Student Expectations

Membership & Registration

To be eligible to be a member of the team, students must adhere to the following guidelines:

Discipline & team removal.

	Mentors reserve the right to discipline as necessary for the safety of the student and the overall health of the team.
	Any infraction considered serious (safety, drug/alcohol, physical altercation, theft, sexual misconduct, repeated disrespect of authority, etc.) will be forwarded to the Teacher Advisor and high school administration for discipline
	The Extracurricular Activities Code of Conduct will be utilized as it relates to TEAM 2137. The student's parents will be informed immediately. Any student who violates the behavior rules may be asked to leave the team.

Travel Team Participation

Eligibility to be on the travel team is defined in the Student Commitment Agreement. To be eligible to travel with the team to competitions, students are expected to:

• Commit to traveling with the entire team while at competitions. This includes arriving and departing events as a team, staying at the same hotel, and participating in all team activities. Students must stay until the end of each competition and help with the packing and departure process.
• Attendance:
  • Attend 50% or more of the fall team meetings and complete the mandatory safety training.
  • Attend 75% of build season meetings to help ensure the team can produce the robot, complete its awards submissions, and meet all competition-readiness requirements.
• FIRST outreach and support for Oxford Robotics:
  • Fall season (September–December) — at least three of the following:
    • 8+ hours volunteering with a FIRST-sponsored FTC or FLL event where an Oxford Robotics team is competing or an OCCRA event hosted at Oxford High School.
    • OCCRA Participation in at least one event as a part of the competition team.
    • Mentor an Oxford Robotics FTC or FLL team by arrangement and agreement with the OHS Coaches and the receiving team's coaches (just showing up does not count).
    • Support an outreach event, such as giving FTC students a tour of our facilities on their kickoff day, or joining the team to compete at an off-season event, or helping the team deliver an outreach event (marching in the homecoming parade, launching t-shirts at a football game, etc.).
  • Build season (January–March) — both of the following:
    • Volunteer to support the setup and operation of our annual Week 0 event in mid-to-late February.
    • Volunteer to support the running and delivery of Oxford Robotics' annual FLL Explore Expo at OELC in March.
• Fundraising and sponsor recruiting:
  • Fall season (September–December) — at least one of the following:
    • Participate in local sponsor recruiting by visiting and speaking to at least 3 potential sponsors (with mentor support).
    • Secure a new sponsor for our team on your own, with our team materials.
• Community outreach: Participate in at least two humanitarian outreach efforts throughout the season. Opportunities are provided as they become available — many are donations to a local food bank or other charitable organization. At least one opportunity will be achievable through attending a team meeting in the fall.
• Travel payment deadlines: Students are responsible for all travel and food expenses. All payments must be made in cash by the due dates — direct questions or concerns to the OHS Robotics Coach and/or Teacher Advisor. No student will be denied participation because of financial hardship.

If all requirements are met, students are granted permission to travel to off-campus events and competitions, receive excused absences for missed school days, use all participation hours for resumes and recommendations, apply for scholarships through FIRST® and other providers, and — per the TEAM 2137 Handbook rules — receive an OHS Robotics Varsity Letter.

Every effort will be made to accommodate any student who has a schedule conflict; however, expect to be asked to participate in alternative ways to benefit the team. Discuss exceptions and alternate activities with the OHS Robotics Coach and Teacher Advisor to identify suitable replacement activities.

Competition Protocols & Behavior

Competition protocols:

• Regular season competitions are a school-sponsored activity with excused absences for days when classes are in session. You must check in and out with the OHS Robotics Coach or a designated school official for each event. Failure to do so may result in loss of eligibility to travel with the team.
• You are expected to follow the Oxford Community Schools Student Code of Conduct and Extracurricular Activities Code of Conduct at all times (see Membership & Registration).
• Eligibility to be on the travel team is defined in the Student Commitment Agreement.

Expected behavior at competitions:

• Participation. Fulfill your duties in the role you agreed to, and in any supporting role you can, to assist the current needs of the team. Attending competition is a privilege, not a right — if all requirements on the signed Commitment Form are adhered to, the member is allowed to travel to TEAM 2137 events.
• Interaction. Because attending competitions means students are excused from OHS class time, they are expected to be actively involved through team-related activities (competition, video, photography, pits, scouting, cheering, presentations, etc.). Personal tech device use is monitored, and devices will be taken away if a student is not paying attention while the team is playing. Students not involved in pits, field activities, or presentations should remain in the stands with the team and scout during their designated time.
• Cheering. True cheering is enjoying the event and celebrating the excitement of the moment. When the team is cheering, all members stand and cheer to the best of their ability.
• Bleacher etiquette. Respect the people sitting behind you and remain seated while matches are underway. You may leave the stands when a match has ended.
• Award ceremony. The entire team is expected to stay until the end of the awards ceremony at every competition, and to stand and applaud every team that wins an award, out of respect for what they have accomplished.
• Greetings. There are certain people in the FIRST organization we make an effort to greet personally. If you see judges or other team members entering our pit area, say hello — make an effort to greet them and thank them. If they are engaged in a conversation, be respectful.
• Litter. If you see paper or trash where it shouldn't be, make an effort to pick it up — in your area and anywhere else in the arena.
• Safety. Safety is practiced at all times. Safety glasses must be worn in the pit by all members — students and adults.

Varsity Letters

The Varsity Letter recognizes the student for Teamwork, Excellence, Achievement, Commitment, and Honor — TEACH.

As a Varsity Letter robotics student, teamwork is crucial to achieving team goals, and the time commitment required is large. The student is expected to represent Team 2137 and Oxford High School honorably at all times.

Students who meet the following requirements are awarded the Varsity Letter:

Keeping the records (it's on you):

• It is the student's responsibility to record their attendance at team meetings. Failure to do so results in an absence. Students will not be allowed a mentor sign-off the day after a meeting. The goal is to develop responsibility in the student.
• It is the student's responsibility to ensure the mentor supervising an event verifies participation; the method for recording is up to the supervising mentor's discretion. Students may not record, and may not receive signatures/initials, for another student. Again, the goal is to develop responsibility in each student.
• Because Varsity Letters are awarded in early June, activities completed in June–August count toward the following season's requirements.