Army veteran Edward Brady shows third graders a variety of his Army uniforms during the district-wide Veterans Day activities, November 14 at Byron-Bergen Elementary School.Students and staff at Byron-Bergen Central School District spent November 14 honoring the men and women who have served the United States during its Veterans Day district wide activities.
During the day, veterans visited classes at both the Jr./Sr. High School and the Elementary School to talk to students about their service years.
Army Veteran Edward Brady, also a retired Byron-Bergen Senior High School technology teacher, discussed his service years with third graders at the Elementary School. Brady told students how the Army has impacted his life.
Elementary School Principal Brian Meister said that many students, staff and community members are or have veterans in their families.
“We would like to show our appreciation for these men and women by learning about them and offering thanks,” he said.
Meister said the district recognizes the enormous sacrifice our nation’s veterans have made to ensure our freedom.
FIRST® Tech Challenge kicks off year with science, technology
Tenth-graders Matt Hilbert (left) and Nick Kelly (right) showed off their FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) robot at the New York State School Board Association (NYSSBA) conference, recently in Rochester. Here the students explained FTC to Forestville Central School District Board President Sylvester Cleary (center).Byron-Bergen Jr./Sr. High School’s newly formed FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®) club, a high school robotics competition, is preparing for competition at the end of November.
Committed to promoting science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) educational opportunities, Byron-Bergen started its FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Tech Challenge club, part of US First®, last year as an opportunity for students to design, build and program a robot – based on engineering principles – for competition using a sports model, according to Technology Teacher and Club Advisor Richard Walker.
Byron-Bergen has 10 students, in grades 9-12, participating in the club this year.
Awards are given for the competition and for community outreach, design, and other real-world accomplishments.
“As a team, we travel to Clarkson University to compete against 23 other teams from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania,” said Walker.
To align with its community in partnership, Liberty Pumps supports Byron-Bergen’s club financially and by allowing one of the company’s engineers to work with the team as a mentor.
“Last year was the first year our club competed, taking fifth place,” said Byron-Bergen Jr./Sr. High School Principal Aaron Johnson. “Our club is an example of our school-community partnership in action, which affords our students an enrichment opportunity in STEM.”
In preparing for the club’s upcoming competition on November 30 at Clarkson University, two students from Byron-Bergen’s club showed of their FTC® robot at the New York Sate School Board Association (NYSSBA) conference, recently in Rochester.
Tenth-grader Nick Kelly said his favorite part of being a part of the club is building the robot, while tenth-grader Matt Hilbert said he enjoys programming.
