Breckenridge Texan

Breckenridge students earn medals at engineering contest

Breckenridge students earn medals at engineering contest
February 02
09:18 2020

Last weekend, five Breckenridge Junior High School students traveled to Fort Worth for the Divisional Contest for Texas Alliance of Minorities in Engineering (TAME). Competing against more than 100 students  from several large urban schools, the Broncos came home with three first place medals, a third place medal, a fifth place ribbon, and two Judges’ Choice Awards.

Participating in the contest were seventh- and eighth-graders Jocelyn Reyes, Lynzi Poindexter, Jackie Rodriguez, Antley Rodgers, and Joshua Robertson-McClanahan

  • First Place 7th Math – Antley Rodgers
  • First Place 7th Science – Josh Robertson-McClanahan
  • ACE Award for 7th (Top Math and Science Combined Score) – Antley Rodgers (Qualifies for State TAME competition)
  • Third Place 8th Math – Lynzi Poindexter
  • Fifth Place 7th Science – Jocelyn Reyes
  • Judges’ Award for Teamwork – Mixed team including Lynzi Poindexter
  • Judges’ Award for Perseverance – Mixed team including Jocelyn Reyes

“I love having students who go above and beyond,” said Dr. Vince Moore, who teaches technology classes at Breckenridge Junior High School and High School. “They gave up a Saturday, loaded up at 5:30 a.m., and went to Fort Worth to show those city schools what small-town kids can do! And we came away with a bunch of hardware!”

The TAME competition involves difficult math and science tests, Moore said. For instance, the middle school students (in grades 6-8) take tests that include questions from 6th grade through 10th grade math and science.

Then, the students are grouped with students from a variety of ages and schools and given an engineering challenge. They have one hour to complete a challenge that requires teamwork, creativity, and problem solving. For example, one year the students were tasked with building an airplane wing that could withstand certain stresses, fit certain size parameters, and so forth.

The students receive a box with the supplies, and that is all they’re allowed to work with. At the end of the hour, the team presents their creation to a team of engineers in a Shark Tank-style presentation. They’re judged on successful completion of the challenge, teamwork, perseverance, creativity, etc.

“Competitions like TAME are such a welcome relief from things like the state tests. It gives kids — especially gifted and talented students like these — a chance to show what they know and how they can solve problems creatively by collaborating with others,” Moore said. “There’s no way a standardized test can ever measure those qualities in a student.”

Cutline, top photo: Breckenridge students competing in the TAME competition in Fort Worth last weekend were, from left, Jocelyn Reyes, Lynzi Poindexter, Jackie Rodriguez, Antley Rodgers, and Joshua Robertson-McClanahan. (Photo courtesy of Vince Moore/BISD)

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