Feb coaches letter 2008

Utah Science Olympiad

February 26, 2008

Dear Science Olympiad Coaches & Teams:

March 29th and this year’s State Science Olympiad Tournament is fast approaching. After months of preparation, it is now time to get down to the nitty gritty details. We apologize for the length of this letter, but it is necessary to try to spell out all the policies and procedures for the 2008 tournament. PLEASE READ THIS LETTER CAREFULLY (NOW - NOT ON THE BUS TO THE TOURNAMENT!!!!). Also note that we are giving you the option of signing up for many events online/email (this should make Sat morning less hectic) and note that we are asking (begging) that you submit your team list online/email as well. Your team registration form, all rule clarifications and copies of all the material that has been mailed to you is available online: http://weber.edu/sciencecenter/ScienceOlympiad/Olympiadpage.htm

Please note that because of the construction in the Union Building many events are in the Dee Event Center - we have some busses scheduled to run between the Dee Event Center, the Union Building and the Lind Lecture Hall/ Science Lab building.

I want to thank those of you who are helping with fund-raising. Please consider asking a few of your parents for ideas of potential supporters for this wonderful event. INVITE potential donors to accompany your team or visit the tournament on March 29th. INVITE potential supporters to the Awards Ceremony. [Invitation enclosed, call or email us if you would like more.] We have also included in your packet a flier for you to give to other teachers regarding Science Olympiad and inviting them to join us on Saturday.

FORMS - what they are, why we need them, where they can be found and when they are due.

Form 1 NOT INCLUDED - AVAILABLE ONLINE - team registration - submit before March 27 (corrections can be made at registration)

The final team registration form is available online (and should be submitted via email). Please spell your student’s names correctly as they would like them to appear on their certificates. If we receive this information before March 27, we will have your pins ready for you at registration.

On this registration form we also need a contact cell phone number - so that on Saturday we will be able to contact you if necessary.

At registration you will sign your team list and you can make minor changes if needed. If you only bring your typed list on Saturday, you will need to wait until after registration is completed to get your team’s pins. If you do not have this information typed - we will send you to a typewriter (yes we still have one) to complete the form BEFORE we will allow you to register.

Form 2 - Code of Conduct – bring with you -

This needs to be signed by all students, coaches and parents who are with your team. This form is included here and available online.

Online sign up for certain events - submit before 5pm Thursday March 27 -

There are a number of events for which we allow you to choose your time of competition - this is designed to increase your team’s flexibility. In an attempt to allow us all to plan better and to reduce the frantic rush at registration, we will have online sign-up for these events - links are found on the event schedule web sites. Follow the directions on the web pages. Schools who sent us the requested information about event participation by Feb. 25 can sign up on or after March 20^nd. Teams who did not send us the requested information can sign up on or after March 25^th.

Please NOTE these rules for online signup - when you go to the link you will be asked to send me your team number and your first and second choices from those times that remain. I will keep this as current as possible. I can not guess at your team number so it must be included and you must look to see what slots are open.

REGISTRATION will be in Lind Lecture Hall (building 7 LL on the map: http://weber.edu/weberstatemap) from 7:30am until 8:30am.

PLEASE NOTE - NO parents or students are allowed in the registration area or tournament headquarters (LL231).

Schedule

The schedule can be found online (B and C ) and will be marked FINAL soon. We have been posting room changes and rule clarifications and will continue to do so- it is your responsibility to stay current. Any last minute room changes will be posted on the doors to the LL and SL buildings and will be listed in the registration packet along with any other last minute changes and the announcements of the day. We ask for your understanding and cooperation if changes become necessary.

The first event will start promptly at 8:30 a.m. The students need to be at the appropriate room ready to begin at that time. Please instruct students to be on time for their events. Alternates may compete in any event not being counted for medals by your team. The vouchers for these events are included in your packet and clearly labeled. Contact me asap if you have any questions.

It is your responsibility to provide team members with campus maps which can be found at http://weber.edu/weberstatemap

The Event Voucher system - Each team is allowed to compete for medals (and points towards Nationals) in a maximum of 20 events. In this packet you will find 20 official event cover sheets. These are to be used only for your official twenty events. You are to write the name of the event on the line indicated and place labels (or something equivalent) with the TYPED names of the students competing in that event. PLEASE, if your students have names that are difficult to pronounce, please help me out by including any tips as to the correct way to say the name.

Students competing in events for medals must have these official cover sheets with their name labels and must also have red or blue wristbands.

Wristbands are given at registration when you sign your team list.

IF you have students who want to compete in non-medal events ( events for which your team is not eligible for medals), they use the clearly labeled non-medal forms in this packet. For those of you with non-medaling (JV teams), you will use those clearly labeled JV forms in this packet. Make sure all team members know their team number. Alternates as well as team members may participate in these non-medal (for your team) events. You will receive their event scores after the tournament.

Team Identification

In your packet on the day of registration you will find 15 red or blue wristbands (or one for each team member you listed). These are to identify your teams’ members. The wristbands must be placed on the 15 students you have selected to compete for your team and cannot be removed during the day. Event supervisors have been told that only students with these wristbands are allowed to compete for medals. Alternates competing in non-medal events will be given green (C) or yellow (B) wristbands.

Each team is asked to provide their own name tags. (We hope you have fun with the name tag design.) The name tag should include the student name, the team number, and the school. Students must wear the name tag all day so event supervisors and tournament officials can call them by name. There have been problems in the past with students not knowing their team number, these name tags will help students correctly identify themselves at events.

Blue is for B and Crimson is for C

Final schedules and room signs have been color coded to help students be at the right place at the right time. All materials for Division B are bright blue and all materials for Division C are crimson red (or bright pink). Please inform your students to check the color of the door sign to make sure they are taking the correct test for their division.

Rooms

Your base camp room assignment is enclosed and will also be posted on our web site. You will notice that all teams must share rooms. We have more teams this year than ever before, please be considerate of the other teams in the room. Please instruct your students not to touch the devices or materials of the other teams. We will provide you with garbage bags. PLEASE HAVE YOUR TEAM USE THESE GARBAGE BAGS to help keep the rooms clean in order that we can continue to provide you with a base camp.

Invitations

Enclosed with this letter is an invitation to invite your administrators, science curriculum coordinators or potential donors to the days activities and/or the Awards Ceremony. Please feel free to call us for more invitations or send us the names and addresses for any additional invitations you would like us to send.

Sportsmanship

Weber State University is very supportive of Science Olympiad. We appreciate the use of their facilities and the willingness of their professors to volunteer time as event supervisors. We must maintain this positive relationship. Proper student behavior is essential. Please instruct your students to be on their best behavior. They should pick up garbage and clean up after themselves. They also should not be allowed to play on the elevators in the Science Lab Building. Many students act like they have never seen an elevator. We know your students are more sophisticated than that!

Please remember that the event supervisors for Science Olympiad are donating their time. They should be treated with respect. Please instruct your students and parents to show appreciation for the time and efforts of the event supervisors. Students (or parents) are not allowed to confront or question an event supervisor. If there is a misunderstanding, the head coach and only the head coach, should politely try to clarify the reasons for the judging decision with the event supervisor. Please try to resolve all questions in this manner. If the event supervisor does not clarify the situation to the satisfaction of the coach, a formal appeal may be filed.

A sportsmanship award will be given in each division. The event supervisors will vote on the most cooperative and pleasant team. It is our hope that this is a coveted prize for each team.

Appeals

If a coach has a question about the judging of the event, he/she should first talk with the event supervisor. The event coordinators will have the appeals form. The head coach is the only person that can file an appeal. If they cannot resolve the question, the coach asks the event coordinator for the form, completes it, takes it to the event supervisor for an explanation and his or her signature. This is then submitted to the State Science Olympiad Committee at the Center for Science and Mathematics Education Office Room 231. All decisions of the committee are final. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE OLYMPIAD COMMITTEE IS CONSIDERING SOME CHANGES TO THE APPEALS PROCESS THAT WILL PENALIZE TEAMS FOR FRIVOLOUS APPEALS.

Food

There will be NO food available for purchase on campus (other than the vending machines). We have provided you with a list of local places to purchase food.

Spectators

Parents, students, and other interested persons are invited to watch events open to spectators. Lists of these events are on the back of the enclosed flier and all are located this year in (or near) the Dee Event Center.

Diversionary Activities

The competition ends at 3:30 p.m. and the awards programs will not start until 6:00 p.m. We have arranged for a movie in the Wildcat Theater and skating at the Weber County Ice Sheet (just west of the Dee Event Center) The hours for skating are 3:00-5:30 and the skate rental is $1 per person. You will be allowed to bring food into the ice arena.

The bowling alley is NOT open due to construction.

Awards Ceremony

The awards ceremony for both divisions will be in the Austad Auditorium, Browning Center, starting at 6:00 pm. This ceremony usually ends at 8:00 pm.

Information on Specific Events

Check our web site often for updates and event clarifications: http://weber.edu/sciencecenter/ScienceOlympiad/Olympiadpage.htm

Unless otherwise stated, we will follow the rules as they appear in the manuals. Please know all the rules.

Web site

We have a web page for WSU Science Olympiad at http://weber.edu/sciencecenter/ScienceOlympiad/Olympiadpage.htm

All updates and new information, rules clarifications will appear there as well as a FAQ page.

There also is a page where I will post whether I have received your timeslot requests and your team list. Please make sure that we have a working email address for you, so that we can contact you if there is urgent last minute information. Also check the web site frequently for last minute clarifications.

Closing Comments

Thank you so much for your attention to this lengthy letter. If we have not clarified everything, please feel free to call or e-mail me at csme@weber.edu or sohlhorst@weber.edu . We truly want this to be a positive experience for the students involved. Please encourage your students to read the rules carefully (and often). We have many event coordinators tell us that some students arrive unprepared for the event. Finally, we realize that you too are volunteers in the Science Olympiad Program and we thank you so much for your dedication. Your efforts are appreciated.

Sincerely,

Dr. Sharon Ohlhorst, Director

Enclosures:

20 vouchers for medal events (those of you with non-medal/JV teams will have different vouchers)

5 vouchers for non-medaling events

Code of Conduct Agreement

Basecamp list

Flier/spectator event list

Invitation for administration, department head, potential sponsors, other teachers

Parking Services Map

List of nearby places to purchase food

What to Bring:

SIGNED Code of Conduct agreements - INCLUDING THE SIGNATURES OF PARENTS ATTENDING

Name tags

Campus maps

All devices - goggles (note the clarification regarding goggles on the web site), lab coats, calculators, pencils, and anything else required for the competition

Enthusiasm and positive attitudes!

What to do before Saturday :

Fill out team registration form - available online - and email it to CSME@weber.edu (This helps us print the certificates with the correct student names)