Valley Oaks Lego Robotics Program has successful season
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Attending the Brite Lake field trip were Mr. Troy DePriest, Operations Manager of TCCWD, and Tom Neisler, General Manager of TCCWD, along with students Nicholas Aldava, Johnny Brownell, Aidan Desmond, Daniel Felter, Cade Hull, Eliza Lytle, Emilia Martin, Leo Martinez, Jillian Parker, Mason Pearson, Madeline Ruebush, Wyatt Ruebush, Luke Schlosser, Reese Sherman, Ben Small, William Small, Liam Stanfield, Sofia Stanfield, Kody Whatmough and Warren Woolf.
The Valley Oaks Charter School Lego Robotics Program would like to thank their sponsors and mentors for another successful season! This year VOCS had its largest program ever. The Tehachapi Turbinators, Tehachapi Turbines, and Tehachapi Turbine Juniors were comprised of 20 students ranging in age from 9 to 13, and were led by coaches Jodi Stauffer, Desiree and Al Whatmough, and Joanne and Reagan Woolf.
This year's FIRST® LEGO® League theme was Hydro DynamicsSM. Our students are thankful to have had the opportunity to speak with many helpful professional experts including: Ms. Marilyn White, Golden Hills Community Service District; Mr. Jay Schlosser, Tehachapi Development Services Director; Mr. Tom Neisler, General Manager of TCCWD; and Mr. Troy DePriest, Operations Manager of TCCWD. Students learned about local issues and challenges related to our water supply.
Throughout the season, students gained hands on experience building and programming robots. They did a well-drilling simulation and experimented with developing their own water filters made out of sponges, sand, and other materials. They also did extensive research on water-related problems and were even able to come up with innovative solutions of their own.
Special thanks to our team sponsors: DonorsChoose.org; 3M; NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration): U.S. Department of Defense (DoD); Arts, Science and Technology Educational Corporation of Tehachapi; Albertsons; Stallion Springs Property Owners' Association; Smith Structural Group; Force Fitness OCR Training Center; Tehachapi Martial Arts Center; ASCE Southern San Joaquin Branch; J&M Dance Center; BSK Associates Engineers & Laboratories; Musvalk; Dr. Baker of Tadej Orthodontics; and private donations.
Students competed at the High Desert Lego Tournament on Oct. 28, sponsored by the Eagles, Team 399, where VOCS teams placed 5th, 10th, and 13th in the robot game, and the Antelope Valley Technic Classic on Nov. 11 where they placed 4th, 9th and 19th in the robot game and took home a 2nd place trophy for outstanding Core Values and Teamwork.
But all of the students and coaches agree that it isn't about winning awards.
FIRST® LEGO® League encourages students to acknowledge that what they learn is more important than what they win. This helps to foster a cooperative environment where teams help each other, even if it means potentially giving another team a competitive advantage. All the students learned a great deal about robotics, programming, researching a project, and working together as a team.
It's these kinds of experiences and relationships that make it such a worthwhile endeavor.
For more information on the program, please visit firstlegoleague.org.
