Monrad Te Kura Waenga o Tirohanga's VEX robotics team (Thermonuclear Falcons) only had a few weeks to prepare for a competition that other teams had been preparing all year for. However, this didn't stop them from making their presence felt and receiving one of the most prestigious awards. We are now waiting to hear whether we receive an invitation to attend the World Championships in Texas, USA next year.

On Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 December, eight of our students traveled to Lower Hutt to compete in the VEX IQ National Robotics Championships. Only three weeks earlier, we were selected by KiwiBOTS and sponsors Power Co as one of only two schools in the country to receive fully sponsored VEX robotics kits. We were invited to attend the national tournament and were excited to take up the opportunity. With so little time to prepare, the focus was on creating a robot that was able to score consistently, without worrying about the more difficult aspects of the challenge such as programming and skills challenges. However, as the team progressed through the tournament their confidence grew and they started to receive excellent scores. This encouraged them to take bigger risks and they even competed in the programming challenge and finished in 3rd place! 

There are four major awards presented at the national tournament and we were one of only three teams who received one. The 'Judges Award' is presented to the team who demonstrates consistency and overall excellence. Our Thermonuclear Falcons were recipients of this award which is a remarkable achievement, particularly when consideration is given to the fact that they only had three weeks to prepare for an event that other teams had been preparing for all year. The team finished in the top ten for all categories of the competition and their consistency and professionalism was rewarded. Congratulations to Sam, Aidan, Emir, Billy, Maddie, Emilee, Hollie, and Izzy, you have done yourselves and your school proud.