SHELTON HIGH ROBOTICS TEAM QUALIFIES FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Small Rural Team Finishes 5th at Northwest Championship

Shelton WA, April 8, 2017– The Shelton High Robotics Team can compete at the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) World Championship April 19-23 in Houston, Texas.  The team needs to raise $20,000 as soon as possible. Visit http://frcteam5295aldernatingcurrent.blogspot.com/search/label/Donate to donate or contact Andy Hospador (360-426-0741; AndyH3626@gmail.com), or AlanWalker@earthlink.net (253-852-4002). Students on the team are raising funds by selling $5 tickets for the new “Fast and Furious” movie to be shown Saturday April 15th at 10AM at the Shelton Cinema.

 

Team sponsor DragonflyMediaNW.com  created exciting video highlights of the Shelton team.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWWoZDRY91c .

 At the Pacific Northwest Championship held in Spokane at Eastern Washington University April 6-8, 4-H Team 5295 “Aldernating Current” finished 8th after twelve qualification matches. Based on scouting all 64 teams, the Shelton team selected Spokane Team 2147 “CHUCK” and Wilsonville, Oregon Team 1425 “Error Code Xero” as its playoff partners. The alliance lost in the quarterfinals. The Shelton team’s new scouting plan was based on advice from the team’s sister 4-H Grays Harbor County Westport Team “Fishy Business Inc.”, which qualified for the 2017 & 2015 World Championships.  View  matches at   https://www.thebluealliance.com/team/5295  .

 

Eight students competed:  Team Captain Jaeden H., climber Kiery E., Safety Captain/pilot Jacob H., driver Tristin N., drive captain Carolynn C., gear loader Kirstin G.,  scout Robert G.-A., and scout James C.,  guided by six adult volunteers: scout R.Clarey, pit crew K.Hansen, scout A.Hospador,  scout F.Newby, scout A.Walker, and Coach J.Wright.

 

The Shelton High Robotics Team would not have qualified for the World Championship without the help of Team 5450 “St. Helens Engineering and Robotics Club” who donated a gyro and programming, which keeps the robot travel in a straight line. Team 4450 “Olympia Robotics Federation” mentors Team 5295 since co-founding it in 2014.

See the latest team news at https://www.facebook.com/AldernatingCurrent5295 .

Auburn Senior High School District Competition Mar31-Apr2: SHELTON HIGH ROBOTICS TEAM HEADS TO NORTHWEST CHAMPIONSHIP

Longshot Finishes 3rd in Auburn (36^th Last Year)

Shelton WA, April 3, 2017– The Shelton High Robotics Team qualified for the April 6-8 Pacific Northwest Championship, featuring the top 64 Oregon and Washington FIRST™ Robotics Competition (FRC) teams, held in Spokane suburb Cheney at Eastern Washington University.  All competitions are open to the public and typically draw hundreds of spectators.  Matches may be watched live at http://www.firstwa.org/ . Completed matches may be viewed at https://www.thebluealliance.com/team/5295 .

Competing as 4-H Team 5295 “Aldernating Current” at the April 1-2 district competition at Auburn Senior High School, the team completed the 12 preliminary matches with an 8 – 4 record and advanced as the #7 playoff alliance. Alliance Captain Carolynn R. used the team’s excellent scouting to decline an offer to join the #5 alliance, and built a successful alliance with the #14 Team 2412 “Robototes” from Sammamish Senior High School in Bellevue and the #15 Team 3219 “TREAD”, the host Auburn team. The team’s new scouting plan was based on advice from the team’s sister 4-H Grays Harbor County Westport Team “Fishy Business Inc.”, which qualified for the 2017 & 2015 World Championships.  To help prepare Olympic Middle School students added 2016 performance data on all 35 teams competing at Auburn into the new scouting sheets.

The Shelton High Robotics Team began the playoffs with the highest alliance score of the entire weekend upsetting the #2 alliance with a 2-0 quarterfinal victory (best two-of-three match). The team earned an excessive score 100 point bonus in a quarter of its matches. The team also had the high score at its Mount Vernon competition March 18-19 where it placed 7th. Team Captain Jaeden H. said “I believe that the team has gained knowledge and learned from the past experiences and is a reason why we did so well.”

The Shelton High Robotics Team also won the Spirit Award at the Auburn Senior High School competition.

Nine students competed at Auburn (Abbie A., drive captain Carolynn C., pilot Dylan R., safety captain and pilot Jacob H., Team Captain Jaeden H., climber Kiery E., gear loader Kirstin G., Robert G.-A., and driver Tristin N.) guided by six adult volunteers: R.Clarey, K.Hansen, A.Hospador,  F.Newby, A.Walker and Coach J.Wright.

The $4000 Spokane travel cost will be eased by a recent Skokomish Tribe $2000 award to the three Shelton School District robotics teams, an $1100 pledge from 4-H Mason County, $468 students raised in car wash and concession work, and $100 from AlphaTest, one of 32 team sponsors.

Mount Vernon High School District Competition Feb17-19: SHELTON HIGH ROBOTICS TEAM SUCCESS

Underdog Team Finds Their Mojo

Shelton WA, March 21, 2017– Shelton High School Robotics Team competing as 4-H Team 5295 “Aldernating Current” beat out many larger teams to finish 7^th at this past weekend’s FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC).

Competing against 27 other teams from across western Washington, Team 5295 and their robot, “Juniper” found themselves in the unusual position of leading in the preliminary rounds before dropping to eighth place, still good enough to earn a spot in the playoff rounds. The competition involved the student-constructed robot placing gears and climbing a rope, as defined by the 2017 FRC Game “STEAMworks”.

The playoff competition resulted in a 7th place finish which team leaders say is encouraging for the small rural team financed on a shoestring budget. The success of the team at the Mount Vernon competition is especially meaningful as the team was short two key members, the students were limited in competition experience, and the group’s preparation practices were held at a neighboring team’s facility in Olympia.

Playoff Alliance #7: Team 5295 (plaid)---Team 360 (blue)---Team 4682 (green)

Prior to the competition, Kiery, a SHS senior and third-year team member said "We are ten times better than we were two years ago."
 

The eight-member team has two seniors, two juniors and four sophomores.   Some of the teams the Shelton crew compete against are five times that size.  “Every one of our students is essential to the team and its success,” stated team mentor Alan Walker, a graduate of Shelton High himself some years back.

The next competition for the Shelton High Robotics Team will be April 1-2 at Auburn Senior High School. The weekend competition is open to the public and draws hundreds of participants and spectators. Andy Hospador, a team mentor since 2015, said “We’re short of money so we are driving over and back each day.”

If this success continues, the team will compete at the Pacific Northwest Championship held in Cheney at Eastern Washington University April 6- 8.  The $4000 travel cost will be eased by a recent $1100 pledge from Mason County 4-H, and use of a portion of a $2000 donation from the Skokomish Tribe to Shelton School District FIRST™ robotic teams, which includes Team 5295 and two FIRST™ Lego League teams.

Aldernating Current on Facebook

Visit https://www.facebook.com/AldernatingCurrent5295/
to the latest news on the Shelton High Robotics Team.

A quick tutorial on what you'll see here at our blogspot.
Join - How to join. If uncertain watch YouTube videos at bottom of page.
Sponsors - Our wonderful 2017 sponsors.
Donate - How to donate. See our tax exempt status.
Links - A variety of useful links for students who design & build robots.
2016 - Our "STRONGHOLD" season competitions.
2015 - "Recycle Rush" encouraged three robot alliances to stack totes.
2014 - "Aerial Ascent" robots move 24" rubber ball down court into a goal.

Aldernating Current Applies For $15,000 in Grants

In the last month, Lead Mentor and 4-H Head Clover Alan Walker PE applied for two grants: $4100 from FIRST Washington (formerly called Washington FIRST Robotics), and $5000 from The Community Foundation of South Puget Sound.  This week Pat Cusack, Career Tech Education Director of Shelton School District, is applying for a $6000 i-Grant from the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to benefit robotics at Shelton High School.

The Community Foundation of South Puget Sound awarded Aldernating Current $5000 the last two years. Their support helped attract $10,000 from the Career Technical Education department at Shelton School District last year.  These funds were primarily used to buy robot parts and tools.

OSPI awarded Aldernating Current $5670 last year and $4900 the year before. Funds help pay the FIRST entry fee.

FIRST Washington awarded Aldernating Current $2000 last year and recruited a $500 donation from F5 Networks.

Last year Green Diamond Resource Company awarded Aldernating Current a $2000 two-year grant.

See the Sponsors webpage for more information on our wonderful sponsors. 

Shelton High Robotics Club Meets Monday & Thursday 2:30pm in Weld Shop (Building 800) Starting Sept.8th

The Robotics Club of Shelton High School will hold its initial meeting of the year on Thursday, September 8, 2016 from 2:30pm in the Weld Shop in Building 800.  Returning students will show new students videos and explain what all the excitement is about.  The club has opportunities for students with skills in business marketing, photography/video, programming, design, and construction.  For fall the Robotics Club will meet Mondays and Thursdays 2:30pm-5:00pm in the Weld Shop (Building 800) at Shelton High.

CLIMBER DAY: Technology Club at Shelton High August 29

“We are a technology club” says Aldernating Current marketing mentor A.Estrada.  That phrase summed up the two robots on display and the photography and video display he created with student help.  At Climber Day, 300 sophomores arrived in the morning, picked up their class schedules, and got a tour of the high school.  The tours stopped in the Student Union Building (S.U.B.) where a dozen clubs displayed their activities.  Our two robots and media display impressed the new sophomores.  Over half of the new signups expressed an interest in “Photography and Video”.  Others showed interest in Design, Construction, Programming, and Marketing.  Thank you Jaeden for updating our Robotics Sign Up form. 

The sophomores also stopped by the mini-dome for a quick introduction to the student clubs.  Shelton High Robotics Club President Kiery spoke briefly.  “We have two competitions a year and we need people not only to build, but also for business management, design, marketing, programming, and photography and video.”

Hunter, Jaeden, and Kiery spoke to students and let visitors drive both “Gingko”, a small sideways sliding mecanum wheel wonder, and “Ironwood”, last year’s 120 lbs. competition robot.  Students designed and built these robots last year.  Coach Wright, as well as volunteers A.Estrada, A.Hospador, and A.Walker attended and supported the students.

Afterwards the club moved all the tools and robot parts from the robot cage in the auto shop to the weld shop.  Shelton High is constructing a 12' x 12' robot closest for the robotics team in the weld shop. This will be large enough for the team to set up a 10' x 10' robotics pit identical to the one the students will use at competitions.  This is the very first time the team will have a lockable area large enough for a full pit.  The advantage is that all pit crew members will already know the location of everything prior to arriving at a competition.