In an
attempt to address concerns and conflicts present in previous
Olympiads, the following changes have been made. Further changes
may occur as discussion continues.
- Welcome to Carolyn Hoover from NASA. She has taken on the role of lead organizer for the Olympiad.
- Team Size - All teams will consist of no more than 25 students. There will be no alternates. Each team may consist of no more than 12 sixth graders. The remaining team members may be a mix of fourth and fifth graders.
- School districts maintaining 10 or more elementary and
middle school buildings may bring up to two (2) teams. The two
teams will represent different buildings and will be led by two
different coaches.
- Cost - The Olympiad is
increasing its entry fee by $10.00 this year. The entry fee is
now $60.00. The invoice is posted, and this must be submitted to
Dr. Ferguson at Cleveland State by December 1st; see invoice on main page for address.
- The Head-to-Head events are now included in the teams' overall rankings. There will still be one winning team recognized per half-hour slot, earning medals and they will now earn points toward the team's total.
- Periodic Table has been removed from the event list.
- Coming soon! - NASA is sponsoring a hands-on, inquiry-based Mystery Event. It will be included in the Ranked events. Two students will compete per team, but the rest will remain a mystery to emphasize on-the-spot problem solving and scientific thinking.
- T-shirts - All teams will receive 25 student shirts and 2 adult t-shirts included in their entry fee. Additional adult shirts must be ordered by the posted deadline (February 15, 2010) , or your team will be unable to purchase additional shirts. The price is also still to be determined.
- There is an updated coaches checklist. Please refer to this in planning for Olympiad deadlines.