Sincerely,

Lulu, Marty, Eli, and Dr. Ng

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2/22/25 | 2/25 Meeting Reminder (MANDATORY FOR STATES COMPETITORS)

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Hi all,

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Hope everyone had a restful February break! 

 

This is a reminder that we are hosting another team meeting Tuesday Lion block in Room 9171. We will discuss our plan for States, introduce the captainship election process, outline the reimbursement process, and gauge people’s interest in this summer’s Newton Summer Science Program (NSSP).

 

While this meeting is mandatory for all States competitors, we encourage all members to show up as this presentation contains crucial information for Science Team’s future.  

 

We’re excited to see you there!

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Sincerely,

Lulu, Marty, Eli, and Dr. Ng

 

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2/4/25 | Meeting Recap 2/4

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It was great to see everyone that attended the meeting today!

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In case you missed the meeting, here are the slides.

1. We did exceptionally well at Harvard! Varsity placed 6th and JV placed 17th. 5 events finished top 6, and 7 other events finished top 10! Great job!

2. If you went to MIT or Harvard, please make sure you've brought everything back ASAP (e.g. binders, calculators, goggles, aprons, equipment) so that we can prepare for Brown and States. 

3. Brown competitors, there will be an email soon with final details. A few things to keep in mind:

   1. Brown will follow states rules, so make sure your builds comply with the requirements and your binders/cheat sheets have detailed information!

   2. Brown is our farthest competition, so please let the captains know your method of transportation through a Discord poll. If you do not use Discord, please message one of the captains. 

   3. Every competitor is expected to arrive at Friedman Hall 108 @ 7:30 AM

We have just released the States roster. Please refer to the 2/4 meeting reminder email for more details! It’s extremely important that:

1. You can commit to practicing for States, as it is our most important competition of the year. 

2. You are able to make it to the competition. 

If you're on the States roster and cannot meet any of these requirements, you must let one of the captains or Dr. Ng know immediately!

States is the culmination of our entire team's work the entire year! Let's all chip in and cross the finish line!

Eli, Lulu, Marty, and Dr. Ng

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2/3/25 | Meeting Reminder 2/4 and States Roster

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Hello everyone!

 

We will be having an all team meeting on Tuesday during Lion Block in room 9171. This meeting, we will:

1. Discuss MIT and Harvard results

2. Discuss Brown and States logistics

 

This meeting is mandatory for all Brown and States competitors!

 

Additionally, here is the States roster!

 

Congratulations if you are on the roster! You'll be representing the whole team at this culminating event! Please review it carefully and let us know as soon as possible if you cannot make it to the competition on Saturday, March 1 or if you see any other issues. 

 

A few important reminders for those going to States:

1. Forms

   1. Please keep an eye out for both an online waiver and an NPS form, as you will have to fill out both in order to attend the competition

2. Alternates

   1. If you are an alternate, your role is to fill in for a main competitor if they cannot make it to the competition. Even if the main competitors are all able to make it, we encourage you to go for the experience, and we can also use a lot of helping hands. 

   2. As an alternate, you can also compete in trial events 

3. Trial events

   1. Trial events don’t increase our team score, so most people choose to do them for fun. You can still get a medal if you do well in them. 

   2. The trial events for States are Quiz Bowl (a trivia game), Chemistry Clue (a chemistry-related game), Fermi Questions (estimation questions), and Mystery Architecture (on the spot build event given materials)

   3. If you are interested in one of the trial events, please message one of the captains with which one you want to do, and we will add you to it. 

   4. Alternates will get priority for trial events.

4. Competitors new to events

   1. We were unable to put everyone only in events that they prepared for. If you see your name in a gray box, this indicates that you will need to prepare for an event that is new to you.

   2. Please contact the event coordinators for that event and join its study group if you are able to. Your event coordinators will also provide material to help you prepare for the competition. It is crucial that everyone is prepared for their events.

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We’re excited to continue our success at Brown and States! See everyone at the meeting!

 

Sincerely,

Marty, Eli, Lulu, and Dr. Ng

 

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1/28/25 | No Meeting Tues 1/28 + Harvard This Weekend

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Hi everyone,

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A quick reminder that there is no meeting today, Tuesday, January 28, as it is a Blue week. For more information about Harvard logistics, please review this slideshow. If you have any questions that are not addressed in the slideshow, feel free to ask the captains or Dr. Ng. 

 

MIT COMPETITION RECAP

 

Let’s give a huge hand to all of our MIT competitors! Varsity finished 47th place (4th best team in Massachusetts), which is an improvement from last year. Additionally, we finished ahead of Belmont, one of our closest competitors last year. JV finished 60th, placing in the top 50% of competitors in multiple events. So far, our trajectory for the rest of the season is looking good.

 

Additionally, competitors can (and are encouraged to) stop by Dr. Ng’s room to take a look at the MIT tests we completed to help our events prepare for future competitions. The official tests and answer keys will be available in the Official Scioly Website in a week or two. MIT also offered a feedback form for competitors to fill out in case you want to share any thoughts about the competition. 

 

**IMPORTANT PREPARATION REMINDER**

 

We did an amazing job at MIT, but keep in mind we will always have space for improvement after every competition. Lessons were learned this weekend (e.g. remembering to bring materials, planning ahead for back-to-back events, being clear about the rules). MIT competitors and event coordinators, please be sure to strengthen our material based on the MIT tests. Reflections from MIT are now in this document. ECs and members should look at the feedback for their events and consider how to improve on these events. Make every day count! We still have time to make our team even better before Harvard, Brown, and States.

 

HARVARD INFORMATION AND TRANSPORTATION

 

We have been assigned as team #10 (Varsity; blue team) and #11 (JV; orange team) for Saturday’s competition, and we have been placed in Emerson Hall 108. Please refer to the HUSO Handbook and our 1/21 meeting slideshow for more information. If you have any questions that are not addressed in the slideshow, feel free to ask the captains or Dr. Ng. Final details will be sent out later in the week. 

 

Please keep in mind that it is your responsibility to organize transportation to Harvard. To help, Marty and Eli will take the T from Newton Center, and Lulu will take the T from Eliot, respectively. A poll will be sent out on Discord to gauge transportation plans. If you can not access Discord, please message one of the captains. We plan to meet at 6:15 AM at our stations and leave at 6:30 AM to get to Harvard by 7:30. 

 

Mr. Dammer will be packing builds and other competition materials in his car to bring to Harvard. If you want Mr. Dammer to take your materials, please have them ready by G block in Dr. Ng’s room (3211) on Friday 1/31.

 

That being said, we have full confidence in everyone going into Harvard, and we are very proud of how far everyone’s gotten. Our months’ work will finally be put to the test, so let’s make this count!

 

Sincerely,

Marrty, Eli, Lulu, and Dr. Ng

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1/21/25 | Jan 21 Meeting Recap

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Hello everyone,

 

It was great to see everyone again at today’s meeting! For those who couldn’t make it, here is what we covered.

 

MIT competitors: 

• Please hand in your NPS permission slips to a captain or Dr. Ng by tomorrow or you will be replaced with an alternate!  

• Be sure to attend your events’ study sessions this week. The event coordinators will be there to help you!

• Get to know your partner by studying with them outside of your event’s meeting time. 

• Be sure to confirm that you are bringing the correct materials to MIT: check the rules manual for materials you can bring and materials you can’t. 

  • Please notify Dr. Ng if you are unable to bring any materials. He will transport them in his car.

  • Please review the Competition Packing List when confirming what to bring to your competition.

 

Harvard and Brown competitors:

• Try your best to attend event meetings!

• Now is a good time to start organizing study sessions with your partner.

• View the logistics on the slideshow to gain a better understanding of the competition schedule.

 

Non-competitors:

• Please keep in mind that you still have an essential role on the team.

• Competitors will need your help! Your assistance will strengthen our team overall.

 

It’s go time! Over the past few months, all of us have worked hard in practicing for these Science Olympiads. Believe in yourself, we know that everyone will do great!

 

See you soon!

 

Sincerely,

Eli, Marty, Lulu, and Dr. Ng

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1/20/25 | Jan 21 MANDATORY MEETING for all competitors

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Hello, everyone!

 

First of all, we would like to thank everyone involved in the chocolate fundraiser! We gathered more than $200, and we hope you all enjoyed the chocolate!   :) 

 

We have a meeting on Tuesday, 1/21 during Lion block in Room 9171. This is mandatory for everyone that will compete in MIT, Harvard, and Brown! During the meeting, we will go over:

• What all members of Science Team can do to help competitors

• Crucial MIT, Harvard, and Brown logistics

 

See you there!

 

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1/13/25 | Blue Lion Chocolate Fundraiser!

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Hello, everyone!

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We wanted to share a friendly reminder that there is no meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, January 14th, as it is a Blue week. We do, however, encourage everyone to stop by our chocolate fundraiser towards the end of Lion Block!

 

Our chocolate fundraiser will take place at the Field House lobby at about 3:15 PM. Our outreach officers will set up a table where we will sell each chocolate bar. One chocolate bar costs $3, while two chocolate bars cost $5. All the profits will be directed towards our team funds, which help us afford spots at competitions and enable us to buy materials for events. 

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The MIT, Harvard, and Brown invitationals are right around the corner, so keep working hard, everyone! Help each other get ready! Please also make sure you get your forms to Dr. Ng as soon as possible. Brown lab forms will be available by Tuesday afternoon (every Brown competitor should fill that out). 

 

Come visit our fundraiser table and tell your friends! See you tomorrow!

 

Sincerely,

Eli, Marty, Lulu, and Dr. Ng

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1/7/25 | 1/7 Meeting Recap

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Hello, everyone!

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In case you missed the meeting today, here is what happened. If you couldn't make it, please read through it because there are a lot of important details. 

 

If you're going to MIT, make sure you're preparing for all of your events! 

If you're not going to MIT, make sure you're helping MIT competitors get ready as well as preparing for your own upcoming competitions (if applicable). 

 

Marty and Lulu will be taking the T to MIT. Please tag along if you prefer using public transportation! They will guide you to our homeroom after we arrive. We will organize two groups: one will depart to MIT from the Eliot T station, accompanied by Lulu, and the other from the Newton Center T station, accompanied by Marty. Feel free to choose the T station that is closest to your house! Both groups will meet at 6:20 AM and depart the station at 6:30 AM.

 

Merch was distributed. If you couldn’t come and your friend couldn’t pick it up for you, please communicate with Marty to pick it up. 

 

The Harvard and Brown rosters were sent out earlier. Please confirm your events and contact your event coordinators to prepare for them!

 

Stay warm and science on! 

Eli, Lulu, Marty, and Dr. Ng

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1/6/25 | Meeting on Jan 7 + Brown Rosters

 

Hello, everyone!

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We hope that you all had a relaxing break!

 

As this is an Orange week, we will be having an all team meeting on Tuesday, during lion block in 9171. This meeting, we will:

1. Make important announcements about the timeline for the near future, including changes to the run off schedule, and some reminders for the MIT (and other) competitors

2. Distribute merch!!

3. Go over more details about the chocolate fundraiser

 

Attending this meeting is mandatory for all MIT competitors!

 

Additionally, here is the Brown roster!

 

Congratulations if you are on the roster! Please review it carefully and let us know as soon as possible if you cannot make it to the competition on Saturday, February 8 or if you see any other issues. At this point, we should have included everyone for a competition who expressed interest through the Competition Interest Form unless we have already communicated with you. If there are any glaring omissions, please reach out to Dr. Ng. 

 

A few important reminders for those going to Brown:

1. Tournament Packet

   1. The Brown SciOly Tournament Packet has all the information you need to know for the day of the competition, from competition rules to campus maps. Brown will continuously update this document as the competition date approaches. If you seek any clarifications, please check this document before asking a captain or Dr. Ng! 

2. Forms

   1. You must fill out the following waiver forms and upload them to this Drive folder before 1/17 or you cannot go to the competition

      1. Minor waiver form

      2. image use consent form

      3. If you are in chemistry lab or forensics, you will also need to complete the minors volunteers in lab form

   2. Fill out the NPS field trip permission form as soon as possible. You can pick it up in Dr. Ng’s room

3. Alternates

   1. If you are an alternate, your role is to fill in for a main competitor if they cannot make it to the competition. Even if the main competitors are all able to make it, we encourage you to go for the experience, and we can also use a lot of helping hands. 

   2. As an alternate, you can also compete in trial events (listed below the 9:00-10:00 column, in grey). 

4. Trial events

   1. Trial events don’t increase our team score, so most people choose to do them for fun. You can still get a medal if you do well in them. 

   2. The trial events for Brown are Duct Tape Challenge and Science Bowl (a trivia game).

   3. If you are interested in one of the trial events, please message one of the captains with which one you want to do, and we will add you to it. 

   4. Alternates will get priority for trial events.

5. Competitors new to events

   1. We were unable to put everyone only in events that they prepared for. If you see your name in a gray box, this indicates that you will need to prepare for an event that is new to you.

   2. Please contact the event coordinators for that event and join its study group if you are able to. Your event coordinators will also provide material to help you prepare for the competition. It is crucial that everyone is prepared for their events.

 

We’re excited for the competitions and to see everyone at the meeting!

 

Sincerely,

Eli, Marty, Lulu, and Dr. Ng

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