July 1 - 5

No meetings this week.  This includes captains.  Enjoy the holiday!

Upcoming Events:
July 8 - 12:  ISD Summer Camp Week 2
July 9:  7-8PM  Captains Meeting (Captains & Co-Captains only)
July 11:  7 - 9 PM  Center rearranging continues
July 15 - 19:  ISD Summer Camp Week 3
July 16:  7-8PM  Captains Meeting (Captains & Co-Captains only)
July 18:  7 - 9 PM  Center rearranging continues
July 20:  Re-modelling and BX cookout -- ALL DAY
July 22 - 26:  ISD Summer Camp Week 4
July 23:  7-8PM  Captains Meeting (Captains & Co-Captains only)
July 25:  7 - 9 PM  Center rearranging continues
July 29 - Aug 2:  BX Summer Camp

June 24 - June 28

I am so proud of how all of you performed at the Michigan Advanced Robotics Competition!  MARC was a lot of fun.  We had a chance to see a lot of you perform as drivers, and Nick and I were very impressed with what we saw.  Even though we found ourselves in the bottom of the rankings for most of the events, you all still kept your heads up and did your best.  We saw some great driving even if we were losing matches.  Our veteran drivers did a great job of showing our climb, and Ms. SPOCKE FINALLY made peace with the blue pyramid and decided to play nice. :)  She was also very cooperative at MARC! :)

During the elimination rounds, our veteran drive team did such a great job on the field.  They made all 7 of their attempted climbs!  Winning the "Best Climber" trophy was a well-deserved trophy!  Doing our part to help our alliance win the tournament was a huge team effort, and I am very proud of our whole alliance.   I loved sitting by the Hilltoppers.  What a great team.  Their energy and enthusiasm made it a lot of fun cheering during our matches.  The positive vibe they had, the participation of all, the energy...all made them wonderful alliance captains, and something to strive for in our team.  They celebrate every accomplishment on the field, and I really liked that! Huge thanks to everyone that participated!

Here's what's coming up this week!  

Monday - Friday:  Monroe Co. ISD camp (Dianna, Stacee, Courtney, Parth).  Those riding with me should arrive at SRE at 7:45 AM on Monday.  We will meet at 8:00 the rest of the days, but I want to get there a little early for our first day.  If you cannot get to the school, let me know.  We should be back to the center by 3:30 - 4:00 each day.  

Tuesday (26):  5:00 - 7:00 Captains Meeting 

               7:00 - 9:00  Lego sorting party - Anyone that is available that can help us sort Legos so are kits are ready for our camps and for the season.  

Wednesday 7:00 - 9:00 PM  - Training session/Practice session for Friday's Presentation - Open to anyone that wants to get one of their presentations done for the year.  

Thursday (27):  7:00 - 9:00 PM - This was supposed to be our remodeling meeting, but I am not going to be able to attend.  Nick will still be meeting with all available to rearrange the basics (move the playing field to the east wall like we had it last fall), and we will still brainstorm changes.  Anyone wanting to input ideas for either decorative painting, or shelving ideas should still attend Thursday.  Nick will be making a shopping list of things we need to purchase to organize (and beautify) our center.  We will be meeting on a Saturday to actually do all that.  I will post that date soon. 

Friday(28):  Business presentation - I am still waiting for a lot of specifics.  I will fill in the blanks on Wednesday.  I would guess time commitment including travel downtown will be around 10 AM - 2 PM.  

Upcoming Dates:

We will be meeting informally on Thursdays from 7 - 9 this summer.  Come when you are able.

ISD Summer Camps:  July 8 - 12:  Dianna, Conner N., Stacee, Ethan, Parth

                                   July 15 - 18:  Conner N., Courtney, Parth

                                   July 22-26:  Dianna, Alex P., Parth

When combined with the VIRUS and TEMPEST volunteers we are pretty well covered except week 3.  We are very short there, with only 5 full time volunteers   We could also use 1-2 more for week 4.  

M.A.R.C. Competition

Here's what's coming up in the next couple of weeks.  

• Tuesday - 6/18 - Driver Practice for MARC 7:00 - 9:00 PM  - Anyone interested in driving, or working the pit crew should try to attend at least one of the practices this week.  New team members are encouraged to come check it out, meet the team, and learn about the robot!
• Wednesday 6/19 - Driver Practice for MARC 7:00 - 9:00 PM
• Thursday 6/20 - 
• 9 AM - 2 PM - Training session for ISD robotics camp workers - I REALLY need more of you to commit to at least one week of helping for this camp.  It is an excellent opportunity for you to learn essentials skills which will help you mentor FLL and FTC teams in the future.  It is also an excellent way for us to reach out to other schools in the county that do not have programs.  Please sign up today. Here is the application. No experience is needed, but I need to get names turned in.  So far I have 3 people for the June week, 1 for the July 8th week, and 1 for the July 22nd week.  I need at least one for the July 15th week, and I would really like to have 5-6 each week!  Please consider helping with this.  I can fit 4 in my car.  Free pizza at the training session and free lunches when you work at camp.  Great for your resumes, college applications, scholarship applications, Dean's List credentials, and great for our team!  NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED!
• 7:00 - 9:00 PM - Driver Practice for MARC 7:00- 9:00PM
• 10:00AM - 8 PM  MARC Set up - If you are interested in helping them set up for MARC, please contact Marjie, or myself. 
• Friday, 6/21 MARC – Schedule  BX will be arriving around noon.  Address/Information
• Saturday 6/22 MARC 8 AM - 5:30 PM  Please stay and help tear down if you are able.  
• 6/24 – 6/28 MCISD Summer Robotics Camp 1- 9:00 - 3:00
• 6/27 - 7:00 - 9:00 PM - Robotics Center Remodeling Meeting (anyone that wants to help us figure out how to best lay out the center, build shelving units, paint, etc.  Parents, mentors and team members welcome.  This is a planning session.)
• 6/28 - 10:30 AM - 1:30 PM  Downtown Business Presentation  - I need a couple of parents that can chaperone this presentation  help transport the kids and robot, and such, as I will be teaching the ISD class at this time.  I also need students to present at this luncheon for Toledo business owners.  This is a big opportunity  and when I set it up, I did not know I would be teaching the summer camp.  So, I need some people to help with this.  Please let me know if you can help with/participate in this presentation.   

A Note from Gail Alpert about the Broadcast of States!

It's finally time for the TV Broadcast of the State Championship.

When: Wednesday, May 29

Time:  8:00 PM

Where: WTVS (PBS) for viewers in Detroit/surrounding areas.

SIMULCAST on the Web: http://www.dptv.org/programs/robotics/

Check your provider for the channel number. Here are a few you can try:

U-verse 1056

Comcast 6 and 240

Bight House 11 and 211

If you miss the show and simulcast on Wednesday night, the show will be re-broadcast on Thursday at 4:00 PM.  There will be no simulcast at that time, but immediately following the Wednesday night simulcast, the show will be on demand at the same link:

http://www.dptv.org/programs/robotics/

Let's show Detroit Public Television what a large audience we are and how much we all love FIRST Robotics!

Summer Volunteer Opportunity

Any students that would like to work at the robotics summer camp hosted by the Monroe County ISD (taught by me), here is what you need to do.  Email me the dates you are available, and a brief description of your robotics experiences.  Please include teams you have participated on, mentored and/or coached, along with your BX experience.  This will be forwarded to Mr. Hite at the ISD.

There will be student assistants from VIRUS and Monroe Jefferson as well. There will be a programming class led by Katherine Hite to train volunteers that may need brushing up (or teaching) on programming.

The camps will be held June 24-28, July 8-12, July 15-19, and July 22-26 from 9:00 - 3:00 each day.  Please remember that our own summer camp will be the July 29 - Aug. 2.

I do not want you to sign up for the MISD camps, if you sacrifice working at our camp.  Ours is our top priority.  If you are not working this summer, and are interested in getting some service hours, or you are just interested in working with Lego Robotics some more, it is a great opportunity.  It would look good on a resume, scholarship application, college application, and of course, Dean's List consideration.

I will have room to take 3 people with me (though I will not wait for anyone that oversleeps or isn't there on time).  I believe we have a couple of student volunteers that can also drive.  We would leave SRE around 8:00, and should be back by 3:30 - 4:00 each day.  Each week is a different group of 16 students.  On Fridays, we will be taking a field trip to a robotics business and having a award ceremony/presentation.  The first three weeks are 3rd - 8th graders.  The last week is high school aged students.

The first to be selected will be the students with the most experience able to volunteer all 5 weeks (4 at MCISD and 1 at BX).  Then we will start filling in gaps with students that can commit for any of the full weeks.  Then we will fill with those that can only work certain days.

It should be a lot of fun and a great experience.  Please get me the email asap.  I will start forwarding them to Mr. Hite at the ISD.  Please be professional in your letter because Mr. Hite will do final selections, so don't assume he knows you like I do. :)

Important Links for 2014

Here are some links that will help you transition to the 2014 season!

2014 Returning Team Member Application

2014 FIRST Consent and Release

2014 Rookie Team Member Application

BX Summer Camp Worker Application

2014 Application to Coach/Mentor any BPS FIRST Robotics team

Applications for any K-8 BPS FIRST Robotics Teams for the 2013-2014 season

2014 Service Hour Reporting Form

Kroger Rewards Instructions  BEWARE - Double check that you pick our team (Bedford Express & Bedford High School) and not the Bedford Robotics Association which is not us.  Our number is 83887 and says Bedford EXPRESS.

Kroger Rewards "How to Report you Total" Tutorial Page

Elder Beerman Sign Up

Elder Beerman Worker Chart

Application to be a Tutor

BX Webpage

Bedford Robotics Website

Private Team FB Page  (For team members, mentors and families only)

Public FB Page

FB page for Bedford Robotics

BX Twitter

Alumni Register

Summer 2013 Schedule

Summer Schedule - 2013

Please avoid planning any appointments on Thursday.  Thursday will remain our mandatory meeting night school year round. :)

• 6/18  Driver practice for MARC 7:00 – 9:00 PM
• 6/19  Driver practice for MARC 7:00 – 9:00 PM
• 6/20  Driver practice for MARC 7:00 – 9:00 PM
• 6/20 MARC (Michigan Advanced Robotics Competition) at Monroe High School –Set Up – Optional 10 AM – 8 PM (Record Service Hours if you help)
• 6/21 MARC – Schedule  BX will be arriving around noon.  Address/Information
• 6/22 MARC  - 8 AM – 5:15 PM
• 6/24 – 6/28 MCISD Summer Robotics Camp 1- 9:00 - 3:00
• 6/27 - Robotics Center Remodeling Meeting (anyone that wants to help us figure out how to best lay out the center, build shelving units, paint, etc.  Parents, mentors and team members welcome.  This is a planning session.)
• 6/28 - 10:30 AM - 1:30 PM  Downtown Business Presentation  
• 7/8 – 7/12 MCISD Summer Robotics Camp 2 - 9:00 - 3:00
• 7/15 – 7/19 MCISD Summer Robotics Camp 3 - 9:00 - 3:00
• 7/22 – 7/26 MCISD Summer Robotics Camp 4  - 9:00 - 3:00
• 7/29 - 8/2 BX Summer Robotics Camp for K - 8th graders  (Watch here for more info)