James C. Neill Elementary

The field for robotics builds upon similar learning with coding.  The shift is that the coding, or programming, is now transferred to a physical device and not just actions on a screen.  For the Robotics Clubs the main tool that is used is the Lego Mindstorm EV3. 

The Lego Mindstorm program has several tutorials build into the software that guides students in their learning.  We have a suggested pacing for the learning but this will depend on students background knowledge and familiarity with the software from previous year.

Of note is the importance of the students to master skills related to programming a robot.  Many students fall into the trial and error process of programming a robot to complete a task. Using computational thinking along with developing the programing skills will allow them to build algorithms that are efficient and take less time to develop.

Club Meetings &  Dismissal

We will meet on TUESDAYS from approx. 3:40-5:00 in the STEM Lab. The Club members will have a few minutes while we perform dismissal to wait in a designated area. During this time, they can enjoy a dry snack, get a drink of water and use the restroom.

We will dismiss the members in the front circle drive promptly at 5:00pm.

If your child is going to walk or bike home, we will walk them to the corner of the property and watch them cross the street. However, depending on adult staffing, they may have to wait until I have dismissed all of the Car Riders.

Please make arrangements to pick up your student promptly at 5:00. You will receive warning for the first two late pick-ups. After the third late pick-up, your student will be dismissed from the Club.

Club Member Expectations

1. Club members must maintain passing grades in their classes.

2. Club members must not receive any bad conduct marks or office referrals. Depending on the nature of the incident, they will either be expelled completely from the club or asked to not participate for a certain amount of time.  

3. Club members must display appropriate student behavior while participating in Club. I will notify you of any discipline problems and if your student’s behavior does not improve, I will not allow them to continue to participate. ·

4. Attendance is expected. Please make arrangements NOW so you do not have conflicts on these days. Their absence may result in them losing their spot as there are many students who did not get into club and are on a "waiting list"