Student Teams Compete at VEX Robotics Tournament at Space Center Houston
The robotics club from Smith Middle School, sponsored by Ernie Soliz their GTT instructor, traveled to the VEX Robotics tournament on Saturday, Nov. 15, at Space Center Houston (1601 NASA Parkway, 77058). The SMS Robotics Club is in its second year of competition.
VEX Robotics is a high-end robotics platform that requires students to design, build, and program robots to perform complex tasks in highly competitive two-team alliances. Middle-school and high-school students compete throughout the year in an effort to make it to state, national, and world-level tournaments.
This year’s competition is called VEX Skyrise and challenges participants to score the most points by completing a combination of various tasks, such as stacking cubes, placing cubes in certain “goal” zones, and building “skyrises,” or tubular towers on which cubes can be stacked. Twenty-seven teams have signed up to compete, including teams from Reagan HS, Lamar HS, Carnegie Vanguard HS, Waltrip HS, Washington HS, The Rice School, and the Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy. Smith Middle School competed against these high school teams and scored well!
“Our STEM Robotics program gives our students the opportunity to deploy twenty-first century skills and work as a team with other SMS students in a creative and innovative environment. When our students have the opportunity to travel and participate in competitions, they form allies with other Robotics teams from around the state to investigate, analyze, and evaluate the strengths of competing teams. By participating in STEM activities during middle school, students build confidence, connect to real life experiences, and form networks and partnerships with career professionals in the field of STEM” said Smith Middle School Principal, Jennifer Davis.
Smith Middle School completed the qualifying matches with events rankings of 4th place for Team 311j, 8th place for Team 311s, and 9th place for Team 311e. These teams advanced to the competition play-offs. Teams 311e and 311s lost in the quarterfinals, while Team 311j fell short of a win in the semifinals falling to the #1 ranked team in the world, Galena Park High School’s Team 1429D. Our middle school was competing against 23 other high school teams…what an effort to be proud of Sinton!
Sinton STEM Academy would also like to thank Ernie Soliz and Jennifer Davis for going to this event with our students. We would also like to thank Eugene and Pam Gonzales, Anna Castillo, and Monica Soliz for helping chaperone our kids, as well.
