Pre-Season CS1 - Get Ready to RISE!

Greetings FIRST LEGO League Oregon,

In today's FIRST LEGO League Oregon Update we will cover these items:

1. Congratulations Oregon World Festival/Championship Teams 
2. Intel Ronler Acres Open House
3. Welcome SPIKE PRIME®
4. Summer Coach, Mentor, and Parent Workshops! 
5. Table Needs New Home
6. FIRST RISE Powered by Star Wars!
7. First Look at CITY SHAPER

Use this link to read this update as a blog post

  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. Every update this season begins with CS (CITY SHAPER) and a number, that number lets you know which update it is, if you miss an update you can find it on our blog.  We are currently in the Pre-Season planning and skill growing part of the FIRST LEGO League Oregon Season!

1) Congratulations Oregon World Festival/Championship Teams!

Oregon teams soared at the FIRST World Festival/Championship in Houston, TX this past week. At the FIRST LEGO League World Festival, both team Syzygy and Kidobots represented Oregon. With Kidobots bringing home the 2nd place Innovative Solution out of 108 teams from 40 different countries!

Oregon FIRST Tech Challenge and FIRST Robotics Competition Teams were also well recognized for their efforts at the FIRST World Championships!  You can see all the Oregon results on our website: https://ortop.org/2019/04/houston-2/

2) Intel Ronler Acres Open House

Your help is NEEDED! We need at least a couple teams to share FIRST LEGO Leauge at the Ronler Acres Open House NEXT SATURDAY (May 4) in Hillsboro.  The Ronler Acres Event runs from 10am to 2pm. I would like to have teams fill our table the entire time! Space will also be available for sharing your Innovative Solutions!

If your team can help please complete this short form. Thank you!!!!

3) Welcome SPIKE PRIME®

LEGO recently announced the arrival of the new LEGO robotics system, SPIKE PRIME. SPIKE PRIME is not a member of the MINDSTORMS family of robotics systems that EV3 and NXT are in. As such the motors and sensors from the EV3 and NXT are not compatible with the SPIKE PRIME system. If your team already has a good EV3 or NXT do not worry! You can still use your robot in FIRST LEGO League, the RCX is still a legal robot and we haven't seen one of those at an event in years!

SPIKE PRIME is not a MINDSTORMS robot, and here is what that means:

• Does not use the MINDSTORMS programming language, it uses a variation of scratch as its provided LEGO language. 
• Does not have a readout screen, but rather uses programmable LEDs on top of the hub
• Different cable connectors (same style as WeDo 2.0)
• Hub is completely square with a built-in rechargeable battery, 6-input/output ports, 6-axis gyro, and the micro USB port.
• Motors can be programmed to remember the angle and have a 0-degree fixed location. 

If you are interested in all the specs for the new SPIKE PRIME, LEGO has kindly provided them and I'm happy to send you the information!

All bricks and non-electronic components are compatible with all LEGO elements - as all LEGO sets are.

Unlike in the MINDSTORMS kit, the $99 expansion for SPIKE PRIME does include electronic components your team will want. Both EV3 and SPIKE PRIME will be available to FIRST LEGO League teams through the FIRST Dashboard this year.

4) Summer Coach, Mentor, and Parent Workshops! 

It's time to get your summer workshop requests to ORTOP. Volunteer trainers are working to plan their summer to include your community! If you are interested in having a FIRST LEGO League workshop near you, please complete this google form!

ORTOP workshops are for adults and teens affiliated with a team or considering forming a team. Workshop materials can be found on our website.

MEDFORD WORKSHOPS 

FIRST LEGO League Coach and Tournament Director, Hunter Emery, will be providing FIRST LEGO League Coach, Mentor, and Parent workshops on the following days:

May 25, 8:30-3:30 at Howard Elementary School - Workshop I and II
June 1, 8:30 - 3:30 at Howard Elementary School - Workshop III and Advanced Programming Techniques*.

SIGN UP HERE!

*Advanced Programming Techniques requires Workshop I & II or to have coached for at least 1 year.

Would you like to join our volunteer workshop trainer team? Please email Loridee-Wetzel@ortop.org

Table Needs New Home.

Table has found a home: A FIRST LEGO League table in Portland is in need of a new home. If your team is in need of a table for practice, please contact David at dnagle@pps.net.

6) FIRST RISE Powered by Star Wars!

Throughout history, great civilizations have risen, then fallen. Now it’s our turn to rise—building and bolstering our own planetary metropolis.

This 2019-2020 season, FIRST RISE, powered by Star Wars: Force for Change, is setting out to inspire citizens of the galaxy to work together, strengthening and protecting the Force that binds us and creating a place where collaboration and collective wisdom can elevate new ideas and foster growth.

You read that correctly, next season is not only another thrilling FIRST and LEGO game, but this year it's powered by Star Wars: Force for Change! Nothing says it better than the Jedi Master himself in this video that aired at the FIRST Championship in Houston.


ORTOP is thrilled to be able to compile all we know about the FIRST RISE season on this helpful website, which we will do our best to keep up to date!

7) First Look at CITY SHAPER

LEGO Education has done a wonderful job of documenting the CITY SHAPER game table on their Facebook and Instagram feeds, with photos better than most people have been able to post elsewhere.


Want to see the table in action and a possible solution to the Crane? Watch the official reveal from LEGO Education:


It's also a great way to see how the table setup will look at the competitions, with that fascinating white bridge spanning the North Wall.

Also notable is the new shorter mat, yes that black part is table bottom! If CITY SHAPER hasn't built your interest yet, you may want to join the speculation and preparation enthusiasts in FLL: Share and Learn on Facebook, where veteran coaches and FIRST LEGO League enthusiasts from around the world are gathering to share tips, tricks, and techniques on all aspects of FIRST LEGO League.

Another exciting change coming this year will be Team Meeting Guides for Mentors! No more guessing what to do each meeting, the team meeting guide can help you stay on track (we hope). If you have a system that works, don't feel bound by the new tools.  All tools and rules will be released on August 1!

Registration for CITY SHAPER will open in May, as will ORTOP Team Financial Support Applications - watch for it in our next update!

Congratulations to team 27006 Fin-tastic Fish for being selected by Random.org as our "What the Theme" contest winners, your pack of goodies should get shipped soon - I'm bad at mailing things, so I'm gonna do it, ok?

Thank you for bearing with me with this LONG email update. So many things are happening this month and it's only a start of the excitement yet to come. I hope you will be rising up to the challenge!

Best Wishes,
Loridee