Week of 4/4

This week is a shortened one because I will be departing for a trip Tuesday afternoon, so I will not be here Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. Since the marking period closes tomorrow, all tomorrow will be devoted to Systems Engineering, and we will need to finish the project. It's going to be hectic to say the least, but we have always given our best in this class, and that tradition will continue tomorrow. I am excited for the opportunity to prove ourselves. Thank you.

Week of 3/28

The start of this week also signals the ending of the third marking period, and the ending of our senior project. Unfortunately, we are behind. But we will continue to work dilligently in an attempt to finish the project if only for the sake of finishing it. We are very remorseful over the fact that we did not hand the project in on time, but we will not give excuses for this. We will face the music for our mistakes and the project will be completed, I can guarantee that. I would like to thank DA and CMcD for their patience and help with this project, and if it wasn't for them, we would never have been given this unique opportunity. So thank you.

Week of 3/21

This is the week that we have been hearing about since September. We have been dreaming about this week, but that dream has turned to a nightmare. We have no chance of finishing our project on time, but we will finish the project. I can't help thinking about what we could have done differently, but I've come to the conclusion that we did the best that we could have in the situation we were given. We learned a lot this year and we will continue to work with the same passion we have had all year. Nothing is going to change. This project is going to be completed. Thank you.

Week of 3/14

The last few weeks have been some of the most exciting in the Systems Lab for our team, and this week will hopefully be the best yet. We will be making the finished parts for our vehicle, and if things go according to plan, we will be welding the product together on Friday. However, my partner and I will not be here tomorrow, so that is a day that is lost, but hopefully active work today and the rest of the week will make up for this deficit. We will be making the exterior and interior of the design after weeks of testing, the only uncertainty at this point is the slope at the bottom. Hopefully, that will not be too complicated, and I remain confident that this week will yield great amounts of success.

Week of 3/7

With the arrival of a new week also comes the arrival of our supplies. We have gone out and purchased the supplies needed to complete the construction phase of our project. I am delighted with these recent acquistions, and now I feel extremely confident with our abilities to complete the project, and I see the completion in the near future. Hopefully the project will be finished in two weeks time, and if we can finish within the first half of the month of March, I have no doubt that our project will be a huge success. This is the most important time in the creation of our vehicle, and now that all of our materials are in, there is no excuse for failure. And failure is not an option.

Week 2/28

This week has consisted of many different tests down in the lab. We have been working towards the completion of our project, and in doing so we have discovered just how truly viable our idea is. It is both a relief and a reason for further motivation that our project is moving along at the pace it is, and I have no doubts that our project will be making a stellar debut during May. On Friday, our teacher, DA, said that we might be the spotlight project, and that most certainly is a goal to shoot for. I look forward to the rest of the testing and construction we will be doing this week and as always I thank you for taking the time to view my blog.

Week of 2/22

As of right now, I would have to say that our project is somewhere between 60% and 65% done, even though construction is only around 25%. The reason that there is a stark difference between these two values is because the actual construction of our product does not worry us very much. We have been working the past week with the thermo-forming machine, just honing the craft. We now feel much more comfortable with the machine and can expertly create any shape or design. The hardest part of the project that we still have remaining is the welding of the plastic. This has gone untested at this point so unfortunately there is of course room for error.

This week is an important one for our design. We would actually like to finish our product towards the former half of March, and by doing so free up our time to deal with any issues that surface during construction and fine tune the portfolio of our product. Depending on how the welding testing goes, we could easily finish our product within a fourteen day time period, even accounting for a few bumps along the way. This is a fairly optimistic view point at this time, and there will be a lot to prove this week. If things do go as planned however, by Friday we will have an outer shell and the inner aspects of the project, and only the connecting pieces would still be necessary. That would put our timetable for completion in the first week of March which would be ideal. I look forward to this week and continue to hope for the best and will update you further as time goes on. Thank you.

Week of 2/14

I'd like to start by wishing everyone a Happy Valentine's Day. We are very excited this week as we begin to test our abilities to weld the plastic and make it look professional. We feel as if the project will undoubtedly be finished on time, and most likely ahead of schedule. There is no denying that there is a lot to get done, but we have the superior work ethic that is needed to complete a project of this scale. We will continue to mold and weld and increase our skills. Thank you.

Week of 2/7

This week is a monumental one for the project we are working on. We will begin testing with the vacuum form molder and depending on how these tests go we will have a better idea of how our project will unfold. Of course, I hope for the best and I look forward to the results that will come from the trials.

Week of 1/31

Today signals the completion of midterms and the official halfway point of senior year. With seven eights of my high school year in the rearview mirror, there is a sense of urgency that is being fought by an unwarranted sense of completion. Part of me wants to enjoy my remaining time in high school, but I am still motivated to finish strong, especially with my senior project. It is a bittersweet feeling. I have thoroughly enjoyed my four years at my high school, but now it is time to move on. My memories will always be with me, and nothing in the future can change what happened in the past, nor should it change my view of it. I look forward to continuing work on my project and finishing my high school career strong. Thank you.

Week of 1/24

This week is mostly focused on midterms, and as far as my Systems midterms go, I am not too worried. It is the only class that is not a test, which allows me to work on it at home. I know that I have the commitment and dedication to do this project on my own time, without worrying about the due date sneaking up on me. I look forward to completing the math and science portion of my project, and officially hitting the halfway mark of the year. Thank you.

Week of 1/17

Today is a good day. After working diligently over the three day weekend, my partner and I have successfully achieved a working product. We are no longer under scrutiny from our instructors as we have delivered in a huge way. This week is a busy one, and we are coming to the halfway point of the year. We will be giving our formal progress updates this week, and mine will take place on Friday. So for the end of the class today, I will need to have my FPU Outline completed and submitted. After the FPU's we will then have to complete our midterm, which is the math and science portion of our projects. Right now, I intend to happily work through the period, carrying the momentum of a job well done over the weekend. Thank you.

Week of 1/10

This week is going to be hectic to say the least. We now need to find an alternative way to create our mold. This is a large unexpected inconvenience and I truly do not know what the best way to attack this is going to be. We will need to work much more than anticipated to finish our project now, and in all honesty it is not looking good.

Week of 1/3

I'd like to start this post by saying Happy New Year to all of my readers! A new year brings with it new opportunities and a clean slate. I will look to keep some old habits while losing others. I need to stay focused now more than ever or risk losing everything that I have worked thus far. Production and construction has officially begun and I regret to inform you that my partner AA and I are currently not seeing eye to eye. I hope that will change as we will need to work together in order to achieve success in our goal. Thank you very much and welcome back.

Week of 12/20

With this being a shortened week, determination will be the most important characterstic to display. Tomorrow signals the due date of the press release, and today and most of tomorrow will be devoted to the completion of that assignment. Receiving a strong grade on the first assignment is always the best way to start a marking period, and even though we are well over halfway into this marking period, it will be the first assignment. Once this press release is finished I will be free to move onto construction for a large portion of the remainder of the year. This is very exciting and I cannot wait to continue. Thank you.

Week of 12/13

I come into this week with great momentum. Last week was the kind of week that reinvigorates you, and I will be tapping into this new found enthusiasm to shake off the ice created by the winter doldrums. This week will be pivotal for the first graded aspect of my project, that aspect being the press release. It is due in approximately a week and it will require much diligence and effort. I look forward to the chance to receive my first positive grade of the second marking period and I do not doubt my ability to succeed. Thank you.

Week of 12/6

The first full week of December brings with it a snowy day, and a five day stretch of work. I have completed all Auto-CAD drawings that I find necessary to my design and I am more than ready to get started with the actual creation of the device. That will most likely first be used as a prototype, and depending on the measure of success of the prototype, we will be given the go ahead to create a functioning product. Today my partner and I are meeting with our instructors, and after reviewing my blog, I anticipate that they will allow us to continue. You will hear more tomorrow. Thank you.

Week of 11/29

It's business as usual this week. We are still in the waxing part of this marking period, and I feel very comfortable with the amount of work that is left to be done. This work includes completing any existing Auto-CAD drawings, production of the product, and another formal progress update. I will focus primarily on my Auto-CAD drawings again this week, and I will look to finish them this week. Tuesday is a lost day as I have a field trip for my Economics class. This will push my log back to Wednesday, and will result in an accelerated work week. I feel I am ready to match this level of work with an even higher level of diligence and determination.

Week of 11/22

We have a shortened week this week because Thanksgiving is Thursday. That means that I need to turn up the work level in order to stay on track for the marking period. I would like to see a resolution to my Auto-CAD drawings this week as well as the completion of the developmental work. This will allow me to move on to different areas of my project. These future areas include another formal progress update, participation, a news letter, and of course the actual creation of the finished product. It is very exciting to see the progression to date, and I am excited to see what else I can create. Enjoy your turkey day.

Week of 11/15

It is the beginning of the new marking period and the first marking period was a great success. This week I will begin production of my final model and that process will be carried out throughout the next two marking periods. Also this week, I will have my review with my teachers about my formal progress update and will learn how I fared on that item. I am proud of the presentation I gave, and look forward to their review. First item of business is translating my model into a final product, and that will not be an easy task.