Tehachapi News

Tompkins robotics team powers off after 'amazing' first run

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Tompkins Elementary school student Jimmy Timperio really liked Legos. But he wanted more.

“I wanted to see how I could make them move,” he said.

Naturally, Jimmy was one of several Tompkins students who were members of the school's first robotics team this past fall.

Though the team's first run lasted only three months, the fact the school was able to have a team was its own reward for special education teacher Amandina Andrade.

For three years, Andrade tried to start a robotics team at Tompkins, but the possibility was never fully realized until a helpful push from the Tehachapi High School robotics team, which sponsored the elementary school squad as part of an outreach program.

“They were a big influence,” Andrade said.

When Andrade found out that a Tompkins robotics team would become a reality, she distributed fliers to fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms seeking club members.

Interested students submitted short paragraphs outlining why they wanted to be a member.

“And then we took it from there,” Andrade said.

The team started with a selection of nine members, though it finished with six - four fourth-grade boys and two fifth-grade girls.

Team members met three times a week, from 3:15 p.m. until roughly 5:15 p.m. - sometimes.

There were instances when team members stayed as late as 7:30 working on projects.

Andrade's son, Frank, a member of the Tehachapi High School robotics team, was brought in to help coach the Tompkins team.

“Thanks to him, we are doing it,” Andrade said. “The best part is seeing my son develop as a coach.”

The team competed in a tournament in Manhattan Beach on Saturday, Dec. 5. The tournament was a qualifying event for the regional championship in Los Angeles.

Tompkins was not favored to win at the Manhattan Beach tournament, but Andrade said scooping up titles wasn't the featured goal for the team's first year.

“It's more than winning a trophy,” she said. “They are learning to work together as a team.”

For every competition, every entry had to be constructed using Lego-brand pieces. The use of any other pieces - including Lego-look-alike Mega Blocks - would have resulted in point deductions.

Fourth-grader Gabriel Martin said he already had “two big plastic bags” filled with “maybe 148” Lego pieces at home before joining the robotics team.

Beyond playing with Legos, Gabriel said being around his teammates has been just as fun.

“Every week, you get to know your teammates a little bit better,” he said.

During competition, teams are required to complete as many tasks as possible in just two minutes and 30 seconds. Students must use a laptop to program directions into the vehicle's computerized motor before the competition. Tasks include snagging items and bringing them back to the start and maneuvering around a 93-inch-by-45-inch field without knocking any obstacles over.

Competitions are run by FIRST, which stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.”

It is a non-profit organization intended to aid students in discovering and developing passions for science, math, engineering and technology.

At the High Desert Lego Tournament at Lancaster High School on Nov. 14, an eighth-grade-level robotics club that donned matching lab coats wowed the Tompkins team.

Andrade said her team performed well despite lacking the experience, and advanced wardrobe, other teams displayed.

Though the team is made up of fourth and fifth graders, the Signets routinely competed against teams with members as far along as eighth grade.

“Our competition is made up mainly of middle-school kids,” Andrade said.

Students learn about fractions and angles when programming - and re-programming -tasks for the robot to complete, Andrade said. Being mere decimal points off can be the difference between a successful mission and a multitude of penalties.

But it can be fun, for sure.

Team member Jason Champlin said being a Tompkins robotics team member has been “amazing.”

In fact, Jason, 9, said he was dreaming big when it came to using his robotics prowess.

“I want to build stuff to help me do chores around the house,” he said. “I'm just not sure I have enough Legos yet.”