We are required by the Sequoia Union High School District to have a security-cleared adult present at all times. The basic responsibility of the supervisor is to monitor activities during team meetings to ensure compliance with safety rules and youth protection policies (https://www.firstinspires.org/resource-library/youth-protection-policy) and to be available in case of an emergency. Usually supervisors do not need to do more than issue an occasional suggestion for a better, safer approach to doing something. If you are ever unsure about the best course of action, consult one of the other adults (mentor, advisor, parent) who may be there.
We rely on cleared parent volunteers to sign up to supervise in 2-3 hr shifts for all team meetings: https://tinyurl.com/Supervisor-MealSignUps
- Know where the following items are located in S-6:
- The Robotics Team Safety Rules (posted on inside left of closet door)
- The team first aid kit (on top of file cabinet to the left of the closet)
- Team contact and medical information (in binder on shelf inside right of closet, and here: https://tinyurl.com/Team766Directory)
- Photos of who is on the team (posted on inside right of closet door, in team binder, and here: https://tinyurl.com/Team766PhotoIDs)
- Be familiar with the safety rules and procedures:
- Be on the lookout for excessive horseplay or attempts to wander away from the room:
- We have a good group of students, who are not malicious or seeking trouble. However, when students get bored and are fooling around, they can get careless.
- Use common sense:
- Accidents often happen because people who see an unsafe situation unfolding in front of their eyes are too timid or unsure of themselves to intervene. Trust your instincts—even if your concerns are unfounded, a little time spent as a group reconsidering the safety of an operation could prevent a serious accident.
- If you are ever unsure about the safety of a situation, it is your responsibility as a supervisor to calmly express your concerns to the students involved, ask them to stop what they are doing, and work with them (and mentors or senior students who may also be present) to establish a safer procedure.
- If something seems questionable to you, as an adult, it probably is. Some actions may not be endangering a person, but they could result in tool or table damage, which we also want to avoid.
- Please enlist students to make sure that rooms are clean (e.g., robotics supplies are put away, table tops wiped off, and floors swept), lights are off and doors locked when you leave.
- Food should stay in the designated food area (usually a table just outside the door) and be thoroughly disposed of as soon as the eating period ends. There is usually a large trash can down the hallway to the left.
- You are welcome to bring reading material or a laptop to work on, but look around periodically and pay particular attention to younger student groups who have no experienced person working with them. This is a good opportunity to get to know the students—ask them about what they are doing and how it interfaces with what else the team is working on. If it looks like some students are bored or “at loose ends,” please talk to one of the senior students (or a mentor) to try and get them engaged more productively in team activities.