Vienna School Places Third In Cyber Robotics Coding Competition

From St. Mark School: Students, faculty, and parents at ST. MARK Catholic School in Vienna, Virginia, braved the elements this past weekend to vie for the top spot in the Virginia State Finals of the Cyber Robotics Coding Competition (CRCC), held at the VCU College of Engineering on Saturday, January 12. The effort paid off, as the school’s two teams both placed in the top 10 for the entire state, with one team placing third, earning the students $16,000 worth of scholarships, if they attend VCU.

The four-week-long statewide competition, sponsored by Virginia Commonwealth University and CodeVA, included thirty-five public and private schools from across the state of Virginia, engaging nearly 2,500 students. Sixteen schools earned spots at the State Finals, where students worked in 32 teams of two, including ST. MARK students Valentina Rozo (8th grade), Frankie Anstett (8thgrade), Ava Romeo (7th grade) and Finley Tarr (7thgrade). Rozo and Anstett took Bronze, missing second place by only one point. Romeo and Tarr placed 10th.

Organized by Intelitek STEM and CTE Education Foundation, the CRCC is a virtual coding competition that provides students and educators with the opportunity to build STEM related skills using a cloud-based simulation platform featuring a virtual, 3D-animated robot. The CRCC is open to all middle schools in Virginia, recognizing the importance of inclusion and diversity in STEM education.

“The Cyber Robotics Coding Competition strives to engage all students in computer science experiences to foster an interest in STEM and coding early on,” said Ido Yerushalmi, CEO of Intelitek.

“We are so proud of our students for shining in this state-wide event. We feel strongly that by focusing our instruction on critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and teamwork, that they will succeed in any number of challenges across multiple disciplines, including coding,” said Mrs. Darcie Girmus, principal at ST. MARK. The school serves close to 400 students in grades pre-school through eight.

According to Trevor Pope, CRCC Competition Master, “Coding is a valuable skill and essential form of literacy for today’s job market, not just for today but for the future. The CRCC competition builds a solid foundation for students to learn computer science skills in an incredibly engaging way. It’s a wonderful opportunity for Virginia students.”

For more information about ST. MARK Catholic School, visit stmark.org/school, or call 703-281-9103.

Image via St. Mark School