Some assembly required

By John Yen, director of technology

The whir of electric motors and the beeps and clicks of buttons emanate from Munger 201. It’s a Monday after school, and seventh-graders are huddled around a table covered with a vinyl mat with Lego contraptions set up at designated locations. Students hive around the table, eyes wide looking to see what will happen next. There is silence, and then a roar of cheering and high-fives. A student has successfully built, programmed, and executed one of the most difficult challenges of getting her robot to scale a wall and hang suspended in the air. It’s an accomplishment few even attempt, but one that she met head on with determination and passion.

The Middle School robotics program is blossoming and has evolved over the last three to four years. Coaches Tom Berrian and John Yen have taught seventh- and eighth-graders the concepts and mechanics of Lego Mindstorm Robotics, and last year they launched and “assembled” the first Poly First Lego League (FLL) Robotics team, “Team Assembled.”

This team, comprising solely sixth-graders in the spring of 2016, worked throughout the semester on the challenges from the 2015 FLL national competition, culminating in their own intramural tournament here at Poly. It was a well-received first outing with 27 students signing up and more enthusiasm than they could have ever anticipated.

This fall, with 21 seventh-graders signing on for another year, Team Assembled officially registered for competition locally and regionally. The team’s first event was a practice tournament at La Cañada High School in October, when two of Poly’s three teams finished in the top 10, and one team took home the programming award honors.

The awards and honors take a backseat, however, to the experience, engagement, learning, and opportunities this program has provided for our students. Students are given the opportunity to enhance their critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, and leadership skills through the core values of the First Lego League curriculum and mission.

The team’s next competition will be at La Cañada High School on Nov. 20, for their official local qualifying tournament. Teams that finish in the top levels will move on to other regional tournaments, and if they are successful, nationals.

We are so excited for our students and to see where they will boldly go….