Redwood FTC Robotics
Club Chair: Harvinder Mundh
Staff Advisor: Ms. Tara Schinasi
Email: rmsftcrobotics@saratogausd.org
2023-2024 Meeting Times: For FTC Teams
Build Sessions - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
No build sessions on Thursday of SLCT weeks
Who are we?
Established in 2021 by Mr. Due Hoang, this PTA-sponsored FTC Robotics Club is a middle school engineering club geared towards introducing students to the basics of robotics with FTC hardware and software. In this student-led, teacher-mentor club (not a class), students gain crucial hands-on building, mechanics, programming, critical thinking, strategic, collaboration, and leadership skills. We are a competitive robotics team. Over the course of the school year, our robotics club will plan to host outreach events to spread our love for STEM throughout the community. In 2023-2024, we have 56 student members among 8 teams who are the main driving force to design the curriculum and structure of the program.
Commitment
- This program runs from May through April. Students are given the opportunity to take the robot home during the summers to build and program.
- 4 build sessions are offered weekly. Minimum attendance is 2 build sessions or 4 hours a week. However, the most successful teams spend way more than the minimum time to drive for excellence. For students who cannot meet the minimum requirement, their status will be changed to inactive and they will be moved onto the waitlist.
- Weekend travel is required for local and state tournaments. If a team qualifies, the World Tournament will be held out of state during a week in April.
- In addition to the endeavors made by the students, this club requires not only donations but many parent volunteers who are willing to partner with each other and hold a role to be part of the catalyst of the success. We need hands-on volunteers due to the nature and size of the club.
How to join?
- Each year there will be approximately 20-25 spots open for the new student members.
The process starts with an interest form that will be sent out through the SUSD in late March or the end of April, with the due date 3 weeks from when the form is sent.
- Students who submit the interest form, will receive an email from the FTC club providing them with test dates and access to study material to prepare for the test. There will be a 3-phase technical assessment process from April - June to evaluate the readiness of the prospects. For students who pass the technical assessment, the phase 4 - compatibility evaluation will take place in August after the school starts before finalizing the roster.
- Our program starts before the school closes for the academic year and therefore we don't accept new applications in the fall. Exception: Students who are new to SUSD, can submit interest forms at the beginning of the school year and then go through the same testing process and technical assessment process. Qualified students will be put on the waitlist and added to teams as spots become available. We will not be accepting any new students after Thanksgiving.
