Frequently asked questions

No. Both programs regularly take on first time sixth graders, but regular practice on weekdays and weekends matters.

The assessment for current 7th and 8th graders is already complete. New students and incoming 6th graders have an optional assessment in the first week of September. It is conducted in the classroom during regular school hours. Watch the school newsletter for the precise dates.

Questions cover biology, chemistry, physics, earth and space science, and mathematics.

The assessment earns your student a place in weekly practice. It is not the thing that decides the team. Teams are named later, based on practice attendance and continued preparation through the season, so a student who keeps showing up and keeps working has every chance regardless of how the first assessment went.

Because teams are named from practice rather than fixed at assessment time, the honest answer is to keep coming to practice. Rosters are not settled on day one, and students move up through preparation. Additional Science Olympiad teams may also open if more volunteer coaches come forward.

Yes, and many students do. The seasons overlap, so be realistic about the combined weekly load alongside schoolwork and other activities. The two competitions build different skills: Olympiad rewards depth and building, Science Bowl rewards breadth and speed.

That depends entirely on volunteers. Each of those teams can only be formalized once it has a head coach. Five coaches means five more teams, roughly 75 additional spots. See coaching roles

We can staff up to three, which is why there are 15 open spots. A team is 5 students, with a minimum of 4. Three teams is a ceiling rather than a promise: it depends on regional caps, having enough coaches, and being able to balance subject coverage across the teams.

Places come out of practice attendance and continued preparation, and rosters are balanced for topic coverage and student availability.

Roughly 5 to 10 hours per week in season for students: team meetings plus independent study of their 2 to 3 assigned events, and build time for engineering events. The load rises in the weeks before a tournament.

Expect 3 to 5 hours a week, made up of practice plus self study. Practice is every Friday from 5 to 6pm, running from the fall through the February regional tournament, and the rest is independent work through question sets. Attendance matters more than it might look, since teams are named from practice.

Please avoid it if at all possible. Science Olympiad events are assigned to specific students, often in pairs. When someone leaves, their events go uncovered and teammates absorb the gap late in the season. If circumstances change, tell your coach as early as you can so the team can adjust.

Repeatedly missing prep or deadlines may also mean giving up an event so a teammate can step in. See the full expectations

Family help is what makes the club run, and every family is asked to contribute in some way.

There is no single flat fee. Competition registration is shared among the families of participating students, and exact amounts are shared once the tournament schedules are posted.

Build and event materials are bought or fundraised for by each team. We circulate low cost options and reuse and share equipment wherever we can. Travel and lodging, where needed, are the family's responsibility, apart from the National Science Bowl finals.

Parents and guardians are responsible for logistics and travel to competitions. For Science Bowl the regional is in Portland, OR, with the first round on 6 February, and families cover that trip.

If a team qualifies for the National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C., the Department of Energy pays for the students' flights and hotels. Adults travelling with them are not covered.

Science Olympiad travel applies mainly if a team advances to the state or national tournament. Teams may also share the cost of build materials for engineering events.

Financial assistance may be available. Please contact your student's school counselor and the PTSA. Cost should not be the reason a Rose Hill student does not compete, so please ask rather than opt out quietly.

Yes. This is the single most common reason people rule themselves out, and it is not a real barrier. Running a good meeting, keeping students on task and staying organized matter far more than remembering high school chemistry.

Head coaches and event coaches find resources online, and sometimes bring in tutors, to support the students on their team.

The Science Club is a PTSA affiliated parent volunteer program serving Rose Hill Middle School and Stella Schola students. This website is not an official publication of Rose Hill Middle School or the Lake Washington School District.

Science Club Chair: Yash, reachable at science@rhmsptsa.org.

Email Science Club Chair Yash at science@rhmsptsa.org. That address reaches the club directly.