Team 1678 Citrus Circuits
Student Team Handbook
Team Leadership
2015/2016
About the handbook
This handbook is intended to contain the information needed for all team members to
understand the administrative and logistical procedures for FRC Team 1678 Citrus Circuits. It is
updated yearly by team leadership to accurately represent current standards.
Contents
1 About FIRST ......................................................................................................................... 3
1.1 About FRC...................................................................................................................... 3
1.2 Gracious Professionalism ............................................................................................... 3
1.3 Coopertition® ................................................................................................................. 3
2 About the team...................................................................................................................... 3
2.1 Why you should join........................................................................................................ 4
2.2 Team history ................................................................................................................... 4
2.3 What we do .................................................................................................................... 4
2.3.1 FRC robot ................................................................................................................ 4
2.3.3 Fundraising and Community Outreach ..................................................................... 5
2.3.4 Offseason Training and Projects ................................................................................ 5
3 Team Organization................................................................................................................ 6
3.1 Mentors .......................................................................................................................... 6
3.2 Student Officers .............................................................................................................. 6
3.2.1 Captains ................................................................................................................... 6
3.2.2 Secretary.................................................................................................................. 6
3.2.4 Subteam Leads ........................................................................................................ 7
3.3 Subteams ......................................................................................................................... 7
4 Joining the team .................................................................................................................... 7
4.1 Semi-Active Team Members........................................................................................... 8
4.2 Active Team Members .................................................................................................... 8
4.3 Travelling team ............................................................................................................... 9
1
4.3.1 2015-16 Travelling Team Criteria ............................................................................. 9
5 Student Expectations ...........................................................................................................11
6 Workspace Rules .................................................................................................................12
7 Parent Volunteering .............................................................................................................12
7.1 Donations ......................................................................................................................12
7.2 Volunteers .....................................................................................................................12
7.2.1 Food........................................................................................................................13
7.2.2 Chaperones .............................................................................................................13
7.2.3 Transportation .........................................................................................................13
8 Meetings ..............................................................................................................................13
8.1 Meeting Schedule ..........................................................................................................13
8.2 Calendar of Major Events ..............................................................................................14
9 Team code of conduct ..........................................................................................................15
9.1 Everywhere ...................................................................................................................15
9.2 Online ............................................................................................................................15
9.3 At competition ................................................................................................................15
9.4 Travelling .......................................................................................................................15
9.5 Team dress codes .........................................................................................................16
9.5.1 Team shirts .............................................................................................................16
9.5.2 At competition .........................................................................................................16
9.5.3 Other events, including fundraisers and off-season competitions ............................16
10 Contact and Final Notes .....................................................................................................16
11 FRC Team 1678: Citrus Circuits Student Contract .............................................................18
2
1 About FIRST
FIRST, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, is a non-profit organization dedicated
to inspiring young people to excel in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
through programs such as the FIRST Robotics Competition and FIRST LEGO League. FIRST was
founded in 1989 by Dean Kamen (inventor of the Segway and the insulin pump) and has since become a
large international organization reaching thousands of students from elementary school through high
school. For more information, visit http://www.usfirst.org.
1.1 About FRC
FRC, short for FIRST Robotics Competition, is FIRST’s oldest robotics program. It is designed to provide
a rigorous engineering challenge to high school students as well as teach leadership, collaboration, and
project management at a professional level. The over three thousand teams contain anywhere from fewer
than ten to over one hundred students with guidance and support from adult mentors. Each year, each
FRC team builds a robot in the six-week "build season" to compete in a new game released in early
January.
1.2 Gracious Professionalism
As part of its mission to encourage student leadership and collaboration through yearly robotics
challenges, FIRST promotes Gracious Professionalism as one of its core values in all levels of
competitions. Their website describes this ideal as follows: “With Gracious Professionalism, fierce
competition and mutual gain are not separate notions. Gracious professionals learn and compete like
crazy, but treat one another with respect and kindness in the process. They avoid treating anyone like
losers. No chest thumping tough talk, but no sticky-sweet platitudes either. Knowledge, competition, and
empathy are comfortably blended.”
1.3 Coopertition®
FIRST extends their philosophy through their value of Cooperition®, which “produces innovation. At
FIRST, Coopertition is displaying unqualified kindness and respect in the face of fierce competition.
Coopertition is founded on the concept and a philosophy that teams can and should help and cooperate
with each other even as they compete. Coopertition involves learning from teammates. It is teaching
teammates. It is learning from Mentors. And it is managing and being managed. Coopertition means
competing always, but assisting and enabling others when you can.” (FIRST Website,
http://www.usfirst.org/aboutus/gracious-professionalism).
2 About the team
Team 1678: Citrus Circuits is an FRC team. Team members are 9–12 graders in the DJUSD schools.
Our team’s vision: Team 1678 Citrus Circuits strives to empower students to gain self confidence and
become leaders, collaborators, and critical thinkers while fostering a culture of STEM celebration in our
community.
Our team’s mission: Team 1678 pursues our vision by building a student-led, mentor-based
environment that fosters innovation and teaches interpersonal and technical skills. Citrus Circuits also
develops local partnerships and community outreach while striving to compete at the highest level
possible.
3
2.1 Why you should join
We are always looking for new students in grades 9–12. Our team encourages diverse talents and
backgrounds in mechanical design, manufacturing, electrical engineering, programming, business, media,
and management. Furthermore, our year-round training integrated into our robot projects allow all
students to learn the skills required to become a valuable member of the team. Come join us in building
robots and the engineers of tomorrow, fundraising, community outreach, managing a budget of tens of
thousands of dollars, and maintaining and expanding a team image that could be larger and more in
depth than any sports teams.
2.2 Team history
Team 1678 was founded in 2004 as EnGen Robotics by Steve Harvey, a math teacher at Da Vinci
Charter Academy. Since then, we have changed our name and grown from a team of fifteen students to
one of over forty from Davis High School, Da Vinci Charter Academy, and the Davis junior high schools.
In 2011, we won our first regional, the Sacramento Regional, and advanced to the Curie quarterfinals at
the Championship event. In 2012, we attended two regionals for the first time, and won the Sacramento
Regional for the second year in a row, once again advancing to Curie quarterfinals at the Championship
event.
In 2013, we won the Central Valley Regional and, at Championship, seeded first in the Curie division. We
went on to win the division, captaining an alliance to the semifinals on Einstein. Later in the season, we
also began our outreach programs, spreading our appreciation of science and technology throughout the
local community.
In 2014, we won the Inland Empire Regional and Sacramento Regional. At Championship, we seeded
first as an undefeated team in the Newton division and we made it to the finals on Einstein.
In 2015, we won the Central Valley Regional, Sacramento Regional, and Silicon Valley Regional. At
Championship, we seeded second on the Newton field and went on to win the 2015 FRC World
Championship in St. Louis. Throughout our 2014 and 2015 seasons, the team has strengthened
community relations, established a wonderful workspace at Davis Senior High School, increased our
outreach programs, and developed stronger and more effective student training events. We hope to
continue this explosive growth on the field, within our team, and throughout our community in the coming
years.
2.3 What we do
2.3.1 FRC robot
Each year, the Game Development Committee releases a new game. Each year, we participate in FRC
and build a robot to compete in that game.
2.3.2 FRC awards
There are many awards in FRC, some even more prestigious than winning a competition. Some awards
are given for design aesthetic, robot function, or an interesting mechanism, while others are given for
team spirit, exhibiting gracious professionalism at a competition, and spreading FIRST to your team’s
community. One award we submit for every year is the Chairman’s Award, given to a team that
4
exemplifies and spreads FIRSTS messages about Gracious Professionalism and STEM. In the 2015
season Megan Yamoah became a national Dean’s List nominee, and our lead mentor Steve Harvey won
the Woodie Flowers award at the regional level. The Dean’s List award is awarded to a student whose
passion for and effectiveness at attaining FIRST ideals is exemplary, and the Woodie Flowers award is
presented to a mentor who best leads, inspires, teaches, and empowers their team using excellent
communication skills.
More information about awards in FRC can be found at:
http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/awards
2.3.3 Fundraising and Community Outreach
Currently, we have several programs:
● Farmer’s Market: Each Saturday, students promote our team and fundraise at the Davis
Farmer’s Market. This is our largest method of outreach to the Davis community and encourage
all students to take part in setting up the booth.
● Robot demonstrations: In the summer, we demo our robot and explain our program at several
robotics camps for elementary school students, including the UCDavis LEGO Robotics Camp.
Other demo opportunities also occur throughout the year for various other programs. These
demonstrations are a fun way to increase excitement about robotics in young students.
● Winter Shelter App: Our programmers have developed an app that helps police officers allocate
available beds to homeless people. The app is being finalized so it can be used for this upcoming
winter season.
● FIRST Lego League Teams: Starting in 2013, the team has started FLL teams and supported
the coaches and students with trained mentors from our team. This program has experienced
explosive growth, and we now have over 20 FLL teams in Davis.
● Fall Workshops: The team will hold its second annual Fall Workshops Series for local teams at
the Capital City Classic off-season competition. These workshops feature 1678 students and
mentors presenting on subjects ranging from team management to programming and prototyping
and help share our knowledge with team in the Sacramento area.
● Career Skills Workshops: Workshops held on the DHS campus for students to learn more about
machinery, building, and engineering. This year, these workshops will feature an introduction into
the mechanical design process as well as robot programming through hands-on projects.
● WiSTEM lecture series: We are currently organizing our second annual lecture series for
Women in STEM where four to five local female STEM professionals will present about and
answer questions on their experience in STEM fields.
● Tech Trek Robotics Workshops: In mid-July, the team holds half-day workshops at the
American Association of University Women Tech Trek camp at UCD. These workshops feature a
hands-on introduction to robotics, programming, electrical design, mechanics, and public relations
and media for eighth grade girls with limited exposure to STEM activities in their Northern
Californian hometowns.
● FIRST Robotics Competition Teams: Citrus Circuits has also started and supported a new FRC
team in Woodland. We hope to extend our efforts with a new team in Winters for the coming 2016
season.
2.3.4 Offseason Training and Projects
The offseason consists of the time between our last competition and the beginning of build season-usually early May until the beginning of January. During the late spring and summer we debrief the past
year and prepare for the upcoming year. We also do demos to summer camps and have a booth at the
Davis Farmer’s Market twice a week throughout the summer. During the fall, we train new members, work
on off-season projects, and prepare for the upcoming build season. The training is usually individualized
5
based on subteam, but all subteams also participate in basic shop training. Our offseason project usually
consists of a mechanism that may be useful in a future FRC game, and also allows all of our subteams to
experiment and learn about something that we have never used before.
3 Team Organization
Team leadership consists of coach Steve Harvey, Mike Corsetto, and a captain and vice captain.
3.1 Mentors
Our mentors consist of a group of 15-25 undergraduates, engineers, retired engineers, and community
members. Most mentor one or two subteams specifically, and all are incredibly valuable to our team.
Mentors are here to teach, guide, and lead alongside the students.
3.2 Student Officers
Student Leadership consists of all subteam leads and the two captains. Student leadership meets with
the two head mentors every week to address upcoming events, plans for the next few weeks, any issues
that arise, and improvements for the team.
Any student officer position (with the exception of the captain and vice captain positions) may be split
between two people to reduce the workload or for teaching purposes. No student officer position is
automatically granted a spot on the travelling team.
All student officer positions must be student team members who will be in 10–12 grade and have been a
team member in the previous year. If no such person is suitable for the position, it will be dealt with on a
case-by-case basis.
Mr. Harvey reserves the right to remove any student from an officer position for any reason.
3.2.1 Captains
Together with Steve Harvey and Michael Corsetto, the captain, and vice captain form team leadership.
The captain and vice captain of the team are chosen by the previous year’s team leadership.
Responsibilities:
● Ensure that 1678 is a safe and welcoming environment for all of our members
● Keep the team together and on track. This means that team leadership has the authority to make
final decisions for the team and to set and enforce deadlines for the team. The captain and vice
captain are expected to lead each meeting, work with the sub team leaders, know what the
various parts of the team are doing, and keep people responsible for themselves.
● Communicate with the team and mentors
● Work with parent volunteers to make sure all people involved know what is going on.
● Review and approve written materials written on behalf of the team, especially for awards.
● Engage all team members, and make sure that robotics is a safe and welcoming environment for
all students.
3.2.2 Secretary
The secretary for the following year is appointed by team leadership. Responsibilities:
● Take minutes at each meeting or build session and send said minutes to whoever necessary.
6
Post the minutes online in our shared file. Log all purchases in the minutes.
3.2.4 Subteam Leads
Currently, there are four sub teams: programming, electrical, mechanical, and business/media. The
programming and mechanical subteams are further divided into: app and robot programming and
fabrication and design. The subteam leads for the following year are appointed by team leadership.
Subteam leads are expected to have experience with the subteam and to make sure that new members
of the team are exposed to what the subteam does and, if interested, given the relevant training. Subteam
leads coordinate with the captain, vice captain, and other subteam leads as to what the subteam is
required to do. The six sub team leads, along with the captain and vice captain, make up the Student
Leadership.
3.3 Subteams
There are four main subteams within our team: Programming, Business and Media, Mechanical, and
Electrical. Programming is split into App Programming and Robot Programming, and Mechanical is split
into Fabrication and Design. Each of the six groups have a subteam lead who attends leadership
meetings.
App Programming: This subteam develops our IOS and Android scouting applications for competitions,
which allows us to collect data on other teams and form the best possible alliance for the elimination
rounds. They also code server calculations that give weighted rankings for all robots in a competition
based on the data collected through their tablet applications.
Robot Programming: This subteam programs the robot itself. Their work centers on using object-oriented
programming in Java and sensor data such as that from gyros, hall effect sensors, and limit switches on
the robot to program autonomous routines and teleoperated code. FRC games incorporate an
autonomous period during the beginning of the match during which the robot must perform predetermined actions or respond real-time to changes on the field.
Business and Media: This subteam is responsible for contacting sponsors, creating our budget, and
almost all of our fundraising. Members of this sub team also manage our social media sites and our
website, take video and photographs, edit videos, and create flyers for our events.
Mechanical: The Mechanical subteam is further broken into two groups: design and fabrication. The
design subteam uses CAD software (Solidworks and AutoCAD) to design the drivetrain and other
mechanisms on the robot, as well as make part drawings for the Fabrication team to use. The Fabrication
subteam uses part drawings and industrial machines such as mills and lathes to create parts for the
robot. Both the Design and Fabrication teams contribute to the assembly of the robot.
Electrical: The Electrical subteam wires the robot and creates any pneumatic systems needed. They take
the mechanical systems designed and fabricated by the mechanical team and make them controllable.
Recently, they have explored circuit design and will continue to grow in this area.
4 Joining the team
Anyone who is in grades 9–12 in the Davis schools can join the team. 8th graders are encouraged to join
in the spring, after build season and possibly competition season. There are three levels of team
membership: semi-active team member, active team member, and travelling team member.
7
4.1 Semi-Active Team Members
To be considered a semi-active team member, one has to simply be a student in grades 9–12, show up to
two consecutive team meetings, and show interest. Semi-active team members will not be excused from
school for competitions, nor be allowed to run for future officer positions.
If someone has been an active team member in the past and is still a student in grades 9–12, but has
ceased to meet the requirements for being an active team member, that student may return to the team
as a semi-active team member. However, as veterans they will be expected to understand the
expectations and requirements for the team members better than new team members. Semi-active team
members who have not attended meetings for more than a month are assumed to have left the team.
4.2 Active Team Members
There are certain criteria that must be met in order to be on the team and considered an active team
member.
●
●
●
●
Forms
○ Submit all required forms by the designated deadline. This includes those listed at the
registration page on the website, field trip forms, and others.
○ Register online with STIMS, including the FIRST media consent form, which is separate
from the team’s.
○ Register online at http://www.citruscircuits.org/register, which we will use to keep a
database of information.
Attendance
○ Attend more than three-quarters of all scheduled meetings on a monthly basis. Certain
meetings and events are more important than others, such as Kickoff and the following
meeting on January 10, and will be weighted accordingly.
○ Attend all subteam or travelling meetings if you are requested to be present. This
includes certain extended hours during build season and in preparation for competition,
and we will try to give at least 24 hours’ notice of the meeting. Subteam leaders have to
clear such official meetings with team leadership.
○ Attend all competitions that you are invited to for the whole duration you are invited to, at
least one per semester. For example, it is not acceptable to go to the Sacramento
Regional on Friday and “get sick” to go hang out with your friends on Saturday.
○ Everyone is expected to help in our regular fundraisers such as Farmer’s Market and to
help create and run not-regular fundraisers.
○ Notify team leadership about late arrivals and absences. Please contact your subteam
lead by email as soon as possible, preferably at least 12 hours in advance. Use your best
judgement, and let us know earlier for longer absences.
○ Every student is expected to participate in an outreach group throughout the year. There
will be multiple that you can choose from, and we will not force you to be in an outreach
group you don’t want to participate in.
Grades
○ School is important. Students are expected to have no grades below a ‘C’ for all progress
reporting periods. Students are responsible for their schoolwork as a first priority, even
before robotics. If your grades are suffering due to robotics, please have a discussion
with Mr. Harvey about whether or not you can be an active team member.
Behavior
○ Obey the rules and laws of all pertinent governing bodies, including but not limited to
8
○
○
those of Team 1678, Davis, Yolo County, DJUSD, California, the United States, and, if
necessary, the Geneva Convention. (Although if you’re getting into an area where the
Geneva Convention applies, you’re probably doing something wrong.)
Fulfill team expectations as well as possible. See Team Expectations in section 4.
Follow all workspace rules (section 5) and the team code of conduct (section 9).
4.3 Travelling team
An “away” event is defined as an event where the team needs to coordinate travel and/or lodging
arrangements. For “away” events, a travelling team will be selected. Travelling team members must be
active team members and will be selected from the active team members according to the travelling team
criteria. The travelling team criteria basically boil down to who will fit best in the roles outlined for
competition.
Travel team will be announced two weeks prior to the event to allow time to turn in forms and organize
logistics.
The travelling team will be re-evaluated and re-selected for each event. The surest way to get on the
travelling team is to make yourself pleasant and useful.
This is the travelling team criteria from the 2015 competition season. We expect the travelling team
criteria for 2016 to be very similar, but it may not be exactly the same. Any modifications will be shared
with the team by December 18, 2015.
4.3.1 2015-16 Travelling Team Criteria
Tier 1 -- Core Team Roles (Performance Based)
Team Captain
Drive Team Coach
Driver
Operator
Human Player
Pit crew- mechanical
Pit crew- electrical
Pit crew- programming
Head Scout
Media
One person may fulfill multiple roles, depending on the roles.
If you are a Tier 1 member you are expected to set an example to other team members in terms
of your academic performance, attendance, commitment to team goals, and behavior. In
particular, your attendance and behavior during all meetings should be outstanding. If it is not, the
team leadership may place you on probation and you may lose your status as a Tier 1 member.
Tier 1 members are guaranteed a place on the travelling team.
Tier 2 -- Scouting Team Members
Scout 1
Scout 2
Scout 3
9
Scout 4
Scout 5
Scout 6
Scout 7
Scout 8
Scout 9
Scout 10
+additional to fill a (most likely) 20 person travel team
The scouts will assist the head scout in collecting data on the other teams. Tier 2 members will be
selected based on attendance, behavior, commitment to team goals, and academic performance.
There are a limited number of spots available.
Tier 3 -- Supporting team members
Any team member who exhibits outstanding performance in 2 of the 3 categories (academics,
attendance, and behavior) and satisfactory performance in the other can be selected as a
supporting team member. These team members are invited to attend the regionals, but any travel
costs (hotel, food, etc) will not be paid by the team. Tier 3 members are expected to act as a part
of the scouting team if they attend the competition. This tier will not apply to the
Championship event.
Performance Criteria
Academic
Outstanding: Maintain a B or better in all main academic classes (math, science, English, social
studies) and a C or better in all other classes
Satisfactory: Maintain a C or better in all classes
Unsatisfactory: Not meeting the above criteria
Attendance
Note: This section will be updated as we refine our punch-clock attendance system! For now
these are the expectations.
Outstanding: Attend all scheduled build periods unless exceptions are discussed with and
approved by team leadership at least 48 hours in advance with a total of no more than 3 tardies.
Satisfactory: Miss no more than 3 days (after school build sessions count as half days) unless
exceptions are discussed with and approved by team leadership at least 48 hours in advance and
have a total of no more than 3 tardies.
Unsatisfactory: Not meeting the above criteria
Behavior
Outstanding: Fulfill the 'satisfactory' behaviors. Actively engage in moving our team forward.
Take personal responsibility and stay focused and productive throughout the build season.
10
Helping fund raising efforts is considered a part of moving our team forward.
Satisfactory: Stay engaged and productive and seek direction from team leaders when you are
not sure what you should be doing. Keep distracting or off-task behavior (silliness, playing games,
socializing, etc.) to a minimum. If you need to burn off some energy---TAKE IT OUTSIDE!
Unsatisfactory: Not meeting the above criteria
5 Student Expectations
We expect everyone on the team to be mature and responsible young adults. This effectively translates
into:
Take initiative to do things, within reason. You will get out of the team what you put into it!
Be on time and stay in touch Our team does a lot of work at meetings and most of our communication
at
meetings. If you do not attend, we may assume that you are no longer interested in being a part
of the team. Be on time both to meetings and in finishing your work. Deadlines will be set for
tasks, and it is expected that those tasks be completed by those deadlines. If you can’t finish a
task, it is your duty to make sure it gets finished by someone else. Checking email on a daily
basis is also strongly recommended.
Ask questions While we love people to take initiative, pretending you know how to do something if you
don’t is a very bad idea that can lead to extremely dangerous situations. It is not expected that
someone will know everything, even if they have been a team member for a few years. If you
need help or an explanation, ASK.
Be mature If you have a question or concern about a recent event on the team or decision by team
leadership we expect you to come to team leadership to discuss the issue in a calm, mature, and
professional manner.
Be gracious and professional Sometimes things don’t go as you expect. Appreciate what everyone
does.
Maintain courteous relations with everyone on the team. You don’t need to be everyone’s best
friend. You only need to work well enough with everyone who works with you, whether they are
part of the team or not.
Be respectful to everyone, whether they are present or not.
Stay focused A little bit of goofing off is expected; however, distracting or off-task behavior should be
kept to a minimum. If you need to burn off some energy, take it outside and away from the machine shop.
Goofing off in the same room as a bandsaw or a power drill can have dangerous consequences.
Maintain a good image of the team AT ALL TIMES. See team code of conduct (section 9).
11
Be safe Know safety procedures and follow them. Using tools is a privilege, not a right.
Obey rules and team leadership If you have been notified of something, that stands. If something feels
unfair, please bring it up with team leadership, but team leadership has the final decision.
6 Workspace Rules
●
●
●
●
●
●
If you wish to borrow a piece of team equipment, ask Mr. Harvey and the leader of the subteam
which uses the equipment.
Follow all safety guidelines and protocols. For tools especially: using them is a privilege, not a
right, and safety is paramount. Do not use a machine or tool unless you have been trained and
signed off to use that equipment.
Return all tools to their given places.
If a student leaves before a work session is over, he or she must give an appropriate amount of
notice and obtain permission from team leadership and the relevant subteam lead. The student
must also help clean up before leaving.
Do not download or install programs onto the programming, CAD, or business/media computers
without the permission of the respective team lead and a reason directly related to robotics or the
team.
At the end of each meeting the last 15 minutes will be dedicated to a “clean 15”, at which time
every member in attendance will help clean up the space that was used. If students are staying
later than the official meeting time, the clean fifteen will still happen at the end of the official
meeting time, and any students staying later will be expected to leave their workspace clean.
7 Parent Volunteering
It is expected that the students be mostly independent in their interactions on the team. However we love
our parents and want them to get involved. One of the more important things is to provide support to the
student throughout build season, and pay attention to their mental health and sleeping patterns. Parents
who wish to get more involved may mentor or may help in the ways listed below. (For more information on
mentoring, contact Mr. Harvey: [email protected])
7.1 Donations
Just like any other team on campus, Citrus Circuits provides a great value to students, giving numerous
opportunities in many areas. For much of our costs, we seek community sponsorships and grants.
However, those sponsorships alone are not enough to cover all operating costs, and we plan that ~25%
of income comes from parent donations. We will organize a parent meeting in the fall to discuss this
parent donation process. Every team member will be required to fill out the financial pledge form, but not
required to donate.
7.2 Volunteers
We highly encourage parents to participate as parent volunteers. They are necessary for our team to run
smoothly; parent volunteers help to organize trips and fundraising, and keep the lines of communication
open.
12
7.2.1 Food
During build season, we work through lunchtime on weekends and, near the end, may pull extended
hours that require a dinner break. Food is provided by the parents, usually a homemade meal of some
sort. (Six weekends’ worth of junk food is a lot for a student’s system to deal with.) A sign-up will be
available and organized through parent volunteers. Guidelines for when to bring the food will be provided;
however the team may end up pushing the time of the meal later due to workflow productivity or unmet
deadlines.
7.2.2 Chaperones
On away trips, we will need chaperones. Chaperones will be adults, usually parents, who are affiliated
with the team and not mentors. Exception: Mr. Harvey counts as both a mentor and a chaperone.
Chaperones coordinate with team leadership to organize the trip, manage the logistics of hotels and food,
and oversee all of the students.
7.2.3 Transportation
On away trips, transportation is extremely important. For events like Madera and CalGames, we organize
carpools, and it is wonderful to have more than the same five parents driving to each event. Parents who
drive also can come watch the events, which are very exciting! To drive, we’ll need a copy of the
Volunteer Personal Automobile Use form from the district on file. Those forms are available online at
http://www.citruscircuits.org/register. For events that are further away, parent volunteers will organize
plane flights.
8 Meetings
Meetings occur in M1 every Wednesday and Thursday from 6:30-9pm. This can be subject to change
for articulation day or finals weeks. More meetings occur during certain points in the year.
Meetings will start with a group meeting, led by the captain and vice captain, discussing what has been
done, what needs to be done, and setting things up to do so.
To discuss something at a meeting with the whole team, send an email to the captain and vice captain via
team email with 1678 Agenda Item for [DATE] in the subject line and explain it in the body. If
appropriate, the captain and vice captain will place it on the agenda.
All expenditures paid for from the team account will be discussed by the whole team at meetings. At the
meeting, if someone has an objection to an expenditure, that objection should be dealt with before the
money is spent. A unanimous vote is necessary for spending money from the team’s account, however if
an urgent purchase is necessary team leadership may bypass this process.
8.1 Meeting Schedule
During the whole school year we meet from 6:30-9pm in M1 on Wednesdays and Thursdays, unless
otherwise notified.
Offseason: August 26 – December 18
Offseason goes from the first meeting of the school year to the last meeting before winter break. During
this time, the focus is on training new members and raising money for the year. However, additional
meetings may be scheduled in order to prepare for offseason competitions. Potential extra meeting times
include Saturday/Sunday 9am-5pm.
13
Build season: January 9 – February 23
Build season is where it all comes together. At Kickoff, we will receive the game, and we will design,
build, program, wire the robot by February 18. Because build season is regulated to be only slightly
longer than 6 weeks, we need our strongest commitment during build season. In addition to the regular
Wed/Thurs meetings, we will also have meetings from 9am-5pm on Saturdays, Sundays, and any
Monday holidays.
Competition season: February 24 – June 12
During competition season, we will be preparing the team for competition and attending competitions. We
will probably add additional hours to continue working on the robot, but the schedule will be very similar to
that of build season.
Students are expected to attend all competitions they are invited to and to follow the behavior guidelines
at those competitions. As soon as competition dates are announced, it is each student’s responsibility to
check for scheduling conflicts and to bring them to the attention of team leadership as soon as possible in
order to resolve those conflicts as quickly as possible.
Summer
Summer is used for preparing for the upcoming season. Regular meetings are not scheduled during this
time, but fundraising and outreach efforts will take place. We frequently have demonstrations to summer
camps and youth We will also have a booth at Farmer’s Market every Wednesday from 4:30-8:30pm, in
addition to our regular Saturday booths. Every student is expected to attend a certain number of the
summer Farmer’s Market shifts.
8.2 Calendar of Major Events
Chezy Champs: September 19-20: Offseason competition in San Jose
Capital City Classic: October 24-25: Offseason competition in Davis
Madtown Throwdown: November 14-15: Offseason Competition in Madera
Kickoff: January 9: Game reveal event, required for all members and held at Kennedy High School in
Sacramento.
Sacramento Regional: March 23-26
The Sacramento Regional is held at UC Davis. Without most of the associated travel costs, we
can bring most of the team. To be eligible to attend, team members must take care of all their
schoolwork and turn in all the field trip forms. In addition, because this is our “home” regional, we
often organize students volunteers to support the event. Students not on the travel team are
encouraged to contribute to the robotics community in this way while, at the same time,
experiencing the competition environment first hand.
The first day is a practice day, and only a few team members will be invited to attend the
competition in order to work on the robot. Team members attending on the first day will be
excused from school. Other active team members and semi-active team members may attend
after school under a few guidelines which will be announced.
The second day we bring all invited active team members and excuse them from school if
necessary. Semi-active team members may attend after school but will not be excused from
14
school.
The third day will be on a weekend, and all active and semi-active team members may attend.
Central Valley Regional: March 10-13
Silicon Valley Regional: April 6-9
As funds permit, we will go to a second and possibly third regional. We unfortunately cannot bring
the entire team to these events, and so the travelling team becomes important. To be eligible to
attend, team members must be selected as a part of the travelling team for the regional, take care
of all their schoolwork, and turn in all the field trip forms.
Similar to the Sacramento Regional, the first day is a practice day and only a few team members
will be invited to attend to work on the robot and will be excused from school.
The second and third days we will bring the entire travelling team for the regional and excuse
them from school if necessary.
Championships: April 27-30
If we qualify for the Championship Event and have enough money to attend, we will go to the
Championship Event in St. Louis. The travelling team for this event will likely be smaller than for
other events. To be eligible to attend if the team qualifies for the championship, team members
must be selected as a part of the travelling team for the championship, take care of all their
school work, and turn in all the field trip forms.
9 Team code of conduct
9.1 Everywhere
You are representing our team, our schools, our community, our sponsors, and yourself whenever we
travel, even within Davis. Treat others with respect and kindness. Your behavior impacts everyone that
you represent. What you say to another team member and how you say it may be overheard by a judge,
potential sponsor, or member of another team. Even the expressions on your face and body language
may bring unwanted negative attention and bad impressions. Any guests you invite or bring must
understand this and behave accordingly.
9.2 Online
When representing our team online, please remember gracious professionalism. You are representing
our team just like at competition or in public, so remember to be humble, professional, and considerate!
9.3 At competition
●
●
●
●
Respect the other teams. Remember gracious professionalism, and always be respectful.
Stay with the group. If you need to go anywhere, let the people in charge know and find a
reasonable time to do so. If you’re needed and you’re not there, it will reflect poorly on you.
Stay on task, fulfill your role on the travel team.
Follow the Dress Code outlined in 9.4
9.4 Travelling
15
●
●
●
To travel around outside of the hotel or competition area, students are required to travel in groups
of three or more students and have the explicit permission of a chaperone and one of the
captains, who needs to know who is going, where they are going, when they plan to get back,
and who among them has a cell phone.
No one is allowed to enter a room not assigned to them except with chaperone permission. The
captain and vice captain are excluded for the purposes of room checks.
All students are required to be in their room by curfew and not allowed to leave until dawn except
in case of emergency. Unless specified at the team meetings at competition, curfew is 10 PM. If
the team needs to leave very early, team members may leave their room at a reasonable time.
9.5 Team dress codes
●
●
●
All students must adhere to the DSHS dress code, available online (page 18).
Long hair must be tied back. Jewelry is not acceptable if it can entangle into robot parts or into
machinery, and is generally discouraged.
Closed-toe shoes must be worn for work on the robot, in M2, or in the pits. This applies to both in
the shop and at competitions.
9.5.1 Team shirts
If you are wearing a team shirt or any piece of team gear, you are representing us, even if it’s just to
school.
Shirts and other team gear may NOT be noticeably modified (for example a leftover L shirt being given to
a petite girl may be tailored, however cutting off sleeves, lowering the neckline, or any damage to any
logos is not allowed).
Do NOT wear a team shirt or any piece of team gear while not behaving in an appropriate manner. Even
if you’re just wearing it to school, you are representing our team.
9.5.2 At competition
At competition, it is important for the team to maintain a unified image. As such, we require all team
members who are attending as part of the team to wear the current year’s t-shirt and/or sweatshirt. While
in the pits or the stands, team members should not cover up the team or sponsor logos. On practice days
of competition, the team may decide to relax the standards and allow previous years’ shirts. The team
may also decide to create a specific t-shirt for an event, in which case that t-shirt supersedes the current
year’s t-shirt. Details will be discussed before each competition.
9.5.3 Other events, including fundraisers and off-season competitions
Events that are slightly less formal than regionals and championship may allow previous years’ shirts,
although for important events we may select a certain shirt. For events that are more formal, such as
presentations, we may choose to use a business casual dress code.
10 Contact and Final Notes
Here is the contact information for the 2014-15 team leadership.
Mr. Harvey (Lead Mentor):
[email protected]
Michael Corsetto (Lead Technical Mentor):
[email protected]
Sophia Stockburger (Captain):
[email protected]
16
Megan Yamoah (Vice Captain):
[email protected]
We expect all team members to follow and understand all rules and policies in this handbook. Mentor
leadership reserves the right to set consequences for major violations and consider confidential
information in decisions. Team leadership also may change the handbook during the season. If this
occurs, the team will be notified of the modifications promptly. Lastly, team leadership encourages all
students to raise concerns about the team directly with them in person or through email. The students
and team climate are our first priority, and we strive to do all we can to support the team mission. We
hope all of our members can have a part in that process. Thank you!
17
FRC Team 1678: Citrus Circuits Student Contract
Please print this page, sign and submit it with your registration packet
By signing below, I, the student, agree with the following:
● I have read and understand the 2015-16 Citrus Circuits Team Handbook, especially the team
expectations (section 5), workspace rules (section 6), and team code of conduct (section 9).
● I understand that to be considered an active team member of Team 1678: Citrus Circuits, I must
follow and fulfill the criteria outlined for active team members in section 4.2. I understand that
being a semi-active team member will not grant me all the privileges of an active team member
and will not allow me to be excused from school by the team.
● I understand that not everyone will be able to travel to “away” events and will agree to abide by
the travelling team criteria once it is shared with the team.
● I will behave in a responsible, mature, and graciously professional manner while on or
representing the team.
● I understand that, if there is a problem, I can bring it to the attention of team leadership to work it
out.
Student (print name)
Signature
Date
By signing below, I, a parent, agree with the following:
● I have read and understand the 2015-16 Citrus Circuits Team Handbook, including the parent
expectations (section 7). I understand what is expected of me as a parent of a team member,
outlined in that section.
● I understand that for my child to be considered an active team member, he or she must follow
and fulfill the criteria outlined for active team members in section 4.2.
● I understand that not everyone will be able to travel to “away” events and will agree to abide by
the travelling team criteria once it is shared with the team.
● I understand that my child is expected to be respectful, mature, and responsible for themselves. If
they have a question or concern about the team, I can let them interact with team leadership for
themselves.
Parent (print name)
Signature
Date
11 FRC Team 1678: Citrus Circuits Student Contract
18