NoVA MATH TOURNAMENT: SHMS PTO will be organizing the NOVA Math Tournament for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders.
The event is scheduled for May 3rd, 2026, so please save the date.
More information, including registration details, will be shared as we get closer to the competition.
Date : Sunday, May 03, 2026
Time : 9am - 330pm
Location : 23415 Evergreen Ridge Drive,
Ashburn, VA 20148
It is required to make the payment for your team during the registration process. Any questions please email vp-initiatives@shmspto.org.
Cost: $250 per team of 5 members
NoVA Math Tournament 2026 - Rules
Sponsored by Stone Hill Middle School PTO
Thank you for participating in the NoVA Math Tournament 2026. We are excited to spend a day, celebrating competitive mathematics with your teams! Please carefully review the points below and share the same with your teams. Following the points below will help make your tournament day go smoothly.
Arrival / Parking
SHMS has ample parking spaces in the front of the school and on the left side. Please use the front door entrance to enter the school. There will be signs placed near the front entrance door to guide you.
Check-In / Coach Packet
Please remember to check in your team at the check-in tables located near the front door after you enter. The check-in time is between 8:30 am and 9:00 am. Upon checking in, each Coach will receive a Coach Packet with: Participant Name Tags, Food Coupons, and Drink Coupons. Coaches are advised to check-in only when their entire team is present to avoid any delayed and waiting. Any teams who don’t have all team members or won’t have a coach won’t be allowed to check-in until everyone is present. Each team is advised to have an assistant coach as a back-up incase the team coach isn’t able to make it for the tournament.
Name Tags
Please make sure that each student always wears a name tag during the tournament. Name Tags will make identification and scoring much easier. Each team will be provided with Name Tags for the participants in the Team Packet.
Food Coupons / Drink Coupons
Please hold onto your team’s Food Coupons and Drink Coupons provided in your Team Packet. Drink coupons can be redeemed anytime for water bottles in the concession stand. Food Coupons can be redeemed for Large Cheese Pizzas during the lunch break. A concession stand with snacks and drinks will be available for purchase.
Tournament Guidelines
Team tables will be set up so that students from a team can sit together. Students should pay close attention to the Head Proctor and be sure to follow the Tournament rules outlined below:
1. Test papers should remain faced down until the Head Proctor says that students can turn them over.
2. Pencils should be down until the Head Proctor says that students can pick them up.
3. The Head Proctor will read out the problems (while pencils are down) for each round. Students should read along silently as the Head Proctor reads them aloud.
4. The Head Proctor will indicate that students can pick up their pencils and the testing time will begin.
5. Once the testing begins, the Table Proctors cannot answer any questions (e.g., asking what a term
means or asking to clarify a question).
6. The Head Proctor will announce when there are 15 min, 3 minutes, and 30 seconds remaining during
each of the rounds.
7.Coaches must share the tournament rules and guidelines with the team members.
8.When the time is up, students should make sure to put their pencils down immediately while the Table
Proctors collect test papers, answer sheets, and scratch papers.
9. During the Individual Round, please advise the students that no one should talk. All
students are required to use privacy folders so the papers are always covered.
10. Students need to bring ready-to-use pencils and erasers. No sharpeners will be provided. Scratch
paper will be provided. No calculators are allowed.
Note: Coaches, we request you to please advise your team members to stay positive between the rounds. It helps to remind the students that the tournament problems are designed to be challenging and that they should do their best.
Schedule (subject to change)
8:30 am – Team Check-in (8:30 - 9:00) - SHMS Front Entrance Door (Signs placed)
9:00 am – Welcome to the Tournament / Announcements
=== Individual Round ===
9:15 am – Instructions for Individual Round
9:30 am – Testing Begins: 10 problems solved individually, 30 minutes.
10:00 am – Testing Ends: Collection of test papers, scoresheets, and scratch papers
=== Team Round ===
10:30 am – Instructions for Team Round
10:45 am – Testing Begins: 10 problems solved cooperatively, 30 minutes.
[Note: SHMS PTO Board has decided to extend team round duration from 20 min to 30 min to give teams extra time to do the problems]
11:15 am – Testing Ends: Collection of test papers, scoresheets, and scratch papers
=== Lunch Break (11:30 am - 12:30 pm) ===
(12:30 pm) – Tiebreaker Round (only if necessary)
=== Award Ceremony ===
Trophies / Certificates for Top 3 Individuals and Teams of each grade (if no tiebreaker contest)
12:30 pm (if no tiebreaker) OR 12:45 pm if tiebreaker is needed.
Note: All parents can wait in the SHMS Auditorium while testing is in progress. Testing will be conducted in the Tournament Hall (SHMS Cafeteria). Restrooms and water stations are centrally located in the hallway between the auditorium and the cafeteria.
Emergency
We will not have a nurse on duty. In case of an emergency, we will contact the Team Coach. It is imperative
that the Coach or an adult team representative be always present at the school premises. Coaches/Team
Representatives are responsible for their team members at all times.
Scores / Solutions
The Individual Round and Team Round score spreadsheets will be emailed to the Coaches within a few days after the tournament. The tournament questions and solutions will be emailed to the Coaches after all other tournaments are completed in late May / early June.
We hope everyone will have a wonderful tournament experience!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I register first without having identified all 5 members on the team?
Yes. You can pay the registration fee first and update the registration information later by adding or
substituting team members until April 15th, 2026.
Do all students in a team have to be from the same school?
No. A team can comprise of students from different schools.
Can a team have fewer than 5 team members?
Yes. However, having full 5 team members is highly recommended because teams with less than 5
members will generally be at a disadvantage. Having more members working together in Team Round
typically helps, and Individual Subscores of all team members from Individual Round contribute to Final
Team Score.
Can a team have a 5th grade students?
Yes. However, it will be based exception basis – PTO board will review individual case and approve it
on case by case basis.
Is there a limit to how many teams are allowed per Coach or school?
No. Coaches and schools can register as many as teams as they want. In case of multiple teams under
a single Coach, we recommend designating Assistant Coaches.
What if I can’t form a team?
Please first try contacting your student’s friends, teachers, school admins, and PTA/PTO to see if there
are other students who may be interested in joining your student(s) to form a team. Individual
Registration is available for students who are unable to form a team but would like to participate.
Coordinators Team will group Individual Registrants into teams on a best-efforts basis.
Can I see sample tournament problems before registering?
No. We definitely understand that you may want to check the past tournament problems to gauge the
type and difficulty level of the tournament questions, but unfortunately, MOEMS does not permit sharing
the past tournament problems as samples prior to registration.
Does a student have to stay for the whole day?
No. While we strongly encourage all participants to stay for the whole duration of the tournament, we do
understand that some participants may have other obligations in the afternoon. Students should at least
complete the 2 main rounds (Individual Round & Team Round). Please refer to the sample schedule for
the anticipated timeline of the tournament components.
How does Team Round work?
Team members work cooperatively during Team Round. The team members are free to talk and
discuss the problems. All team members will be provided with each have one question sheet, but each
team will have only one answer sheet to submit.
Can we buy lunch?
Food and Drink Coupons are included for receiving complimentary large pizza and water bottles during
the lunch break. You may also bring your own lunch. Additional pizza slices and concessions will be
available for purchase.
What is the last day of registration?
April 15 2026
Thank you.
VP Initiatives
(On behalf of SHMS PTO Board)
2025-26 School Year