February 1, 2020
Pembroke Hill lower school science teacher and Lee’s Summit resident Sandy Longhofer has long been an advocate for Missouri Science Olympiad – running tournaments, teaching students about events and coaching teams at Pembroke Hill.
She coached the PHS middle school team from fall 2010 to spring 2015. Based on her approximately 15 years of experience and expertise in the program, she was recently named the Missouri Science Olympiad tournament director and a member of the state Board of Directors.
“I’m looking forward to being around the Science Olympiad students again,” Sandy said. “It’s a wonderful program to be a part of.”
Sandy is responsible for organizing the state tournament, held April 4, at Westminster College in Fulton, Mo., for the 32 schools competing. Additionally, she hopes to grow the program throughout the state.
“There are quite a few larger schools involved in Science Olympiad and fewer small schools. We understand the challenges they face, and hopefully, we can find a solution so those schools can take part in this amazing, STEM-focused program,” she said. “Additionally, we’d like to re-engage with suburban schools that have dropped the program.”
Lower school principal David D’Ercole said, “Sandy has worked for several years with the Science Olympiad organization, leading Pembroke Hill teams to many successful tournament results. Her knowledge of the program and how to host an effective event will be a huge benefit to everyone involved.”
