Competition Day Packet — VASO Science Olympiad 2026

🌙 Pack the Night Before (April 17)

🥽

SAFETY GLASSES — MOST CRITICAL ITEM

Tower Building requires ANSI Z87+ impact-rated safety glasses. Regular eyeglasses do NOT qualify. Without them = no-show score = last place. Buy a pack on Amazon if you don't have them (~$5). Order NOW — April 18 is 27 days away.

🥽 ANSI Z87+ Safety Glasses — One pair per competitor (Saiyan + Vedant). REQUIRED for Tower Building.
REQUIRED
📊 Chopper Practice Chart — completed with minimum 18 drops (6 drops × 3 heights, with & without weight). Bring the original paper.
TIEBREAKER
✏️ Pencils & pens — at least 2 each, sharpen the night before
REQUIRED
📏 Ruler / straight edge — helpful for Chopper building
RECOMMENDED
✂️ Scissors — useful for Chopper and Tower (optional but helpful)
OPTIONAL
🍕 Snacks and water — it's a 4-hour event. Hungry kids = distracted kids.
BRING
📍 Directions to Oakton High School — 2900 Sutton Road, Vienna, VA 22181. Save in Maps.
LOGISTICS
🏫 Confirm event time slot with coach — events run on team schedule (not all 3 at once). Know when Saiyan & Vedant's slot is.
CONFIRM

📋 Event Quick Reference

🌊 Oceans Explorer

Written only, 30 min
25–50 questions
Bring: pen/pencil only
6 ocean zones + adaptations
Vertical migration (why?)
Vocab: bioluminescence, chemosynthesis, countershading

🚁 Chopper Challenge

45 min: build + 15-20 Q written
2 official drops w/ 0.5g weight
Must spin 5+ times to count
Write flight time ESTIMATE (tiebreaker!)
Bring: chart + scissors + ruler
Call: "3, 2, 1, Drop"

🏗️ Tower Building

45 min: build + written Q
Hold 300g for 20 seconds
30 straws + 1m tape provided
🥽 SAFETY GLASSES REQUIRED
No tape sticky side on table
Fewer unused straws = tiebreaker

🚫

COACHES & PARENTS: DO NOT ENTER COMPETITION AREA

Rule violation = automatic last-place ranking for the team. You cannot communicate with kids during events — no signals, no coaching from the doorway, no nothing. Cheer from outside and trust they're prepared.

📊 Scoring Cheat Sheet

Event	What Matters	Scoring Formula	Tiebreaker Order
🌊 Oceans	Written test score only	(Team ÷ Best) × 100 pts	Quality of selected answers
🚁 Chopper	Assessment (50pts) + Flight time (50pts)	Score + (Team time ÷ Best time) × 50	1) Chart completeness, 2) Closest flight estimate
🏗️ Tower	Assessment (50pts) + Height (50pts)	Score + (Team height ÷ Best height) × 50	1) Time to failure, 2) Fewest unused straws, 3) Assessment

⏰ April 18 Day-Of Schedule

12:30 PM

Leave house — Oakton HS is ~35 min from Aldie. Arrive early.

~1:00 PM

Arrive at Oakton High School. Check in. Find team's event schedule/rotation.

1:00–5:00 PM

Events run on coach-scheduled rotation. Confirm times at check-in. Kids will go to events separately.

During events

⛔ Coaches/parents stay OUT of competition area. Wait at the door or in hallway.

After events

Award ceremony at event conclusion. Cheer them on — they worked hard!

💡 Remind Saiyan & Vedant on Competition Day

🧠

Read every question carefully — especially "which is NOT" questions

⏱️

Write your chopper flight time estimate on the assessment — it's a tiebreaker!

🔺

Tower: triangles are strongest! Wide base, narrow top, flat spot at top for block

🚁

Chopper: say "3, 2, 1, Drop" before dropping. Don't spin it artificially!

🥽

Put safety glasses on for Tower — before any team's testing starts, not just yours

🌊

Oceans: deeper = darker, colder, more pressure. Creatures adapt to their zone.

💪

You both practiced for this. Trust your prep — you know this stuff!

🏆

Win or lose, you're both scientists today. Make Meera, Zeal, and the family proud 🏈

🏆 Competition Day Packet

💡 Remind Saiyan & Vedant on Competition Day