Members of the Miller Middle School Lego League team are pictured, from left, Coach Ann Jackson, Lilly Duff, Marcus Barker, Marek Jablonski, Maggie Stansberry, Ethan Benscoter, Derek Peng, Isaac B. Lopez and Jacob Swartz. This team earned honorable mention in robot design and qualified for the state Lego League competition.
Teams from the Marshalltown Community School District participated in the FIRST Lego League competition on December 3. Two teams competed at Marshalltown Community College while one competed in Council Bluffs.
Miller Middle School’s team, the Robocats, earned an honorable mention in robot design and qualified for the State First Lego League tournament with its performance at Marshalltown Community College. The team is coached by Miller Extended Learning Program teacher Ann Jackson and team members include Lilly Duff, Marcus Barker, Marek Jablonski, Maggie Stansberry, Ethan Benscoter, Derek Peng, Isaac B. Lopez, and Jacob Swartz.
The team Siberian Tiger Soldiers, made up from a group of Lenihan Intermediate School students, competed in the event at MCC as well. They were coached by Lenihan Extended Learning Program teacher Vanessa Engel and parent Connor Reynolds. Team members included Josh Reynolds, Adrian Juarez, Braden Stewart, Jay Helton and Jason Montes.
A parent-led team made up of Miller and Lenihan students competed in the competition in Council Bluffs and qualified for state. That team, known as Medieval Gamer Puppies, was coached by Amanda and Travis Bloomquist and featured team members Quinton Lacey (Miller), Kaiden McWilliams (Lenihan), Taylor Vaughn (Lenihan) and Locke Bloomquist (Lenihan).
FIRST Lego League is a competition in which students research a real-world problem, this year animal and human interaction, and are challenged to develop a solution. They also must design, build and program a robot to compete on a tabletop playing field.
Along their journey, they develop critical thinking and team-building skills, basic STEM applications, and even presentation skills.
The team from Lenihan Intermediate School included, from left, Josh Reynolds, Adrian Juarez, Braden Stewart, Jay Helton and Jason Montes. Back row are coaches Vanessa Engel and Connor Reynolds.
This parent-led team competed in the Lego League in Council Bluffs and qualified for state. Pictured in front row, from left, Taylor Vaughn and Kaiden McWilliams. Back row, Coach Amanda Bloomquist, Quinton Lacey, Locke Bloomquist and coach Travis Bloomquist.
