© 2007 whps.org

Smith School

Charged Atoms Family Rises to
2006 Nano Quest Challenge

Smith School’s FIRST LEGO League team, “The Atoms Family,” is a group of fifth graders who worked during recess and weekends to prepare for the 2006 Nano Quest Challenge: to build and program a LEGO NXT robot to complete up to nine missions on a playing field in a two-and-a-half minute period. The missions reflected the potential applications of “nanotechnology” (see below). The robot must start in the lower left-hand box of the playing field, called the base, and return back to the base after each mission is accomplished. Missions involved tasks such as emptying dirt at a certain location and operating a space elevator.

Success in a local Connecticut tournament earned the team a place in the following round of competition in Berlin, where The Atoms Family received a plaque for the single best robot run. At the state competition at Central Connecticut State University the team finished in 6th place out of 50 teams overall and had a great technological and fun learning experience. Way to go, Atoms Family!

Team members Tejas and Murtaza said that it was hard at first to get used to the programming and then having to maneuver the the robot to work the same each time. Alex and Tyler thought that running the robot during actual competition was both exciting and scary. Despite the pressure and demanding work, Atoms Family members are enthusiastic about participating again next year. We look forward to cheering them on!

The Magic Hat, by Pablo
Wolf and Cat, by Cole
Zim Zam Zoom, by Katie

ABC Reptile Research, by Brendan

Pineapple
by Mrs. Cercone's 3rd Grade Poets
Smith School is Cool, by Alex

The Super Bowl and Smith School
by Andrew and Dexter
Travel Soccer, by Abby

Click here for Smith Current submission guidelines.

The Smith Current would like to thank Cynthia Jablonksi for her invaluable assistance.

ELLIS

The Current welcomes letters on matters of interest to the Smith School community. Please click here to send a letter.  Student letters will not be published without permission from a parent or caretaker.

Generally, letters should not exceed 100 words. The Current reserves the right to edit and shorten text. Writers will ordinarily be limited to one published letter every so often.