Kennedy High School Robotics
FIRST Team 3525 –
The Nuts & Bolts of Fury
Team Handbook 2016-2017 Season
Subject to periodic review, revised August 2016
Table of Contents
Team Overview ............................................................................................................... 3
FIRST Vision ............................................................................................................... 3
FIRST Team 3525 Vision ............................................................................................ 3
FIRST Mission Statement ............................................................................................ 4
FIRST Team 3525 Mission Statement ......................................................................... 4
Member Requirements .................................................................................................... 4
Expectations of Student Members ............................................................................... 4
Student Eligibility ......................................................................................................... 4
Academic Eligibility .................................................................................................. 4
Competition Eligibility ............................................................................................... 5
Award Eligibility ........................................................................................................ 5
Scholarship Eligibility ............................................................................................... 5
Code of Conduct .......................................................................................................... 5
General Team Expectations ..................................................................................... 5
General Team Rules ................................................................................................ 6
Lettering....................................................................................................................... 6
Varsity Letter Eligibility ............................................................................................. 6
Team Awards .............................................................................................................. 7
Team Organization .......................................................................................................... 8
Description of Leadership, Subteams .......................................................................... 9
Funding and Financials ................................................................................................... 9
Individual Fundraising Accounts (IFAs) ....................................................................... 9
Sponsorship Levels ................................................................................................... 10
Safety ............................................................................................................................ 11
Communication and Resources .................................................................................... 12
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Kennedy High School Robotics FIRST Team 3525, Team Handbook – 2016-2017 Season
Team Overview
The For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST)
Competition is a worldwide organization for children of all ages. This program was
created with the vision of make the fields of science and technology available,
compatible, and appealing to students of all ages. It consists of four major programs: Jr.
FIRST Lego League (FLL), FIRST Lego League (FLL), FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC)
and FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). Each program helps students develop skills
such as teamwork, productivity and Co-opertition while giving them tools that are
applicable to the real world. Our team competes on the high school level in the FRC
division.
In 2010, five members, with the help of former lead mentor Vincent Balsamo,
competed at 3525’s first competition, a local off season event known as “Where’s
Wolcott.” This experience inspired our team to build and compete with our own robot.
The Nuts & Bolts of Fury’s first competitive team consisted of ten members and three
mentors. Our first competitive robot took part in the FRC game "LogoMotion" in 2011.
Currently, FRC Team 3525 consists of 50 members and eight mentors. Every year,
within a six week period we build a robot to compete at FRC events in and around the
New England area. We have received several awards including multiple Team Spirit
Awards, the Judges Award, the Engineering Inspiration Award, and the District Finalist
Award at the Pine Tree District Event. Off the competition field, The Nuts & Bolts of Fury
work to develop close bonds with the community through volunteer projects and FIRST
Lego League (FLL).
FIRST Vision
"To transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where
young people dream of becoming science and technology leaders."
Dean Kamen, Founder
FIRST Team 3525 Vision
“Make Your Dreams Real”
Inspired by the energy of FIRST robotics, we aim to fuse a team respected for
innovation, spirit, and community involvement. Through the power of team unity, we
will make a positive difference in our world. As we move forward, we will learn from
yesterday, improve today, and believe in a better tomorrow.
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Kennedy High School Robotics FIRST Team 3525, Team Handbook – 2016-2017 Season
FIRST Mission Statement
The mission of FIRST robotics is to inspire young people to be science and technology
leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science,
engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded
life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
FIRST Team 3525 Mission Statement
The mission of FIRST Team 3525 is to provide students an engaging, mentor-based
experience that promotes student interest in science, technology, engineering,
mathematical, and business fields of study. Students learn to work with professional
mentors to address challenging tasks and solve complex problems. Exciting and
engaging hands-on use of tools, computer software, and other forms of technology
motivate students to learn and improve their skills. Students are encouraged to pursue
team activities that align with their individual career interests, and all students are
encouraged to develop leadership skills. To this end, students are expected to embrace
our team values of responsibility, innovation, Gracious Professionalism®, and
Coopertition®. We aim to show students that science, technology, and problem-solving
are not only fun and rewarding, but are proven paths to successful careers. Through
our efforts, we hope to ensure that our students are well-rounded and well-positioned
for success beyond graduation.
Member Requirements
Expectations of Student Members
The Nuts & Bolts of Fury is about more than building the robot for six weeks out of the year: It’s about
taking part in all of the activities that help to make The Nuts& Bolts of Fury a premier team in New
England and beyond. Accordingly, the expectation is that team members will attend scheduled meetings,
workshops, seminars, and outreach events. While your academic and family obligations come first,
meeting your obligations to the team may mean re-arranging your schedule to be able to participate in
community service, training, mentoring, outreach, and other activities. To get the most out of what FIRST
Robotics has to offer, and to be a team member that others can count on to contribute to the team’s
success, every team member needs to commit to making full participation in team activities a priority.
Student Eligibility
Academic Eligibility
To be Academically Eligible, student must:
 Be enrolled in at least four full-time classes
 Be passing in at least four courses on his/her most recent report card
 Be passing all courses by the Monday immediately before a competition
 Maintain a numerical average of at least 70.0 OR a 2.0 GPA during the marking
period preceding AND during participation in robotics
 Have not exceeded the Board of Education Policy for unexcused absences
 Be in good standing with the school
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Kennedy High School Robotics FIRST Team 3525, Team Handbook – 2016-2017 Season
Competition Eligibility
To be Competition Eligible, student must:
 Be academically eligible (see above)
 Log at least 100 build season hours (may be adjusted proportionally due to
inclement weather cancellations)
 Meet per student costs for each event (see Individual Fundraising Accounts
Section)
 Have a parent or guardian fulfill minimum participation requirements (Help with 2
team events, attend 2 Peanut Gallery meetings during Build Season, and
complete two shifts during the Waterbury Competition)
Award Eligibility
To be Award Eligible, student must:
 Be Competition Eligible (see above) for all competitions
 Participate in at least one team-sponsored community event (completed after
July 2016)
Scholarship Eligibility
The robotics team will be funding two merit based scholarships every year for the value
of $250. A panel of teachers, mentors, and outside industry consultants will be formed
to review student submissions. All submissions will be anonymously assessed.
Scholarships will be presented to chosen students during the school’s Awards Night.
To be Scholarship Eligible, student must:
 Be Award Eligible (see above)
 Be graduating senior who has been accepted to or applied to a continuing
education program
 Be at least a second year Varsity Team member
Code of Conduct
General Team Expectations
Students are expected to:
 Maintain high academic standing your classes
 Represent yourself and your school well in our community
 Attend all team meetings, or give prior notice of a schedule conflict
 Be productive and follow team rules at each team meeting
 Treat all of your teammates with respect and dignity
 Be willing to work hard and meet challenging deadlines
 Listen to adults
 Respect that adults are donating a great deal of time and energy
 Maintain a professional and safe atmosphere
 Wear designated team apparel at team events
 Clean up after yourself
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Kennedy High School Robotics FIRST Team 3525, Team Handbook – 2016-2017 Season
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Give your best effort
General Team Rules
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Students will display “Gracious Professionalism” at all times and promote the ideals
of FIRST.
Students must follow all posted team safety rules.
Students will be respectful of others and behave in a way that does not endanger the
health and safety of themselves or others.
Students shall not use profane, obscene or vulgar language in written, gestured, or
verbal form.
Students will keep current with team activities and requirements by checking the
website and their email frequently.
Students must stay in the Robotics working area and not wander the building.
Students are required to adhere to the Acceptable Internet Use Policy outlined by
the Waterbury Board of Education. School computers are not to be used for any site
blocked by the Waterbury Public Schools, including YouTube and Facebook.
Students should not download any content to a computer without permission.
Students should remember to bring their own supplies to each meeting including but
not limited to: safety glasses (if stored at home), writing utensils, and ID cards.
Each student will be provided with one (1) pair of safety glasses at the beginning of
the season for a $2 charge. All subsequent replacement pairs will be a charge of $5.
Space will be provided for storage of safety glasses while not at meetings.
Each student will be provided with one (1) ID card at the beginning of the season for
a $2 charge. All subsequent replacement ID cards will be a charge of $5. ID cards
will be used to sign in and out of meetings and check Individual Fundraising
Accounts (details below).
Note: The purpose of these rules is to ensure student safety and
supervision. These rules are non-negotiable and a violation of these rules
may result in suspension and/or dismissal from the team.
Lettering
Varsity Letter Eligibility
To be Varsity Letter Eligible, student must:
 Be Award Eligible
 Accumulate at least 25 Letter Points from June 1st to May 31st of a given year
 Be a member of the FRC team
Letter Points
Description
Points
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Kennedy High School Robotics FIRST Team 3525, Team Handbook – 2016-2017 Season
Team Captain
Drive Team Member
Pit Leader
Scouting Leader
In charge of a robot system for District competitions
In charge of a major component, construction, or project during the build
season
Contributing significant mentorship to the FTC team
Being an active contributor on a project that is vital for robot design or team
function
Fundraising that significantly exceed the minimum requirements
Mentor for an FLL Team
Volunteering for a FIRST event where the team is not competing.
Team Mascot
Weekly Special Recognition Award (Safety, Teamwork, Gracious
Professionalism, Rookie of the Week, Leadership)
20
20
20
20
10
10
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
All points above are assuming the job or role carried out was completed satisfactorily. If
a product was to be developed, the product was completed within a realistic time frame
that allowed for team evaluation and adjustments. Mentors reserve the right to add to
the list above and determine appropriate point values.
Team Awards
Team award recipients are chosen by mentors and are presented at the end of the year
picnic.
Team awards for FRC are as follows:
 Foundations of Honor Award: The student embodying the team values of
commitment, responsibility, and sportsmanship.
 Excellence In Design Award: The build team group with the most outstanding,
innovative, and reliable design.
 Team Spirit Award: The student with the best overall team spirit.
 Entrepreneurship Award: The student who demonstrates the best commitment to
entrepreneurship and community outreach.
 Most Improved Award: The student who demonstrates the most tremendous
growth and improvement.
Team awards for FTC are as follows:
 Leadership Award: The student who demonstrates outstanding leadership skills
in all areas of the team.
 Rookie of the Year Award: The student who makes the most outstanding
contributions in his/her first FTC robotics experience.
 Team Spirit Award: The student with the best overall team spirit.
 Entrepreneurship Award: The student who demonstrates the best commitment to
entrepreneurship and community outreach.
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Kennedy High School Robotics FIRST Team 3525, Team Handbook – 2016-2017 Season
In addition to the above awards, Hard Hat Awards are also given out to members of
both FRC and FTC. Hard Hat Awards are given to students who showed incredible
dedication and hard work while not fitting into any other award category.
Team Organization
Lead Mentors
Students
FRC Students
Captains
Community
Relations Team
Mentors
FTC Students
Leadership
Council (see
below)
Programming
Computer
Programming Team
FRC Mentors
FTC Mentors
Engineering
Engineering Teams
Leadership
Council
Mentors
Captains
FRC Subteam
Leaders
FTC
Shadows*
*FTC Shadows are students who have shown exceptional leadership qualities. They
will be chosen by Mentors and will sit in Leadership Council meetings for experience.
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Kennedy High School Robotics FIRST Team 3525, Team Handbook – 2016-2017 Season
Captains are chosen at the end of the previous season by a vote of all current and
returning robotics members. Two (2) rising seniors will be chosen by a majority vote.
Description of Leadership, Subteams
Captains – Two students in their senior year who are the primary link between students
and mentors. They are chosen at the end of the previous year by a majority vote.
Captains are responsible for keeping students on task, leading the team discussions,
and providing mediation where necessary.
Sub-team leaders – These individuals are chosen after the initial strategy sessions at
the beginning of build season. After teams split into sub-groups the lead mentors
choose sub-team leaders to guide and represent those groups. Examples of sub-teams
include but are not limited to: Programming, Scouting, Drive Train, Mechanism 1,
Mechanism 2, Community Outreach, Awards. All Sub-team leaders are on the
leadership council.
Funding and Financials
Individual Fundraising Accounts (IFAs)
In the 2016-2017 season each robotics student will hold an individual fundraising
account (IFA). The IFA will be used to pay for per student event costs and other
expenses.
Expenses:
The table below shows the estimated per student cost for the in-season events Team
3525 plans to attend in 2016:
FRC
EVENT
1st District Event
2nd District Event (travel involved)
New England Championship*1
World Championship*2
1Requires
*Robot Requires Qualification
Championship
DATES
Mar 3-5
Mar 24-26
Apr 5-8
Apr 26-29
ESTIMATED PER STUDENT COST
$200 (includes team apparel)
$300
$300
$650
Attendance at all District Events
2Requires
attendance at NE
FTC
EVENT
TBD
TBD
Regionals
World Championship*1
*Robot Requires Qualification
1
DATES
XXXXX
XXXXX
XXXXX
XXXXX
ESTIMATED PER STUDENT COST
$150
$150
$150
$450
Requires Attendance at all other Events
Deposits:
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Kennedy High School Robotics FIRST Team 3525, Team Handbook – 2016-2017 Season
Student IFAs will earn 100% credit for the following:
 Profits from Individual Fundraising
 Individual Sponsorship
 Out-of-Pocket Contributions
 Travel-Specific Board of Education Contributions (Divided equally among eligible
team members)
Student IFAs will receive 50% credit for the following, divided equally among eligible
team members. The remaining 50% will be deposited into the general team operations
account.
 Pre-Season Team Grants (UTC, NASA, etc.)
 General Community Donations
Other Notes:
 General door sales will be divided among all students working the event and earn
100% credit.
o Pasta dinner tickets sold at the door will be divided amongst students
working the pasta dinner.
o Car wash tickets sold to passer-by drivers will be divided amongst
students working the car wash.
o Includes any fundraiser in the future with this same model.
 Students retain first rights to their community sponsors from the previous year.
 IFAs are deposit-only. Students may not withdraw money from the accounts.
 Residual funds of graduates will be put into the general fund.
 Records will be held with the Lead Mentors. See a lead mentor for your balance
inquiries.
 Sufficient funds must be in your account 2 weeks prior to the event.
 Seniors may use residual IFA funds for transportation and lodging costs to
voluntarily attend the FIRST Robotics World Championships, provided that:
o Our robot did not qualify to compete at World Championships.
o The student’s parent/guardian assumes the responsibility of supervision
to, from, and at the event.
o Receipts for transportation and lodging are submitted for reimbursement
after the event.
Sponsorship Levels
Sponsor Level
Copper Level
Bronze Level
Silver Level
Gold Level
Platinum Level
Contribution Amount
<$100
$100
$500
$1000
$2500+
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Kennedy High School Robotics FIRST Team 3525, Team Handbook – 2016-2017 Season
Copper Level:
 Sponsor name and logo will be advertised on our website
Bronze Level:
 All the benefits of Copper level, plus
 Your company will receive a certificate of appreciation for display at your
business
Silver Level:
 All the benefits of Bronze Level, plus
 Sponsor name and logo will be advertised in our pit area during competition
Gold Level:
 All the benefits of Silver Level, plus
 Sponsor name and logo will be advertised on our team uniforms (must be a
sponsor on or before January 15th of the year)
 Sponsor will receive an official team uniform
Platinum Level:
 All the benefits of Gold Level, plus
 Title sponsorship in all FIRST Publications
 Sponsor name and logo will be advertised on our robot
 Your company will receive a wall poster of the team for display at your business
Safety
All students must comply with team safety rules. These include:
 Wearing safety glasses in the shop and around the robot at all times
 Keeping hair back from all moving parts while at meetings
 Never working alone
 Being aware of your surrounding
 Ensuring that all instructions are understood correctly before performing tasks
 Ensuring a mentor is present when working in any shop
 Maintaining focus on individuals task
 Thinking before acting (If it sounds like a bad idea, don’t do it)
 Not having food or beverages near working space
 Not wearing open toed shoes
 Not wearing loose articles of clothing (jewelry, hoodies, excessively long sleeves,
excessively loose shirts, headphones, etc.)
 Not engaging in horseplay of any kind
Note: The purpose of these rules is to ensure student safety and
supervision. These rules are non-negotiable and a violation of these rules
may result in suspension and/or dismissal from the team.
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Kennedy High School Robotics FIRST Team 3525, Team Handbook – 2016-2017 Season
Communication and Resources
Communications expectations:
All team members and mentors are required to have an email address and check it daily. As outlined by the
FIRST STIMs, this address (preferably Google's Gmail) must be a personal one that is separate from
school/corporate emails (no school emails are accepted). This also means no parent/family emails/shared
email address can be used. This guarantees student access to the Green Machine mailing list, which is used
exclusively for team business. On a side note, please use an appropriately named email address. The team
website, including social media, the blog, calendar, texts, and missed calls should be checked frequently.
Please make sure your phone is charged and that you try to conserve battery life (especially at competitions).
Any distributed roster of the team members, parents, and mentors is designated as for team use only.
Team Distribution lists (students, parents, mentors) are designated for team use only.
General Team contact: [email protected]
Resources:
 Kennedy Robotics: frc3525.com = Team website, news, calendar.
 Facebook: The team maintains a public page accessible through our homepage or
https://www.facebook.com/frc3525/. You do not need to be a member of Facebook to view this
page.
 Twitter: The team regularly posts updates and news via Twitter. @FRC3525
 YouTube: The team regularly posts videos on its YouTube channel,
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwpxKIb8gzvqn007flwkIrw. It is also accessible via the
Team’s homepage.
 New England FIRST Robotics: nefirst.org = official website of New England FIRST and includes
information about upcoming events and information about FIRST programs locally.
 US FIRST: www.usfirst.org = official website of the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), includes
sections devoted to the competition schedule, competition manual and resources, STIMS (for
student registration) and other pertinent information.
 Chief Delphi: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/portal.php = a website of a veteran team with
helpful information and forums on many topics.
 www.thebluealliance.com = a website that archives videos of previous years’ competitions and
source of much helpful information.
 www.theredalliance.com/ = a website that collects live feeds, offers scouting and other resources
 www.firstnemo.org = a website with information for non-engineering mentors.
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Kennedy High School Robotics FIRST Team 3525, Team Handbook – 2016-2017 Season
Student Contact Information
Name
Grade
Email
Phone Number
Address
Primary Contact Name
Primary Contact
Relationship
Primary Contact Phone
Number
Primary Contact Email
Secondary Contact
Name
Secondary Contact
Relationship
Secondary Contact
Phone Number
Secondary Contact
Email
Date:____________
Student Name (Print)
____________________________________________________________
Student Name (Signature)
____________________________________________________________
Parent Name (Print)
____________________________________________________________
Parent Name (Signature)
____________________________________________________________
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Kennedy High School Robotics FIRST Team 3525, Team Handbook – 2016-2017 Season