Robotics take over middle school studentsFriday, February 15, 2013
BY JENNIFER VAZQUEZ
NEWS EDITOR
Hackensack Chronicle
The science and technology fields within the education system are a focus that has grown over the last few years. Perhaps it is not all that surprising to hear that a local school has a robotics club. However, it is still a feat that a robotics club earned top awards in a regional competition’s category the same year as the club’s debut. This is just the case with Hackensack Middle School’s Robotics Club.
Gifted and Talented students from Hackensack Middle School participated in the regional First LEGO Robotics League in November. The school’s teams placed second and third, respectively, in Core Values in the competition that took place at Pascack Valley High School. The success and interest in the team has resulted in the creation of a robotics club opened to a greater school population. 
The students who took part in the regional First LEGO Robotics League were honored at the January Board of Education meeting. It all began when, while looking to expand its Gifted and Talented program, HMS started offering eighth grade students the opportunity to learn about robotics, according to Principal David Petrella.
While the Gifted and Talented robotics program was launched this school year, the fact that was newly formed did not prevent it from winning praises during the first competition the club took part in. Though the club was divided into two teams, both teams placed in the top three when it came to one particular component of the competition.
"They attended the First LEGO Robotics League held at Pascack Valley High School on Nov. 17," Petrella said. "Our two teams placed second and third for core values."
"They had to program their robots," he explained. "The robots were then place atop a wooden board with certain dimensions. If the students’ calculations were off the robot would fall off [the table] and the task would not be completed….our students did great."
According to Petrella, all competing teams had to participate in the different components that made up the competition — including a skit/introduction, assignment of task to the robots, and the actual task completion.
The First LEGO League website lists three different awards falling under core values, all of which have to do with team work and professionalism.
The students were receptive to constructive criticism, according to Petrella.
"[The students] were open to suggestions," Petrella said. "Everyone [at the competition] was supportive of our youngsters. They did provide them with a few corrections which was great. It gave our youngsters an eye opener."
"We really did well, considering it was our first competition and no one knew what to expect," Kim Muller, eighth grade science teacher for the Gifted and Talented program, said. "Next time, the students are excited and committed to doing even better."
The students who participated in the LEGO competition were recognized at the January Board of Education meeting where they were praised for their hard work and accomplishment.
Interim Superintendent Joseph Abate, as well as other Board of Education members, voiced their approval and congratulations to the young students.
"I want to congratulate all of you," Board of Education president Veronica Bolcik McKenna. "It’s wonderful to see our students succeed."
Though the middle school students spent the first half of the school year preparing and learning about robots, they will have a new goal during the second half: to program a video game, Muller said.
According to Science and Technology Supervisor for the Hackensack School District Rich Del Vechio, the interest and success seen at the Gifted and Talented level prompted the HMS to look into expanding the robotics program to more students.
"The robotics concept was in place for the middle school’s Gifted and Talented," he said. "Robotics was provided on a small scale. However, the students really took off [with the program]….which lead to an interest increase in the program and the creation of a robotics club."
The interest in robotics by students in lower grade levels propelled the administration to contemplate bringing a robotics club to the lower fifth, sixth and seventh grade level.
"The robotics club at the middle school has two tiers," Del Vechio said. "The top tier consists of seventh and eighth grade. The robotics club in this tier runs 18 weeks. The students are mentored by [previous middle school] students who have knowledge or robotics and will prepare them for the mock competition at the end of the [school] year. The other tier is for the fifth and sixth graders…the club at this level will run nine weeks and consist of teaching the students simpler motions."
Forming a robotics club was a fairly easy process, according to Muller, who is also the supervisor of the club.
"The administration and teachers have been really supportive [of the robotics club idea]," she said. "Mr. Petrella and Mr. Del Vechio were fantastic to work with…they provided me with all necessary supplies. They were great [during the startup of the club]."
According to Patrella, the robotics club was also formed to compliment the future robotics course at the high school level, allowing students in a lower grade to become acclimated with the work associated with robotics and the technology behind it.
"The [Board of Education] already approved [Robotics and Engineering 1]," Del Vechio said. "That course will begin next year at the high school level."
Del Vechio explained that he and the rest of administrators are hoping for the robotics course at this level to allow students to design and construct larger and far more complex robots. They are looking to run this course out of the metal shop of the high school.
While approval was met to launch the new high school course, Del Vechio and other administrators are in the process of conducting an interest survey as well as planning and designing the curriculum for the course in order for it to service as much of the student population as possible.
"We do not want students to be excluded," he said. "We are currently not enrolling because we want to refine the [curriculum] and have a set plan in place."
Science, math and technology-based jobs are the future, a major reason why robotics and technological-based programs are thriving and gaining interests within the schools, according to Muller, Del Vechio and Petrella.
Aside from the more obvious abilities that a robotics club enhances in its students, such as troubleshooting, mathematics, the robotics program also provides essential skills including leadership, public speaking, creativity and an artistic eye, according to Del Vechio.
"To have students interested in something, while receiving a quality foundation is what we all dream of [as educators]," Petrella said. "We want to make students more involved in the sciences, technology, math and the arts."
Email: vazquez@northjersey.com
