adult supervision responsibilities.html - frc971/website GitHub Wiki

It is important to have an adult supervisor who is dedicated to monitoring safety at a meeting. While there are technical mentors who are in attendance at most meetings, they are often working directly with students and it is important that they are not the only supervisor in the lab when there is a lot of stuff going on. The scheduled Adult Supervisor is to be watching students using power tools to make sure they are using them safely. This includes checking for proper use, eye protection, and as needed hearing protection.

Overall, the Adult Supervisors are responsible for ensuring the safety of the students and for looking out after the classroom and lab areas. Safety is our number one priority. After that, we want to take care of the school property and team property. It is very important that we take good care of the school property so that we can continue to have access to the room and lab space. If we aren’t responsible, we could easily lose our team working space which would jeopardize the team's existence.

Adult Supervisors must be MVLA district fingerprinted volunteers. For information on how to become a fingerprinted volunteer, go here.

A fingerprinted school approved adult must be with the team at all times when they are in the classroom and/or the lab. It is OK to take a five minute break to go the bathroom but no longer.

• There will be a student emergency contact list located in the lab on the side of the shelves near the lathe and next to the phone in room P4.
• There will be a first aid kit in the lab in the cabinet beside the Lista cabinet. There is also a first aid kit by the phone in room P4.
• In case of a medical emergency, attempt to administer first aid. For anything serious, call 911 immediately. Then have someone call the emergency contact for the student. (You can dial out using the phone in the classroom and lab by dialing a 9 first.)

• Monitoring the activities of the students to make sure they are safe. If there is any question about whether an activity is safe or not, you can use your own judgment or ask one of the team leadership. They are also responsible for team safety.
• Students and adults are required to wear safety glasses whenever someone is using a power tool or doing anything that could cause an eye injury. This includes, but is not limited to: using soldering irons, being near an operating robot, and working with chemicals such as paints and cleaners. Anyone near a person doing anything that requires safety glasses must also wear safety glasses. For example everyone within 10 feet of someone using a drill press, saw, or a hammer must wear safety glasses.
• An available adult must be in room P5 whenever a power tool is in operation.  This includes the sanders, saws, drill press, and of course the lathe.
• An adult is not an available adult if they have headphones on and are actively trying to tune out what is going on.
• Knowing where the emergency shut-off or power switch is for each power tool especially the lathe and how to get to it without reaching over the student. It is important to practice this when you begin your shift. Walk by each power tool and verify that the shut-off switch is easily accessible.  We want supervisors to be ready and able to help in a pinch.
• It is important that supervisors look over every few minutes to make sure the students are wearing safety glasses and there is nothing that will distract them from their work.
• Students are not allowed to operate robots at faster than a modest walking speed in the classroom or near the buildings.
• While a robot is being operated, no one should stick their hands and arms into any area where the robot could harm them such as near chains, gears, and pinch points.  Robots are powerful and can easily cause severe harm.
• If you are in any way uncomfortable with what is going on, you are empowered to stop what the team is doing until you are convinced that it safe or the team members decide to do something else that you think is safe.
• Maintaining order. If you believe that any students are being disruptive, are too wild, or are not respecting warnings, you have the authority to send students home.  (While this has never happened, warning disruptive students that this may happen often solves problems.)
• Walking around and visiting the different areas to make sure students are staying focused on robotics or some other appropriate activity.
• Making sure that the safety rules are being observed.
• No one is allowed to go into any of the other classrooms that we have access to without mentor supervision and approval of the supervising adult.
• We use the teacher’s computer in room P4 for printing and presentations.  Please leave it as you find it. Do not take any items out of the desk drawers of the teacher’s desk.  This also goes for when we use the other rooms for break out sessions.  All tables and chairs must be returned to the exact configurations that they were in before we used the room.
• Keeping track of the school key for rooms P5 and P4.  This key also opens the bathrooms.  (If a key is left in the bathroom and you don’t have an extra key, it might be recovered by borrowing a key from a custodian or another teacher.)
• Doors must be locked and closed unless there is someone in sight of the open door.  Don't leave either classroom unattended without closing and locking the doors.  
• When you close up at the end of the meeting
  • Close the blinds. You are welcome to open them during meetings.
  • Have the students put all of the desks and chairs back in their original spots and make sure all of the laptop power supplies are still plugged in.  Clean up any big messes on the floor. A little dirt from shoes is fine. Big messes need to be cleaned up. We do not want to cause extra work for the janitor.
  • Ensure that all white boards in P4 are clean. Erase all team writings and do not erase anything left by the teacher. Writing can remain if there is going to be another team meeting before the next day of school.
  • Make sure the room doors are locked when you leave.  If a door has been unlocked and the key is either locked in the bathroom or someone has taken it home, do not leave the classroom unattended. Call Wyn or Michael or whoever took the key home so that you can lock the door.
  • Make sure that the room key goes to the proper person at the end of the day.  This is usually Wyn Schuh. (650) 965-8037.  1630 Elmhurst Drive.
  • At the end of the day, all tools should be put away in the lab, and the lab should generally be straightened up.
  • As each student leaves, they are required to clean up for at least 10 minutes.  They should check in with the adult supervisor.

The team does travel to competitions and all school rules for field trips apply.

• Approved adult volunteers will chaperone trips. There must be a female supervisor if there are female students on the trip, and a male supervisor if there are male students.
• Students will travel in school vans or parent vehicles to competitions or the airport. All parent drivers must be approved by the district if they are driving students other than their own child.
• Students may stay overnight in hotels. An administrator will come meet with the team regarding rules for overnight trips before the trip. Students are expected to obey all school rules on any team trip.