Can you say pumped?! It was doubly exciting for John Jay Middle School’s robotics teams to compete in the FIRST® LEGO® League qualifier last Saturday. They not only got to see what the robots they had built and programmed could do against the competition, but the tournament took place at their school, with many of the members of John Jay High School's robotics team running the events and serving as referees.
“John Jay’s robotics family was out in full force,” said Jonathan Peter, robotics teacher at John Jay High School. “It was great!”
The FIRST LEGO League qualifier brought together 18 teams from middle schools around the region, each one sporting their own look for fun event. There was a team in tiger caps and another in taco hats!
John Jay Wolves, dressed in spirit wear, fielded two teams. Team 1 won the "Core Values" award and qualified for the Excelsior Regional Championship at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. “They're already strategizing improvements to their robot and presentation and we're excited to watch them improve,” said robotics teachers Steve Zoeller and Evan Lucieer.
Superintendent Ray Blanch welcomed the teams by revisiting the amazing story of Apollo 13.
“As you step into this competition, remember the spirit of Apollo 13,” he said. “Even when things don’t go as planned, teamwork, adaptability and STEM ingenuity can achieve the impossible. Or as astronaut Jim Lovell put it: ‘We just kept going. Failure was not an option.’ So best of luck to all the teams and … just keep going.”
After the excitement of the day, John Jay’s robotics teachers noted that robotics at Katonah-Lewisboro Schools has reached a new level. Zoeller called it “one continuous, articulated, fun STEM program.”
He highlighted John Jay High School’s robotics program and its long history of success in FIRST Technical Challenge, the high school-level competition. Last year, one of John Jay High School’s teams took the New York State title and won its way to Worlds.
Last year was John Jay Middle School’s inaugural year with robotics teams. The elementary schools are starting to explore First Lego League this month.
“With this continuity and commitment to STEM and robotics, our students’ experience and performance only stands to grow,” said Zoeller.
