Area 30 Robotics Club takes third at recent competition

Friday, December 15, 2017

announced during the Area 30 Governing Board’s recent regular meeting that the Area 30 Robotics Club had taken third place in the robot hockey portion of its second competition this year.

The recent competition was hosted by the Area 30 Career Center, and all participating schools were required to bring canned food items as part of their entry fee. The Putnam County Emergency Food Pantry has consequently received a donation of 240 pounds of canned food.

In its first competition, the club placed second in autonomous maze and third in hockey. In the first, robots must navigate a maze without human intervention. The second is double-elimination hockey game between pairs of robots.

The club members are Jakob Canellas (Cloverdale High School); Robbie Froderman (Greencastle High School); Lainey Willis, Kaleb Warner and Marcus Burdine (North Putnam High School) and Dustin Zeh (Eminence High School).

The club’s next competition will be in April.

Established in 2012, this is the team’s sixth year of competition, and last year the team placed second and third overall in the championship.

In other news:

-- Caterpillar simulators: Director Lora Busch announced that Area 30 has received $100,000 from the Career and Technical Rural Education Grant for the fourth consecutive year.

The funds have been used to purchase Caterpillar excavator and front-end loader simulators, partly in hopes that it’ll encourage female students to participate in the course.

Past funds have also been used for equipment operating and computer science.

-- Claims: The board approved claims at a total of $108,071.35, a decrease from last month of $87,554.14.

-- Blood drive: The Indiana Blood Center collected 39 units of blood during a recent blood drive hosted by the Area 30 Health Career students.

-- Internal control: The board approved the Area 30 Career Center Policy on Internal Control Standards and Procedures.

-- Personnel: The board approved the hire of Alexander Ruble as part-time student maintenance employee.

-- Snow days: Area 30 will not have classes if three or more of the schools are closed for snow.

-- WIRED program: The board approved adding a “B year” to the WIRED program to allow juniors and seniors who participate in the course for one year participants to receive certifications and college credits. The program is usually two years for at least 30 college credits.

The Area 30 Governing Board’s next regular meeting is set for Jan. 9 at 9 a.m. in the Area 30 Career Center at 1 N. Calbert Way, Greencastle.

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