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8th graders take us to Mars!
"Cool!" was the prevailing reaction to the recent demonstration by the eighth grade students of our brand new "STEAM" program. STEAM - science, technology, engineering, art and math - brings together these disciplines and focuses on problem-solving and collaboration.
In Swain's version of STEAM, the students  worked together in small teams to design, build and program Lego robots. Their culminating project was to replicate the Mars Rover landing, which they demonstrated to an appreciative audience last week. Right: Steven (center) shows his team's robot to
Mrs. Franzyshen (left) and first grader Jayce (who got comfortable and watched Steven for quite awhile).
 Each group could design their own robot, and each chose to have their robot do different things.
The team of Mary, Sarah, and Gabby T. designed theirs to 'sweep' rocks, similar to how a "Roomba" vacuum cleaner robot works. (Mary and Gabby on the right - Mary in short sleeves and Gabby in long sleeves)
Another team that included Sophia (left) and  Gabby K built and programmed a robot that had a team of 'chariots' out front, that pulled the robot along the terrain.
According to teachers Debbie Lindsay, Ellen Gerkens and Julie Kibelbek, part of the challenge of the program was to get the robots to do the same thing each time. "The slightest thing - like even hitting a tiny piece of gravel on the floor - can throw off the programming," said Ms. Kibelbek. "The students had to constantly re-adjust their programming to make the robots travel as they wanted them to. There was a lot of back-and-forth discussion in the teams."
 Hannah (far left) and Marcy (near right) - along with Rachael - designed a robot that functioned as a front end loader. It picked up a 'rock' and place it in the shed.
Click here for a short video clip of their robot in action.
Click any of the photos to take you to the gallery of pictures from this event.
Many thanks to the Swain Association for supporting this new program!
Alumni News
After graduating from Swain (as a 'lifer') in 2010, Sarah Yacoub moved to Abu Dhabi with her family.
 Sarah joined a group of volunteers from her school to go to Kenya to help the charity organization "Habitat for Humanity" build houses for very poor women.
Sarah says it was an amazing, life changing experience!
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