Seaside Takes 2nd in Robotics at Auburn!

**supermom262** · 12-09-2007, 11:14 AM

Seaside Neighborhood School just got back late last night from competing yesterday in the B.E.S.T. (Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology) competition at Auburn.

The students had to plan, design and build a robot, then compete against other middle and high schools throughout Florida, then the top 3 winning schools got to go to the South's BEST competition, where students from 49 other schools, east of the Mississippi participated. After taking 3rd place in Pensacola, Seaside advanced to the nationals in Auburn. They were judged on categories which included: a notebook presentation - a journal of the planning and development, a website, a display booth, an oral presentation, sportsmanship and spirit, a video, music, marketing and fund raising and many robot categories.

It was an amazing experience with almost 90% of the students there yesterday! Every student at Seaside participated in some category.

There were a lot of individual awards given:
Seaside took 1st place in Spirit and Sportsmanship,
1st in the Most Robust (sturdiest and least repairs needed) and

2nd overall in the whole competition! Most of the schools we competed against were High Schools! The trophy is HUGE!
2nd out of 50 schools!!

My daughter got to attend a special luncheon with Dr. Nancy Currie, the astronaut who flew the space shuttle 4 times! She was the guest speaker for the competition!

If you see a Seaside student, please tell them good job. It took team work from all of them to win this award!

**Teresa** · 12-09-2007, 11:46 AM

this is an awesome achievement for the students of Seaside School. congratulations! I'm so proud to hear it. My 5 year old would have just loved it!!!! I hope he gets such a chance to participate in similar projects when he's in middle school!!!!!

thanks for sharing this incredible experience supermom!

**30A Skunkape** · 12-09-2007, 12:00 PM

That is a great project, hurray for Seaside!

**Hop** · 12-09-2007, 06:30 PM

BRAVO!!!

**supermom262** · 12-09-2007, 06:53 PM

The students couldn't have won without the many wonderful, giving parents (our own SGB provided many hours working with students - yay!) and community members who donated their time and energy to mentor and provide assistance for the different groups. To the generous sponsors too: We couldn't have done it without you!

A promo for next year's competition was shown featuring planes. I believe the championships will be held in Kansas. Anyone up for building a plane with the Seaside kids? How about FFF?

**SGB** · 12-10-2007, 08:13 PM

It was an exhausting but very exciting weekend. The teamwork was amazing and I am so proud of the students, mentors, staff and sponsors! Can you imagine being the driver of the remote control robot trying to pick up and deliver payload faster than the next guy and in front of a huge crowd? I've attached a couple of the photos. We were the largest group there. Look for the red shirts and santa hats. Supermom spent the day dancing to the great music. It was an awesome program and we hope that other schools from the area can participate next year.

**florida girl** · 12-10-2007, 08:27 PM

Awesome!

**supermom262** · 12-11-2007, 08:57 AM

Originally Posted by SGB

It was an exhausting but very exciting weekend. The teamwork was amazing and I am so proud of the students, mentors, staff and sponsors! Can you imagine being the driver of the remote control robot trying to pick up and deliver payload faster than the next guy and in front of a huge crowd? I've attached a couple of the photos. We were the largest group there. Look for the red shirts and santa hats. Supermom spent the day dancing to the great music. It was an awesome program and we hope that other schools from the area can participate next year.

SGB, you forgot the part about yelling until my voice was gone and clapping until my broken elbow needed to go back into the sling! j/k
Actually, it was a lot of fun chaperoning. We have a great group of kids!

Great pictures! Nailbiting is what I would call the robot driving during the competition. You had 3 minutes to drive your robot up a ramp, turn and head toward the bottles and blocks that were packed into a tightly grouped collection and use your claw (or whatever they had designed to pick up the payload with) at the same time 3 other robot drivers were. After depositing as many of the bottles and blocks as you could get, you then had to manuever with the added weight and drive back down the ramp and around to your holding area. Each of the bottles and blocks had a value but only counted if they were deposited into the holding area before the 3 minutes were up! Other robots could block access to your holding area by wrecking, getting stuck, or defending.

Very exciting. The drivers were not able to see the entire area, so each team had a spotter, who used hand signals to help the driver negotiate the race. Our drivers and spotters all scored and did an amazing job under intense pressure!

This is a picture from the Pensacola competition showing the race course! Sorry, I don't have pictures from Auburn!

**kathydwells** · 12-11-2007, 09:07 AM

AWESOME job everyone!!!!!!!!

**supermom262** · 12-11-2007, 01:24 PM

I have to share this email sent to our Principal today:

Cathy Brubaker
Principal, Seaside Neighborhood School

Congratulations 2nd place BEST Award
1st year competitor

I am a Mentor with the Robotics team from Priceville, AL and we were fortunate enough to be seated in the section next to your group which attended the South's Best Robotics Competition in Auburn. I would like to take this time to tell you just what an inspiration it was to watch these children with their enthusiasm and participation. I believe this is exactly what BEST is looking to achieve with these competitions. It brings a bubble of joy when I think back on the day of events and the true joy and happiness those children expressed that day. People question, where is our nation headed and who will lead our country. I can rest a little more comfortably knowing that we have leaders like these in the making. Seaside, keep up the good work and I truly hope that we can spend the day together again next year.

Kevin Worley
Office Manager

American Business Center - Priceville