Chemistry Olympiad
The 2009 Chemistry Olympiad was very successful. I
sent letters to 267 high school chemistry teachers in our Section; 14
schools participated with about 125 students taking the preliminary
exam. The schools were both public and private and extended from Menlo
Park to Gilroy. The teachers graded the exams and 17 students
were chosen to participate in the national exam. The Section is
allotted 18 spaces, but most students did not score quite high enough
to be invited. The consensus of the committee is to not overwhelm
the students when they are borderline, but to encourage them to
participate next year.
Our section hosted the students from the California
Section for a day of testing at Santa Clara University (SCU). Dr. Linda
Bruneaur oversaw the laboratory work. She thought the preparation
went smoothly. The students and proctors enjoyed a pizza lunch.
SCU students gave the high school students a tour of the campus.
The national exam date did not conflict with the
high school Spring break in April, 2009, as it has in the past.
Again this year, the teachers were invited to
our Summer wine tasting and awards picnic to show our appreciation for
their hard work. Three teachers attended.
Sally
Peters,
Chair,
Chemistry
Olympiad Committee