Francis Wyman Introduces LEGO Robotics

Fifth grade students at Francis Wyman assembled last week for a robotics demonstration by (BHS) Senior Gerry Pothier. Pothier, vice president of the BHS Robotix Club, showed his ten and eleven year old audience the capabilities of the Club’s award winning 2010 entry, the Devil’s Barbeque, a shiny, soccer-playing robot that maneuvers and kicks a standard size soccer ball. As Pothier demonstrated the capabilities of the Devil’s barbeque, Vice Principal Michael Guilando, whom the kids call Mr. G, introduced the new Francis Wyman Lego Robotics Club for fifth graders.

The Club will run from April 11 through May 23 on Monday afternoons after school. Parents contribute a nominal fee of $30 per child. The school also received funding from the Burlington Education Foundation and the Francis Wyman Parent Teacher Organization (FWPTO).

“The FWPTO is thrilled to be able to help fund this exciting program and provide fifth grade students the opportunity to explore technology,” said Sandra Calandrella, FWPTO co-president. “Our donation will help keep costs down and give students access to a program that will help build problem solving and teamwork skills.”

The six week program will give the students the opportunity to design, construct and program their own simple robots using a LEGO kit. The kit includes building blocks, motors and sensors and the students will learn to program the robots to react, make sounds or perform a task.

As of the printing of this article, thirty students have already signed up for the Lego Robotics Club and the program is near capacity. According to Pothier’s mother Roberta, her husband and son got the idea to bring robotics to the elementary school level after attending a high school competition last year.

“There were middle school students from another town asking questions about the BHS Robot. We found out that surrounding towns were supporting robotics from the elementary level right through to the high school level and we thought this is exactly what the town of Burlington needs,” said Roberta Pothier. She credits Guilando for bringing this vision to fruition.

“It has been a pleasure working with Mr. G. as he has understood the value of the program and has worked very hard to make it a reality,” said Roberta Pothier.

Guilando is excited about the after school club. It is his hope that the club members will learn about programming and building, collaboration and will develop positive relationships with their high school mentors.

In addition to Gerry Pothier, high school mentors Billy Ryan and Matt Coleman have volunteered to mentor the group and other members of the BHS Robotix Club will help out on a more informal basis.

“Mentoring the elementary school students in robotics would give me chance to give back what I have learned in my four years of high school robotics,” said Gerry Pothier. “I enjoy seeing the enthusiasm of the 5th graders and I would like to see this become Burlington robotics not just Burlington High School Robotics.”

According to Superintendent Eric Conti, he was not initially looking at this program as a pilot. However Conti stated that if the club is successful, he would like to replicate it across all the elementary schools and may consider a middle school club in the future.

 The BHS Robotix Club’s 2010 and 2011 robots will be on display at the Museum of Science starting on April 16, 2011.