Coach Ciambrone was so excited to share the news, he wrote us on Sunday morning from a bus in West Virginia as the team travelled home from the Science Olympiad tournament Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.

" This competition was the toughest yet, as we faced 60 teams, many who we compete with yearly on a national level. Our students excelled and scored 5th place overall, an excellent result here. We are right on track to continue to compete for a top 10 at the national tournament. I could not be prouder of the all the hard work our students have put in. It's truly paying off. We had many students place and receive ribbons or medals for their individual efforts. Only the top 8 in each event receive an award."

​Great Job team! The next tournament is in Mentor,Ohio in February. You can see the team compete locally at the UNCC tournament on March 11 and you can check in with them at the Piedmont Science Olympiad Website anytime!
​Here are some photos from Mr Ciambrone and Ms Burrell:

Mr. Egnot spent days prepping the scene.  Students walked to the media center along replica traintracks past abandoned shoes and empty luggage, through the trestle and under the Arbeit Macht Frei sign ringed in iron chains. Solemn music played as students passed photos and information about real victims of the Holocaust.

He chose infomational material for 15 "centers" including a giant timeline of events, the memoir Night by Elie Weisel, an Auschwitz station complete with handmade uniform and Jewish star, and replica gas cannisters, and ending with stories of hope. 

This morning An eighth grader walking into the media center this morning immediately recognized the theme. "This is for the Holocaust?" she asked. Her friend was awed by the detail and a little envious of the immersive learning experience " We never had this  last year"

Hopefully , students will take  the theme of "Never Again" to heart as the unit also included information on other genocides around the world including Armenia, Rwanda, and elsewhere. 

Upon completion of the Holocaust stations, students were able to visit the a butterfly painting booth to take part in The Butterfly Project. Manned byr an 8th grader who specifically sought out Mr. Egnot's mentorship, each student received the name of a separate child who died in the Holocaust and painted a wooden butterly in their honor. The butterflies will become part of an exhibit and a worldwide movement originating in France #theButterflyProject meant to honor and recognized the children of this atrocity.

#neverforget  #neveragain

Mr Egnot in Action:
Read about his Mock Presidential Electionhttp://piedmontpd.weebly.com/celebrating-piedmont/a-new-president-of-the-usa
Mr Egnot wins another award at: piedmontpd.weebly.com/celebrating-piedmont/a-surprise-for-mr-egnot
See the Living History Museum: piedmontpd.weebly.com/celebrating-piedmont/7th-grade-brings-history-to-life
Watch the "Trench Warfare" http://piedmontpd.weebly.com/celebrating-piedmont/7th-grade-video-stars
See the Industrial Revolution Prep http://piedmontpd.weebly.com/celebrating-piedmont/piedmont-teachers-gamify-social-studies
See the Indutrial Revolution http://piedmontpd.weebly.com/celebrating-piedmont/you-say-you-want-an-industrial-revolution