Cobra Invitational 2016 – General Info
What should I do to prepare PRIOR to the competition?
1)
You are responsible for providing the test, proctoring and grading the day of the competition.
a. Be sure to refer to the 2016 Rules as we would like this competition to be indicative of
what students will experience at Regionals in February/March.
b. Have multiple plans for breaking ties.
c. Leave a place at the top of the test where students can record their School name,
color AND Team #.
d. Please read the tips posted to the event sponsor page of the website
http://cobrainvitational.wikispaces.com/
2)
Be sure to bring ANY MATERIALS needed for testing – if you need a room with special
conditions or help with supplies – please let me know.
3)
Email an electronic copy of the test ahead of time – complete with keys so I can add them to
the website after the competition – excellent to use as resource material for students to study
from.
4)
As for your students, I have included in this document a form I give my students so that
they know which items to bring with them on competition day.
Where do we go when we arrive the day of the competition?
REGISTRATION: Only the head coach needs to stop by and pick up a registration packet.
All other coaches, parents and students can go straight to the team’s home base.
The registration table will be in front of the Media Center
Please check-in between 7:30 and 8:15 – first events begin at 8:30. You will receive
wristbands for each team member at that time. They must be wearing these in order to
compete OR impound devices.
TEAM ROOMS: Please look at the home base tab of the website to see where your group
has been assigned. This is your place to hang out for the day. All of your team’s supplies,
coats, food, etc. can be left in these areas. Please make sure you put the rooms back exactly
the way you found them and clean up all trash. We are all guests in these rooms on the day
of competition.
IMPOUND: If you are competing in Food Science, Wind Power, Scrambler, and Air
Trajectory, please note the impound times and locations.
How do I read the schedule of events?
-
Due to the number of teams participating, each non-building event will be run in TWO time
slots…similar to the STATE schedule other than disease detective.
-
Teams 1-18 will take the event test in the same time slot and teams 19-36 will take the event
test in a different time slot. (This makes the number of students in a room more manageable
for the coaches - 18 teams per time slot - especially those running lab events).
-
If you have 2 teams….be sure your students KNOW which team # they are so they make sure
they get credit for their test. They will also need to record their school name & team color on
each test document.
-
We will have wrist-bands for the students to help them remember their team numbers / colors
How do “self-scheduled” building events work?
For all the building events that say “self-schedule,” students may come to test their vehicle,
instrument, rocket, etc. in front of the judges during their scheduled time slot. The sign-up system
is already active. You can sign up for a time slot that best fits your students. Please only sign up if
they will have a device ready to test at competition.
Note that self-scheduled events are for only half the day. This is in an effort to limit the amount of
time any event sponsor needs to spend at one event. There is at least a ½ hour time period
where no other events are taking place; so all students should be able to find a time that works.
How will scores be calculated?
-
The Ignite Office (behind Room 600) will be a quiet room set aside for grading purposes.
This is right off of the Scoring Headquarters. Staff Development #2 will also be available for
grading and full of snacks and food at lunchtime.
-
After you finish grading (indicating 1st, 2nd, 3rd, through 36th .) you will turn in ALL your testing
materials at SCORING HEADQUARTERS (Room 600) – there the scores will be tabulated
and placed into a power point presentation used during awards ceremony.
-
Medals will be awarded for places 1-3 and ribbons through 6h place.
-
Team Trophies will be awarded for places 1-6.
(NOTE: Only 1 trophy will be awarded per school. A school with more than one place in
the top 6 will receive the highest place earned. The next school down will then be
awarded a trophy.)
What about FOOD?
-
Dibellas Subs and Little Caesers are sponsoring our event. Food order forms have been sent
to each school. Please place your food order with Tammy by Monday, January 25th.
-
There will also be a Concession area in the Cafeteria for students and adults to purchase
items such as coffee, bottled water, pop, coffee, chips, fruit snacks, granola bars, etc. There
will be a limited number of subs & pizza lunch items available too.
-
Due to allergies there can be NO Peanut products brought into the classrooms. Please make
sure your students and parents are aware of this.
-
Please do not bring any cooking appliances such as hot plates, coffee makers, crock pots,
etc. into the school. There is a microwave available for use in the cafeteria if needed.
Spectators?
The following are events that are “spectator friendly” where parents or students can watch:
Scrambler (GYM)
Mission Possible (Media Center)
Elastic Launch Glider (GYM)
Bridges (Room 104)
Air Trajectory (GYM)
Bottle Rockets (Outdoor Soccer Fields)
When and where is the awards ceremony?
The awards ceremony will take place in the GYM at approximately 4:30pm.
While students wait for the awards to begin (as grading is being finished), there will be a movie in
the Media Center.
Other Questions?
Please do not hesitate to call me: 248-931-4060 or email tb03bps@birmingham.k12.mi.us
Event Supervisor Guidelines
EVENT PREPARATION:
1. Bring sufficient materials, COPIES of tests, etc. to accommodate 36 teams (18 in each time slot)
2. Visit http://soinc.org/ to view rules clarifications, FAQ, electronic documents such as score
sheets, spreadsheets, power points, etc.
3. Make sure you have a place on your test for SCHOOL NAME, COLOR and TEAM NUMBER.
4. Email electronic versions of your tests (complete with answer key) to
tb03bps@birmingham.k12.mi.us
RUNNING YOUR EVENT:
1. Make sure all students have a wristband and that all members of each team have the same team
number on their bracelet. (This can be done while testing to avoid delays)
2. Make sure students write TEAM NUMBERS & SCHOOL NAME/COLOR on everything!
NOTE: Without a team number, the points may not end up going to the correct team!
3. Please allow latecomers to still participate. (Don’t give them extra time)
4. Please exercise flexibility in other requirements such as allowing a team to go get goggles, apron,
flight log, etc. (rather than disqualifying them)
5. Watch your time. You must end the event according to schedule because many students need to
go straight to another event.
SCORING YOUR EVENT:
1. Start correcting/scoring your event as soon as you have completed tests so that scoring can be
done quickly and award ceremony can be on time.
2. Teams that cannot complete their event due to time, mechanical failure, wrong dimensions, etc.
should be awarded a “P” for participation (if they make an honest effort) and will receive a raw
score and a ranking of 36.
3. “No show” should be ranked as 38
4. Disqualifications should be ranked as 39
Please inform Tammy Brown and make an attempt to contact the school’s head coach to
notify them of any disqualification so there are no surprises…
ALL TIES MUST BE BROKEN!!
SCORING CENTRAL (ROOM 600)
1. Place all tests in order of TEAM NUMBER
2. Bring all testing materials including score sheet down to room 600 (scoring headquarters)
 PLEASE ALSO ENSURE THE ROOM IS AS YOU FOUND IT 
Student Checklist for the Cobra Invitational
Saturday, February 30, 2016
Student Name: _____________________________________________ HOMEROOM: _________
Event(s):
_________________________________________________________________________________
PRIOR TO DAY:
_____ Permission Slip
_____ Team Shirt??
_____ Carpool information – where and what time you are meeting
DAY OF:
_____ Be at BCS by 8:00am (7:45 am if you have an impound event)
_____ Study Materials / Homework / Entertainment for downtime
_____ Copies of the rules for the events you are in
_____ Money for lunch or snacks
_____ Reference materials for event(s)
_____ Materials for event(s) that you are required to bring that judges do not provide –
CALCULATORS!
_____ Building event device & Practice Log
_____ Desire to have a GREAT time, to DO your best, and to LEARN about what it takes to be a part
of Science Olympiad!