Polk County Public Schools
Lakeland’s Crystal Lake Middle, Lakeland’s Rochelle School of the Arts and Auburndale’s Stambaugh Middle took top honors at the 2009 Polk County LEGO League Robotics Tournament. Approximately 120 students from 15 middle schools competed by designing, building and programming robots using LEGO bricks, motors, gears and software. Middle school teams used robotics in the tourney to understand and create solutions for climate sustainability. Students programmed robots to simulate the burying of carbon dioxide, testing levees or insulating a house.
Rochelle School of the Arts won both the Robot Design Award and Champion’s Award at the event. Crystal Lake Middle won the Robot Performance Award and Stambaugh Middle won the Teamwork Award.
Each school’s 2009 team members are listed below with the school’s LEGO League Robotics advisor listed in parentheses.
Crystal Lake Middle (Mark Schuh): Daniel Arcila, Quentin Cole, Irene Faustino, Nicholas Garcia, Treach Harris, Vidaliel Hernandez, Chelsie Robinson, Quincey Sullivan, Sam Van Duyn.
Rochelle School of the Arts (Michael Schweim): Kiara Abram, Carlos Aleman, Delaney Browning, Megan Killingsworth, Adam Maffett, Maria Probasco, Tessa Register.
Stambaugh Middle (Jane Germany): Kelsey Ashbrook, Branden Beebe, Yesenia Colon, Coral Nolan, Daniel Norrell, Richard Pena.
Students from five Polk schools won medals or recognitions at the 2009 National Leadership Conference of the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America organization (FCCLA) held in Nashville. FCCLA is a national career and technical student organization in family and consumer sciences education.
Student winning medals or recognitions are listed by school with the school’s FCCLA advisor listed in parentheses. Students are listed with medal or recognition and competition category.
George Jenkins High-Lakeland(Merri Elson): Beth Darby, silver medal, applied technology.
Lake Gibson High-Lakeland (Christa Parker): Erin McCarthy, state historian officer.
Lake Gibson Middle-Lakeland (Penny LaFountain): team of Maddison Hall, Sebrina Serrano and Valentina Valenzuela, silver medals, chapter showcase manual; team of Tait Jones, Taylor Jones, silver medals, chapter service project manual; team of Danielle Galipeau, Erica Schaaf, silver medals, applied technology; Wendy Jones, silver medal, life event planning; Jessica Roberts, vice president for junior relations state officer.
Lake Region High-Eagle Lake (Cindy Reynolds): Lauren Reynolds, silver medal, illustrated talk;
Winter Haven High (Patti Winniczuk): team of Catherine Bice, Shannon Addington, gold medal, chapter service project manual.
