7th graders Tromp, Towle developed student-teacher communication app
For the Tomahawk Leader
TOMAHAWK – A total of ten Tomahawk Middle School (TMS) students recently took part in a statewide virtual competition, with one team winning at the State level for their grade.
The students competed in eCybermission.
Coach Laurie Tracie explained that eCybermission is a virtual science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) competition for students in grades 6 through 9.
“Students are challenged to explore how STEM works in their world while working as a team to solve problems in their community,” Tracie stated. “This year, we had a strong representation with four middle school teams that started their mission in October.”
Tracie said each team picked a problem they saw within their community and researched solutions that could help solve the problem. Some teams put together a prototype, while others worked through experiments that allowed them to learn more.
At the 6th grade level, Team Hat Trick, made up of Vallyn Ott, Kaeden Bethel and Maxwell Childers, looked into ways to clean up highway pollution, while Landyn Schultz and Hunter Moore of Team Ooga Booga compared batteries to determine which were most effective for electric cars.
Marleigh Sineni, Sophie Roerts and Brock Fischer, representing the 8th grade as Team Debatable, researched PFAFS contamination levels within the community’s water system.
Team Best and Brightest, made up of Autumn Tromp and Victoria Towle, won at the State level for 7th grade with their student-teacher communication system app.
“To put it into perspective what an accomplishment it is to win State, there were over 1,735 mission folders submitted this year, with over 5,400 students participating,” Tracie said.
An app is a more modern form of communication that only requires a few clicks, Tracie noted.
“Autumn and Victoria understand how difficult it can be for students to reach out to teachers for help or guidance,” she stated. “Many people struggle with person-to-person communication and mental health issues. This app allows students to reach out to teachers for help without the initial face-to-face. When teachers have this information, they can set up a quiet one-to-one meeting without other students around, or teachers can give ideas of what the next steps could be for students.”
Tracie added that the app “provides a safe place to start the dialogue.”
In winning the competition, Tromp and Towle each received a $500.00 savings bond.
“Way to go Hatchets!” Tracie said.
