2018 Kickoff Agenda, Forms to Bring to Kickoff, Training Planning, Maps, Turtles, T-Shirts,
Possible VERIZON Grant (40%+ FRL Schools), October Event preview
Build a robot in six weeks; inspire a youth for a lifetime

2018 Teacher-Mentor Newsletter Number 4 Kickoff Details
Greetings Rocky Mountain BEST   2018 Teachers and Mentors! 

We're looking forward to seeing you and your students at our 2018 Kickoff on Saturday -15 September at:  

STRIVE Prep - RISE School at  18250 E 51st Ave, Denver, CO 80249

Included in this email are the following 4 sections. 
  1. Kickoff Agenda - Current Draft - minor changes may occur
  2. Kickoff Procedures-Kickoff Preparation and the day of Kickoff directions
  3. Looking Forward to Practice and Game Day -Reminder of dates and preparation. Also includes optional BEST Award dates.
  4. Rocky Mountain BEST Robotics Schools -We currently have 29 schools registered and are excited to see you and your students at Kickoff.
2018 Rocky Mountain BEST Kickoff Agenda

 12:00 AM  Food Truck and concessions available
 12:00 PM Teacher/Mentor Team Registration 
 12:00 - 12:45 PM Kit Pickup (early) - only 2 team members pick up please
  1:00 PM   Welcome
        1:15 PM   Introductions: Recognize Sponsors & Volunteers, School Roll Call 
        1:25 PM  Awards & Judging Overview
        1:30 PM  Rules Overview & Season Reminders
        1:35 PM  2018 CURRENT EVENTS Game and Game Protobot Demo 
  1:50 - 2:10 PM  Game Floor Available for Photos and Videos
  2:00 - 4:00 PM Kit Pickup - only 2 team members pick up please
  2:15 - 3:15 PM Breakout Training Sessions  
          NOTE: 
Intro to RobotC ends at ~4 
PM
 


Room   #
Presentation
Tickets
167
Robot Kit & Rules
4
no ticket
159
Intro to Engineering Notebook
2
152
The BEST Award Competition
2
160
Intro to Simulink Programming
2
161 Teacher / Mentor Tips (Teachers and Mentor only)
2
151
Intro to BEST Control Systems
2
163
Intro to easyC V6 Programming (PLUS second session at 3:20 PM - 4:20 PM)
1
164
Intro to RobotC Programming (end at ~ 4:00 PM)
1
GYM
Robot Design and Construction Tips
n/a

     3:20 - 4:20 PM Intro to easyC V6 Programming SECOND Session
     3:20 - 3:50 PM Q&A
     4:20 PM Intro to easyC V6 Programming - Second Session END
Looking Ahead to Kickoff  
STRIVE Prep - RISE on 15 September
 
Pre-Kickoff Procedures
  1. BEST Robotics Inc Instructions on Team activities prior to Kickoff:   We received these instructions from BEST Robotics today in response to a teacher questions:  ... 
    the intent is that no construction (robot, field, exhibit) should occur before the local hub kickoff. There are no other restrictions on the teams.
  2. Free Software: The software access instructions for each team was sent to the teachers / mentor on Eventbrite.  Please contact Lois Walton   Lois.Walton@bestinc.org    if you have questions.
  3. Training Session Planning: (Reference Agenda above) After the Kickoff introduction and revelation of the game there will  an hour of breakout training sessions. You will be given the listed tickets for attendees for each of the sessions with  Robot Design & Construction Tips session in the gym having no limit to participation and thus no tickets.  To help you plan who will attend the training sessions, we created an overview description of each training session and provide  this optional  training session planning sheet for you to organize your team. Here is a  Training session location map. to find your way around the school.    
  4. Game Field Pieces:  RM BEST is providing each team a rubber ducky and 6 practice golf balls in your consumable kit.   3D Turtle Printing - For Teams:  
    Your team can order Turtles for this year's Current Events game in the case they do not have a 3D printer or want to try printing it themselves. Auburn SCORE team will fulfill orders within about 3 days of receiving payment. Cost will be $10 plus shipping per turtle with max of 4 turtles per team. Unfortunately, they can only accept checks so placing orders earlier will be better to ensure a quick turnaround time.  Use https://aub.ie/turtles for more information.  
  5. Current Events Game Reveal  The national BEST Robotics Universal Game Reveal occurred on YouTube on 25 August as pa rt of our 25th Anniversary Celebration of BEST Robotics.  Here are links to material made available as part of that reveal.
  6. bESTology Link:  bESTology is a resource for schools (teams) participating in the nationwide BEST Robotics Program to learn educational and workforce development concepts revolving around the 2018 game - Current Events!   
  7. Student Laptops Software Install - if possible, it would be helpful to have your students attending the easyC and RobotC and SIMULINK training classes to bring a laptop with the applicable software loaded.  Use your software access instructions and previously supplied password for links to access the software.  If you are having issues, please reply to this email.  Additional easyCV6 Install Instructions
  8. T-Shirt Purchase Opportunity:  Artistic Apparel is providing for teams custom T-Shirts at $10.25 / shirt as a fundraiser for Rocky Mountain BEST. 
     
  9. Forms to Bring :  Please have the following forms completed and ready to turn in at registration on 15 September: 
Kickoff Procedures 
  1. Directions: Kickoff is on Saturday 15 September at STRIVE Prep - RISE located at  18250 E 51st Ave, Denver, CO 80249.   Please click here for map.  
  2. Participation: The Kickoff presentation starts promptly at 1:00 PM for students and teachers/mentors. Teachers/mentors need to arrive at 12:00 PM to register their teams. Unless you have made prior arrangements, you are not able to participate in the robot competition unless you are at Kickoff. Please email 
    Linda.King@bestinc.org  by 10 September if you need to make other arrangements. 
  3. Food Available:   A Taco Food Truck will be available from 12 PM - 1 PM to purchase food and drink.   Also STRIVE Prep - RISE team of scholars will be selling concessions during this time in the Cafeteria.
  4. Kit Transportation: Since you will be issued the materials and electronics for your robot at Kickoff, you'll need to bring a vehicle capable of carrying two totes (Blue Totes: 27" X 17" X 13"; Red Totes: 15" X 11" X 9"), 3- 2'x4' plywood sheets and a 5' long PVC tube. We recommend a pick-up or an SUV/van with fold down seats.
  5. Kits: Do not forget to obtain your Consumable and Returnable Kit tote boxes and raw materials BEFORE you leave the school at the conclusion of Kickoff. 
  6. Dropbox Instructions:  Within a week after Kickoff, the team's Eventbrite teacher or mentor will receive an email via Dropbox with an invitation to share their school's Dropbox folder.  Click this link for Dropbox instructions.  Teams must post their Demographics sheet and Engineering Notebook pdf file (one FILE) to their 2018 Dropbox folder by 9 AM on 20 October - Practice Day.
  7. Help Wanted: We would like to collect testimonials about BEST experiences from students and teachers. We would use the testimonials in presentations and promotions for RM BEST. Please send them to Lois Walton at   Lois.Walton@bestinc.org
  8. Training Material:   All of the training presentations will be posted at on the 2018 TMI Page on our website after Kickoff. We will also provide a thumb drive with all relevant files in the teacher packet at Kickoff, including all breakout session training presentations. 
  9. Advanced Training Materials:   
    We are pulling a few advanced training presentations (including advanced Tools, EasyC, Engineering Notebook, Engineering Design Process, Cardboard Prototyping) from 2017 Teacher Mentor Institute (TMI) and 2018 TMI
    and Dallas BEST Summer Programs.  We will post these file on the 2018 TMI Page on our website after Kickoff.
  10.  Respecting School Property:  Food and drink are only allowed outdoors and in the Cafeteria with bottles and liquid containers with lids allowed outside of these areas.
2016 Kickoff Gym Stevens Crop Low

Possible Verizon Foundation Grant
40% of YOUR School Population MUST be Enrolled in Free and Reduced Lunch (FRL) Programs to Qualify

Rocky Mountain BEST is excited to announce we received an invitation to APPLY for a grant from Verizon Foundation.  

To qualify for this POSSIBLE funding, complete all questions and submit your application using this link no later than Monday  17 September 2018. Estimate 10 - 15 minutes to complete. We will contact you when we learn IF we have been awarded the grant.

IF AWARDED, Verizon Foundation funding will be provided to qualified Colorado BEST Hub competing middle & high schools with more than 40% of your school's student population enrolled in Free & Reduced Lunch (FRL) programs. This support is intended to remove obstacles that keep your school from participating in the competition & also provide resources to increase your team's competition proficiency.  The award would be equally distributed to the qualifying schools at an estimated $100 - $200 / school.
 
Thanks to Verizon for inviting us to apply for this grant to provide to Colorado BEST 2018 qualified schools. We are also working with Verizon to involve their employees in CURRENT EVENTS competition. We are delighted to have this opportunity to partner with Verizon to bring the benefits of BEST participation to more Colorado BEST Hub competing teams.
Next Events: Practice Day in 5 Weeks & Game Day in 6 Weeks
Help Your Students Manage Their Time to Be Successful

As a reminder, here are the upcoming Rocky Mountain BEST key dates:

BEST Award (Optional Participation) Dates:
  • Starting 17 Sept at noon each BEST Award team must sign up for a Marketing  Presentation time slot on 20 October.  http://signup.com/go/DchKoZM  Last day to select your Marketing Presentation time slot from remaining slots is 1 October.  
  • Starting 17 Sept  at noon each BEST Award team must sign up for an Exhibit and Interviews time slot on 27 October. http://signup.com/go/uuURZRS  Last day to select your Exhibit and Interviews time slot from remaining slots is 1 October. Optional exhibit setup time at 7 PM on Friday, 26 October. 
Practice Day will be held on Saturday, 20 October at STRIVE Prep - RISE
  • Practice Approach - open morning practice time on game field after robot compliance check AND structured 3 minutes practice rounds in the afternoon. 
  • BRING YOUR ROBOT - working OR NOT!  We will have technical volunteers to help you.
  • Students must upload a single Engineering Notebook pdf file to Team's Dropbox by 9 AM 
  • Teachers must upload Demographics Form in Team's Dropbox by 9 AM and bring paper copy to Robot Compliance Check.
  • Optional BEST Award Teams Marketing Presentation Judging (see above for directions to select a 30 minute time slot between 8 AM - 5 PM (subject to change) 
Game Day will be held on Saturday, 27 O ctober at the Auraria Campus Events Center (aka Gym) in downtown Denver.
  • 7:30 AM Registration and Robot Compliance Check starts
  • Competition 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
  • Optional BEST Award Team Exhibit and Interviews - setup 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM and Judging 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM subject to change
  • Awards Presentation 4:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Denver BEST Regional Championship for qualifying Schools will be held on 8 and 9 December at Auraria Event Center
Rocky Mountain BEST Robotics Schools 
We are Excited to See You and Your Students


Thanks to all the Teachers and Mentors who registered with Rocky Mountain BEST.   We are excited to have 29 schoo ls  competing with us this year. 

Schools with an asterisk are rookie schools to BEST

Team #
Schools
District/City
1301 Abraham Lincoln High School Denver
1302 Aurora Frontier P-8 Aurora
1303 Aurora Quest Aurora
1304 Bishop Machebeuf High School Denver Private
1305 Broomfield High School Boulder Valley
1306 Columbine Middle School Montrose
1307 Denver School of Innovation and Sustainable Design Denver
1308 DSST: Byers Denver
1309 DSST: Cole High School Denver
1310 DSST: Stapleton High School Denver
1311 East Middle School Aurora
1312 Gateway High School Aurora
1313 Heath Middle School Greeley
1314 John F. Kennedy High School Denver
1315 Monarch High School Boulder Valley
1316 Montrose High School NJROTC * Montrose
1317 Mrachek Middle School Aurora
1318 New Vista High School Boulder Valley
1319 North Middle School Aurora
1320 Sacred Heart of Jesus School * Boulder Private
1321 Skinner Middle School Denver
1322 Skyline High School St. Vrain Valley
1323 St Mary's Academy Middle School Englewood Private
1324 STRIVE Prep - RISE Denver
1325 STRIVE Prep - Excel * Denver
1326 Thomas Jefferson High School Denver
1327 Westgate Community School Adams 12
1328 Westminster High School * Westminster
1329 DSST: College View High School* (ALTERNATE) Denver



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