"The word was out," said Math Department Chair Susan Erba, who organized the Ferrell McLean Competition in 2009 and "Pi Day" last year. "We have a waiting list among high school teams."
The middle school contest, a new addition this year, has drawn teams from near and far, including Norwood School in Bethesda, MD, St. Patrick's (Washington, D.C.), Christ Episcopal (Rockville, MD), Green Hedges (Vienna, VA), Hill (Middleburg), Immanuel Christian (Springfield, VA), Loudoun Country Day (Leesburg), and St. John's Episcopal (Olney, MD)
At Expedition K2M: The STEM Summit, teams of four students will work to solve problems that draw on a variety of STEM skills. Similar competitions at Foxcroft in the past challenged students with such creative challenges as "Murder She Wrote," where the girls solved a crime by logical deduction; "A Bridge Too Far,” which involved building the strongest 40cm bridge possible with popsicle sticks and rubber bands; and “Separation Anxiety,” a simple Chemistry exercise.
This year's specific challenges are secret, but Math Chair and competition director Susan Erba says, there will be genetics, chemistry, physics, and logic events designed by the Foxcroft faculty. An extra-special event has been designed and will be run by the engineering staff at K2M, a Leesburg, VA, our competition sponsor and firm specializing in developing complex spine innovations that is sponsoring the competition.
The high school event begins at 9am on the 18th, and concludes with a luncheon at which medals will be awarded to winners of individual challenges and the top-scoring team overall. In addition, girls can win prizes for a variety of brainteasers and math/science problems that are available. The middle school events begins at 1pm, includes a variety of activities in addition to the STEM challenges and concludes with a "pizza and prizes" supper at 6pm.