Mixing it with the best

St Martins Lutheran College recently matched it with larger metropolitan schools in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) after seven talented students from Years 9 and 10 represented the college as the ‘Cyber Saints’ at the VEX V5 Robotics Competition, held at St Peters College in Adelaide.

The competition featured the VEX ‘High Stakes’ challenge, where teams programmed their robots to collect coloured rings, transport them across the arena, and strategically place them on stakes positioned throughout the field.

Teams also had to defend their collected rings while attempting to disrupt their opponents. The 12-foot by 12-foot arena held 48 rings—24 red and 24 blue—with nine stakes as the targets. Each round lasted just two minutes, making quick thinking and precision key to success.

After battling through an elimination bracket, the Cyber Saints reached the final, showcasing their impressive skills and teamwork.

In a dramatic finale, they claimed an outstanding second place, finishing behind the host school St Peters College.

VEX Robotics competitions are renowned for inspiring students and developing valuable skills that extend beyond robotics.

These competitions not only strengthen students’ understanding of STEM but also provide opportunities to hone communication, teamwork, and time management—essential skills in today’s world.

This year, more than 11,500 teams from 40 countries will compete in the same ‘High Stakes’ event, making it a truly global platform for young innovators.

Robotics has been a part of the St Martins curriculum since 2019, with students able to choose it as an elective from Year 9.

This opens the door to further study in Stage 1 and 2 Robotics and Electronic Systems. Jason Plunkett, who teaches the subject said it is exciting to see the level of passion students have with this course that requires high levels of student autonomy.