March 31, 2022
This newsletter contains news and information of interest to Montana Science Olympiad coaches - current, past and future! For questions, please contact the MSU Science Math Resource Center.
Important announcements for coaches
Code of Ethics and Parent Consent
online form due for each student by April 14
All student competitors must sign a Code of Ethics prior to competing, as well as get a signature for parent consent (or coach consent). This form is online in the Coaches and Teams section of our MTSO Website. The form also includes an optional student survey that will help us improve the event for all participants. All forms are due by April 14. Please share this link with all student competitors. https://bit.ly/mtso-code22

(At the last in-person tournament, this was a paper document; it is now online)

So far, only about 5% of competitors have submitted this form. Please share with all your students and remind them to complete it with a parent so they can sign.


SCILYMPIAD
We are using the Scilympiad software for back-end scoring during our tournament but NOT for registering students into their events (like we did last year in the virtual tournament).
  • You and assistant coaches should make an account in Scilympiad.
  • You do NOT need to enter your student competitors' information.
  • You do NOT need to register your team for specific events or assign students to specific events
  • The only thing you need to do is make your coach account.

Make your coach account at: https://scilympiad.com/mt (If you already have an account from last year's virtual tournament, please make sure you can still access it.)


Tournament Day Schedule
Here is the outline for the day. For those of you who have participated in the past, this is the same as previous live tournaments.

  • 7am - Registration desk open outside SUB Ballrooms (Strand Union Building)
  • 7:45 - Opening ceremony (SUB Ballrooms)
  • 8:15 - Impound opens
  • 8:30 - 12:30 Four tournament event blocks (50-minute blocks at 8:30, 9:30, 10:30, 11:30)
  • 1pm - 2pm: Talks & Tours (optional) Visit MSU labs and classrooms or tour campus or our brand new American Indian Hall! (Registration required; see link below)
  • 2:30 - 4pm: Awards ceremony

Detailed schedule with all events is coming NEXT WEEK.
MSU Talks & Tours now open for registration
Montana Science Olympiad offers a variety of opportunities for students and coaches to explore various MSU labs and facilities on tournament day between competition events and the closing ceremony (1pm to 2pm). Options include: Tour the ceramics lab; create art with graphic design students; learn about research in the Plant Growth Center; play a fun board game designed by students; or learn about virtual reality and robotics.

New this year: Tour the amazing new American Indian Hall! Incorporating architectural concepts by MSU alumnus Dennis Sun Rhodes of the Northern Arapahoe, the American Indian Hall is both a work of art and educational resource.

With dedicated spaces for study, collaboration and ceremony, the hall serves over 800 Native students and provides important resources like academic advising, tutoring, counseling, advocacy and more.

But the hall is more than an academic and cultural space. It’s a place for Native students to find a home away from home—a place to laugh and share meals, to speak openly and honestly and find support from faculty, students and staff with shared experiences.

The hall also serves as a bridge between American Indian and other cultures on campus. It welcomes visitors from all backgrounds who want to explore its art, find knowledge in its gardens, interact with Indigenous wisdom, and have important conversations about our collective past, present and future.

View all the tours and register here. Sign-up deadline is Wednesday, April 13 at noon.
Check out who will be at Museum of the Rockies STEM Night April 14
In addition to amazing exhibits from the Museum of the Rockies plus stupendous STEM from MSU, you will also meet the American Computer and Robotics Museum, Montana Science Center, ZooMontana, and Montana Learning Center! So fun!

All teams who attend the Montana state tournament are invited to attend STEM Night at Museum of the Rockies on the evening before the tournament: Thursday, April 14 from 6pm to 9pm. This event is FREE and features hands-on activities and demonstrations, plus the opportunity to see all the great exhibits at MOR! Coaches, register your team here.
More STEM opportunities - one is due April 1!
Exploring Surface Temperature using NASA TerraROVERs - apply by 4/1
The MSU Science Math Resource Center is part of a national NASA project called AEROKATS and ROVER Education Network. NASA AREN offers this opportunity - we hope some Montana teachers can join! The application is short but due April 1!!

Join the NASA AREN Project team for three evenings in May to learn how your students can explore how surface materials impact local temperatures and produce phenomena such as the Urban Heat Island Effect. We will introduce related GLOBE protocols for measuring surface temperature, lessons from My NASA Data for exploring the Urban Heat Island Effect, and learn how to operate and use a NASA AREN TerraROVER to collect and analyze your own surface temperature data.

Selected participants will receive a TerraROVER for their school and all materials necessary to complete the workshop and related activities.

Workshop Dates: May 17th - 19th (three evenings)
Workshop Times: 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM ET
Training materials will be provided (including a TerraROVER)
Opportunity for ongoing PD with additional resources

APPLICATIONS ARE DUE APRIL 1! APPLY HERE
4th ANNUAL MONTANA SCIENCE SUMMER INSTITUTE at MSU
CALL FOR PROPOSALS IS NOW OPEN
Connect. Collaborate. Integrate.

You are invited to join us for our summer conference to share your ideas, strategies, and resources with educators from across Montana. This year, we are seeking proposals on a variety of hot topics in STEM. We are now accepting proposals for breakout and workshop sessions – see the description in the form for more details.

Conference Dates: July 25-27, 2022
Location: Montana State Univ, Bozeman
Proposals Due By: April 6, 2022


FOR INFORMATION, contact Melissa Tovaas, SSoM Director of Education Services, mtovaas@mt-schools.org
Do you know an aspiring Science Olympiad coach or STEM teacher interested in cool opportunities? Please share this newsletter so they can follow along for next year! Or, they can subscribe at bit.ly/mtso-news