FIRST Robotics teams from throughout the Capital Region, other areas of New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts will be convening at Ballston Spa High School on Saturday, November 5th for the 2022 Robot Rumble Off-Season Robotics Competition. Anyone interested in learning more about the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) programs is invited to stop by to see the teams and robots in action. The Robot Rumble will take place from 8:30 am until 4:00 pm on November 5th at the Ballston Spa High School, 220 Ballston Avenue in Ballston Spa, NY. The event is free and open to the public.
FIRST Robotics competitions combine the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. Under strict rules, limited resources, and time limits, teams of 15 students or more are challenged to raise funds, design a team “brand”, hone teamwork skills, and build and program robots to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors. It’s as close to “real-world engineering” as a student can get. Volunteer professional mentors lend their time and talents to guide each team. Through the program students get to learn 21st Century skills; build and compete with a robot of their own design; learn to use sophisticated software and hardware; and compete and cooperate in alliances and tournaments.
Ballston Spa High School is excited to be able to host this great opportunity to interest students in the STEM fields again after not being able to hold the event for the last two years due to the pandemic. Four area FIRST Robotics teams from Ballston Spa, Shenendehowa, Shaker, and Colonie have collaborated to organize this year’s event. The GLOBALFOUNDRIES/Town of Malta Foundation provided a grant that will allow the FIRST competition Rapid React from last season to be brought to Ballston Spa High School for the Robot Rumble event. Off-season competitions provide an opportunity for teams to have fun and to recruit new students, industry mentors and sponsors as they begin preparing for the FIRST Robotics Regional Competition in March 2023.
Similar competitions for elementary and middle school aged students will take place in December and January. The 2023 season for the FIRST Robotics Competition teams begins in January 2023 with a regional event being held at the Times Union Center on March 30th to April 1st.
For more information on the Robotics program please visit the team website at FRCTeam3044.team or follow the twitter feed @OxBe4. Please contact Ballston Spa K-12 STEM Coordinator Diane Irwin at the Ballston Spa High School (884-7150) for additional information on the district’s robotics initiatives or by email at dirwin@bscsd.org.
Clean Tech Early College High School Program Offers Information Night
The Clean Technologies & Sustainable Industries Early College High School in Malta will host an Information Night for prospective students, currently in 8th grade, who are interested in joining the Clean Tech ECHS P-TECH Program. School district leaders, parents and 8th grade students from area High Schools who are interested in learning more about the program are invited to attend on November 9, 2022 at 6:00pm. The agenda for the evening includes presentations from current students and program staff.
High school students in the program have the opportunity to complete an Associate’s Degree at no cost to families in one of the program’s college and career pathways; Clean Energy, Community Health Navigation/Public Health, Cybersecurity, Engineering Sciences, Entrepreneurship, and Surgical Technician. Come learn about this exciting opportunity for real world problem-based learning! Applications for the program are due to the program from each home school by May 5, 2023.
The Clean Tech ECHS was developed by the Ballston Spa Central School District in partnership with Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) in 2011. It now has over 50 partners from business and industry, higher education, and non-profit and government agencies. The Clean Tech ECHS was awarded a NYS P-TECH grant which expanded opportunities for students in the program to take college coursework in one of several career pathways.
Students in the program create solutions to real world problems during their experiences in the program while collaborating and connecting with business and industry partners. They also enroll in college coursework with college professors at Hudson Valley Community College’s TEC-SMART in Malta (at no cost to families). For more information and to register, please visit the website https://www.bscsd.org/domain/839 or contact ECHS Program Coordinator Adrienne Snow at asnow@bscsd.org.
November
2 Board of Education Meeting, 7:00pm, High School Library
3 High School College Financial Aid/FAFSA Workshop, 6:30pm, High School
5 SAT National Testing, 7:30am-3:00pm, High School
5 FIRST Robotics Robot Rumble,8:30am-4:00pm, High School
5 Scotties Closet, 9:00am-1:00pm, Middle School Cafeteria
9 Clean Tech ECHS Student Project Expo, 8:30am-9:30am, TEC-SMART
9 ECHS Fall Information Night, 6:00pm, TEC-SMART, 345 Hermes Rd.
10 Emergency Release Day – Students will be dismissed 15 minutes early, K-12
11 No School, Veterans Day Observed
14 High School Winter Sports begin
15 Malta Ave PTA Meeting, 6:30pm
16 Board of Education Meeting, 7:00pm, High School Library
17 Milton Terrace PTA Meeting, 6:30pm
17-19 High School Troupe Production, 7:00pm, High School Auditorium – “All I Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten”.
19 High School Troupe Production, 1:00pm, High School Auditorium – “All I Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten”.
21 Modified Winter Sports begin
23-25 No School, November Recess
29-30 Elementary Parent Conference Days, ½ days (AM) K-5