The Retirees School Volunteer Association presented a $1,000 check to the Walsh Robotics Club to defray costs to compete in World Robotics Competition
The Retirees School Volunteer Association presented a $1,000 check to the Walsh Middle School Robotics Club last week, to help defray the WalshBots cost of attending the VEX Robotics World Championships in Kentucky.
The Retirees School Volunteer Association (RSVA) is a nonprofit organization of retired Raytheon engineers and technical staff who assist and enhance the education of K-12 students in New England public schools. The organization has been sponsoring STEM-related activities at all three middle schools and the high school in Framingham.
Gerry Brody and Mel Weinzimer from the Retirees School Volunteer Association presented the check last week.
Since the beginning of the Walsh Robotics Club, Rich Serwetman, a RSVA member, has been volunteering his time as mentor to the students. Serwetman attends club meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays, giving feedback to the students robotics designs. He also attends virtually all competitions helping keep a smooth flow during non-stop hectic activities of keeping five teams on schedule.
The club still has an estimated $2,500 to raise to cover costs of activities for the remainder of the competition year.
For the second year in a row, a team from Walsh Middle School in Framingham will travel to the VEX World Championships. This year’s championships are April 15-18 in Louisville, KY
On March 8, WalshBots 9791C, known as the “C-cret Agentz”, won the Southern New England VEX Middle School Regional Competition, which was held at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester. The team beat out about 40 middle school teams from Massachusetts and Connecticut to earn a spot at the 8th annual event.
WalshBots 9791C, comprising Ryan Memmott, Brendan Qi, and Reid Xu, is one of five teams that Walsh Middle School fielded during this year’s VEX challenge.
All five WalshBot teams made it to the elimination rounds. Among them, they accomplished an impressive state record: two Tournament Champions, five Tournament Finalists, three Design Awards and one Innovation Award.
Three members of Walshbots 9791, “Axle,” Sam Moffet, Liam Neal Reilly, and Nick Tessitore, will join “C-cret Agentz” in Louisville to help scout the competition and form alliances with other teams, build and drive the robot, and program its autonomous mode.
Walsh Middle School science and technology teacher Pascal Chesnais coaches the WalshBots.
“Advancing to Worlds is a major achievement,” Chesnais said. “These kids worked exceptionally hard, they learned to work together as a team, and they learned that engineering is a process, which means they had to be willing to revise the design of their robot to fix problems and achieve goals. Most importantly, they have developed real-world understanding of STEM concepts that they can build upon in future academic studies. More than half of kids who compete in robotics competitions in high school go on to major in STEM subjects in college.”
With more than 800 registered teams in 27 countries, the VEX Robotics Competition is the largest of its kind in the world.
If you are interested in donating to the club, contact the club advisor Pascal Chesnaispchesnais@framingham.k12.ma.us
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Photo courtesy
Pictured: Front row: Nicholas Heineman, Liam Neal Reilly, Ryan Memmott, Maddy Wissler, Sam Moffat, and Rich Serwetman (RSVA Volunteer/mentor)Back row: Pascal Chesnais (advisor), Gerry Brody (RSVA), Brendan Qi, and Mel Weinzimer (RSVA)