The leaves had barely started falling when the J. Taylor Finley Middle school technology and science departments joined forces to spearhead creation of a robotics club.
Seventh and eighth graders at the school who are interested in designing, building and programming LEGO robots were invited to join the unofficial club. Since the club’s inception, some students have come and gone after deciding the club is or isn’t for them, but a strong core group of teenagers has remained throughout, committed to competing in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology) LEGO League.
At 6 a.m. on a recent Saturday, Finley students Ty Williams, Dylan Bluemer, Andrew Alvarado and Ben Ribando boarded a bus bound for Ronkonkoma Middle School, where 31 teams from across Long Island gathered to compete in the FIRST LEGO League practice tournament.
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“Having never competed in this type of tournament before, we were unsure of what to expect, but we were pleased to see that our planning and preparation had paid off,” said Finley technology teacher Brian Reynolds, one of the club’s faculty advisors along with colleagues Donna Moro and Mike Ferreira. The Finley robot design successfully completed three full missions and a part of two others, a strong showing for the rookie team in it’s first-ever competition.
It was a Saturday filled with lots of excitement as the Finley students learned that discovery is more important than winning, which really exemplifies the Falco-Techs core values.
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The next challenge for the group will be in early February when the team competes in a qualifying tournament for a chance to progress on to the championship round scheduled for March 2.
“It is exciting to see this program take off at Finley,” Huntington Superintendent James W. Polansky said. “Tremendous thanks go out to Mr. Reynolds, Ms. Moro and new technology teacher Mr. Ferreira for taking the time to provide an outstanding educational experience and to help these students exploit their interests. The FIRST LEGO League activities are also an excellent way to prepare students for the intricacies of the FIRST robotics program at Huntington High School.”
Finley’s robotics club members are anxious to put their robot to the test again in February. The teenagers will also be required to present a project to a panel of judges that explores local natural disasters, such as Superstorm Sandy and what can be done when intense natural events threaten the places where people live, work and play.
The FIRST LEGO League was founded by Dean Karman, the inventor of the Segway PT. The organization introduces middle school students to real-world engineering challenges by building LEGO-based robots to complete tasks on a thematic playing surface. Competitions also include a project and technical presentation and a teamwork activity. “FLL teams, guided by their imaginations and adult coaches, discover exciting career possibilities and, through the process, learn to make positive contributions to society,” according to the organization.
