Science Olympiad FAQ

Why didn't my child get every event they wanted?

Our Science Olympiad Head Coach has to balance the whole event.  This requires spreading out the fun events that everyone wants, and making sure there is a fair split of girls vs. boys and young vs. older to make sure this competition is the best it can be for everyone.  Many students request the same events, so this is a difficult balance and the Science Olympiad Head Coach does their best to give all students something they wanted: either an event or a partner, or an event they might like, honoring as many partner requests as possible. 

How can I help my child prepare for their events?

First, read the rulebook.  Many events tell you what the scope of the test will be.  For example, Starry Starry Night will have a list of stars and galaxies to study.  This will help focus your child's studying.

Next, you can check out Noble's resource page.  There may be helpful resources listed.

Last, just find YouTube clips or library books or whatever will get your child interested in the topic.  If they are interested, they will have an easier time studying.  And if they can only absorb half of the material, that's OK.  Let them learn what they can/want to.

Who organizes the parent coaches who wish to coach other students?

This is not the Head Coach's job.  Please take the initiative if you wish to work with other parents/students.  You should be provided contact information for this purpose.

Does my child need to study before the competition?

No.  Remember, the Noble goals are to have fun and learn something, not to stress them out of a love for science.

If they are signed up for more events than your family can support, let them focus on their favorite(s) and just show up to the rest.  The Noble Team still gets a point if all they do is show up and put their name at the top.

My child doesn't like their event and would rather switch into another event, can he/she do this?

If there is an opening, this may be possible.  Email the Head Coach for requests.

Can we study with other Noble students doing the same event?

Yes, please do!

Will you have high school coaches?

We usually try, as some of the high school coaches are the best coaches we've had.  Email the Head Coach if this information has not been provided.

When can we practice?

That's up to you, anytime. But usually there is a room at Noble that is open certain days after school if you wish to use that space.

Do we need to practice then?

No.

There's a problem with the contacts, names, events, etc. on the lists I got.

Email the Head Coach for fixes.

Where is the competition?

The competition is at Milpitas High School, in the L building.  Parking is usually not a problem, but it can take a couple of minutes to walk from the parking lot to the L building.  In general, once you park you will hear the competition and/or see people walking that way.  There is a map of the school at the bottom of this page.

Who needs to be at the competition?

This is not a drop-off event.  All Science Olympiad participants must be at the event during their Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.  It is fine for one adult to bring more than one student to the competition, so if you and your partner want to carpool, that's fine.  But there will be no main person at the event to watch children.

What time does my child need to be at the competition?

Students should check in with their team Coach 20 minutes before their first event.  This means if your first event is in Block 3, you don't need to show up for the first 2 blocks.  Also, if you have a break between events you are welcome to hang out at our Noble table or to go off campus for a snack/lunch/whatever.  It does help if you can let your team Coach know so we can plan.

What can adults do at the competition?

Most events are not going to be watchable.  Students enter a classroom and complete their test and are released when they are done.  A few events allow parents to observe parts of them.  Usually Egg Drop allows you to watch the dropping of eggs.  Sometimes the pasta building events allow parents in at the end to watch the testing phase.

You are also welcome to hang out at the Noble table and chat with fellow parents and have some snacks.

What should I bring to the competition?

Bring 3 pencils, water, snacks, a jacket if applicable, and anything fun for the kids to do while they're waiting for their events.  Some years you will also need cash if you want to purchase food at the competition.  You should also check the rulebook for what supplies you can/should bring for specific events.  Some allow a certain number of notes (whatever is in the rulebook is the amount per team, not per individual), or a ruler, or a pre-built device.

What is the time commitment for participating in Science Olympiad?

Science Olympiad is a single-day competition, so showing up for that is mandatory.  This competition is usually 4 hours long for all the events.  There is also an awards ceremony, which is highly recommended but not mandatory.  This plus the lunch break adds another 2 hours or so to the day.  In addition, there may be up to 2 mandatory meetings about logistics.  Each meeting should be less than an hour.

After that, your time commitment is up to you and your competing student.  Some events benefit from more prep time than others, but there is no minimum amount of time you need to put in for this.  Students may show up unprepared if they feel like it.  We usually have about 3 weeks to prepare, and most partners get together to practice at least a couple of hours per week.