Coaches,

Olympiad month is here... Just over two weeks until ESO at JHS 2008. As always, I hope your preparations are coming along well.

You can keep up with the latest ESO at JHS news online at http://www.esoatjhs.org. However, here are some highlights that you need to be aware of as you continue to get ready for this year's Olympiad. Lots of information and reminders... we want you as prepared as we are!

In this ESO News Update...
+ PRE-REGISTRATION INFORMATION
+ PENTATHLON, PICTURE THIS, REFLECTION RELAY TIMES
+ ESO AT JHS REGISTRATION FEE
+ GROUP ASSIGNMENTS & EVENT SCHEDULE
+ EVENT CHECKLIST
+ FOOD SERVICE & PIZZA ORDERS
+ MAPS OF JACKSONVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
+ EVENT ADMISSION TICKETS
+ PARKING & BASE CAMPS
+ RULE CLARIFICATIONS

PRE-REGISTRATION INFORMATION
We're about two-thirds of the way there in receiving your team's rosters and event registrations. If you have not yet taken a moment to complete these online forms, please do so as soon as possible. It's key to our own planning! You can use the following links or simply reply to this email. http://www.esoatjhs.org/preregroster08.html and http://www.esoatjhs.org/preregevents08.html. Here's who is missing as of 7:30 pm on Mon Feb 4:
Tentative Roster -- McAdory, Munford, Paine, Hueytown, Saks Elementary, Stowers Hill
Event Registration -- McAdory, Paine, Hueytown, Saks Elementary, Stowers Hill
Again, you can make changes to your roster up to the morning of the Olympiad. This really just assists us with planning... and spelling names in the awards list!

PENTATHLON, PICTURE THIS, REFLECTION RELAY TIMES
And, if your team is participating in any of these three events, be sure to take a moment to select a time block for your team to participate in. So far, we've posted times for those teams that have requested them online at http://www.esoatjhs.org/times08.shtml. The following schools have not yet requested times as of 7:30 pm on Mon Feb 4:
Time Requests Needed -- Crumly Chapel, Lipscomb, McAdory, Munford, Paine, Clay, Hueytown, Saks Elementary, Stowers Hill
You may make requests online at http://www.esoatjhs.org/timerequest08.html.

ESO AT JHS REGISTRATION FEE
As you likely noticed at our web site, the Elementary Science Olympiad at Jacksonville High School will institute a team fee for 2008 to assist us with financing our growing competition. In order to offer a fair fee for teams, both large and small, the fee for competing teams will be computed on a per-participant basis. ESO at JHS will assess $3 per participant fee, paid in one lump amount by each team. Therefore, a team with the maximum of 24 students would owe $72. A team with just 10 students would be charged just $30. This fee will be due on the day of the Olympiad. Cash or check payable to Jacksonville High School. We will be happy to provide an invoice prior to the Olympiad to assist with processing payment and/or a receipt upon payment on Olympiad Saturday. Additional information regarding the new ESO at JHS fee can be found online at http://esoatjhs.org/registration08.html.

GROUP ASSIGNMENTS & EVENT SCHEDULE
As a reminder, don't forget about which division your school has been assigned: either Newton or Einstein. On the schedule, you will note room assignments for each division as either N or E. Most events occur at the same times just in different classrooms, however, you will note that a handful of events occur at different times for each division. Note that all participants will receive same event materials regardless of classroom or time. Group assignments are available online at http://esoatjhs.org/2008groups.html. The 2008 ESO at JHS schedule grid is online at http://esoatjhs.org/2008schedule.html.

EVENT CHECKLIST
Our handy event checklist is back for 2008. Online at http://www.esoatjhs.org/checklist08.html, the Event Checklist is a quick reference that includes the time and room of each event along with what your students should bring with them to the event.

FOOD SERVICE & PIZZA ORDERS
As I mentioned in the last email, we have drastically scaled back our food options. Really, it's just pizza. You are welcome to bring a cooler (or three) full of drinks and other snacks for your students and supporters. We will offer pizza delivery from a local pizza chain. If you would like to pre-order whole pizzas for your team, simply reply to this email. The price is $7 for a large cheese pizza and $8 for a large pepperoni pizza. Please order by February 20th for your team. We will deliver them right to your team's table in the cafeteria when they arrive. You may include the pizza cost in your entry fee on the morning of the Olympiad. One check to JHS (or cash) is fine. Please note that we will not offer by-the-slice sales this year.

MAPS OF JACKSONVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
Need maps of Jacksonville High School to help your students find the rooms they need? They are now online! Visit the ESO News and Notes section for links to the 2008 maps: http://www.esoatjhs.org/news.html. Click on "Landscape" in the Page Setup for optimal printing. Also, maps TO Jacksonville High School are also available at our web site to help your drivers.

EVENT ADMISSION TICKETS
Your school will need an ESO Admission Ticket to enter each event. Simply print out our new form at http://www.esoatjhs.org/tickets.pdf and fill it out for each event your school will be participating in. Only one ticket is needed PER event NOT per student. The tickets help our event supervisors account for each team in the event and are used to announce the winners names during the awards ceremony. Therefore, we ask that a teacher complete the tickets (so we can read them) and include any pronunciation guides which may be helpful (I tend to mess up at least a dozen names every year!).

PARKING & BASE CAMPS
When you arrive at JHS for the Olympiad, we ask that you proceed to the back of the school to park and enter through the doors to the Main Gym (Through the four-way stop, then left into the back parking lot). The front parking lot is reserved for staff and handicap parking only. Signs will be posted to assist your drivers in finding the correct parking area.

For those new to ESO at JHS, we recommend the use of a "Base Camp" during the Olympiad day. Teams typically claim a table or two in our cafeteria to use as a meeting place for your participants when they are not competing in an event. Due to the size of this year's Olympiad field, you may also choose to set-up in the gym. In the past, teams have brought cards and board games to help occupy the down time for the students in addition to their studying for any events that they may be participating later in the day. Three events are also open to spectators, all in the Main Gym: Chopper Challenge launches at approximately 9:30 am, Pentathlon between 10:30 am and 12 Noon, and Egg Drop drops at around 12:15 and again at 1:15.

RULE CLARIFICATIONS
Lots of new teams this year... And, that has led to a number of new questions. A number of new rule clarifications (posted January 27th) are online on our rules clarifications page at http://www.esoatjhs.org/rules08.html. Changes are noted in Egg Drop, Picture This, Pentathlon, & Solid, Liquid, or Gas. Also, note a general rule that "No outside materials (notes, calculators, etc) are permitted in any event unless specifically stated in the event rules. Participants may not bring cell phones into any event room".

Good luck in your preparations. We look forward to seeing you and your team on the 23rd. If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at anytime.

Sincerely,
David Peters
Coordinator, ESO at JHS
ESOatJHS(at)campusrec.com

Last Updated: February 4, 2008.