The Earth Science Team is a group of students who compete annually in a state-wide, high school academic competition called the New Jersey Science League. Competitions take place during the first four months of each year. Participating schools are ranked each month by a team score—the sum of the two highest student scores. Each student is also ranked by her/his individual score. The top ten schools and the top 10% of individual students receive plaques based on their cumulative scores following April’s competition. Participating students must be enrolled in an Earth Science course.
From 2004 to the present, Earth Science teams from the Somerset Hills School District have consistently finished as one of the top ten teams in New Jersey Science League competitions. During this time, we have had at least one individual per year placing in the top 10% of all Earth Science students in the state. Since moving Earth Science to BMS in 2008, our 8th-grade team has been the only middle school competing in this high school-dominated competition! We are always a very competitive team of students:
2019 Team: 2nd place Student Rankings: 6th, 13th and 16th places
2018 Team: 2nd place Student Rankings: 3rd, 5th (2) and 8th places
2017 Team: 7th place Student Rankings: 1 and 22nd places
2016 Team: 1st place Student Rankings: 1st, 2nd, and 6th places
2015 Team: 2nd place Student Rankings: 3rd and 5th places
2014 Team: 1st place Student Rankings: 1st, 4th, and 8th places
2013 Team: 2nd place Student Rankings: 5th, 6th, 8th and 12th places
2012 Team: 4th place Student Rankings: 10th, 12th, and 19th places
2011 Team: 5th place Student Rankings: 9th and 19th places
2010 Team: 2nd place Student Rankings: 1st, 10th, and 13th places
2009 Team: 6th place Student Rankings: 10th place
The Earth Science Team will meet once a week on Thursdays after school from November through April (If necessary, an additional meeting will be added each week to accommodate students involved in other extracurricular activities which meet on Thursdays). Members of this team should have a strong academic record in science and math, possess a serious interest in science, exhibit a desire to understand “how the Earth works”, and be willing to master Earth Science far beyond what the 8th-grade curriculum requires. Students interested in joining the Earth Science Team should discuss their participation with Mr. King.