PK-12 Half Day - Friday, April 26

All East Greenbush CSD schools will have a half day on Friday, April 26 due to professional development. Dismissal Times: Columbia (10:03 a.m.), Goff (10:40 a.m.), Pre-K at DPS/Genet/Green Meadow/Red Mill (10:45 a.m.), Genet (11:15 a.m.), Bell Top (11:30 a.m.), DPS (11:30 a.m.), Green Meadow (11:30 a.m.), Red Mill (11:30 a.m.).

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Columbia Science Olympiad Advances to National Championship for 5th Year in a Row

Mar 12, 2018 | Columbia, District

Columbia Science Olympiad team at 2018 NYS ChampionshipColumbia’s Science Olympiad team has advanced to the National Championship Tournament for the fifth year in a row. The team qualified by placing second overall out of 54 teams in the New York State Championship Tournament this past weekend at Le Moyne College.

Columbia won a record number of Gold, Silver and Bronze medals, as well as a two new school records of 14 Top Five and 17 Top Ten finishes.

Columbia Science Olympiad students at 2018 NYS ChampionshipTheir hard work and grace under pressure earned the students a school best ever final score and a trip to Nationals in Colorado in May.

NYS Champions

Chemistry Lab:  Peter Sergay and Sam Koblensky – Peter and Sam determined the temperature of a bunsen burner flame and found the density of an unknown plastic using only 91% ethanol and water. In 50 minutes, they had to solve both lab problems and answer close to 100 AP level chemistry questions. Great teamwork guys!
Forensics:  Natasha Montiel and Ryan Doyle – Tasha and Ryan had to solve a crime! They were given unknown powders, hair, cloth fibers, plastic, glass break patterns, blood spatter patterns, and fingerprints. They had to run tests, interpret the results, and analyze the data in order to decide whodunit. An impressive job!
Hovercraft:  Sam Koblensky and Peter Sergay – Sam and Peter had a near perfect run with their Hovercraft on Saturday surprising themselves and impressing the judges. After the event, one of the judges approached Coach Amos and told him it was, “Cool to see!”  Sam and Peter also aced the accompanying exam.

Silver Medalists

Columbia Science Olympiad students competing at NYS ChampionshipsHerpetology:  Kelly Nagel and Sydney Sill – Syd and Kelly are experts on snakes, lizards, toads and frogs! They had to identify them and answer questions on everything from habitat to physiology.
Material Science:  Albert Chang and Peter Sergay – Albert and Peter had to complete a lab and finish a test that included Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, Physics and Calculus.
Microbe Mission:  Abby Radin and Natasha Montiel – Abby and Tasha are experts on anything that has to do with microorganisms from identification to disease eradication.
Optics:  Sam Koblensky and Owen Ball – Sam and Owen bounced a laser off five different mirrors to hit a target at the other end of the range and answered 50+ college-level questions on Optics.

Bronze Medalists

Mission Possible:  Owen Ball and George Culver – Used pulleys, levers, endothermic and exothermic reactions, hydraulics and electronics to flip a coin, complete circuits.
Parasitology:  Justine Fournier and Tyler Pearson – Justine and Tyler are two sophomores who mastered huge amounts of information on insects in less than a month. The future of the team looks good!
Thermodynamics:  Neil Laya and Sam Koblensky – Neil and Sam answered college-level physics questions on Thermodynamics all while testing their insulating device.

Top 10 Finishes

Anatomy and Physiology:  4th Place – Allie Radin and Noelle Maloney
Astronomy:  10th Place – Neil Laya and Kelly Nagel
Disease Detectives:  6th Place – Abby Radin and Nina Tedeschi
Experimental Design:  5th Place:  Albert Chang, Abby Radin and Nina Tedeschi
Fermi Questions:  8th Place – Owen Ball and Peter Sergay
Game On:  4th Place – Fritz Howard and Peter Sergay
Rocks and Minerals:  8th Place:  Sydney Sill and Ryan Doyle
Write It Do It:  4th Place:  Allie Radin and Natasha Montiel