Eagles at LifePlus High School VEX Robotics

One of the most exciting aspects of our school is introducing our students to new subjects, witnessing their growth in fascination and skill, and ultimately seeing them thrive in them. Last week at the LifePlus High School VEX Robotics Competition in Yantai, 30 of our students, making up six teams, showed how much they’ve progressed since first studying robotics in Middle School. “These teams represent our vision of creating a strong robotics pathway from Middle School to High School, providing students with opportunities to develop their skills, teamwork, and passion for STEM,” says our Robotics Teacher, Mrs. Betty Mesfin.

Amazing our school, each of our teams went far in the competition, received excellent marks, and achieved high objectives. Our 82C team received the Sportsmanship Award. Making it to the finals, our 82T team received a Tournament Finalist Award and the Amaze Award. Our 82B team won the title of Tournament Champions with their partner team from Yantai Huasheng International School (YHIS), 81083B. Our 82B team also achieved second place in the skills challenge.

We are so proud of our students for their diligence and determination in understanding the engineering, coding, and methods behind the vast field of robotics. “Our students achieved these results through long-term preparation and strong teamwork,” says Mrs. Mesfin. “They dedicated countless hours after school, during class time, on weekends, and in extended sessions to refine their robots, practice coding, complete CAD designs, and document their Engineering Notebooks.” All this time and teamwork prepared students for challenges and helped them better adapt to unexpected obstacles that inevitably arose during the competition.

Now, three of our High School Robotics teams and one of our Middle School Robotics teams look ahead to next week’s National VEX Robotics Competition in Shanghai. Teams from international schools across China will compete. Mrs. Mesfin explains this is also an incredible opportunity for our students to ‘learn from top-performing teams,’ and build connections with others. “We are incredibly proud of all participants and look forward to their continued success in the upcoming National Competition in Shanghai,” she says.

As our students eagerly prepare, she encourages them to stay passionate and committed. “Every effort you make now strengthens your skills for future competitions.” For those students who are interested in beginning and exploring robotics, she advises to start early. “Starting early helps you develop a strong foundation and keeps your interest alive as you move through High School and beyond.”

Well done and congratulations to all our robotics students! We are in awe of how far you’ve progressed and confident in how far you’ll still go. Thank you, Mrs. Mesfin, for always supporting our students. Thank you as well, Mr. Marcus Pentzek, who actively guides our students, and thank you to our chaperones, Mr. Jacob Way, Ms. Kitty Rong, Mr. Benjamin Luo, and Ms. Amanda Zhou. Go Eagles!

Check out the rest of the photos from the LifePlus High School VEX Robotics Competition here!