Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Students Matt Niemi and Michah Blake demonstrate the different functions for the class robot to the school board members Monday. The Robotics Team will be participating in Robotic competition in March.
JAN TUCKER
Ontonagon - Members of the Ontonagon Area Board of Education, Monday, saw a hands on demonstration from some of the robotics team members who will be competing with other area school districts in Escanaba and Sault Ste Marie in March.
Instructor Glen Beck explained to the board the steps taken in forming a robotics program and the assistance from other schools, particularly Calumet, in getting the program started. The program is part of the STEM local and global initiative to interest students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).
Team members, Michah Blake and Matt Niemi, demonstrated the working robot and Beck showed a film of the problem to be solved in the competition and the action the robot must do. Each of the tasks received a number of points and the team with the most points wins.
Robotics competition is not just local, Beck said, but there are also state, national and world competitions. Blake and Niemi demonstrated for the board how the robot is moved around the room performing certain actions, and set it on a table for board members to examine closely.
Beck noted that Michigan Tech offers scholarships for kids involved in the program. Students in grades 9 through 12 are eligible for the program, but Beck said his team of seven are tenth and eleventh graders. In addition to Blake and Niemi, the team consists of Abby Ollila, Ariel Voldarski, Richard Olsazewski, Raven Yaklyvich and Bradley Myhren.
Instructor Tim Nelson updated the board on the trip of 21 Ontonagon students to the Presidential inauguration Monday. He presented pictures of the many monuments the students toured. Students raised the funds to participate, costing $800 per student. He said the guide was "fantastic and the trip very valuable to the students." Each student was surveyed for their opinion of different phases of the trip such as transportation, chaperones, tour guides, hotel and meals. With five the highest points, the overall experience was rated 4.94 by the class. One student commented, "If the school gets the opportunity again in four years, I recommend to go again."
In the business portion of the meeting, the board:
-Authorized hiring Charles Zielinski and Brian Amos as instructors for the drivers' education program for the summer. The cost to each in-district student will be $350 for Segment I and $50 for Segment II. The rate for out of district students will be $425 and $50.
- Heard that the Ontonagon Area School will host a job fair on Friday March 24. Employers from the central and western Upper Peninsula will be present. The fair will first open for juniors and seniors from the GOISD from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and then to the general public from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
In other action, the board:
-Hired Colton Heikkinen to clean the gym floor at a rate of $5 per hour effective January 23 to be reimbursed by the Booster Club.
-Approved an additional hour of time for Karen Allen, Parapro A, Special Education Aide.
-Set March 6 for a special meeting for superintendent evaluation.
-And will hold kindergarten Roundup March 30 and an additional day March 29 if there are more numbers. Parents should call the school to schedule appointments. Children must be 5 years old by September 1.
