JOINING PILGRIMAGE
Membership Requirements:
Team members must be (for the 2023-2024 school year):
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8th – 12th graders (by age) to compete on the HS team (Div C)
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5th – 9th graders (by age) to compete on the MS team (Div B)
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3rd – 6th graders (by age) to compete on the ES team (Div A) for invitationals and tournaments
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K- 2nd siblings (of ES/MS/HS teammates) can participate by parents having access to our online materials for parents to use with students in their home. There is no fee for K-2nd siblings to participate in the team as they are not permitted to compete in tournaments. But they are welcome to make use of our resources as they learn about Science Olympiad along with their older sibling. We will not have K-2nd graders on the team that do not have older siblings on the competition teams.
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Registered as homeschoolers
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Located in Montgomery or Howard County, Maryland
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Parent Responsibilities:
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Although the team is largely student led, parents play a crucial role in assisting their students and in keeping the team operating smoothly. Preparing for competitions requires a high level of time management, study skills, communication and teamwork. Different students will require different levels of parental support to be successful and to be part of a positive partnership. Parents should read and understand the rules for their students events, if there are questions the coach or team staff will be available for clarification and individual meetings as needed. For this reason, it is crucial that parents stay up to date on team happenings. To this end, parents must attend an orientation at the beginning of the year and one designated informational meeting each month, must read and respond to team emails daily, and must ensure that their student is upholding his or her responsibilities to the team. Our team runs on volunteers, and there will be many opportunities for parents to support the team.
TEAM OPERATIONS
Our team is led by coaches and assistant coaches. We have a board that includes a team manager and a treasurer. Our team parents facilitate and advise students in their event preparation. We encourage younger siblings to be involved in watching their elder siblings prepare and compete to introduce them to the experience of Science Olympiad.
A central goal of the team is for motivated, hardworking students to build their science knowledge while working on a team and socializing with other students who share an interest in science. Membership on the team also allows students to practice public speaking and to use the competitions to learn about teamwork and sportsmanship. While the team’s activities provide great science education opportunities, the team is not a substitute for a science curriculum or home-directed study. Though individual families may decide to have their curriculum for the year align with the content of a student’s event assignments. For example a student competing in Green Generation, Dynamic Planet and Rocks & Minerals would benefit from having an Earth Science Curriculum for their school year.
While we all love to win, our team goal is to encourage a love of science, investigation, collaboration, study skills and team work. We want students to gain confidence and find joy in learning. By focusing on those things we are able to perform at our best when competitions roll around. As long as we are committed to working diligently and putting our best effort into our team, we’ll have a great season!
TEAMWORK
To allow the team to work well and for the students to get the most benefit, a certain level of commitment will be required from each student and family.
The team’s wellbeing depends upon strong teamwork. With 15 students on each team across 23 events, teamwork is a must. Student success and happiness depends on partners who are responsible, respectful, and responsive. Students and parents develop and support solid team relationships by staying up to date on team announcements, communicating with other families and team leaders in a timely manner, meeting with partners regularly, and being supportive of all of the team members. These competitions can be intense so a vibrant spirit among the students and families is both protective and powerful.