2009
Hello Coaches- (email previously sent out 2/22)
I hope your preparations are going well. There are several attachments some old, some new. Please read all the information below as well as the attachments:
1. Scarsdale MS address—134 Mamaroneck Road, Scarsdale 10538
2. Travel directions for your buses
3. Green card- rules
4. Team list with your team numbers
5. Schedule with rooms- Sorry there was another room change (dynamic planet)
6. Snow Closing information -posted on a bulletin board linked to the www.newyorkscioly.org website. Please visit this now to check it.
7. Phone chain- please check and email me with any needed changes
8. Judging assignments-
9. Instructions for judging
10. Various forms you need to read or fill out and bring with you on March 7th-
You can download any forms you need from www.newyorkscioly.org
*Vandalism
*Team Registration (list of kids with grade level)
Team list
Medicals
Press release
* Both of these forms must have your Principal’s signature!
11. Map of Building- You will get a set of maps in your team envelope at registration.
12. EVENTS-
Compute this- Using Macs
Environmental chemistry- Gloves will be provided to handle soil
Scrambler- the rules state that the front or rear 2cm of the egg cannot have tape on it. Since the average egg is around 5-6 cm that does not leave a lot of room for the tape. Your standard ¾ inch masking tape is too large. I will provide ¾ in tape that has been sliced in half. I cannot guarantee the exact width. You may want to have the students impound tape that you have cut down if it needs to be more precise.
New Items:
Snow Delay or Postponement to Sunday March 8th:
We will postpone only as a last resort. Remember that the decision to travel to Scarsdale is strictly your own. If you feel the roads are unsafe, etc you are responsible for using your best judgment. We will post closing information on a bulleting board linked to the www.newyorkscioly.org site. The bulletin board will say “lower Hudson Region”; there is also a phone snow chain we will use as backup. Please check the site—I will try to make a posting as early as possible.
Things to do soon:
Check schedule:
I have attached a copy of the schedule. This one has room numbers. C= Cooper, P = Popham, F= Fountain, B= Butler, T =the center. You will get 30 copies in your registration packet. You will also get copies of the schedule.
Buses:
Please have your buses available until 6 PM at Scarsdale. THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT IS 10FT 5IN. If your bus is larger than this you will need to unload in the lower Popham circle by the fields.
Get Parents:
Please bring a parent or two to help supervise during the day. Remember everyone is judging, and you will be gone between 2-3 hours during your judging and scoring assignment. Otherwise, parents should not be wandering around the building. They should not be helping students carry projects, impound, do events, etc. Enthusiastic parents watching an event sometimes “help” the judges make decisions; this can result in penalties or DQ for your team. All parents are welcome at the awards assembly in the gym—few or no seats—at 5:30 PM
For Tournament Day: Arriving:
Please have your team at Scarsdale by 7:00 at the latest. Earlier is better. We will be ready by 6:30
Buses will be routed to a central drive through area of the school where you will unload.
Some of the impounds are close by; kids (gophers are OK for this) can bring projects direct to impounds, but they will have to wait at the locations since judges will not be there yet.
A coach from each team must come to registration with your paperwork, tell us the names of all coaches and judges who are present. Pick up the team envelopes and event envelopes.
In Your event envelope you will receive
• Exactly 19 Green cards (see green card policy)
• Copies of the map of the building with room and events
• Copies of the schedule,
• Team room lists, judging assignments,
• Certificates of Participation for the students,
• Certificates of appreciation.
• Should you need more of either of the certificates they will be in Headquarters and please help yourself to as many as you need.
The Students from our student organization has volunteered to help as guides. They will bring you to your assigned team area (there are 4 small cafeterias) so you can set up your team table. They can also help you find impound or other areas.
During the day:
Start getting your kids to the impounds or 8:00 events. If you are new to Science Olympiad, remember that there are no bells. We just start and end on time and hope it works out.
When not in an event, kids should be in the team area. They may not enter any closed events; there are lots of signs posted. Students entering a closed event they are not participating in will cause a penalty for their team. All the construction walk in events are “Open to Spectators.” Viewing is very limited in some and is always at judge’s discretion.
Coaches and Judges are welcome to visit Headquarters, which will be off the main lobby for Breakfast, Lunch, coffee, drinks and snacks. You can do your scoring here if you wish but space is tight. Event supervisors should bring results here and go over them with a score counselor.
Please help yourself to your teams sign in the main lobby. I would like you to bring it to the awards ceremony. Your team can have fun decorating them during the down time (if they are lucky enough to have any.)
At some point during the day please stop by and pick up a small gift for the students and coaches of the team. Each team will receive sport bottles for the students and travel coffee mugs for coaches with the science Olympiad logo imprinted on them courtesy of Scarsdale Middle School. (Should you need a few more let me know)
After the competitions are over, please have your students pick up the team rooms, get their projects, and pack everything on the buses. Buses cannot pass each other in the pickup area, so please do not leave this until the end of the awards ceremony.
Judging:
If your name is first on the assignment sheet you are the event supervisor. You will receive an event envelope containing all needed materials. If your event is early in the day you will get the envelope at registration. If your event is later in the day please pick up the envelope at headquarters about an hour before your event.
All Judges: You need to arrive early to the room of the event. Some last minute preparations might/will be needed like arranging seats or final preparations that can only be done after impound. Instructions will be given in the envelopes.
Please read the attachment again. Only 1 green card per team for each event is given.
Also for walk in events please give priority to teams that have a green card. Be flexible with times.
Scarsdale News Van:
There will be a few Scarsdale students filming the events of the day. Please allow them into events as you see fit. They are in no way involved in the Science Olympiad program. I have stressed that the material in the video must remain secure until after the competition is over. Also the local newspaper and photographer will be around.
Food:
Scarsdale student organization will be selling pizza, hot dogs and candy. If you would like to order entire pies for your team for lunch they are $12 a pie. I need your order by Wednesday
3/5. The pies will be delivered to your team room. You may pay on the day of the event. The students can also purchase individual slices and other good things in the main hallway. There are also vending machines in the team rooms for snacks and soda.
Awards:
Ceremony will be in the gym at 5:30 PM. There are a few seats but kids will be on the floor. We hope to have you out at 6:30 PM. We are awarding event placing 5th and up with medals and trophies and plaques for the top ten teams. Last year we were able to begin at 5:00 and I am hoping fro the same thing this year.
Advancing to State tournament:
Based on 22 teams registered, the top 3 teams will qualify to go to the NYS tournament in New Paltz in April. If Scarsdale or Ardsley finishes first or second, a fourth team will qualify. Remember that two teams from the same school cannot qualify for the State competition. Ties in team standing are broken by the number of first, second, etc finishes. Then the next highest finishing team is the alternate team. There is also a $50 registration fee to participate in the state tournament.
Schools with 9th graders:
Students in 9th grade are allowed to participate. Since some middle schools have this grade and some do not, any 9th grader may participate event if they attend the High School. However they must not compete on both levels. If a 9th grader has or will compete for the HS team they may not compete at the middle school level.
If you need to reach me for any reason you can contact me @
I will probably be at school until at least 9:30Pm M-Th and until midnight on Friday.
Again good luck and I will see all of you soon.
Jay Gandelman
2009 EVENTS:
Amphibians & Reptiles
Anatomy
Bio-Process
Compute This
Crave The Wave
Disease Detective
Dynamic Planet
Ecology
Elevated Bridge
Environmental Chemistry
Experimental Design
Fossils
Meteorology
Pentathlon
Physical Science Lab
Reach for the Stars
Road Scholar
Robo- Cross
Science Crime Busters
Scrambler
Trajectory
Wright Stuff
Write It/ Do It
EXHIBITION ONLY
Car of Tommorow
Sumo Bot
* all 25 events will be competed at during the State competition
EVENT SELECTION-09
Our region this year will run 23 events. Your team only enters 19 for points so you will receive only 19 Green entrance cards at the coaches meeting the morning of the competition. Your team will select 4 events they will not enter. It is COMPLETELY YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to hand out all 19 to those students who are competing and make sure they submit them to the judge of their event. The green card will be stapled to your score sheet /test. The students will submit the green card when they enter the room. This informs the judge to score their test/project. We also will be running the 2 trial events; Car of tomorrow & Sumo bots for exhibition only. Students may compete for medals but these 2 events will not count for team standings.* All 25 events will be competed at the State Competiton.
Q#1 May we enter the other 4 events for practice?
Yes, The other 4 events can be entered for practice only. Your test/project will not be scored on those 3 practice events. Students will NOT submit a green card and that informs the judge this event will not be scored.
Q#2 What happens if my team submits less than 19 green cards?
The Appeals committee will randomly select an event that you did not submit a green card for award penalty points equaling the number of teams in the competition +2 which is a no show score. BASICALLY THAT WILL BE AN APPROXIMATE 24 POINT PENALTY (OR MORE) ADDED TO YOUR OVERALL SCORE FOR EACH GREEN CARD NOT SUBMITTED.
Q#3 What happens if the student forgets to submit the green
If the event has started they will not be allowed to submit the card. If the result is submitting to few green cards then the result to question #2 will be applied.
Q#4 What happens if a student loses a green card?
As long as the event has not started and the student is not in the event room you may get a replacement green card from the regional coordinator only. (Me- Jay). If the result is too many green cards then The appeals committee will randomly select an event from the submitted cards and award penalty points equaling the number of teams in the competition +2 which is a no show score. BASICALLY THAT WILL BE AN APPROXIMATE 22 POINT PENALTY (OR MORE) ADDED TO YOUR OVERALL SCORE FOR EACH EXTRA GREEN CARD SUBMITTED.
Once the event has started and the student is in the event room NO REPLACEMENT card will be given. If the result is to few green cards then the answer to question # 2 will be applied.
It is extremely important that you as the coach:
• Remember the green card is the admission pass and permission from your team to grade and rank your team correctly. Only events that have green cards submitted will be graded.
• Must make sure your team submits exactly 19 admission/permission passes and that any other number will cause severe penalties for your team.
• Inform your students exactly which 19 events they should submit green cards.
• Inform your students to actually submit the green card to the judge.
• Inform your students of the 3 events not to submit green cards.
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