CCSD Elementary Students Succeed at Science Olympiad

Cherokee County School District students recently demonstrated their science skills at a countywide competition!

More than 525 students from elementary schools throughout CCSD competed in the Cherokee County Science Olympiad, which offered 18 science challenges and the third annual CCSD Speed Building Competition.  Cobb Electric Membership Corporation and Gas South sponsor the annual event, which gives students the opportunity to test their knowledge and skill in STEM challenges.

The overall winning teams are: tied for first place, Hickory Flat Elementary School – Team 1 and Holly Springs ES STEM Academy - Team 1; and third place, Avery Elementary School – Team Green.  It’s the third year in a row for Hickory Flat ES to win or tie for first place.  

These three top teams now advance to the state competition in May at Kennesaw State University.  Due to their outstanding overall performance, three additional CCSD schools also have been invited to compete at the state event: Ball Ground ES STEM Academy, Johnston ES and Liberty ES.

The Hickory Flat ES team is coached by teachers Colton Christian and Michelle Kozak; team members are: fifth-graders, Colton Goss, Joseph Lenyszyn, Ava McCord, Ava Murray, Kyra Parekh, Graham Plousis, Max Silverman and Couper West and alternates, Abigail Amos, Jules Kennery and Max Losner; and fourth-graders, Ridhaan Baral, Morgan Burge, Emma Echt, Eden Holm, Kael Jasman, Brenten Jennings, Olivia Kulp, Shri Sanevelly, Emma Santana, Charvik Sirivella and Perla Sula.

The Holly Springs ES STEM Academy team is led by head coach Naticia Zocca and assistant coach Ashley Adams; team members are: Caleb Anderson, Adelyn Chettiar, Collin Cook, Carson Dye, Lillian Essig, Evan Hargraves, Max Harlow, Parker Harlow, Sofia Helton, Corbin Johnson, Xavier Michael, Ryan Murphy, Zelda Nagel, Karina Polyachuk, Gabriella Quesada, Logan Quesada, Jaxson Reno, Conrad Salling, Hugh Smith, Leyah Webb and Will Wright.

The Avery ES team is coached by teachers Lyndsey Reed and Miranda Satterfield; team members are fifth-graders, Maria Hipolito, Mason Lane, Jameson McKlveen, Loni McArthur, Sam Newman, Veda, Nuthalapati, Tyson Rivers, Chris Woodbury; fourth-graders, Ian Arledge, Eva Moffitt, Harper Hopkins, Carter Salamone, Ryan Wexler; and third-graders, JoJo Bertoglio, Jackson Brown, Blakely Lord, Henry Prance and Mason Rappaport.

The top winners of the Speed Building Competition, a challenge in Lego building and teamwork, are: first place and the $300 prize, Macedonia ES; second place and $250, Clark Creek ES STEM Academy; third place and $200, Hickory Flat ES.  The Macedonia ES team coached by teacher Laura Lathem is made up of Fletcher Dean, Bryson Grasso, Gavin Pattillo and Noah Simko.

Individual event winners:
Backyard Biologists: first, Woodstock ES Team 1; second, Hickory Flat ES Team 1; third, Free Home ES Team Red
Barge Building: first, Johnston ES Team 1; second, Holly Springs ES STEM Academy Team 1; third, Mountain Road ES Team Red
Bridge Building: first, Bascomb ES Team 2; second, Holly Springs ES STEM Academy Team 1; third, Mountain Road ES Team Red
Crime Busters: first, Bascomb ES Team 2; second, Indian Knoll ES Team Gold; third, Knox ES STEM Academy Team Blue
Data Crunchers: first, Clark Creek ES STEM Academy Team 1; second, Ball Ground ES STEM Academy Team 1; third, Little River ES Team Purple
Deep Blue Sea: first, Liberty ES Team 1; second, Arnold Mill ES Team 1; third, Bascomb ES Team 2
Disease Detectives: first, Liberty ES Team 1; second, Knox ES STEM Academy Team Blue; third, Bascomb ES Team 1
Egg Drop: first, tie - Carmel ES Team Red and Knox ES STEM Academy Team Blue; second, Ball Ground ES Team 1; third, Hickory Flat ES Team 1
Grab a Gram: first, tie - Holly Springs ES STEM Academy Team 1 and Woodstock ES Team 1; third, Carmel ES Team Red
Metric Mastery: first, Avery ES Team Green; second, RM Moore ES STEM Academy Team Gold; third, Avery ES Team Blue
Mystery Architecture: first, Hickory Flat ES Team 1; second, Bascomb ES Team 1; third, Arnold Mill ES Team 1
No Bones About It: first, Free Home ES Team Red; second, Bascomb ES Team 2; third, Woodstock ES Team 1
Paper Rockets: first, Avery ES Team Green; second, Woodstock ES Team 1; third, Avery ES Team Blue
Rock Hound: first, Ball Ground ES STEM Academy Team 1; second, Mountain Road ES Team Red; third, Bascomb ES Team 1
Simple Machines, first, tie - Hickory Flat ES Team 1 and Holly Springs ES STEM Academy Team 1; third, Macedonia ES Team Purple
Starry, Starry Night: first, Hickory Flat ES Team 1; second, Indian Knoll ES Team Gold; third, Ball Ground ES STEM Academy Team 1
Water Rockets: first, Avery ES Team Green; second, Macedonia ES Team Gold; third, Avery ES Team Blue
Weather or Not: first, Indian Knoll ES Team Gold; second, Knox ES STEM Academy Team Blue; third, Mountain Road ES Team Red

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