2024 - 2025 Work Plan
March 28, 2024
Revised: July 20, 2024
Revised: August 6, 2024
Planning Period
The Planning Period is from January 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.
Management Team
The Management Team for the Planning Period will be:
Marcus Anderson President
Joseph Gentile Treasurer
Shannon Ryan Elementary School Director
Kate Bates Middle School Director
Daniel Klein High School Director
Jason Ferris Technology Director
Lisa Cook Communications Coordinator
Sarah Orr Event Partner
Shannon Fritz Volunteer Coordinator
Julia Wilkinson Fundraising Director
Lisa Cook Engineering Notebook Coach
The Management Team will be responsible for administering all activities of the Plainwell Robotics Club in accordance with the Club’s Bylaws as published on November 4, 2022.
Elementary School VEX IQ Robotics
VEX IQ Robotics Programs will continue in Cooper, Gilkey, and Starr Elementary Schools for interested 4th and 5th grade students. We expect to have 14 returning students from last year – 8 from Cooper, 2 from Starr, and 4 from Gilkey.
In April, we will begin a recruiting campaign (school announcements, handouts to take home, etc.) to identify current 3rd and 4th grade students interested in joining our robotics program. We plan to support as many as four teams per school.
In May, we will hold in-person sessions with these students and their parents to introduce them to VEX IQ Robotics and to explain how the Club operates.
We estimate that at least three new team coaches will be required at each school.
Middle School VEX VRC Robotics
As many as 23 students could return from last year, and 14 students are “graduating” from our VEX IQ Program. This could result in as many as ten teams this year.
In April, we will begin a recruiting campaign (school announcements, handouts to take home, etc.) to identify current 6th and 7th grade students interested in joining our robotics program. In May, we will hold in-person sessions with these students and their parents to explain how the Club operates and the requirements for team membership in the fall. We plan to support as many as eight teams. Two or three new team coaches may be required.
High School VEX VRC Robotics
There are 24 students planning to return from last year, and 4 students are “graduating” from our Middle School VEX VRC Program. If all eligible students chose to participate, as many as eight teams will be required. One or two new team coaches may be required.
High school team members will be encouraged to act as Middle School Team Mentors.
REC Foundation Arial Drones (RAD)
The Club will not participate in the REC Foundation Aerial Drones Program during this Planning Period. This decision may be reversed, however, at the discretion of the Management Team.
Team Formation
All Elementary, Middle, and High School Robotics Teams will be formed in June. Each team will consist of three or four students. Teams of two will be allowed when necessary and with the concurrence of the appropriate Director.
Coaches
We will conduct training sessions for all veteran, new, and prospective coaches to ensure they are fully aware of REC Foundation Policies and Regulations, the Club’s Coach’s Guide, and the Club’s Codes of Conduct for Coaches, Parents, and Students.
Coaches will work with their team’s students and their parents to establish practice schedules and to select tournament events.
Programming Coach
Joseph Gentile will serve as Programming Coach for all teams.
Team Practice Schedule
Each team will decide its practice schedule. Practices are expected to be held at least weekly through the end of the competition season in February 2025. Teams may schedule additional practices at any time at the discretion of the team coach and parents.
The competition season for teams qualifying for the State Championships will be extended to March 2025; and into May for those teams qualifying for the World Championships in Dallas.
All practice sessions for IQ teams will be held at the middle school in rooms A127 and A125 (typically) from 6 PM to 8 PM on a weekday that is most convenient to everyone. Middle and High School teams will meet in the Robotics Room (room J839) in the High School. Attendance at all team practices held before September will be optional, but students will be required to notify their team coach in advance whenever they are unable to attend. Beginning in September, attendance at all practices is mandatory. Students absent from school because of illness on the day of the scheduled practice will be excused from attending practice.
Students will receive instructions on planning, designing, building, programming, testing, operating, and documenting robots.
Tournament Participation
Each of our teams will compete in at least three qualifying tournaments – one early in the competition season to experience the event (the first time for some students), and to learn as much as possible about how their robot design compares to others. The remaining events will be scheduled between mid-December and early February. Team members’ parents and their coach will decide which specific events they attend.
Team Registration and Tournament Fees
Team registration fees and up to three qualifying tournament registration fees (per team) will be borne by the Club. Participation in a fourth qualifying event may be allowed for some teams, at the discretion of the Management Team. Additionally, if a team qualifies for the State of Michigan Championship the registration fee will be borne by the Club.
Registration fees for tournaments held out of the state of Michigan will be paid by the Club only with the prior approval of the Management Team. This includes the VEX Robotics World Championships scheduled to be held in Dallas, Texas in 2025.
NOTE: Teams can only be registered for a tournament by the Club Treasurer. There will be no exceptions.
World Championship Participation Requirements
1. Club-Funded World Championship Participation Requirements
a. PRC VEX IQ Teams are not eligible to participate in the VEX IQ World Championship.
b. VRC Middle School Teams receiving one of the following awards at the Michigan State Championship: Excellence, Tournament Champion, Tournament Finalist, Tournament Semifinalist, Design, Robot Skills Champion, or Innovate.
c. VRC High School Teams receiving one of the following awards at the Michigan State Championship: Excellence, Tournament Champion, Tournament Finalist, Tournament Semifinalist, Design, Robot Skills Champion, or Innovate; or, a High School Team receiving an invitation to the World Championship because of their high Skills score.
2. Recognition
a. All teams qualifying for their respective World Championship will be recognized with:
i. An appropriate bronze name plate added to the PRC World Championship Qualifier Plaque on permanent display at their school.
ii. Appropriate press releases and postings on the Club’s website.
b. All teams qualifying for their respective World Championship, but unable to participate for any reason, will be formally recognized with a Club-funded event to be agreed upon by the teams and the PRC Management Team
3. Restrictions and Conditions
a. At least half of a qualifying team’s members must be able to be present at the World Championship event. If not, the team will forfeit their right to participate in the World Championship. No team member substitutions will be allowed.
b. No more than three teams in any given year shall participate; and no more than four teams in any two-year period shall participate.
c. If more than three teams qualify in a single year, or more than four teams qualify in a two-year period, the teams selected for Club-funded participation will be determined in the following order:
i. HS Excellence Award
ii. MS Excellence Award
iii. HS Tournament Champion
iv. MS Tournament Champion
v. HS Tournament Finalist
vi. MS Tournament Finalist
vii. HS Tournament Semifinalist
viii. MS Tournament Semifinalist
ix. HS Design Award
x. MS Design Award
xi. HS Robot Skills Champion
xii. MS Robot Skills Champion
xiii. HS Innovate Award
xiv. MS Innovate Award
xv. HS High Skills Score
d. If a High School Team receives a qualifying judged award (Think, Build, Amaze, or Create), but achieved a sufficiently high Skills score that would have earned them an invitation to the World Championship for that high Skills score had they not received the judged award, the Team will be deemed eligible for sponsored participation and will be considered as though they had received the High Skills Score invitation.
e. A team may decline their invitation to participate in the World Championship for any reason.
f. Travel arrangements must be handled by a PRC Committee to be determined at the time of need, which shall include, but not be limited to, the PRC Treasurer and the PRC Communications Coordinator. Travel arrangements must be adequate to meet all PCS Guidelines for adult and student safety. If travel arrangements cannot be made to ensure everyone’s safety, for whatever reason, and all options have been exhausted, this will be communicated to the team by the PRC President.
g. Teams qualifying, but not selected for Club-funded participation, will not be permitted to pay their own way to participate in the World Championship.
h. In the event a tie-breaker is required to resolve participation eligibility, the team achieving the highest Skills score at their respective State Championship will prevail.
i. In the event a situation develops that is not covered by these Rules, the PRC Management Team will resolve the matter at their discretion, and their decision will be final.
PRC Tournaments
The Club will hold its Fourth Annual Middle School and High School VRC Tournaments on November 23 and 24, 2024. Each tournament is expected to be a 34-team event.
The Club will hold its Second Annual VEX IQ Tournament on January 18, 2025. It will be planned as a 34-team event.
Team Judging Training
We will develop and conduct a program to give our high school teams additional training in responding more effectively during the judging sessions at competitions. The Napoleon Robotics Club has indicated their interest in working with us to develop and conduct this program.
Club Website
We will maintain the Clubs website, plainwellroboticsclub.org, during the Planning Period. We will also work to ensure its value to all members of the Plainwell Robotics Club – students, coaches, and parents.
Respectfully submitted,
Plainwell Robotics Club Management Team
Marcus Anderson, President