Dedicated Coaches Help Students Succeed

                      

            Leslie Breneke works with students on their science
                   projects in her classroom at Hart Ransom Charter School

Science Olympiad coach Leslie Breneke loves teaching science and says participating in the Science Olympiad is a fun way to do it!  Paul Michaelis, the Academic Decathlon coach at Denair High School, says participating in the Decathlon helps his students learn and grow in areas beyond their regular classes.  Both coaches agree the competitive events benefit students in numerous ways.

Paul Michaelis competed in the Academic Decathlon when he was a student, volunteered as a judge when he was in college, and as a coach enjoys watching his students develop as individuals and a team as they prepare for the competition.  “The Decathlon is very good at teaching students how preparing as an individual can lead to succeeding as a team,” he said.  “Students get so much out of the program, and learn things they might otherwise not have in their regular classes.  The Academic Decathlon also reinforces the importance of study.  I have many former students who have told me that the Decathlon is the course that best prepared them for college.”

“My students thoroughly enjoy the hands-on activities that Science Olympiad provides,” said Breneke.  “It’s a program that reaches out to all types of students, not just the science loving students, and they benefit from it in so many ways. They not only learn a ton of science concepts and processes, but they also learn to work cooperatively.”  Breneke believes the Science Olympiad improves the quality of science education by making science fun with a hands-on, minds-on approach to learning science and through problem-solving activities.  Several of her former students have come back years later to say that they continue to use the skills they learned in Science Olympiad.  “They express how grateful they are to have had the opportunity to participate and share how that involvement is helping their academic success now.  So it really doesn’t end when the competition is over.” 

Both Breneke and Michaelis are proud of the hard work, passion, and creativity their students put into their events.  “At each competition, my students bring home several medals - their reward for studying science,” said Breneke. “However, I remind them that it’s the learning process that is most important.  The medals are the icing on the cake!”