For the last decade, the new year has ushered in one of the busiest times of the year for Marycaye Dover.

January is when the West Valley sixth-grade science teacher begins gearing up for the annual Flathead County Science Fair in March. Dover has helped run and organize the fair for 11 years.

During that time, the fair has grown from a small event at Deer Park School to a huge countywide school event. Last year’s fair featured entries from more than 250 students, enough to crowd West Valley School’s full-sized gymnasium with tables, kids and display boards.

It’s a lot of work to organize, but for Dover, it’s worth the effort.

“Science is definitely my passion,” she said.

She suspects her passion stems from growing up in Long Island, N.Y., and spending summers at the ocean.

“As I child I was always outside. It was not the city; there were trees to climb and beaches to explore,” Dover said.

Her love of the outdoors and a pull toward the mountains and wilderness brought Dover to Montana.

After graduating a semester early from high school, Dover headed west. When she reached Missoula and the University of Montana, she knew she wanted to go to school there.

She started out as a biology major, then changed to nutrition. She worked for a while as a travel agent, then went to work for a health food store in New York.

But she couldn’t escape her calling.

“My mom always told me I’d be a teacher,” Dover said, explaining that her mother and grandfather both were teachers. “She was right.”

Dover earned a degree in education from UM in 1996 and has been teaching sixth-graders at West Valley School ever since.

“I really love them,” she said of her students. “They have one foot in elementary and one foot in middle school.”

In addition to science, Dover teaches social studies. Exploring other cultures is another of her passions.

She has traveled to Greece, the Netherlands, France and Ireland. In June 2007, Dover received a Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund award and went to Japan.

She said she strives to model a positive example for her students. She brings healthy snacks and encourages her students to be active. She also urges them to challenge themselves, particularly when the science fair rolls around.

“If [their experiment] is too easy, I tell them it’s too easy,” she said.

“I let students know what I expect. I model that, demonstrate it. And they perform within the parameters.”

Preparing for the science fair teaches students about more than just science, Dover said.

“They learn how to be resourceful, independent and really understand the scientific process,” she said.

Dover said she has learned over the years how to help her students be successful at the fair.

She breaks down the process so her sixth-graders aren’t overwhelmed by the enormity of all they have to do. She makes sure their parents are on board with experiments that might leave petri dishes full of bacteria all over the house.

Perhaps most importantly, she helps her students see the fair as more than just another assignment.

“I want students to be excited about it,” she said. “I want it to be a ‘wow’ instead of a task that’s boring,” she said.

Modeling that “wow factor” helps her convey that message, she said.

“I definitely bring a lot of enthusiasm to it. It’s OK if they think I’m a little crazy,” she said.

Her husband, Randy Jakes, shares her enthusiasm. He teaches seventh- and eighth-grade science across the valley at Helena Flats School.

“We pick each others’ brains,” Dover said. “We have a lot of fun with that.”

The science fair isn’t just for students who already are academically minded, Dover said. “I know there’s something for all to find.”

She recalled a student in last year’s class she had trouble motivating. She and the student would stay after school to work on a project for the fair that involved separating the hydrogen and oxygen atoms in water.

Her decision to invest extra time and effort into the student turned out to be “very valuable for him to see, wow, I can do this,” Dover said.

That’s the message she wants her students to learn, she added.

“I tell all my students, nobody will fail,” she said. “Even if I have to stay on Saturday, you will be successful. I’ve never had anybody not show up to the West Valley Science Fair.”

Additional information about the county science fair is available on the West Valley School Web site, www.westvalleyschool.com.

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com.