William McIntosh was one proud father of a George McParland Elementary School student last year. And for good reason. His son, Tyler, who was then in fifth grade, was part of the school’s Science Olympiad team that brought home a big pennant for the West Northgate Drive campus.

They placed third overall last year out of 49 schools in San Joaquin County, said the proud father of the now sixth grader who is on the team again that will be competing at this year’s tournament on Saturday, March 23, at McNair High School in Stockton.

“It was a big surprise,” McIntosh said of the McParland students’ win last year.

In 2010, the school was in the top 10 of that year’s Science Olympiad.

Then as now, the school is again sending two teams – The Red Team and the Black Team. Each team is comprised of 18 kids, for a total of 36 students from third grade through sixth grade all together. The day’s events will take place from 9 a.m. until late in the afternoon when the awards ceremony will wrap up the 2013 Olympiad.

It’s easy to see why the parents are just as excited are the students. Each of the competitive events is being coached by a parent, said Kristy Bean whose daughter Katelin is on McParland’s Science Olympiad Team. Each student will be participating in three different events, Bean said.

The events are as follows: Bottle Music, Get Your Bearings, Pasta Bridge, Rock Hound, What Went By?, Bridge Building, Hot Air Balloons, Pastamobile,  Rubber Band Catapult, Write It – Do It, Circuit Wizardry, Leaf and Tree Finder, Pentathlon, Science Bowl, A is for Anatomy, Egg Drop, Metric mastery, Picture This, Starry Starry Night, Aerodynamics, Extinction is Forever, Mystery Powders, Reflection Relay, and Water Rockets.

Bean said the parent coaches are responsible for teaching and providing the students with information to be successful in their respective events.

Taking part in the Science Olympiad is one big commitment for both parents and students, added Bean.

“The teams have been meeting for months in preparation for Saturday’s events,” she said. “We did really well last year and have high expectations for this year’s competition.”

McParland’s Science Olympiad advisor is fifth-grade teacher and parent Jodi Salgado.

The second school from Manteca which is taking part in Saturday’s Science Olympiad is Stella Brockman Elementary School.