Red Bay places in robotics competition

This is the first year for Red Bay Elementary School to have a robotics program, and according to assistant principal Leigh Burks it is going well. In all, 25 students make up the school’s four teams, one of which recently won the competition hosted by Tharptown Elementary School.

“They all did so well, and I’m really proud of them,” Burks said.

Second-, third-, fifth- and sixth-grade teams participated in the competition, and the sixth-grade team placed first in the sixth- through eighth-grade division. Winning team members were Jorge Gongaliez, Mitchell Kennedy, Matthew Brown, Riley Davila and Darby Blansett.

After the competition, Burks said students discussed what they had learned and how they can improve before the next one.

“They showed good team work and problem-solving skills. Even the teams that lost were so excited for the sixth-graders,” she said.

In January, the fifth- and sixth-graders will be participating in a competition that will use the VEX robots. They already have one VEX robot and will be getting another one soon.

“There has been more interest in the program, but you can only take so many to competition,” Burks said.

She said she is hopeful Red Bay will be able to grow the program in the coming years.