PROJECT REGISTRATION - Irvine Unified School District

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Congratulations! Your child has created an outstanding science project and has been selected by their school
to enter the 35th Annual Irvine Unified School District Science Fair on February 23rd, 2016, sponsored by The
Broadcom MASTERS Foundation in partnership with Irvine Public Schools Foundation (IPSF). Please read
this entire letter for important changes, updated information, and schedule of events.

PROJECT REGISTRATION
Date: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2016
Time: 3:00 PM and 6:30 PM
Location: Irvine High School Practice Gym is located at 4321 Walnut Avenue, Irvine, CA 92604, near the
intersection of Walnut Ave. and Culver Dr. See the map with this letter. You may park in either of the school’s
student parking lots during these hours (3:00 PM – 6:30 PM) on Monday. PLEASE DO NOT park in any space
marked for the City Pool as you will be cited/towed.

Please bring your Science Fair project and all of its components to the Irvine High School Practice Gym
between the hours of 3:00 pm and 6:30 pm to register and set up your project. Be sure to bring your display
board, science notebook, and all other exhibition items. Students do not need to be present to register or set-
up. PLEASE NOTE: Due to the large number of projects there will be NO LATE REGISTRATION (neither after
6:30 PM on Monday, nor on the day of the Science Fair).

PROJECT JUDGING
Date: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2016
Time: 9:00AM – 11:00AM
Location: Irvine High School Practice Gym. You may park in the student parking lots during this time. PLEASE
DO NOT park in any space marked for the City Pool as you will be cited/towed

Sixth grade students will be transported by school bus to the Irvine High School Practice Gym for the judging
session. Seventh – 12th grade students will arrange transportation through parent carpools or through their
science teachers (with the exception of Plaza Vista and Vista Verde). The judging process will include
interviews with the Science Fair judges. Some projects may need to be interviewed more than once and judges
may have additional questions after the initial interview. For this reason, students will be expected to sit by their
project until the judging session is over. This could take up to two hours. Therefore, please have students
bring water, snacks, and homework or something to read. Failure to remain by your project could
result in dismissal by Science Fair staff. All students will be expected to return to school after the judging
session the same way they arrived.

OPEN HOUSE RECEPTION
Date: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2016
Time: 5:00PM – 6:00PM

**New this year**
An Open House Reception will be held in order to celebrate the accomplishments of the young scientists.
During the Open House, students and their families, sponsors, IUSD staff, the media, and other special guests
will be able to view all projects, take pictures, and ask students questions. Students are encouraged to attend
and stand by their project to answer questions from the public. Projects will be awarded prior to the start of
Open House and will be displayed on student projects indicating Honorable Mention (white ribbons) or Finalist
(gold ribbons). Finalists (gold ribbon) will be invited to attend the Award Ceremony immediately following the
Open House in the Irvine High School Theater. Projects receiving the Honorable Mention ribbons should be
taken home and saved. These projects will be considered alternates for the Orange County Science and
Engineering Fair (OCESF) and the Broadcom Masters. ALL projects must be removed at the conclusion
of the Open House Reception, prior to the Awards Ceremony. No Exceptions!

AWARDS CEREMONY
Date: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2016
Time: 6:30PM – 8:00PM
Location: Irvine High School Theater. Parking will be available in any of the school’s parking lots during the
Awards Ceremonies. Carpooling is highly recommended as there is no street parking available. PLEASE DO
NOT park in any space marked for the City Pool as you will be cited/towed

**New this year**
In an effort to improve the experience for students and families, all awards will be given at one presentation.
Immediately following the Open House, Finalists (gold ribbon) are invited to attend the Awards
Ceremony. Outstanding Project Awards and Division Award Winners will be announced during this ceremony.
Due to limited space, each Finalist will receive two invitations (tickets) for family members to enter the
theater. Finalists will gather in the Game Gym where they will await presentation of the awards.

Projects that are chosen to advance to the OCSEF or Broadcom Masters will be notified within two weeks’
time. See the page attached for OCSEF eligibly rules (separate attachment).

Sincerely,

Kristen Winn
STEM Director

Eligibility Rules for the Orange County Science and Engineering Fair (OCSEF) April 12-17, 2016:

This information is SUBJECT TO CHANGE. If you plan on entering OCSEF, you must tell your science
teacher. Your science teacher must approve your entry! Be sure to check OCSEF Rules & Regulations before
beginning your project. More details to follow regarding this event.

To be eligible for the Orange County Science & Engineering Fair (OCSEF), students must have
participated in the IUSD Science Fair. Students may enter OCSEF as an individual project, or they may
enter as part of a team project with 2 or 3 members total.

 Team projects will be placed in the same categories as individual projects. Judges will have higher
expectations for the originality, scientific value, and completeness of team projects done by 2 or 3
authors working together in comparison with the work done by one student.

 All work on team projects must be acknowledged; all team members must be present at the judging
interview to be considered for category awards.

 We (IUSD) will limit 6th Grade Group Projects only to 2 students (not 2 or 3 as stated above).

Projects selected to enter OCSEF will be determined based on the following criteria:

 Interest by the student in participating in OCSEF.
 Ribbon awarded at the IUSD District Science Fair.

o Not ALL Blue Ribbon winners at the IUSD Science Fair will be selected to participate in OCSEF.
o Red Ribbon winners at the IUSD Science Fair may be selected to participate in OCSEF.
o Honorable Mention winner will NOT be eligible to be selected to participate in OCSEF unless we

are unable to fill our 125 allocated entries from the Blue and Red Ribbon winners.
 Input from the student's science teacher.

Registration for OCSEF takes place on-line and is due:
Tuesday, March 8, 2016 - Senior Division
Sunday, March 13, 2016 - Junior Division
Please do not miss this deadline; it is much earlier than last year!
For details, please visit their website at: www.ocsef.org.

Registration in Practice Gym Irvine High School
Monday, February 23rd, 2015 4321 Walnut Avenue
3:00 PM – 6:30 PM Irvine CA, 92604

Awards Ceremony in Practice Gym Both student parking lots may be used
Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 for registration and the awards
1st Ceremony 6:00 – 6:45pm ceremonies. PLEASE DO NOT park in
2nd Ceremony 7:15 – 8:00pm any spaces marked for the City Pool in
the Front Parking Lot as you will be
BACK PARKING LOT cited/towed.

Awards Ceremony in Theatre
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2016
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

Registration in Practice Gym
Monday, February 22rd, 2016
3:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Escolar FRONT PARKING LOT

Limited Parking Spaces

Walnut Avenue