The final competitive VEX IQ Robotics Finals for Laois this academic year unfolded on Wednesday, May 21st, filled with the sounds of cheering teams, competing robots, and exciting award presentations. Fourteen teams from Laois primary schools gathered at Holy Family Senior School in Portlaoise, eager to claim official VEX IQ trophies and wrap up the STEM Robotics season with a flourish.
This year, we decided to give our 3rd and 4th class team a chance to shine at this event, following an impressive showing from our 5th and 6th class team throughout the year. Each younger student was paired with a mentor from the older team, allowing them to learn the ropes of the game and get acquainted with robot controls. The entire class contributed ideas to refine our robot since the All-Irelands, leading to significant enhancements, including "self-correcting automation" and improved shooting coding for increased accuracy. These upgrades truly proved their worth on the day!
To our utter delight, the 3rd and 4th class team brought home BOTH major awards! We won the Teamwork Challenge with Rosenalis NS, which was a phenomenal achievement. Additionally, we secured the Coding & Skills Challenge Award too! In fact, it was noted during the awards ceremony that our score of 98 would have topped the All-Irelands in that category!
All in all, we're thrilled with how our team performed, representing the school with pride. A massive shout-out to the 5th and 6th class students who dedicated their time to mentoring the younger team, making this an unforgettable conclusion to our first year in VEX Robotics!
