2011, 2012 and 2013 Champs dates

[Craig Roys]

Originally Posted by Collin Fultz

The date change also gives two more weeks for the weather to warm up. One of the things we'll miss most from Atlanta is how nice it always seems to be.

Normal high's for the end of April in St. Louis are right around the low 70's (or low 20's for anyone outside the US) according to weather.com. Record highs have touched 90.

[AllieR2012]

Nooo!!! Those are the same days as TAKS testing for 2011. If we don't take/pass TAKS we don't graduate. Guess who won't be attending Championships for a standardized test.

[M.Wong]

ARGH! Right before AP Week

[Tom Line]

Thank goodness for the new timeframe. This year the Michigan District schedule was so compacted they ran the Championship over the Easter Weekend!!!! I can tell you how many people THAT upset, and quite a few of our sponsors couldn't come because of family commitments. I suppose they're going to upset people no matter where they put it, but this will certainly be nicer than having a regional on Easter.

[Adrienne E.]

Originally Posted by AllieR2012

Nooo!!! Those are the same days as TAKS testing for 2011. If we don't take/pass TAKS we don't graduate. Guess who won't be attending Championships for a standardized test.

Just a heads up this has happened before. If your school district can get special permission from the state you can have a certified teacher administer the tests at the events, in a hotel conference room or some place similar. This is what 148 is planning on doing. You need to start the process early though, I recommend as soon as the 2011 school year starts, get with your schools' TAKS administrator and start filing the paperwork. It is a huge inconvenience obviously, but it beats missing the World Championship.

[MagiChau]

Originally Posted by Adrienne E.

Just a heads up this has happened before. If your school district can get special permission from the state you can have a certified teacher administer the tests at the events, in a hotel conference room or some place similar. This is what 148 is planning on doing. You need to start the process early though, I recommend as soon as the 2011 school year starts, get with your schools' TAKS administrator and start filing the paperwork. It is a huge inconvenience obviously, but it beats missing the World Championship.

Hmm I have to remember this Thanks for the information

[KathieK]

Originally Posted by Tom Line

I suppose they're going to upset people no matter where they put it, but this will certainly be nicer than having a regional on Easter.

Since both Easter and Passover are not on the same date each year, there's always the chance that Regionals/Championships will fall on one or the other. As with state testing. These are some of the questions you should ask yourselves when choosing events to attend with your teams or to volunteer at, as outlined in the NEMO white paper, "Questions to Consider When Choosing Your FIRST Event(s)" - (which needs some updating when I get a chance!)
http://www.firstnemo.org/PDF/Choosing_Your_Event.pdf

[Andrew Schuetze]

Originally Posted by AllieR2012

Nooo!!! Those are the same days as TAKS testing for 2011. If we don't take/pass TAKS we don't graduate. Guess who won't be attending Championships for a standardized test.

This was an issue in 2005 or 2006 and some Texas Teams traveled but the number was less than most years. That was a one time conflict but will now be a three year conflict for all Texas FRC, FTC, & FLL teams just when the State announced a $1,000,000 grant to start new robotics teams in Texas. Texas Education Agency Testing calendars has TAKS exams the last week in April for 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 academic years with the schedule for the third year due out this summer.

APS

[Foster]

In a much earlier (and much crankier note in another thread) I said that I was mystified that FIRST could not post dates on regional events earlier than 2 hours before registration.

I'm gawking at 2013 dates for Championships.

How about helping me out by telling me what the dates for the regionals next year are going to be? Kickoff? 5 or 6 weeks? I have wedding planning to influence, don't make me pick!

[Mark McLeod]

I'll bet Kickoff will be on 1/8/2011

but I think you should block out January through March...
Maybe a nice June wedding?

[Shmee]

Originally Posted by Foster

In a much earlier (and much crankier note in another thread) I said that I was mystified that FIRST could not post dates on regional events earlier than 2 hours before registration.

If you email the regional coordinators, they *may* tell you when their regional is. They're probably not supposed to say, but sometimes you can also check the host place's website and FIRST may already be on their calendar.

[Foster]

Maybe a nice June wedding?

And miss Monty?!?!?!?

If you email the regional coordinators, they *may* tell you when their regional is. They're probably not supposed to say, but sometimes you can also check the host place's website and FIRST may already be on their calendar.

Yes I can call in favors from many people to get the info I need. I have both Colombo's and Monk's phones on speed dial, and Sher and I (sorry Sherlock) have started to deduce the dates. I even have the famous Dr. Jones from Indiana looking at the Mayan calendar to see what the 2011 (there is some problem with 2012 and later dates) dates look like.

But really, wouldn't it be better to get this from Bill's blog? "Hey gang, strap on your six shooters we are going to Texas in Week 3, and for you snow fans it's Waterloo in week 2!" ?

[waialua359]

I wonder if the World VEX Championships will now be the week BEFORE the FRC championships.
If its the week after, I can see a bunch of students not making it due to AP exams and other events during a busy May for lots of graduating seniors.

[KathieK]

As was discussed in other threads, the Regional dates are subject to change right up until the very last minute. That's why they don't release them. Our venue and date changed in CT last year... after it was announced. And there are lots of reasons why this happens. So I wouldn't make plans around what you might hear now. Besides, a wedding is far more important than a robotics competition! Pick the date you want and forget about robots!

[Phil Ross]

Originally Posted by Foster

In a much earlier (and much crankier note in another thread) I said that I was mystified that FIRST could not post dates on regional events earlier than 2 hours before registration.

I'm gawking at 2013 dates for Championships.

How about helping me out by telling me what the dates for the regionals next year are going to be? Kickoff? 5 or 6 weeks? I have wedding planning to influence, don't make me pick!

As long as the Philadelphia Regional is hosted at Drexel University it will be scheduled during their Spring Break, by looking on the Drexel academic calendar you should be able to find out when the competition will be for the next few years.