06/05/2026
“The cool thing about science is that you can always find new things and explore.” So says fifth-grader Nathan J., who participated in the elementary division of the U.S. National Science Bee, held in Orlando, Florida, in May. Nathan advanced to the semifinals, tying for the highest semifinal score among Washington state participants, and he received a gold medal in the grades 5/6 national biology exam. How does a young person get to the national level of the science bee? Well, first they take a qualifying exam. Then, if they pass that hurdle, they move on to the regionals, a buzzer-based competition. And then, if they do well at the regionals, they attend the national championships. Nathan says that the national level IS difficult, but that his science class at SCDS stood him in good stead. “One of the biggest things I learned was geology…because before that, I didn’t know anything about geology. And so were the biology classes about the heart and the digestive system,” Nathan says. His parents, Chenda J. and Yanfei G., can corroborate. “Nathan loves to share what he learned from Mr. J’s class every week, and those classes really helped him in this competition,” says Chenda. Nathan, SCDS is so proud of your accomplishments! Photo courtesy of the family.