YWIES

On the morning of 26th March 2024, at 7.00am, 21 excited students, 2 apprehensive teachers and 3 revved up robots, set off from YWIES Lingang bound for Tongxiang and the 2nd VEX Robotics Competition and Science Fair. After a long drive we arrived ready and raring to go. Putting our bags into the Tongxiang Residence-hall we were introduced to the student representatives tasked with helping us Kevin and Randy. They took us on a tour of the school and we were all amazed and fascinated at the facilities that are there. 

We were then able to go to the VEX training grounds and begin practicing with our robots for the qualifying round. Our students had been split into two teams – G7-8 were VEX V5 robots while G4-6 were VEX IQ robots. The goal of VEX V5 is to work together with your team mates to score as many points as you can in 2 minutes while the goal of IQ is to work collaboratively with your partner and points are awarded based on cooperation and teamwork. After some input and lessons from the coaches for both levels, students were able to freely practice and hone their skills ready for the qualifying rounds that would come in the afternoon. After lunch, which all students enjoyed, we changed into our house t-shirts ready for the inter-house science competition involving all schools present at the event. 

Students were given coloured bats and were tasked with working collaboratively with other house members from other schools to answer science questions of varying difficulties. 

After the science competition, the qualification matches began. 

V5 - Our students tried their best to put into practice all the knowledge that had been learned in the morning and at one point were leading the whole competition! In the end they arrived at a very respectable 3rd position behind the experienced Tongxiang Teams. 

IQ - Our younger IQ teams were an inspiration to us all in how they worked together to achieve a common goal. They all tried their best and in the end showed everyone and themselves how working collaboratively is a skill that we must all share and work on in our daily lives. 

Once the competitions finished we had some free time, so naturally we all blew off some steam in the play area and playing some sports. The students enjoyed pushing Mr O'D on the swing as high as they could. After the sports activities and dinner, it was time for some more practice and honing team tactics ready for the Final Round of competitions on the following day.

27th March 2024, After a great night's sleep, we woke up ready and willing to give it our best for the competition that day. 

The first point of call, after another amazing breakfast, was the Science Show with Dr. Chris Hurley. He led the students through a magical journey of exploration, from Chemical changes to physical changes and culminating in a spectacular display of what happens when boiling water meets liquid nitrogen. Watching the students while Dr. Chris stunned the audience with his experiments, I could see the potential sparks of interest being ignited and by the end of the show, all the students were asking Dr Hurley for more experiments. 

After choosing our alliance in the VEX tournament for the final round of matches, we were treated to another amazing show, this time by the acrobatic FPV drone team that reminded a lot of students of the Golden snitches from Harry Potter, and the amazing drone model of the C919 airliner. After lunch, it was back into the Sports center for the Finals of the Robotics Competition and Science Fair. 

V5 – Facing a very difficult challenge, our students tried their very best. The determination and grit of our students to complete the final rounds even as troubles came to their robots was an inspiration to watch. In the end the students came a very respectable 4th place overall. With no prior knowledge or training on the robots before this event, the students fought their way through and demonstrated courage and teamwork. In their eyes the students should all be proud of what they have achieved and this result, leaves room for improvement and refinement. I think the students can reflect on their own performance and be proud of how they represented not just YWIES LG, but also how they represented themselves and their peers. I was privileged to have the chance to spend the two days, seeing them grow and interact as a team and look forward to taking them back next year for another chance at the YWIES V5 Title!

IQ – Our teams once again showed tenacity and courage in facing the other more experienced schools. They all demonstrated the true meaning of teamwork and what it means to learn from each other. In a big surprise, it was seen that through their consideration for each other and how they worked together, the judges of the VEX IQ competition, awarded our school team 3rd Prize overall. For the first time ever taking part in the competition, they should be extremely proud of their achievements. 

As with V5 I am looking forward to taking the team back to TongXiang next year to demonstrate to all schools, the strength in teamwork that I witnessed over the two days. We would like to take the opportunity to thank all the students for being such excellent role-models for the school but more importantly, taking the risks and trying new things.

We could both see the growth that you all experienced over the two days and we were both very lucky to share that with you all. We sincerely hope that you all return next year and put your newly learned skills to a new round of competition and more importantly, collaboration. Thank you all for joining us and see you next year!