Our History

The Windward School Omnicats have been part of the FIRST program since 2004. Since then, the robotics program has grown from a small student club group to a much larger, more sophisticated program. In 2004, the Windward School Omnicats started competing in FRC. In 2008, we opened up the option to compete in FLL and have been participating in FLL since. In 2010, we competed in FRC winning the Long Beach Regional Championship. In 2012, the Windward School Robotics established its robotics team name to be the “Omnicats” and created an updated slogan, “Student Designed, Student Built”.  Throughout the course of our expansion, we have not only grown in size but also in recognition within our school’s community as well as the FIRST community in Los Angeles

Over time, we gained sponsorship from the Windward Institute, the Boeing Company and Mr. and Mrs. Stephen and Jill Petty. We also initiated an expansion of our program to include more hands-on experiences with the 21st century technology such as CAD and 3D printing. Every year, we strive to expand our program and add to our team's history. Windward currently offers robotics for 7th – 12th graders.  7th grade students learn how to construct and program an autonomous robot using LEGO EV3 technology, and compete in the FIRST Lego League (FLL).  8th-12th grade students use the VEX Robotics platform, ROBOT C technology, and Project Lead the Way curriculum to develop and hone skills in Engineering, Design, and Robotics.  The culminating experience for Windward Robotics is participation in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). ​

Achievements

FIRST Team 1452
2019 Canadian Pacific Regional: Gracious Professionalism Award, Pit Safety Award, Runners-Up for the Safety Award
2018 Los Angeles Regional: Safety Award   
2018 Utah Regional: Safety Award
2017 Los Angeles Regional: Runners-Up for the Safety Award
2016 Los Angeles Regional: Semi-Finalists
2016 Los Angeles Fall Classic: Judge's Award
​2010 Los Angeles Regional: Winner
2004 Los Angeles Regional: Rookie Inspiration Award
  
Windward VEX Robotics
2019: California State Championship Semifinalists
2018 High Desert League: Tournament Champion
2018 High Desert League: Tournament Finalist (2nd place)
2018 High Desert League: Teamwork Award
2018 High Desert League: Think Award
2016 Chaminade Nothing But Net VEX Tournament: Judges Award
2013 Northern San Diego Regional: Tournament Champion
2013 Northern San Diego Regional: Programming Challenge Winner 
2013 Northern San Diego Regional: Think Award
2013 Northern San Diego Regional: Sportsmanship Award
​2013 Northern San Diego Regional: Safety Award
2013 Windward Early Scrimmage: Amaze Award
2012 Northern San Diego Regional: Think Award

Manifesto and Mission Statement

The Windward Omnicats are a robotics team that believes in building a great robot independently while still having fun. We are a close-knit team of friends and companions who aspire to build robots not just for FRC, but for the enhancement of our community as a whole.
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We strive to embody certain principles, ideas, and values. These values are in accordance with the values of our school and the values we have decided on as a team, they include teamwork, community service, and inclusivity. In addition to these values, we are a team that above all else values the safety of its members. 

Students who join the team are held to high standards of behavior and required to show up on time and work collaboratively. We also stress the importance of values such as perseverance, integrity, and gracious professionalism. We have a zero tolerance policy for behaviors like bullying and work hard to maintain a diverse and inclusive enviroment.

Design Process

When we say "Student Designed, Student Built," we mean it. Our team takes pride in promoting a collaborative environment when designing our robot. Every member of the Omnicats, whether they are members of the Chassis or Public Relations team, takes part in the robot's design process. This special process stresses the importance of extensive research, testing, and prototyping. It allows every member of the team to voice their ideas as well as contribute to the outcome of our prototypes and the final robot. We also make sure that are younger students are on multiple subteams so that they can gain a wide range of experiences and figure out what they are best at. In addition to this, we value mentorship and make sure that knowledge and skills are passed down from year to year so our team stays strong.