By Michele Cyr

Jacob Tenkert and six team-mates of the Voltage Variables placed a high in the Lego League robot building competition this December. A reprise demonstration will take place February 15 at Bothelle school.

With the addition of First Lego League added to the roster of after school programs sponsored by the Botelle PTO, this December, Norfolk students made state champions in the FIRST Lego

League 2007 Power Puzzle Challenge in New Britain, CT.
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a robotics program for kids ages 6 thru high-school. Every year children from all around the world are challenged to design and build a robot out of, you guessed it, Legos. Guided by adult mentors, the team must use its imagination to solve pre-defined missions.
The 2007 challenge was entitled Power Puzzle. It pertained to meeting the global demand for energy. The Robot Game portion required the students to design, write and test programs on a robot. One of the programs had the robot move a wave turbine into the ocean section of the game board. The Project portion required the students to research and analyze energy choices and to do an energy audit on a building.
Coaches Michele Cyr and sixth grade teacher, Kim Penfield, assembled the team of seven students. This December the Botelle team, the Voltage Variables, participated for the first time in a qualifying competition. The team did very well and went on to the State Championship Tournament that took place a week later at Central Connecticut State University.
The Voltage Variables will demonstrate their robot completing missions February 15, 10 a.m. at the Botelle School. The public is invited to attend.