Venue
Pioneer High School 601 W. Stadium Blvd. Ann Arbor, MI
Date
April 20, 2024
8:00 am - 9:00 pm Doors open at 7:30 am
The big day is almost here! Before heading to the tournament, please review this guide. It has all the information you will need to help make the day a safe and enjoyable experience for all!
Tournament Logistics
TrafficUM’s spring football game has been scheduled for April 20th at noon. There will be a tremendous amount of traffic near Pioneer before and after the game. Please give yourself plenty of time to get to the tournament. We do not allow late arrivals to events!
Parking
Parking at Pioneer will be restricted to WESO attendees and Pioneer High School events. No football parking will be allowed. There will be security guards stationed at all entrances to enforce this from 8:00am to 2:00pm. In order to expedite entry into the parking lot, please display this parking pass in the front window of your car as you enter the parking lot.
The entrance to the primary parking lot is off S. Main Street (map, entrances 1- 4). The entrance from W. Stadium (map, 5) is to be used for drop-off only. Dropping off students is discouraged. If necessary, students should be dropped off with an adult or with an adult waiting to receive them. No unaccompanied students will be permitted to enter the building! Cars found to be parked in the drop-off area or in any no parking zone may be towed as parked cars may block fire lanes or present a safety hazard. There will not be any access to the main parking lot from the drop-off loop off of Stadium Blvd.
A high school tennis tournament will be taking place at Pioneer from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. The 7th Street entrance is only to be used by tennis tournament attendees. Do not use Pioneer High School Rd or any of the parking spaces off of that road.
Please respect handicap parking spaces. Parking can be challenging with such a large group gathering. Plan extra time and come with patience and courtesy in mind. Plan to arrive at Pioneer at least 30 minutes before the start of your first event to give time to find your school’s table and check into your event.
School TablesEach school will have a designated table in the main cafeteria. This is the first place families should go when they arrive at Pioneer. There is additional space in the courtyard adjacent to the cafeteria. Schools are welcome to bring tables, chairs, blankets, and tents to set up additional team space in this area.
Academic Event Check-inNote* There are no spectator events. You will not be able to accompany your child into the events area.
There are 2 Academic Event Check-in locations. Event Check-in #1 is located near the small gym to the right as you enter the building from the Main St. entrance. Event Check-in #2 is located past the cafeteria in the classroom section of the first floor.
Event Check-In #1 Event Check-In #2Mystery Architecture Aerodynamics
On Target Barge Building
Pentathlon Feathered Friends
Zip It The Human Machine
iCompute iRobot
Map Reading
The Plot Thickens Potions
Read It/Build It Write It/Build It
Student teams should arrive at the appropriate Academic Check-in area 10-15 minutes prior to the scheduled event start time. Check in your whole team at once if possible. Only registered students (wearing a wristband) will be allowed to check in. In order to avoid a large crowd at the check-in station, please designate one adult to escort your team to the area. Once the students have been dropped off, this person should leave the area.
Students will be escorted from the academic check-in area to their event competition area by volunteers. Students are expected to be in the competition rooms, ready to go at the event start time. Students who arrive at the academic check-in after the event has begun will not be admitted.
Event Exit LocationsAll students will exit the academic events areas after their event. Students with back-to-back (less than 15 minutes between two events) events will not be escorted directly to their second event. They must recheck-in for their next event at the appropriate check-in location. Please have an adult ready to meet your team as they exit keeping in mind that teams are often released prior to the event end time if they have finished early. There should be no unaccompanied students wandering the building!
Students will be directed out of the event area to the following exit locations:
Event Check-In #2 Staircase in lobby near the cafeteria entranceBarge Building Aerodynamics
The Human Machine Feathered Friends
iCompute Map Reading
iRobot The Plot Thickens
Potions Read It/Build It
Write It/Build It
Event Check-In #1 Hallway next to the auditoriumOn Target Mystery Architecture
Pentathlon Zip It
For safety reasons, we cannot allow anyone who is not participating in an academic event, or actively volunteering, to enter the academic hallways. This means that parents and coaches will not accompany students to their events. There are many adult volunteers and trained supervisors to help your students get where they are going. There will be signs and volunteers to help you identify public and off-limits areas of the school. Your cooperation is expected and appreciated.
Awards CeremoniesAwards ceremonies will be held in the main gym. The times are
2nd Grade: 11:30 am
3rd Grade: 2:30 pm
4th Grade: 5:30 pm
5th Grade: 8:30 pmCeremonies usually last about 45 minutes.
SeatingSchools will have their teams sit on the gym floor as a group. The school head coach(es) will sit with the students. A few event coaches may also sit in this area but we ask that you restrict the number of adults seated with your team as there is limited space and we want to prioritize seating for the students. Parents, siblings, and other guests should sit in the stands.
Banner ParadeAwards ceremonies begin with a banner parade. Please assign only two Olympians to carry your school banner. Have those students at the large gym 15 minutes before the start of the award ceremony so we can order them alphabetically by school. Banners should be 3 feet in length or less – larger banners do not fit in the designated aisles and create a safety hazard.
MedalsMedals will be presented to 1st – 5th place finishers for each event in each grade, plus 3 honorable mentions. Each competing student will receive a medal if their team places.
Teams to receive medals for an event will be called to the stage, and medal placements will be announced starting with honorable mentions, then places 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1.
The number of medals provided to a school for an event is equal to the maximum team size for that event. We cannot provide additional medals for students who are alternates for an event, or participated in practices, etc.
SportsmanshipStudents and parents are expected to exhibit outstanding sportsmanship during awards ceremonies, including listening to speakers, being respectful of each other, and celebrating the accomplishments of all schools, not just their own. Medals are an important part of WESO, but our ceremonies are designed primarily to celebrate science education and the progress all of our students have made in learning new and exciting STEM topics.
NoiseIt can get very loud in the gym at times, which makes it difficult to hear the speakers. You and your students can help this by listening quietly when someone is speaking and keeping noise to a minimum. Coaches and parents, it is up to you to monitor your students.
FoodNew this year! Food TrucksThere will be several food trucks located in the staff lot throughout the day. This is a new offering this year and we hope that it will be a success. Please keep in mind that there may be a line depending on their popularity.
Food & DrinksEach school is welcome to bring food and drinks to this year’s event. We do discourage outside food deliveries considering the traffic and parking limitations on this busy day.
Consumption of all food and drinks will be limited to the cafeteria or outdoors. This rule will be strictly enforced.
RaffleIn the cafeteria you will find our basket raffle tables. There are a variety of themed baskets that will be raffled off at the end of the day. Please participate and purchase some tickets! WESO relies on raffle ticket sales to support the tournament. Raffle tickets are 1 ticket for $5, 3 tickets for $10, and 7 tickets for $20. The drawings will take place at 7:00 pm in the cafeteria. You do not need to be present to win a drawing.
Donated raffle baskets should be dropped off in the cafeteria on Friday evening. Please be sure to submit a list of items in the basket along with the name of the school.
Open EventsOpen Events are located in the cafeteria. We will have exploratory stations in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Math, Technology, and more, as well as representatives from a variety of local groups. This year we are happy to welcome back the Great Maker Race! All children (WESO participants, siblings, friends, etc.) are welcome to participate in Open Events. We hope the students find the events fun and informative. Open Events will be open until 7:00 pm.
T-shirts and IdentificationWESO uses t-shirts of various styles to make identification of participating students, supervisors, board members, and coaches as easy as possible.
StudentsAll team members should wear their school’s t-shirt and have a name tag that identifies them by first name, grade level, and the names and start/end times for each event they are participating in. Handwritten name tags are fine.
School Head Coaches, Event Coaches, and ParentsThese adults may wish to wear a t-shirt that is the same as the student t-shirt for their school. It is a great way to show school spirit. Otherwise, adults may dress as they wish.
WESO Board MembersBoard members will be wearing multi-colored tie-dye t-shirts, and lanyards with name tags. These t-shirts have the WESO Owl logo on the upper left. There is usually a board member in the gym area, another in the cafeteria, and one in the academic hallway. If you can’t find one, visit the Volunteer
Check-in table outside the cafeteria, and they will help you locate someone.
Supervisors and Key VolunteersSupervisors and Key Volunteers have been recruited from WESO schools and the community, and are given special training to help run certain areas of the tournament. They can be found at several areas of the building, including Open Events, Volunteer Check-in, and Academic Check-in. Many supervisors work behind the scenes running the events. They will be wearing purple swirl t-shirts with an owl on the top left. Feel free to ask them for help and advice as you navigate the building and the tournament schedule.
VolunteersVolunteers should check in at the Volunteer Check-in Table, located outside the cafeteria, 10 minutes before their assigned time. Come early! There will be football traffic that day! You will be required to wear a special name tag if you are working at an academic event or in the academic wing. For safety reasons, only assigned volunteers are allowed in the academic event hallways. Please remember, children are not permitted to accompany you while you fulfill your volunteer shift.
Student Registrations and WaiverOnly registered participants will be given a wristband and allowed to enter the event area. If you have a child who needs to do a last-minute registration, please come to the volunteer check-in table. A parent or guardian must be present to fill out the form. Keep in mind that this will take additional time so plan accordingly.
SafetyWe are anticipating thousands of students, parents, and coaches, and need everyone's cooperation to maintain safety and security throughout the building. Security guards will be present both inside the building and outside, in the parking lots and throughout the tournament. Security is everyone’s responsibility. Please monitor your children! Children should not be left unattended or allowed to room about the school grounds unaccompanied. Be mindful that there is a great deal of traffic flow all day long. If you have a security concern, please contact a board member, security guard or go to the Information table.
Call 911 in case of a life-threatening medical emergency.
First Aid kits are available at the Volunteer Check-In table and the Academic Check-in locations. Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are available at various locations in the school. Check the maps in the hallways for locations.
Indoor SafetyAll event spaces will have several adults present. It is WESO’s policy that students are never left alone. Teams are escorted to their event rooms by adult volunteers. When a team has completed their testing, they will be released by the Event Supervisor. Adult volunteers will be posted throughout the hallways to direct students to the proper exit. Additional signage is also present to assist students in exiting.
Many areas of Pioneer High School are off limits to WESO participants and guests. Please stay out of any areas that have “Caution” tape or are marked “Do Not Enter.” Do not open any locked exterior doors, and do not go beneath the bleachers in the large gym.
As with every WESO competition, there will be security guards present from Great Lakes Security (used by AAPS) both inside and outside the building. In addition, the Ann Arbor Police Department has been notified of our event. In the event of an emergency, all event supervisors have been instructed to follow posted emergency instructions located in each classroom.
Outdoor SafetyPlease see the attached map for detailed parking and entrance information. Some driveways will be closed to eliminate traffic in high pedestrian areas. Please be mindful of the large number of children moving around the Pioneer campus as you navigate the area.
Miscellaneous TopicsConcerns or questions about an eventAny concerns or questions regarding a specific event should be brought to head coaches first. Head coaches may then submit concerns at the Volunteer Check-in table and an appropriate WESO board member will be contacted. Please remember that Event Supervisors have authority over scoring their events, including resolving ties. They will answer questions from student participants before the event begins. If you (parent or coach) have a concern, take your concern to your school’s head coach who should direct it to a WESO board member.
All other concerns may be brought directly to any of the WESO Board Members or to the Volunteer Check-in table.
WiFiThere is a public WiFi connection in the school, but due to the large number of people who will be there during the day, do not expect fast connections. WESO is not responsible for the WiFi, and cannot help with connection or device problems.
SponsorsWESO is supported by numerous local sponsors, without whom the tournament would not be possible. Sponsors have given grants, made donations, provided volunteers, prepared and taught workshops, or made other contributions of their time and talent. Take a moment to check out the “Thank you!” posters in the hallways and thank our sponsors if you get a chance. Where possible, please support the businesses that support WESO. Representatives of sponsor companies will be recognized at the ceremonies, and may help distribute medals.
Interested in learning more about our sponsorship opportunities? Learn more here: WESO Sponsorship
Pioneer High School 601 W. Stadium Blvd. Ann Arbor, MI
Date
April 20, 2024
8:00 am - 9:00 pm Doors open at 7:30 am
The big day is almost here! Before heading to the tournament, please review this guide. It has all the information you will need to help make the day a safe and enjoyable experience for all!
Tournament Logistics
TrafficUM’s spring football game has been scheduled for April 20th at noon. There will be a tremendous amount of traffic near Pioneer before and after the game. Please give yourself plenty of time to get to the tournament. We do not allow late arrivals to events!
Parking
Parking at Pioneer will be restricted to WESO attendees and Pioneer High School events. No football parking will be allowed. There will be security guards stationed at all entrances to enforce this from 8:00am to 2:00pm. In order to expedite entry into the parking lot, please display this parking pass in the front window of your car as you enter the parking lot.
The entrance to the primary parking lot is off S. Main Street (map, entrances 1- 4). The entrance from W. Stadium (map, 5) is to be used for drop-off only. Dropping off students is discouraged. If necessary, students should be dropped off with an adult or with an adult waiting to receive them. No unaccompanied students will be permitted to enter the building! Cars found to be parked in the drop-off area or in any no parking zone may be towed as parked cars may block fire lanes or present a safety hazard. There will not be any access to the main parking lot from the drop-off loop off of Stadium Blvd.
A high school tennis tournament will be taking place at Pioneer from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. The 7th Street entrance is only to be used by tennis tournament attendees. Do not use Pioneer High School Rd or any of the parking spaces off of that road.
Please respect handicap parking spaces. Parking can be challenging with such a large group gathering. Plan extra time and come with patience and courtesy in mind. Plan to arrive at Pioneer at least 30 minutes before the start of your first event to give time to find your school’s table and check into your event.
School TablesEach school will have a designated table in the main cafeteria. This is the first place families should go when they arrive at Pioneer. There is additional space in the courtyard adjacent to the cafeteria. Schools are welcome to bring tables, chairs, blankets, and tents to set up additional team space in this area.
Academic Event Check-inNote* There are no spectator events. You will not be able to accompany your child into the events area.
There are 2 Academic Event Check-in locations. Event Check-in #1 is located near the small gym to the right as you enter the building from the Main St. entrance. Event Check-in #2 is located past the cafeteria in the classroom section of the first floor.
Event Check-In #1 Event Check-In #2Mystery Architecture Aerodynamics
On Target Barge Building
Pentathlon Feathered Friends
Zip It The Human Machine
iCompute iRobot
Map Reading
The Plot Thickens Potions
Read It/Build It Write It/Build It
Student teams should arrive at the appropriate Academic Check-in area 10-15 minutes prior to the scheduled event start time. Check in your whole team at once if possible. Only registered students (wearing a wristband) will be allowed to check in. In order to avoid a large crowd at the check-in station, please designate one adult to escort your team to the area. Once the students have been dropped off, this person should leave the area.
Students will be escorted from the academic check-in area to their event competition area by volunteers. Students are expected to be in the competition rooms, ready to go at the event start time. Students who arrive at the academic check-in after the event has begun will not be admitted.
Event Exit LocationsAll students will exit the academic events areas after their event. Students with back-to-back (less than 15 minutes between two events) events will not be escorted directly to their second event. They must recheck-in for their next event at the appropriate check-in location. Please have an adult ready to meet your team as they exit keeping in mind that teams are often released prior to the event end time if they have finished early. There should be no unaccompanied students wandering the building!
Students will be directed out of the event area to the following exit locations:
Event Check-In #2 Staircase in lobby near the cafeteria entranceBarge Building Aerodynamics
The Human Machine Feathered Friends
iCompute Map Reading
iRobot The Plot Thickens
Potions Read It/Build It
Write It/Build It
Event Check-In #1 Hallway next to the auditoriumOn Target Mystery Architecture
Pentathlon Zip It
For safety reasons, we cannot allow anyone who is not participating in an academic event, or actively volunteering, to enter the academic hallways. This means that parents and coaches will not accompany students to their events. There are many adult volunteers and trained supervisors to help your students get where they are going. There will be signs and volunteers to help you identify public and off-limits areas of the school. Your cooperation is expected and appreciated.
Awards CeremoniesAwards ceremonies will be held in the main gym. The times are
2nd Grade: 11:30 am
3rd Grade: 2:30 pm
4th Grade: 5:30 pm
5th Grade: 8:30 pmCeremonies usually last about 45 minutes.
SeatingSchools will have their teams sit on the gym floor as a group. The school head coach(es) will sit with the students. A few event coaches may also sit in this area but we ask that you restrict the number of adults seated with your team as there is limited space and we want to prioritize seating for the students. Parents, siblings, and other guests should sit in the stands.
Banner ParadeAwards ceremonies begin with a banner parade. Please assign only two Olympians to carry your school banner. Have those students at the large gym 15 minutes before the start of the award ceremony so we can order them alphabetically by school. Banners should be 3 feet in length or less – larger banners do not fit in the designated aisles and create a safety hazard.
MedalsMedals will be presented to 1st – 5th place finishers for each event in each grade, plus 3 honorable mentions. Each competing student will receive a medal if their team places.
Teams to receive medals for an event will be called to the stage, and medal placements will be announced starting with honorable mentions, then places 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1.
The number of medals provided to a school for an event is equal to the maximum team size for that event. We cannot provide additional medals for students who are alternates for an event, or participated in practices, etc.
SportsmanshipStudents and parents are expected to exhibit outstanding sportsmanship during awards ceremonies, including listening to speakers, being respectful of each other, and celebrating the accomplishments of all schools, not just their own. Medals are an important part of WESO, but our ceremonies are designed primarily to celebrate science education and the progress all of our students have made in learning new and exciting STEM topics.
NoiseIt can get very loud in the gym at times, which makes it difficult to hear the speakers. You and your students can help this by listening quietly when someone is speaking and keeping noise to a minimum. Coaches and parents, it is up to you to monitor your students.
FoodNew this year! Food TrucksThere will be several food trucks located in the staff lot throughout the day. This is a new offering this year and we hope that it will be a success. Please keep in mind that there may be a line depending on their popularity.
- Bear Claw Coffee (https://www.bearclawcoffee.com/) 8:00 to 5:30
- Simply Spanish (https://www.facebook.com/simplyspanisha2/) 11:00 to 3:00
- Tacos El Mariachi Loco 10:00 to 8:00
- Shimmy Shack (https://shimmyshack.com/) 4:00 to 7:00
- Kona Ice (www.facebook.com/KonaIceWWC) 10:00 to 5:30
Food & DrinksEach school is welcome to bring food and drinks to this year’s event. We do discourage outside food deliveries considering the traffic and parking limitations on this busy day.
Consumption of all food and drinks will be limited to the cafeteria or outdoors. This rule will be strictly enforced.
RaffleIn the cafeteria you will find our basket raffle tables. There are a variety of themed baskets that will be raffled off at the end of the day. Please participate and purchase some tickets! WESO relies on raffle ticket sales to support the tournament. Raffle tickets are 1 ticket for $5, 3 tickets for $10, and 7 tickets for $20. The drawings will take place at 7:00 pm in the cafeteria. You do not need to be present to win a drawing.
Donated raffle baskets should be dropped off in the cafeteria on Friday evening. Please be sure to submit a list of items in the basket along with the name of the school.
Open EventsOpen Events are located in the cafeteria. We will have exploratory stations in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Math, Technology, and more, as well as representatives from a variety of local groups. This year we are happy to welcome back the Great Maker Race! All children (WESO participants, siblings, friends, etc.) are welcome to participate in Open Events. We hope the students find the events fun and informative. Open Events will be open until 7:00 pm.
T-shirts and IdentificationWESO uses t-shirts of various styles to make identification of participating students, supervisors, board members, and coaches as easy as possible.
StudentsAll team members should wear their school’s t-shirt and have a name tag that identifies them by first name, grade level, and the names and start/end times for each event they are participating in. Handwritten name tags are fine.
School Head Coaches, Event Coaches, and ParentsThese adults may wish to wear a t-shirt that is the same as the student t-shirt for their school. It is a great way to show school spirit. Otherwise, adults may dress as they wish.
WESO Board MembersBoard members will be wearing multi-colored tie-dye t-shirts, and lanyards with name tags. These t-shirts have the WESO Owl logo on the upper left. There is usually a board member in the gym area, another in the cafeteria, and one in the academic hallway. If you can’t find one, visit the Volunteer
Check-in table outside the cafeteria, and they will help you locate someone.
Supervisors and Key VolunteersSupervisors and Key Volunteers have been recruited from WESO schools and the community, and are given special training to help run certain areas of the tournament. They can be found at several areas of the building, including Open Events, Volunteer Check-in, and Academic Check-in. Many supervisors work behind the scenes running the events. They will be wearing purple swirl t-shirts with an owl on the top left. Feel free to ask them for help and advice as you navigate the building and the tournament schedule.
VolunteersVolunteers should check in at the Volunteer Check-in Table, located outside the cafeteria, 10 minutes before their assigned time. Come early! There will be football traffic that day! You will be required to wear a special name tag if you are working at an academic event or in the academic wing. For safety reasons, only assigned volunteers are allowed in the academic event hallways. Please remember, children are not permitted to accompany you while you fulfill your volunteer shift.
Student Registrations and WaiverOnly registered participants will be given a wristband and allowed to enter the event area. If you have a child who needs to do a last-minute registration, please come to the volunteer check-in table. A parent or guardian must be present to fill out the form. Keep in mind that this will take additional time so plan accordingly.
SafetyWe are anticipating thousands of students, parents, and coaches, and need everyone's cooperation to maintain safety and security throughout the building. Security guards will be present both inside the building and outside, in the parking lots and throughout the tournament. Security is everyone’s responsibility. Please monitor your children! Children should not be left unattended or allowed to room about the school grounds unaccompanied. Be mindful that there is a great deal of traffic flow all day long. If you have a security concern, please contact a board member, security guard or go to the Information table.
Call 911 in case of a life-threatening medical emergency.
First Aid kits are available at the Volunteer Check-In table and the Academic Check-in locations. Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are available at various locations in the school. Check the maps in the hallways for locations.
Indoor SafetyAll event spaces will have several adults present. It is WESO’s policy that students are never left alone. Teams are escorted to their event rooms by adult volunteers. When a team has completed their testing, they will be released by the Event Supervisor. Adult volunteers will be posted throughout the hallways to direct students to the proper exit. Additional signage is also present to assist students in exiting.
Many areas of Pioneer High School are off limits to WESO participants and guests. Please stay out of any areas that have “Caution” tape or are marked “Do Not Enter.” Do not open any locked exterior doors, and do not go beneath the bleachers in the large gym.
As with every WESO competition, there will be security guards present from Great Lakes Security (used by AAPS) both inside and outside the building. In addition, the Ann Arbor Police Department has been notified of our event. In the event of an emergency, all event supervisors have been instructed to follow posted emergency instructions located in each classroom.
Outdoor SafetyPlease see the attached map for detailed parking and entrance information. Some driveways will be closed to eliminate traffic in high pedestrian areas. Please be mindful of the large number of children moving around the Pioneer campus as you navigate the area.
Miscellaneous TopicsConcerns or questions about an eventAny concerns or questions regarding a specific event should be brought to head coaches first. Head coaches may then submit concerns at the Volunteer Check-in table and an appropriate WESO board member will be contacted. Please remember that Event Supervisors have authority over scoring their events, including resolving ties. They will answer questions from student participants before the event begins. If you (parent or coach) have a concern, take your concern to your school’s head coach who should direct it to a WESO board member.
All other concerns may be brought directly to any of the WESO Board Members or to the Volunteer Check-in table.
WiFiThere is a public WiFi connection in the school, but due to the large number of people who will be there during the day, do not expect fast connections. WESO is not responsible for the WiFi, and cannot help with connection or device problems.
SponsorsWESO is supported by numerous local sponsors, without whom the tournament would not be possible. Sponsors have given grants, made donations, provided volunteers, prepared and taught workshops, or made other contributions of their time and talent. Take a moment to check out the “Thank you!” posters in the hallways and thank our sponsors if you get a chance. Where possible, please support the businesses that support WESO. Representatives of sponsor companies will be recognized at the ceremonies, and may help distribute medals.
Interested in learning more about our sponsorship opportunities? Learn more here: WESO Sponsorship