A good attitude
(Wear) Clothes that meet the safety and dress code guidelines
Your school-issued device, and a charger if it needs it
Water Bottle
Toys/NeeDohs (aka anything with a liquid interior)
Handheld Gaming Devices (Switch, Steam Deck, DS, etc)
Things of value that you do not want broken/lost
Specialty Drinks/Non-water (these must be left in the Kitchenette if you do bring them)
Anything that will distract you from team activities
We ask that all students use their best judgment and critical thinking skills when choosing how to behave. This list covers the important ideas, but does not cover every single instance. Things like bullying, harassment, unsafe horseplay, or intentional disruption will not be tolerated, even if not explicitly written. When in doubt, treat others with respect, take care of our equipment, and follow the spirit of team collaboration. If unsure what that looks like, ask a program adult.
Students should eat before practice. We will not have snack.
If you are eating snack at practice, it must be done before we start, and in the Kitchenette.
Students should arrive 2–5 minutes before the practice start time.
Parents: Supervision may not be readily available more than 5 minutes before. Arrange supervision with your child's Coach or another mentor if they must come earlier.
Students will sign in with their RFID card for both safety (attendance list) and to track hours. They will sign in with "HP".
Students will make a nametag with their real/preferred name for safety (in case of emergency, emergency personnel to contact parents, etc)
Students will put any belongings that are not their Chromebook/MacBook in a cubby on the field.
Phones must go in the assigned pocket or in a cubby. Students may not use their phone during practice. Parents, if you must contact your student, please arrange methods through your child's coach. Students deciding not to follow this procedure risk their phone being confiscated.
All personal devices go to the wooden cubbies on the field.
Toys, LEGOs, and other activities in the "Lobby" are not for FTC.
Students will head to their first Center upon arrival and be ready to start at the start time.
Students will respect facilities. This includes expectations like no grafitti, no intential distruction of property, etc.
Students should only use program resources when instructed to do so.
If students need supplies, they must ask their coach or mentor before getting anything.
Students are expected to wear Safety Glasses or Side Shields (PPE - personal protective equipment) when they are working with a running robot, or using tools and building a robot.
One pair of Safety Glasses is issued to each student each year. Those that wear perscription glasses may trade in their Safety Glasses for Side Shields.
The student is responsible for managing their PPE - each student has a pocket chart to keep PPE in. Replacements can be purchased for $2, or the student can use communal PPE.
Abandoned PPE (aka left somewhere) will be donated to the communal PPE.
Clothing
Students must wear closed toe shoes. Crocs do not count.
Students should not wear baggy clothes, or have things hanging off their clothes. If so, they must tuck them in/remove them prior to working with tools.
Students with long hair must tie their hair back when working with tools/the robot. We reccomend keeping hair ties in your pocket.
Students may NOT attend practice if they have an unexcused absence the last half of the school day. This is a district-wide policy. This can be due to illness, or personal related things.
Students are expected to participate in assigned or directed activites.
*We understand that not all activities may be desireable for everyone, but they are still needed for the development to the team, knowledge, and reaching the overall goals of the program.
Students are expected to attend all practices possible. Just like sports, lack of attendance hurts both the individual and the team
If missing a practice is inevitable, students are expected to connect with their team and find out what they missed.
Students are expected to give their best effort at practice.
Students are expected to use provided resources (laptops, iPads, etc.) or personal technology in accordance to the instruction. Playing games, emailing friends, or other distractions are not allowed.
Students may not use AI unless explicitly instructed by an adult. Using AI unauthorized will be considered plagarism.
Students may bring their own device (laptop or iPad) for activities, and must have this permission slip signed and with them at all times. Find the permission slip here.
Students are to use the shared drives in a team-approprite way. Students may not delete others' work, add things unrelated to robotics, or use the drive in a way that may harm others. This includes any other shared storage like CAD or Canva files.
Students are expected to follow all guidelines and expectations set by Coaches and Mentors to maintain a safe, productive, and respectful environment. These may vary between Lead Mentors and Coaches. Please talk to your specific Coach or Lead Mentor if you have questions on their expectations for you.
Behavior Management System: Behavior tiers reset at the start of every practice, and coaches address issues using a progressive 3-Step response system:
Step 1 (Private Warning): A private reminder explaining the rule to correct minor disruptions quickly.
Step 2 (Helpful Break): A short 10–15 minute break spent doing a simple task (like sorting parts or cleaning up) to help reset and take responsibility.
Step 3 (Parent Contact): If minor issues (step 1&2) continue or major disruptions occur, coaches will call or email parents to discuss an action plan.
Required 1-on-1 Supervision: Repeated or uncorrected behavior issues will be reported to the Robotics Coordinator, and may require a parent or guardian to attend practices to provide dedicated 1-on-1 supervision for their student. This applies if a student regularly requires continuous attention that prevents coaches from supervising the team, reaches Step 3 multiple times without improvement, or presents safety concerns to themselves or other participants. If a parent cannot attend if 1-on-1 is required, neither may the student.