Early Promotion
Our newly found team first got a
taste of robotics on March 26, 2001.
Our teacher, Mrs. Martaindale, who
had just moved here that year, was
formerly from Gunter, Texas where
they have a big robotics program.
The Gunter robotics team came and did a demonstration
on basically what robotics is. From that we would
decide how our school would go about putting together
a program for robotics.
Gunter HS
Joins
Port Aransas
for a Demo
The Gunter team brought their robots that day & a makeshift
playing field to play on. The let us have hands on experience
driving the robot. They showed us everything that robotics is
about from the spirit that is involved to the parts used on the
complicated robot. The experienced robotics team also gave
us ideas for names of our team, of our robot, and even our
team shirts. That was the day that we decided to found the
first robotics team in Port Aransas school history.
FALL 2001
Hosted by St. Mary’s University
In
San Antonio, TX
Sponsors & Community Outreach
We would like to begin by thanking our sponsors
Pizzaria, Beach Picnic and Kiwanis. Also parents
made us cookies. We did not go hungry and our
shirts look great. – Thanks!
Kwaina Club
The Port Aransas Playing Field
Our website
Our website was design to allow access to the public
about our robotics activities. It has links to our
members, photo album, and other information on
Island Robotics.
Please visit us at:
bigfish.port-aransas.k12.tx.us.
OUR Robotics’ logo
The Port Aransas logo stands for many things.
Double Edge Sword = Competition
Bird = Friendship and Fair Play
Gear = Mechanics
Shell = The Island.
Hunter Grant & James Cantu
Mentors
•Steve Martindale is a freelance writer and
has been for nine years. He also has 18
years of experience in the newspaper
business.
•Maggie who is from Parks and Recreation
has worked hard with our documentation
process. She also works with the Latch Key
program at PAISD.
•Marc Teller worked for PAHS for many
years. In June of this year, he began
working for the University as an AC Tech.
Teachers
• John Schepper works the CATE Department of
PAHS. He teaches Construction I, Construction 2,
Small Engine Repair and mentors middle school
children.
•Leah Martaindale teaches Freshman
English, Pre-AP English Yearbook, and
Speech. In addition, she heads up the
robotics team.
•Monica Pierce is the Career and Technology
Education Coordinator for PAISD. She teaches the
Career Prep and BCIS I courses.
All Port A Robotics Day
Robotics Day was held on
September 22, 2001 from
10a.m. to 12p.m.
In
planning Robotics Day, we
printed up flyers and
posted them around the
city inviting everyone to
join us. We wanted to let
the town know what
Robotics is all about.
As well as HS and Middle School students, about 20
people joined us. We passed out business cards, so that
they would remember us and visit our website.
Some community
members gave us
ideas on how to
put the robot
together. Having
more knowledge,
we are more
prepared to build.
Although it was a rainy Saturday, we still managed
to have fun and play with remote control trucks and
motorcycles outside of our construction shop.
School Organizations
•Our yearbook class volunteered to take care of our
photography needs.
•The Splash, our high school newspaper, wrote an
article about The Island Robotics Team. They
published it in the September issue.
•Band gave us a drum for cheerleading.
•The Art department provided us with military
paint colors.
•The National Honors Society makes daily
announcements reminding students about robotics
meetings.
•BCIS I class made business cards for us and are
scanning and editing our pictures. The school is
helping out a lot.
•Finally, we have our Robotics team - there are 168
students at Port Aransas High School; about 12% are
involved in robotics.
The future
The future plans for Robotics has three segments:
1. demonstrations to other high schools
2. creation of a new hub
3. a springtime robotics program here at PAHS.
Demonstrations in
South Texas
There are 5 Corpus Christi High Schools. We would
like to visit each one and encourage them to
generate a robotics team. This would help us in
accomplishing our second goal for the future. We
want to begin a hub in the Corpus Christi / South
Texas area.
Starting a hub in
Corpus Christi
1. Contact B.E.S.T. - Request information packet about hubs
2. Mr. Rouse, our superintendent, began the robotics program
at TX A&M-College Station. His contacts can provide
additional needed information.
Mr. Rouse interviewed by James Cantu
Starting a Hub (cont.)
3. Sponsors might include:
Valero
Acker Marine
Koch Industries
McDermott
Dupont
Southwest Bell
Coastal Bend Tech Prep
Central Power & Light
Diamond Shamrock
Oxy Chem.
4. A logistics committee must be created.
5. Students will need to be organized to sell
refreshments and help set up for events.
A Springtime Event
Our third goal includes Marc Teller, a
supervisor for the Port Aransas BEST
team. He wants to extend Robotics into
the springtime. Mr. Teller would like to teach us more
about robots. Instead of working on radio control robots,
he would like to teach us how to program one. You
could program it to do different things such as go toward
a light or go away from a light. We would program all
this information onto a chip and place it in the robot.
This would give us a chance to learn more about
engineering, science, and technology.
Island Robotic Articles
Port Aransas South Jetty Articles
Will Ragan – “Remote-control enthusiast
invited to share ideas Saturday”
“PAHS robotics team assigned anti-nuclear meltdown
project”
Tessa McKeever - “PAHS Island Robotics team, community
share time, ideas”.
“Island Robotics Does BEST to Compete” - Will Ragan.
Other articles
May 17th’s edition, “Robotics coming to PAHS” was
written by Leah Martaindale.
“Robotics Team explains BEST
to Port Aransas” published on
March 29, 2001
The Gunter’s Gazette published an article named
“Gunter’s Robotics on the Road”. This article was to
announce their visit here at Port Aransas High School.
The splash
The Splash, Port Aransas’s High School’s
newspaper, proudly displayed an article about our
new program. “Construction stage begins on new
robotics team” written by Will Ragan ran in
September’s edition and is as follows.
Thank You
for visiting us!
Island Robotics
Port Aransas High School