KCSS robotics team wins award at competition

March 23, 2016 · 0 Comments

Students from King City Secondary School’s (KCSS) Robotics Team 6046 competed in their first event at the FIRST Robotics Canada (FRC) Competition, held at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Oshawa. The three-day event was attended by schools from across the Greater Toronto East Area.
This was the first event attended by KCSS Team 6046 and although the competition was fierce, the students remained enthusiastic and committed throughout the entire competition. They were ecstatic when they received the 2016 FIRST Rookie Inspiration Award! This award is presented to the team exhibiting “… outstanding success in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering and engineers, both within their school, as well as in their community.”
Their robot, nicknamed “Hacksaw” because the majority of the metal used to build it was cut by hand using a hacksaw, incurred some damage during several matches but with the ingenuity, quick thinking, repairs and adjustments made by the students, still managed to remain intact by the end of the event.
Over the next three weeks, students will work every day after school and well into the evening, on modifications to 30 pounds of their robot that has remained outside the security sealed bag, in order to compete in the Windsor Essex Great Lakes Regional to be held at the University of Windsor the first week in April.
The students that worked tirelessly in the weeks leading up to and at the event are commended for their dedication, imagination, positive attitude and continuous hard work and excitement that built their robot and earned them this well deserved award. A special thank you to all KCSS teachers/mentors and behind the scenes students that have been involved in this team from its inception last fall. Especially to Mr. JF Michaud, who has been the leader of this program since the beginning and has worked endlessly to develop this team and foster the positive attitude and the continuous strive towards improvement that forms the building blocks of Team 6046.
As well, to Tim Miller, parent and electrical/mechanical mentor who has been a valuable asset to the team’s building workshops, providing valuable knowledge and skills to the students. Team 6046 gratefully acknowledges the assistance they received during the competition from the various FRC teams that continue to exhibit “gracious professionalism,” as well as the contributions of sponsors for their generosity: anonymous donors, Argosy Foundation (FIRST FRC Rookie Grant), BASF Canada Inc. (Toronto), BC Instruments Precision Machining (Schomberg), FIRST Canada, Fountain Esso (King City), GM Canada, Kingbridge Conference Centre & Institute (King City), Showa Corporation (Schomberg) and Kingsdale Animal Hospital (King City).
Team 6046 welcomes anyone interested in sponsorship and/or mentoring. For more information regarding KCSS Team 6046, please contact Lisa Barenthin, parent volunteer at lisakb.88@icloud.com.