Tournament Season is upon us!! This is a very exciting time in Ontario as teams from all over the province who have been practicing hard (over the past 12 weeks since FLL released the game) come together in Coopertition to celebrate all that learning and compete against each other to see who will advance to the Provincial Championships! NOTE: This year, for the first time ever, we will be physically splitting Ontario's Championship event into two events. If you are attending an East Championship Qualifying event and advance to provincials, you will be attending the East Championships at UOIT on Saturday, January 12th, 2013. If you are attending a West Championship Qualifying event and advance to provincials, you will be attending the West Championships at the University of Waterloo on Sunday, January 13th, 2013.
Below is a set of crucial information for you as you put together the final details for your qualifying event. Please read it all thoroughly.
- Participant Surveys
- Advancement Criteria (read those rubrics!)
- FIRST's Consent Forms
- RDES
- 10 Member Rule
Participant Surveys
Each year we survey participants and coaches to see what impact FLL has had on the children. This information is VITALLY important to the success of our program in many ways. PLEASE take 5 minutes to fill out the Coach Survey and please also take the time before your event to have the kids fill in this Participant Survey. A draw will be held after the events are over for 5 lucky winners from the Coaches and 5 luck winners from the Participants. Prize winners will be announced and prizes will be mailed out after the draw. The prizes are indicated at the end of the survey. :)
Advancement Criteria (read those rubrics!)
Please make sure to read (and have the kids read) the rubrics by which your team will be judged. The expectation is that teams will speak to all of the items in rubric. Judges should not have to dig with questions to uncover things that your team did in the various areas of their FLL season.
Teams who advance to the Provincial Championships will do so based on the criteria for the "Champions Award" (the most prestigious award a team can win). This criteria means that they are the best well-rounded teams at the event. This could mean that the Robot Performance team does NOT advance to the Provincials. It could also mean that a team that wins 1st Place Robot Design, 1st Place Project, or 1st Place Core Values does NOT advance to Provincials (if, for example their team only performs at a high level in one of those categories). Lastly, it could mean that a team who doesn't win any award advances to Provincials (for example, a team who places 2nd in all three Core Award categories wouldn't win an award in a small event but could still be one of the best overall/well-rounded teams at the event).
FIRST's Consent Forms
Please make sure that everyone associated with your team (including coaches) brings a signed FIRST Consent and Release Form. NOTE: this is above and beyond any trip permission forms your school may require you to have. Participants without a signed form may NOT be allowed to compete.
Robot Design Executive Summary (RDES)
A reminder that the RDES will be expected in the Robot Design judging session.
10 Member Rule
Another reminder that your team should be comprised of NO MORE THAN 10 children. FIRST is very clear in many documents this year that teams with "more than ten team members at an event may not qualify for awards or advancement." Please avoid disappointment for everyone and adhere to this rule.
I am very much looking forward to meeting some of you at upcoming events that I'll be attending and even more of you at one of our Provincial Championships in January!
Go FLL!
Dave
