At Zebra Robotics, we are proud of all of our robotics teams, but we are especially delighted when a team first reaps the rewards of their collaboration and determination. Milton Christian School (MCS)’s Republic of MCS is just such a team.
Republic of MCS is advancing to provincial competition in First Lego League (FLL) after their first-ever win at regional competition on December 9, 2023. Provincials will be held at Durham College in Oshawa, ON on January 20, 2024.
“I knew the students and coaches were working hard these past few months,” said MCS Principal Howie Martin. “It was nice to see their hard work pay off.”
Throughout their preparation, the team worked most on collective problem-solving skills. Teamwork is an essential element of doing well at FLL competitions, and Republic of MCS honed those skills over months of work.
“The chief strength of our FLL team lies in our collaborative and innovative approach to robotics challenges,” said Coach Tahmoor. “Since the MCS team has members from grades 6 to grade 8, each member brings a unique perspective and set of skills to the table.”
Initially, each grade had its own approach to solving the problem, but it was only after the team worked together and refined a solution that they could beat the competition and win the Robot Design Award for a robot that is “mechanically sound, durable, efficient and highly capable.”
“I definitely think that this win will have an incredible impact on STEM education at our school,” said Catherine Magat, MCS teacher and coach. “I also hope that we would see STEM education be a positive influence on the students, particularly in encouraging them to explore STEM fields.” Principal Martin agrees that he hopes more students will participate in robotics next year and beyond.
The team is proud of the win and eager to get to work for provincials. The wider MCS community is rallying behind the team as well. According to Magat, “The school has been so supportive of the team and are proud of what they have accomplished.”
Republic of MCS is now practicing the various challenges to perfect their robot and increase their score to hopefully do well enough at provincials to qualify for nationals.
In addition to advancing to provincials and winning the Robot Design Award, the team celebrates Coach Tahmoor, from Zebra Robotics, who won a Coach Award for his mentorship and leadership for the MCS team.
Zebra has been partnering with Milton Christian School (MCS) for three years, offering robotics curriculum in the school and coaching a robotics team. Zebra Robotics offers courses in its many locations throughout the GTA, in addition to partnering with specific schools. Zebra also sponsors the STRIPE Competition to help students test and develop their STEM and collaboration skills.
