October Newsletter 2024
Spooky season is upon us, and the holidays are here. I want to remind all that parent volunteers are urgently needed. Being a parent volunteer requires no experience, just some time out of your day. As a parent volunteer, you are only required to be present in the room to “supervise” the students. You can bring a computer to work during work sessions if you choose. To become a volunteer, you must submit an application using the Carlmont Robotics Volunteer Registration form. Once approved, the team will send you an email to complete the District’s online Volunteer application. Get the email from the District asking you to get your Live Scan fingerprinting and complete it. The District process will take about 1-3 weeks to clear as a Level 2 Volunteer. Here is a link to the different levels of volunteers. Anyone can stop by during work session hours and observe the team. Please take some time to help support our team. It enables us to drive to competitions and have weekly work sessions. The team would be ever grateful for your support and commitment.
Switching gears, the team has been making tremendous progress preparing for the upcoming rookie competition. We’re excited to announce that the Menlo Atherton (MA) event will take place on November 23, and we warmly welcome parents to attend and observe. This competition will be a unique experience, as the robots will be entirely planned, designed, and executed by our newest members. It provides a valuable opportunity for them to get a hands-on introduction to what robotics competitions are all about. Your presence at this event will not only show your support, but will also provide our new members with a valuable learning experience.
The MA event is a simplified, beginner-friendly version of the FRC (First Robotics Competition), designed to familiarize newcomers with the different stages of competitive robotics. From the brainstorming phase, through designing and manufacturing, to finally participating in matches, MA will offer a condensed but exciting glimpse into the challenges and rewards of real competition. The goal is to help rookies build confidence and skills before they dive into the full-scale FRC season. After the MA event, we’ll hold a handful of work sessions to help the team fine-tune our preparations before the official kick-off on January 4. Although this stretch between events may feel long, please note that no work sessions will be scheduled during either the dead week or the study week before finals. This break will give everyone time to focus on their academics and recharge before the season’s excitement kicks off in earnest.
We are incredibly proud of our new members’ dedication and excited to see their hard work come to life at the MA event. It’s shaping up to be a great start to the season and a promising introduction to the world of competitive robotics.
Thank you for your continued support as we gear up for an exciting few months ahead. We truly appreciate your involvement and look forward to seeing you at the upcoming events. We’ll be sure to share more updates as we progress toward the official season kick-off.
