Dear Fellow Chemical Educator:
As Chemistry Olympiad Coordinator for the Rochester Section of the American Chemical Society, I am pleased to announce that we will be participating in the 2007 U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO). The primary goals of this program are to stimulate all young people to achieve excellence in chemistry and to recognize outstanding chemistry students, teachers and schools.
Students competing in the USNCO are eligible to be selected as members of the United States team for the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO). As in past years the U.S. will send a team of four students to compete against other nations at the IChO. This final team of four is chosen after an intensive two-week training camp (June 3-17) at the U.S. Air Force Academy attended by the top 20 U.S. students taking the exam. The team members participate in both theoretical (written) and laboratory examinations over several days. Gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded to the highest achievers. In addition, the IChO provides students the opportunity to interact with their peers from other countries. The 2007 IChO will be held July 15-24 in Moscow, Russia.
We would like to encourage your school to participate in this program. The identification of the four-member U.S. team begins at the local level. It is the responsibility of the Rochester section to nominate students from this area to take the USNCO examination on Saturday, 28 April 2007, at McQuaid Jesuit High School from 8:00 a.m. to approximately 2:00 p.m. To identify these students we will conduct a preliminary screening of students through teacher recommendations. In a one-page recommendation on school letterhead, please explain why (based upon grades, effort, attitude, class rank, SAT scores) you feel the student should be chosen to participate in this rigorous 4¾ hour exam. Students must be U.S. citizens who will graduate no earlier than the spring of 2007 and have a date of birth after 31 July 1987. If selected, the student must attend all sessions at the U.S. Air Force Academy. You may recommend up to two students per high school. Please send recommendations to Brad Bovenzi, McQuaid Jesuit High School, 1800 South Clinton Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618, by 16 March 2006. All students who participate will be recognized at one of the three ACS Student Awards Nights in May.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for helping the ACS to promote chemical education.
Sincerely,
Brad Bovenzi
McQuaid Jesuit High School
bbovenzi@mcquaid.org
585.473.1130 x129
