Pre-Season CS7 - Preparing for Kickoff

Greetings FIRST LEGO League Oregon,

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

1. August Coach, Mentor, and Parent Workshops Starting!
2. Free Tables!
3. Team Financial Support is Going Out!
4. Teams Needed to Help at Maker Faire
5. How We Do Things is More Important Than What We Do.
6. What Does Kickoff Mean in Oregon?
7. Farewell INTO ORBIT

Use this link to read this update as a blog post

Pre-Season CS5 - Planning, Preparing, and Funding

Greetings FIRST LEGO League Oregon,

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

1. SPIKE PRIME, my 1-hour review
2. Team Financial Support Update
3. Arizona July event still has space
4. Adult Workshops - ORTOP and SuperQuest
5. What to expect from the New Team Meeting Guide
6. INTO ORBIT Project Share at OMSI
7. Castilla Project Camps
8. FIRST Tech Challenge Adult Training through SuperQuest

Use this link to read this update as a blog post

IO Pre-Season 4: Preparing for FIRST Launch!

Greetings FIRST LEGO League Oregon,

In this update, you will find:

1. Team Financial Support is HAPPENING!
2. Register for Coach, Mentor, or Parent Workshop - NEW DATES!
3. Paid LEGO Coordinator at Catlin Gabel
4. Guess the Missions with FIRST!
5. OregonASK/IBM Camp for 7-8th Grade Girls
6. Countdown to Kick-off
7. ORTOP is HIRING! 

Use this link to read this update as a blog post

IO Pre-Season 1: Building the Launch List for INTO ORBIT Teams

Greetings FIRST LEGO League Oregon,

In this update, you will find:

1. Season Celebration - June 4
2. Changes for the INTO ORBIT Season!
3. Table Needs a New Home
4. Coach, Mentor, and Parent Workshops!
5. Team Financial Support Information
6. Team Goals - May/June

Use this link to read this update as a blog post

LAST CHANCE! FIRST LEGO League Team Support Applications MUST be in before MONDAY!

Greetings FIRST LEGO League Oregon,

If your team is unable to pay National Registration, for the Challenge Kit, for a robot kit (for teams without one only), or for the Oregon Qualifying Tournament Registration Fee please complete your Team Financial Support Application BEFORE 10 am on Monday, September 11. You have this weekend to finish the application through survey monkey. We want to get ALL of the available funds and coupon codes to be used for teams in Oregon! If your program has grown unexpectedly this week, PLEASE APPLY!  Remember each team may only have 10 team members and NO alternates! If 12 kids showed up to practice, you need two teams to fully support them! As long as we have funds and you demonstrate how you are reaching out to members of the community who do not self-select for robotics or may have a harder time joining a team and demonstrate what other fundraising you have done, your application will be considered.

Please remember if you receive a robot kit through ORTOP funds, you are making a TWO YEAR commitment to FIRST LEGO League!

Teams will still be able to use the sliding scale to pay for the tournament registration fee even if you do not submit a team financial support application!

Apply for Team Financial Support Here

HD2: A Sprinkle of News

Greetings FIRST LEGO League Oregon,

We have a couple quick, but urgent items for your attention today:

1. WORKSHOPS - Need more attendees or they will be canceled
2. TEAM FINANCIAL Support - Last Round September 11th!
3. CORE VALUES - Adult Play and Learn Session - September 11
4. Teams need 2 ADULT COACHES
5. Delays with Coach/Mentor Background Checks
6. HYDRO DYNAMICS Season could close as early as September 30

To read this update as a blog, please click here:

HD1: The Pipes Have Opened!

Greetings FIRST LEGO League Oregon,

In this update you will find:

1. HYDRO DYNAMICS Important Links!
2. FIRST LEGO League Team Financial Support Status
3. LAST CHANCE - Coach, Mentor, Parent Workshops
4. Free Table
5. What Your Team Should Do in September

To read this as a blog post please click here:

News You can Dive Into

Greetings FIRST LEGO League Oregon,

In this update you will find:

1. Oregon Department of Education Funds Available
2. Free Practice Tables
3. Free Tickets to Kick-off!
4. Workshops Around Oregon
5. Fundraising Success in Medford!

Read it as a blog post

JULY NEWS, Summer Research is a Splash!

Greetings FIRST LEGO League Oregon,

In this mid-summer newsletter you will find:

1. Coach, Mentor, and Parent Workshops
2. Applying for Team Financial Support UPDATE
3. Teams Needed to Help with Demonstrations
4. Team Members and Mentors are Invited to Join SWE!
5. What Should My Team Be Doing Now?
6. FIRST LEGO League Summer Camps
7. Save the Date! KICKOFF August 29!

Read this email as a blog post

Team Financial Support, Robotics Camps, Adult Workshops, and More!

Greetings FIRST LEGO League Oregon,

In this newsletter you will find:

1. Coach, Mentor, Parent, and Teen FIRST LEGO League Workshops
2. ORTOP Team Financial Support 2017!
3. Summer Showcase Teams NEEDED
4. Robotics Camps Around Oregon - for team members!
5. What is the FIRST LEGO League Season Pass, and Who is it for?
6. Old Challenge Sets Are Available at ORTOP

Read this newsletter as a blog

National Registration is Open for HYDRO DYNAMICS

Greetings FIRST LEGO League Oregon,

Before today's post, here is the link to change your subscription to ORTOP mailings. If your team is moving up to FIRST Tech Challenge, please make sure you read the last few emails as a lot has happened the last two weeks!

In this post you will find:

1. National Registration Now Open
2. FIRST LEGO League Oregon Coach, Mentor, and Parent Workshops
3. Team Financial Support Update
4. Teacher, Principal, and Administrator workshops from LEGO Education and OMSI
5. Summer Outreach Opportunities
6. ORTOP is hiring
7. Save the Date - HYDRO DYNAMICS Kickoff

Read Below or ONLINE

Preparing for Next Season

Greetings FIRST LEGO League Oregon,

In this post you will find:

1. Good Luck Oregon Teams Going to the World Festival
2. Good Luck teams participating in Invitationals in May
3. Teams needed to do demonstrations on May 6
4. Getting Ready for Hydro Dynamics
5. DonorsChoose.org and Newscorp Partner for FIRST

1) Good Luck Oregon Teams Going to the World Festival

The FIRST World Championships and World Festival for Oregon teams will be in Houston, Texas on April 19-22nd. 

Representing Oregon will be:

FIRST LEGO League Jr team:

8286 Bumblebee Jr, Friends & Family, Portland - chosen by lottery in January

FIRST LEGO League our first place Champion's Award winners

11687, The Pandroids, Wy'east Middle School, Hood River

1833, The G.E.A.R.S. (Girls Engineering and Robotics Superstars), West Linn/Tualatin neighborhood team, Tualatin 

FIRST Tech Challenge teams:

750, Gears in Motion, Tigard High School, Tigard - Lottery Winner

3525, Dynamite Robotics, Banks High School, Banks - Lottery Winner

4855, Batteries in Black, Washington County 4H, Portland - 3rd Place Connect Award & Winning Alliance

7013, Hot Wired, Westview High School, Portland - 2nd Place Innovate Award

7750, Mechanical Maniacs, 4H, Sutherlin - Highest Ranked Team from Cascade Winning Division

8045, Gromit’s Grommets, Pleasant Hill High School, Pleasant Hill - Control Award Winner & Finalist Alliance

8176, Steelhead, Hood River Valley High School, Hood River - Think Award Winner; 3rd Place Motivate Award

9769, Total Chaos, Total Chaos 4H Club, Portland - Connect Award Winner

10060, Klamath Coyotes, Eagle Ridge High School, Klamath - 3rd Place Innovate Award

FIRST Robotics Competition teams are:
955, CV Robotics, Crescent Valley High School, Corvallis - Alternate
997, Spartan Robotics, Corvallis High School, Corvallis - Rankings
1425, Error Code Xero, Wilsonville High School, Wilsonville - Rankings
1540, Flaming Chickens, Catlin Gabel School, Portland - Chairmans
2990, Hotwire, Hotwire Robotics, Turner - Rankings
3024, My Favorite Team, Ashland High School, Ashland - Engineering Inspiration
4125, Confidential, Umatilla High School, Umatilla - Chairmans
4488, Shockwave, Glencoe High School, Hillsboro - Rankings
4662, Byte Sized Robotics, Scappoose High School, Scappoose - Rankings
5468, Chaos Theory, Summit High School, Bend - Lottery
5970, BeaverTronics, Beaverton High School, Beaverton - Rankings
6442, Modern Americans, Pendleton High School, Pendleton - Rookie All-Star
6443, Falcons, Liberty High School, Portland - Rookie All-Star
6445, CTEC Robotics, Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC), Salem - Rankings
2471, Team Mean Machine, Camas High School, Washougal High School, Hockinson High School, Camas WA - Rankings
3674, 4-H Clover Bots, Team 3674 4-H Clover Bots, Battleground WA - Rankings

2) Good Luck teams participating in Invitationals in May

Going to LEGOLAND's North America Open in May:

FIRST LEGO League second place Champion's Award winners

16182, Brainiacs with Blue, Portland Neighborhood, Portland

6493, Robotek Xtreme, Bethany Neighborhood, Portland

Going to the Razorback Open in Arkansas in May:

FIRST LEGO League third place Champion's Award winners

96, Gears In Motion, Stem4Girls, Portland

6246, Full STEAM, Wilsonville Neighborhood Team, Wilsonville

3) Teams needed to do demonstrations on May 6

ORTOP will be showcasing FIRST LEGO League at 2 different events.
FIRST LEGO League Jr at Evergreen Aviation Museum - two expos are being planned, one from 9:00am to 12:30pm and one from 1:00pm to 5:00pm.
Intel Ronler Acres Open House, ORTOP will have a FIRST LEGO League table and space to engage visitors at the Open House. Teams are needed to help from 10am to Noon and Noon to 2pm.

If your team would like to help at any of these events please complete this form.

4) Getting Ready for Hydro Dynamics

As we approach the end of the school year there is a LOT your team can be doing to prepare for next season. I've been thrilled to hear from many new teams that they are already hard at work doing the following things. I hope your team is too!

• Recruit new coach, assistants, and mentors
• Have them plan on attending Coach, Mentor, and Parent workshops hosted by ORTOP starting in June! (schedule to be posted in May)
• Recruit new team members or start a new team that will share your space or that you can help through their first year.
• Fundraise for registration and seasonal expenses - Registration opens in May for Hydro Dynamics!
• Learn to use a sensor, or use a sensor in a new way! 
• Showcase your robot or project at a local event or on the news! - if you do please send articles, video, or photos to ORTOP!
• Start your investigations into the theme of water. What are problems that people are solving that involve water? What happens to the water you use every day? How does it get to your faucet, where does it go when it goes down the drain? What about other parts of the world? We don't know the restrictions on the new theme, but if your team has a good idea of what is happening in the world they will have a good background to choose their problem to solve. 

Even if your team members aren't meeting right now, it's a great time to plan the occassional work day or encourage team members and coaches to come together (even if it's virtually) to think about the new season. If you wait until school starts there will be a lot to do in a short amount of time. It's best to organize as much as possible BEFORE the summer starts!

5) DonorsChoose.org and Newscorp Partner for FIRST

Through a generous donation from NewsCorp in partnership with DonorsChoose.org, funding is available to help start or support a FIRST® team. Funding is available to any educator in a public or public charter school located in the United States, employed full time by the school or school district and works directly with students at least 75 percent of the time. Funding can be used for registration fees, materials, reasonable and customary FIRST team travel costs. Tell the educators in your area to visit www.donorschoose.org/first to get started