Rocky Mountain BEST Teacher/Mentor

Newsletter Issue 2.24.3

May 2024

We at Rocky Mountain BEST would like to thank all our teachers for the work they do with students every day! We appreciate your time and efforts you do to support student success!

Please forward to any Teachers or Mentors that might be interested in our program. Please REPLY or Unsubscribe if you do NOT want to be on our 2024 Distribution List

2024 Rocky Mountain BEST

15th Robotics Season

We are excited to provide you an early look at 2024 Spring, Summer and Fall plans. Read more abou the different BEST Robotics Spring Activities and Courses in BESTedu to jump start your students' excitement for the upcoming season.

Boosting BEST Online Auction Fundraiser Begins May 10 at 8am and Ends May 19 8pm

Visit our online auction!!! There are many great items from gift cards, puzzles, and drill sets. Bid before Sunday night! Click this link to access the Boosting BEST Online Auction Fundraiser. Money raised supports our efforts in providing Front Range BEST Robotics Teams with free materials and events. https://www.32auctions.com/2024BoostingBEST

Get your School Team registered for the 2024 season NOW!! Use the green button below to learn more and register. Spaces are limited, so early registration is highly recommended.

We have the dates set for Season 15's Kickoff and Practice Days!

Kickoff

Date: September 14, 2024

Time: 9:00 am-12noon

Location: STEM School Highlands Ranch

8773 S Ridgeline Blvd

Highlands Ranch CO 80129

Practice Day

Date: October 26, 2024

Time: 10:00 am-4:00 pm

Location: STEM School Highlands Ranch

8773 S Ridgeline Blvd

Highlands Ranch CO 80129

BEST Robotics Registry

COME JOIN BEST TEACHERS AND MENTORS! YOU CAN'T GET BETTER THAN FREE AND YOU'LL BE READY FOR THE FALL! REGISTER NOW

FREE Summer Teacher Mentor

BEST Training

July 16-18 @ St. Mary's Church Littleton

Our FREE Teacher Mentor Institute (TMI) is July 16-18, 2024 at St. Mary's Church in Littleton.

We want to encourage all new and returning Teachers/Mentors to attend our institute. The time spent during the 3 days is a valuable experience as you can:

Attend with a colleague or mentor for your team or school.
Successfully complete the upcoming season
Come be the student on a team while having fun with other Teachers/Mentors and BEST Volunteers
Meet other Teachers/Mentors who will be leading teams this season
Deepen your understanding of STEM, student-led projects, and robot design and building
Deepen your understanding of the components teams need to
Earn 40 Clock hour CEU of Professional Development through Front Range Community College Credit by completing the optional 20-hour online pre-class learning and attending the 3-day in-person workshop

Visit our Training Registration

Visit our 2024 TMI Website

HELP WANTED - A Few Hours

BEST Teacher-Mentor & Student Panels Participants

Teachers-Mentors + Students with BEST Experience on 18 July

Looking for possible panel participants with BEST experience at the Teacher / Mentor Institute to share your insights with new teachers and mentors.

Thursday, 18 July
12:15 PM - Sandwich Lunch Available
12:45 PM - 1:30 PM Student Panel
1:30 PM - 2:15 PM Teacher-Mentor Panel
St Mary's Church Littleton
Lunch Provided

Please email Gwynn.Moore@bestinc.org if you are interested in learning more.

2024 Game Teaser Video

We are thrilled to welcome our teams for this new, challenging season. This year's game has a special connection to Colorado. Colorado School of Mines assisted in the development of the LowG 2024 Game.

Welcome to BEST 2024

Spring and Summer Activities!

Ready for your Students:

Spring/Summer Skills Challenges:

We have several skills challenges/activities already in progress for the Spring and Summer. ANY student can participate in these challenges; they do not need to be part of any existing BEST team.

These include:

bESTology - See Information Below
BEST Minidrone Challenge (starts 5/7)
BESTapc Robot Challenge (starts 5/7)
nextBEST Industry Forum (5/8)
BEST 3D printing Challenge (starts 6/2)
BEST Minecraft Challenge (starts Nov 2024) - moved to the fall to align with development
MATLAB /SIMULINK Training May 22 – Jun 26
Computer Aided Design Training Series - A new 6-week series on 3D solid modeling using Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools. Come learn the basics of solid modeling, creating parts and assemblies.

Spring and Summer Details Document

BESTedu - Education for the BEST Nation

BESTedu -Education and training for the BEST Robotics Community - for your students and for you too!

Visit BESTedu

Online bESTolgy w/ Game Hints

NOW Available

bESTology is our weekly education series of research/activity lessons that is designed to educate students on an array of topics related to the annual industry theme or problem. Each lesson involves research, reflection, writing, creative activity, community connection, and BEST connection.

Weekly research/activity lessons on annual game theme topics and real-world industry connections - Feb 19 – Apr 21
100% online activity.
Team or Individual participation; fun activities.
Focuses on research, reading comprehension, writing, & a creative activity.
Blooms Taxonomy & Workforce Skills noted on each lesson.

What’s New? Some new features will be available in bESTology this year to improve student engagement through interactive functionality and gamification. Students that login with their BEST account (avatar/password) will see the following new features:

Online Journal – capture your research and other journaling tasks right in the system, on the same page as the weekly lesson.
Gamification – collect points and badges for participating in bESTology activities.
Create & Share – use BEST Photos site (#BESTOLOGY2024) to share the results of your bESTology creative tasks. A link to the photo gallery is available in the page side bar.

Visit our bESTology Website

Looking Ahead to 2025

Control System Replacement

Our 2024 Season LowG will be the last season continuing to use the VEX Cortex and prior kit joystick.

In 2025, Front Range BEST will be replacing the cortex and joysticks with Pico Gizmo boards, compatible joystick, and a new software program. The remaining items in the kits will remain the same. We are suggesting that teachers attend the TMI Workshop in the summer of 2025 so that you can become familiar with the new pieces.

Looking Back at 2023 Scoresheets

ALL Team Scoresheets available on Registry Schools Page

Team Scoresheets All scoresheets for a participating school team covering all years of participation are available in two places. They are available through the Schools page where teachers register and manage their team. Just click on the School Scoresheets button in the right-side menu. A dialogue box will open allowing navigation to scoresheets from any of the past participating years.

National Registry Login Page LINK

National Registry Scoresheet Help Sheet

Rocky Mountain BEST Website

See what's happening on our social sites: