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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, June 2, 2010 · 14 E. J. James finishes second at Ontario Lego Robotics competition By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Lego is good for building ships, both for water and space, as well as houses, vehicles and anything else a child's imagination can create. A group of local students actually used the building blocks to construct a championship robot. The E. J. James Public School Grade 6 Lego Robotics Team finished in second place at the Ontario Skills Competition on May 17 in Waterloo. They competed in a field of a dozen teams of students in Grades 4-6 that used the construction toys to build robots that could shoot pucks, push curling rocks and climb hills. As E. J. James is a middle school, Grade 6 is its youngest group of students, so it has no Grades 4 and 5s on its team. "We're extremely excited," said Marcy Barlas, teacher and team advisor. "In all of the SUPPLIED PHOTO PROUD TEAM: E.J. James Lego Robotics team members are (l-r) Jakob Newton, Justin Swinoga, Jamie Sinn and Lena Bosnjakovic years we've been running the Lego at E. J., we've only been to the provincials once before and we didn't place. The kids worked so well together and it was such a good team and we're really proud of them." This year's theme for the competition was the winter Olympics, which is why the robots had to simulate winter games activities. The team consists of Jakob Newton, Justin Swinoga, Jamie Sinn and Lena Bosnjakovic. To build the robot, the team received a Lego kit of blocks and a central processing unit. The students had to program the CPU themselves to perform the tasks required for the competition and construct the robot. "This is pretty much the basis of engineering really," Barlas said. The school has been running the robotics program for about eight years. Past members of the team come to the school to mentor the new students. Also, the students come with prior knowledge of building robots that they learned in places such as clubs and camps. "The program is really an excellent extension of science and technology learning," said Barlas, who, up until this year, taught science at the school. "It's hands on and it leads to future careers in science and technology." To reach the provincial competition, the team competed against other schools in Halton Region and won the regional championship. I'm definitely training for a career with a future. Pre-apprenticeship skilled trades training will get you job-ready­fast! Learn more at a free information session. Check the website for dates: www.thecentre.on.ca To register: 905-333-3499 ext. 121 or 1-888-315-5521 ext. 121 trades@thecentre.on.ca HWY. #6 N W S E WATERDOWN Visit Our SHOWROOM · Quality Craftsmanship · Innovative Designs · Professional Service & Installation · 10 Year Warranty TH D HWY. #5 HALLMARK KITCHENS 23 INNOVATION DRIVE (Clappisons Corners) WATERDOWN SOU 905-689-7877 www.hallmarkkitchens.ca R.