Months and months of brain storming, assembling, building, creating, researching, programming, grit, determination and hard work culminated in Scoil Eoin’s attack on the VEX IQ Challenge Final in Cork’s CIT on Friday February 6th. The very first competition of its kind in the world for primary schools, it had been a foray into the unknown from the very start of the undertaking! Armed with the finely tuned robot “Jaws”, and a superbly researched and presented project “Cranes, a Feat of Engineering”, Scoil Eoin sharks set off to #battlewiththebigfish.
A group of 20 pupils and 4 teachers were busy from the outset in the arena. The project was carefully and artfully displayed, together with the photographic evidence of the months of endeavour for the perusal of the judges. Within minutes the competition commenced in earnest with the inspection of “Jaws” the Robot. Thanks to hours of fine tuning and tweaking over the past month, he passed with flying colours!
The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) team were called upon to present their project, which every individual on the team researched, wrote up and learned about. They confidently and knowledgeably presented their project as a whole to the judges, who were more than impressed with the extremely high standard of the work completed on “Cranes, a Feat of Engineering”.
Realising the importance of availing of the practice arena, the drivers seized every opportunity they could to hone their skills.
One of the judging aspects of the competition on the day was Spot Judging. Any official could approach the pit at any stage and ask the boys questions, or query the work completed by the boys. There was a large media element to the day and there have been numerous mentions on Facebook and Twitter, congratulating the Scoil Eoin team!
The Programming Skills Challenge was the next test for “Jaws”, overseen by Omar (Programming), Kyle (Pit Crew) and Milosz (Engineering)
Taking the top score in both rounds Scoil Eoin had won their first award!
Next was the Robotics Skills Challenge, where Keon and Shane controlled the robot with huge skill to gather as many blocks as possible and deposit them in the scoring zone. The boys were absolutely outstanding, effortlessly soaring to the top of the score chart with each round. After four rounds they were completely untouchable!
The Super Drivers, Shane and Keon had claimed Scoil Eoin’s second award!
The boys as a group then calmly and capably fielded a multitude of questions from another set of judges.
It was time to regroup and focus on the main competition of the day, The Teamwork Skills Challenge. The boys had to work with randomly selected teams to score as many points as possible in five matches. Strategy was key and it was vital to finish in the top ten, in order to qualify for the Grand Finale.
Again Shane and Keon were absolutely brilliant. They communicated well with the teams from the other schools and yet again found themselves on top of the leader board.
It was a very nervous, tense and anxious wait as the other eight teams took their turn to clock up points. As the Scoil Eoin Super Pair took their places alongside Scoil Cholcille they had to beat 29 points! And they did! With a last minute surge “Jaws” pushed for the scoring zone and the buzzer went! 33 points!! Champions!!!
Michael and Aaron collected the Teamwork Challenge award with huge pride ..and great big smiles!!!
With baited breath the 19 teams waited for the announcement. The winners of the last award.. Overall Excellence! To scenes of great jubilation Scoil Eoin were declared winners!
It was an outstanding day! What began as an invitation from a collaboration between EMC, the Lifetime Lab and CIT, became a source of huge learning and achievement for the boys …and teachers of Scoil Eoin. Mervyn Horgan in the Lifetime Lab was unfailing in his support of us as schools and the iniative as a whole. The day itself was superbly run, with the many volunteers from EMC and Mervyn’s own team encouraging all of the children. They helped to create a positive and productive atmosphere on the day.
This was a huge team effort in Scoil Eoin. The entire staff were fantastic in support of the boys and teachers. There is a talented, interested group of boys in sixth class, who were represented on the day by the twenty boys who attended. Míle buíochas do na múinteoirí comh maith. Bhíodar thar barr! Congratulations and well done: Aaron, Adam, Alan, Brian, Cian, David, Haris, Isaac, Lee, Keon, Kyle, Micheal, Milosz, Oisin, Omar, Ronan, Shane, Wojciech, Mr.Coughlan, Mr. Lowney, Miss. Reihill and Mr. Sheppard.
