Bush Middle School Students Compete in First Science Olympiad Competition

 

“This is my second year coaching Science Olympiad, but this was the first year that Bush participated at this divisional level,” said Bush Middle School Science Faculty and Head Coach for Science Olympiad, Trish Kennedy. “My role was to provide students with the content and support they needed as they prepared for the competition.”

Student-curated teams “Bush Darwin” and “Bush Teslas” gathered in the cafeteria of Northshore Middle School in Bothell for the 2026 regional competition, where they went head-to-head against eleven other middle schools in themed events such as Anatomy and Physiology, Disease Detectives, Heredity, Metric Mastery, Circuit Lab, and more.

“Science Olympiad covers a wide range of subjects: engineering and build contests, Entomology, which is all about insects, Genealogy—if it’s Science-related, it’s covered at this competition,” said Logistics Specialist and Assistant Coach for Science Olympiad Jamie Sullard. “This year, we’ve implemented a study timeline, which outlined the content that they were tested on. We structured timelines for the students to dedicate to portions of the content they studied, and we conducted weekly check-ins and mock exams to help them better prepare.”

As part of the preparation stage, students met with Trish and Jamie once a week for an hour to review the curriculum outline and request any materials needed during their investigative process. However, they were empowered to pilot their own research and utilize various credible sources to assist them in their findings. 

“This year, we mainly learned about potions, poisons, and chemistry, like which plants and animals are toxic,” shared Akash K. '31. “My teammate Alex L. '31 and I used as many sources as we could, like books, Google Gemini, and notesheets.”

Last September, students received the rules and regulations for this year’s competition, which outlined the areas of focus they would be tested on. After reviewing the list of STEM-focused curricula, students selected which areas they were most drawn to and worked with a partner to absorb as much as they could on their chosen subject. As outlined in the competition parameters, students were allowed to create cheat sheets and binders containing resources to assist them during the testing phase. 

“What’s really fun about these events is that the kids start researching in October with no prior knowledge,” Trish explained. “They have to teach themselves Anatomy or how to build circuit boards and helicopters. Aside from my role in providing content or materials such as test tubes or hydrochloric acid, this is entirely student-led. They’re the ones who have to prepare for it.”

At Bush, learning is designed to stretch students intellectually while inviting curiosity, exploration, reflection, and connection. During the Science Olympiad competition, students leaned into these essential fundamentals and were encouraged to be independent learners as they conducted research on their chosen topic with minimal guidance. Instead, they leaned on one another to help overcome the first competition jitters and step out of their comfort zones. 

“For Science Olympiad, we studied the birth of the solar system and mathematical calculations on how you can find the distance of exoplanets,” shared Abby C. '31. “How I showed courage through this event was just sticking with it and doing my best to support my team.”

Bush Team Tesla’s strongest finish came in the Disease Detectives event, where Blake F. ’31 and August B. ’31 placed ninth, earning Bush a top-ten result in a highly competitive field.

Team Tesla also recorded three additional top-fifteen finishes. Neev M. ’31 and Andrew S. ’31 placed fourteenth in Heredity, while Avi S. ’31 and Andrew S. ’31 placed fifteenth in Entomology. Dylan C. ’31 and August B. ’31 also finished fifteenth in Metric Mastery. Other strong performances included Blake F. ’31 and August B. ’31 placing nineteenth in Dynamic Planet, Alexander P. ’32 and Evan S. ’32 placing twentieth in Helicopter, and Albert T. ’32 and James D. ’32 placing twentieth in Meteorology.

Bush Team Darwin also delivered several strong results. Nia M. ’31 and Kriti S. ’31 achieved the team’s best finish, placing fourteenth in Circuit Lab, while Mahider A. ’32 and Dara T. ’32 placed fifteenth in Anatomy and Physiology. Additional competitive finishes included Abby ’31 and Kylan P. ’31 placing seventeenth in Solar System, Nicky S. ’31 and Apollo K.D. ’31 placing nineteenth in Heredity, and Mahider A. ’32 and Dara T. ’32 placing twentieth in Disease Detectives.

Overall, The Bush School recorded one top ten finish, six top fifteen finishes, and eleven top twenty finishes across the two teams. The results suggested particular promise in the Disease Detectives, Heredity, Entomology, Metric Mastery, Circuit Lab, and Anatomy and Physiology events. Several students also appeared multiple times among Bush’s stronger finishes, especially Andrew, August, Blake, Mahider, Dara, Nia, and Kriti, showing developing depth in key science events. 

“I am incredibly proud of what our students accomplished in The Bush School’s first year of Science Olympiad competition,” Trish said. “Stepping into a challenging regional tournament for the first time takes courage, flexibility, and a willingness to learn quickly, and our team showed all of that throughout the day. From top ten and top fifteen finishes to the many students who stepped up to cover multiple events, these results reflect a great deal of effort, growth, and commitment. More importantly, the team represented Bush with curiosity, perseverance, and a positive attitude, and that gives us an exciting foundation to build on in the years ahead.”