Week of Sep 30

In Class This Week
Be sure to leave your journals (and make sure that they are up to date) so that I can get journals graded before the end of the six weeks (Friday!). I am checking the first circuit calculations, the analog and digital signals activity, and the new circuit calculations activity this week.

Monday, we will finish the circuit calculations & simulation and be ready to move on.  Be sure that you watch the video on 555 timer calculations before class on Wednesday or Thursday and then over combinational logic for the end of the week.


Engineering Trips & Activities
There is a lot going on at this time.  Below are some of the activities that may interest you.  Be sure to sign up for them if you are interested.

On Friday, November 8, 25 students may visit the Texas State University campus in San Marcos and tour the Ingram School of Engineering.  We will leave from the 700 bldg bus loop along Lake Creek Drive on the east side of the school at 7:30 and spend the day in San Marcos.  Students will return to RRHS around 4:00 p.m.  I will have more details available in class on Wednesday.  If you are interested, fill out this form and see me for a permission and waiver form.  That is an A day, and you will be responsible for any missed work in your classes that day. It is your responsibility to make arrangements ahead of time to clear any missing assignments with your teachers.

If you are interested in FAME (Future A&M Engineers) November 16-17, then you need to sign up right away.  First of all, fill out the sign-up form for Texas A&M's Student Engineers' Council to get things started.  They will send you a list of other information needed, including a copy of your transcript verifying your 3.0 GPA or a letter of reference from a teacher stating your interest and participation in engineering.  If you want a letter of reference from me, please fill out this form so that I can track it.  I will ask you to fill out the same form whenever you want to get a reference from me for college applications as well. This way, I can get more information about you to include in the letter. Finally, don't forget to let me know on this form if you are planning to attend. You may ride the bus with us, but I would like to know if you will be in College Station that weekend even if you choose to ride there with someone else.

RRHS is starting an engineering club for the first time ever.  The club elected officers last week, but you are still welcome to join a large group of others who are interested in exploring engineering careers and challenges.  The club meets every Thursday after school in room 603 (Mrs. Saksena's room).

We also have an active Robotics club that meets in my room (601) on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays after school.  We are entered in the Capitol BEST competition, which will be held at RRHS on October 26.  Over twenty high schools and middle schools from around central Texas will bring their best solutions to the current robotics challenge to the competition right here on our campus.  If you can't make every meeting, that is fine. We welcome all of the help we can get whenever we can get it.  After the competition, we will reduce the meeting frequency until we start up the spring competition.


College Visits
Monday - US Marines (Scholarship info)
                 University of Alabama
Wednesday - Texas State University (see trip info above)
Friday - Ringling College of Art & Design
              University of San Francisco