At the VEX IQ Challenge* last week, sponsored by the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation, a STEM program for elementary and middle school students (ages 8-14), Notre Dame Marist Academy’s teams took home a number of big prizes.
Notre Dame team, Bumble Bees #3333Z, earned the Energy Award at the Nov. 8 competition held at Cranbrook Schools. Bumble Bees team 3333P won the Judges Award and the Programming Skills Award. The next competition is November 22.
Congratulations to our future Killer Bees! (photos below)
Left to right, with their Judges and Programming Skills awards are Paolo Fregoli (2nd grade), Jack Bartus (4th grade), John Milback (4th grade) and Aaron Palardy (4th grade).
Left to right, with their Energy Award from the STEM presentation are Lee Lindsey, David Brouns, Myles Hill, Trevor Rowe and Andrew Fraser, all 5th graders.
*About the VEX IQ Challenge
Student participants, with guidance from their teachers and mentors, build a robot using the VEX IQ robotics platform to solve an engineering challenge that is presented in the form of a game. VEX IQ Challenge teams work together scoring points in Teamwork Matches, and also display their robot’s skills individually in driver controlled and autonomous Skills Challenges. In addition to building robots, the VEX IQ Challenge encourages students to actively learn about science, technology, engineering and mathematics with a STEM-themed research project that consists of a written or media presentation.
About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.