Island School recently participated in the State Science Olympiad at UH-Manoa this past weekend. With a dedicated team of 14 students across seventh, eighth, and ninth grades, the team achieved an impressive 4th place overall. This is especially notable given that many competing teams had larger rosters with multiple alternates.

While there were some challenges with a few of the builds, students demonstrated quick thinking and adaptability under pressure. In particular, Logan '31 and Laola '31 stood out during the Mission Possible event. The event supervisor praised their collaboration, noting that he had not seen such a tight exchange of ideas and determination to problem-solve every issue with their build. He emphasized that the most important outcome was not whether the build functioned perfectly, but the valuable lessons learned through the process.

Thanks to countless hours spent after school and on Saturdays, the team also placed in several individual events, showcasing their hard work, dedication, and teamwork. 

Furthermore, several students had NHD interviews on their off times. Schedules were made with in collaboration Ms. Nause and Mr. Gegan so that students could support both Science Olympiad and National History Day. 

A heartfelt thank you goes out to Mr. Corbo, Ms. Lewis, and Mr. Lill for their guidance and support with the team’s builds. We also extend our gratitude to the Kakuitani family for representing Island School at the Awards Ceremony while the team was traveling. Finally, thank you to all STEM families for your unwavering support of your students throughout this year. Your dedication helped make this Science Olympiad experience a success!