Greetings FIRST LEGO League Oregon,
In today's FIRST LEGO League Oregon Update we will cover these topics:
- Coach, Mentor, and Parent Workshops - LAST CHANCE
- ORTOP Team Financial Support - Ending SOON!
- National Registration
- Tournament Registration
- Challenge Updates!
- Table Available
- INTO ORBIT Project Resources
- I-84 FIRST Road Show
- Expert Nights with Astronaut Dr. Michael Barratt
- Showcases and Scrimmages!
Use this link to read this update as a blog post
ORTOP Team Financial Support is drawing to a close. Please have your applications for each team that needs support into the online form by SEPTEMBER 17! This will barely give us enough time to process your application and get your team registered before tournament registration begins.
If you are new to this email or blog this is the place where you will find all of the OREGON specific FIRST LEGO League information. If you are in the FIRST Dashboard as a team coach of a registered team for INTO ORBIT you will be added to this list every week for the rest of the competition season. Every update this season begins with IO (Into Orbit) and a number, that number lets you know which update it is, if you miss an update you can find it on our blog.
1) Coach, Mentor, and Parent Workshops - LAST CHANCE
This year's season of Coach, Mentor, and Parent Workshops are coming to an end. If you haven't attended yet here are the final workshops:
- Girl Scouts of Oregon and SW Washington - Sept 6, 13, 20, and programming on Sept 27
- Intel Aloha Fabs - Sept 11, 18, 25, and programming on October 2
- Mountain View HS, Bend - Sept 13, 20, 27, and programming on October 4
- Salem - Garmin OneDay - September 22
- Hood River - Hood River County Extension OneDay - September 22
- Malheur - Nyssa Elementary OneDay - September 22 - bring your own EV3/NXT robot!
- Oregon City - Eastham Elementary OneDay - September 29
Sign up ONLINE or drop in (but it helps if you sign up!)
2) ORTOP Team Financial Support - Ending SOON!
NEW FUNDS: ORTOP has received some additional team support funds! We are looking for new teams*, teams in Pendleton or East Multnomah County, and school-based teams. If ANY of those describes a team you were hoping to start, please fill out an application soon! *To be considered a new team all team numbers at your organization MUST be nationally registered.
3) National Registration
To participate in an Intel Oregon Qualifying Tournament this December your team MUST complete their FIRST National Registration BEFORE October 3 at 4 PM PDT.
Here is what you need to do:
- Does your team need ORTOP Team Financial Support? - Complete the team financial support application (see topic 2)
- Update your information with FIRST! If you are new, you will need to create a profile, if you are returning you still need to log in and update for this year
- Go to www.firstinspires.org
- Sign-up (if new), Log In if you already have an account
- Sign the 2018-19 Consent Form!
- Make sure you are listed as a coach or mentor for your team - please reuse all the team numbers affiliated with your account before creating a new team number, even if all the kids are new! Make sure all your co-coaches are correct!
- If needed - create a new team and invite your second coach
- MAKE SURE YOUR TEAM ADDRESS IS CORRECT - your Challenge Kit will be shipped here!
- If your last Verified Volunteers background check was in 2014-15 or you are new, complete your background check.
- If you are not physically located in Oregon and are Tax Exempt (school or nonprofit) complete the Tax Exempt process.
- If you have applied for ORTOP Team Support stop here!
- Pay your National Registration of $299, this includes the INTO ORBIT Challenge Kit (it's been 311.95 for most Oregon teams). - DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU ARE WAITING FOR ORTOP TEAM FINANCIAL SUPPORT, your team award letter will have directions.
- Get ready for an amazing season!
We have about half of the teams we are planning for registered as of right now. LOTS OF ROOM and it is NOT TOO LATE. Many teams will not start meeting until the first week of October and in Oregon, we plan for that!
4) Tournament Registration
Tournament Registration will open to all Nationally Registered FIRST LEGO League teams in the Oregon Region (if you are a border team participating in Oregon this year, please make sure the region in your team profile is set to Oregon). Both Coaches (not the Team Admin) will be sent the invitation to register at 5:00 PM on October 3, 2018. The link will also be added to the ORTOP website. Events are being finalized over the next week. I hope to have a final list published in the next update and on our website! Most locations have returned this year and we are looking to add a new one or two. YOU WILL NOT USE THE FIRST DASHBOARD FOR REGISTRATION!
5) Challenge Updates!
FIRST has issued some Robot Game and Project Updates! Remember all official updates overrule the Challenge Guide (although they are primarily to provide clarity). It is your team members job to read the Challenge Guide AND the updates to have a clear understanding of the limitations of the Project Challenge AND the Robot Game.
Updates through August 20
6) Table Available
Updates through August 20
6) Table Available
Opal School would like to sell their FIRST LEGO League table for $50. No delivery available. Pick up at Opal School (Portland Children's Museum). Contact office@opalschool.org
7) INTO ORBIT Project Resources
Viking Mars Missions Education and Preservation Team recently sat down with me to talk about how they can help the FIRST LEGO League teams in Oregon. We are thrilled to be working with these individuals many of whom were participants, or family of participants in the first missions to Mars.
To get all teams started, they highly recommend you check out their online museum and collections:
To get all teams started, they highly recommend you check out their online museum and collections:
- The online Viking museum has MANY documents and images students can learn from - https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/the-viking-mars-mission/RQKiJsUJbOktIw
- Info and Updates: https://facebook.com/VikingMarsMission
- Info and Updates https://twitter.com/MarsVikingTeam
- Instagram is vmmepp
If you are a teacher and are doing FIRST LEGO League in the classroom you are also invited to request a free information poster about the Viking Missions. If your team has a question about the Viking program or ANY document in the online museum you may Contact a Viking by emailing info@thevikingpreservationproject.org you MUST use the subject line: "Ask a Viking"
FIRST has been working with the European Space Agency (ESA) to create a series of videos to help inspire your team. You can watch them on the FIRST LEGO League Youtube Channel.
WARNING: The captions are AUTOMATED and filled with errors, especially the third video, umm wow, I have no words - you may want to avoid those. If your team needs a transcript or translation of the videos I will do my best to find them for you, please reach out!
WARNING: The captions are AUTOMATED and filled with errors, especially the third video, umm wow, I have no words - you may want to avoid those. If your team needs a transcript or translation of the videos I will do my best to find them for you, please reach out!
8) I-84 FIRST Road Show
I will be traveling I-84 on September 20 and September 24. During these two days, I would love to stop and talk with your community about ANY FIRST program. If you would like to be added to the itinerary please contact me at Loridee-Wetzel@ortop.org
Currently planning stops in The Dalles, Pendleton, La Grande, Baker City and Nyssa.
9) Expert Nights with Astronaut Dr. Michael Barratt
Thanks to help from OMSI, we have a very special guest coming for this year's expert night, so special we are making not only 2 nights, but two sessions each night so that EVERY TEAM can attend. Our Keynote Expert is none other than NASA Astronaut Dr. Michael Barratt!
THIS WILL BE A FREE TICKETED EVENT. Ticketing information will be sent the first part of October. Expert Night will take place at OMSI on October 17 at 5 PM and 7 PM and on October 18 at 5 PM and 7 PM. You must be a Nationally Registered FIRST LEGO League team to attend. Spaces will be limited and we will do our best to ensure ALL teams have an opportunity to attend. There will be a live question and answer opportunity for team members!
Dr. Michael R. Barratt was selected by NASA in 2000. Board certified in Internal and Aerospace Medicine, he has participated in two spaceflights. In 2009, Dr. Barratt served as Flight Engineer for Expedition 19/20. This marked the transition from three to six permanent International Space Station crew members. During this time, he performed two spacewalks. He also flew on STS-133, which delivered the Permanent Multipurpose Module and fourth Express Logistics Carrier. Currently, Dr. Barratt serves in the International Space Station Operations and Integration branches to handle medical issues and onorbit support.
THIS WILL BE A FREE TICKETED EVENT. Ticketing information will be sent the first part of October. Expert Night will take place at OMSI on October 17 at 5 PM and 7 PM and on October 18 at 5 PM and 7 PM. You must be a Nationally Registered FIRST LEGO League team to attend. Spaces will be limited and we will do our best to ensure ALL teams have an opportunity to attend. There will be a live question and answer opportunity for team members!
10) Showcases and Scrimmages!
- McKenzie River Gathering of Robots - Ford Alumni Center, Eugene - November 10. This is an event to bring the students, teachers, mentors, and supporters of local High School and Middle School robotics teams together, FIRST Robotics Competition, FIRST Tech Challenge, FIRST LEGO League, and VEX teams. The purpose is: to meet; to share ideas and techniques; and, to enhance our robotics STEM and business skills. "Local FIRST and VEX teams", includes all of Lane County or some reasonable driving distance to Eugene/Springfield area. - this may be a good opportunity to share your Project Solution!
- FIRST LEGO League Scrimmage at Beaverton City Library with FIRST Tech Challenge team Total Chaos - November 17. If your team is interested in joining the fun, please complete this form: https://goo.gl/forms/
m6ySzNr7lCZsWd552
Want to have a scrimmage or gathering this fall? Send me the information and I'll share it in a future FIRST LEGO League Oregon Update! Loridee-Wetzel@ortoporg
A Little Note from Loridee
I appologize this email is so long! I do have one more thing I would like to share with all of our coaches, volunteers, and supporters. Thank you for staying with me this far.
Last week, I was at the Oregon State Fair in Salem, and I overheard a couple talking near the amazing quilt entries. They remarked that the competition for quilting has become like the Olympics, the standards get higher and higher every year. FIRST LEGO League is kind of like that too. Every year our teams push themselves and the limits and inch that bar higher. It can feel intimidating when you are making your very first robot or come to your first event. In Oregon, we have a very strong program, but we also have a tremendous opportunity.
In the last Olympics Simone Biles was a powerhouse raising the bar in gymnastics higher than ever before. Yet, from my friends in the gymnastic world I have learned that she happily spends time helping new learners master their new skills - just like at every FIRST LEGO League tournament. FIRST LEGO League teams make connections and share with each other, one rockstar record breaker - to the future bar pushing star.
As you prepare for this season I want you to think about what your team can share with their peers while they learn from the rockstar teams at their event in return. Prepare your teams for this peer-based learning. It is a true gift that all team members can receive through FIRST LEGO League
A Little Note from Loridee
I appologize this email is so long! I do have one more thing I would like to share with all of our coaches, volunteers, and supporters. Thank you for staying with me this far.
Last week, I was at the Oregon State Fair in Salem, and I overheard a couple talking near the amazing quilt entries. They remarked that the competition for quilting has become like the Olympics, the standards get higher and higher every year. FIRST LEGO League is kind of like that too. Every year our teams push themselves and the limits and inch that bar higher. It can feel intimidating when you are making your very first robot or come to your first event. In Oregon, we have a very strong program, but we also have a tremendous opportunity.
In the last Olympics Simone Biles was a powerhouse raising the bar in gymnastics higher than ever before. Yet, from my friends in the gymnastic world I have learned that she happily spends time helping new learners master their new skills - just like at every FIRST LEGO League tournament. FIRST LEGO League teams make connections and share with each other, one rockstar record breaker - to the future bar pushing star.
As you prepare for this season I want you to think about what your team can share with their peers while they learn from the rockstar teams at their event in return. Prepare your teams for this peer-based learning. It is a true gift that all team members can receive through FIRST LEGO League
Best Wishes,
Loridee
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