Special to IFN
The Mooresville Graded School District hosted its inaugural First LEGO League Regional Qualifying Tournament on Saturday, November 15, at Selma Burke Middle School. This event brought together over 160 students and coaches from 14 area teams, along with more than 50 dedicated volunteer judges, referees, and organizers, for an exciting day focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math.
On Saturday morning, participants engaged in a challenging morning of judging sessions. Teams presented their innovation projects, which offered creative solutions to problems faced by archeologists. They also shared their robot design concepts and demonstrated their core values and ability to work together effectively as a team.
The afternoon shift turned to the competitive anticipation of the Robot Game. Parents and guests filled the facility to watch the teams maneuver their autonomous robots on competition boards, successfully manipulating LEGO mission models to score points. The facility had a positive atmosphere, with one parent noting the joy of having an opportunity to cheer for her child who doesn’t participate in traditional sports. Several guests also praised the SBMS facility, commenting on the clean and comfortable space provided for the event.
Awards & Recognition
MGSD celebrated several key achievements during the tournament:
♦ Engineering Design Award: Awarded to the Mooresville Middle School (MMS) team, Mission IMPossible, for their Rogue Excavation project.
♦ Motivate Award: Presented to the Selma Burke Middle School (SBMS) team, The Unearthers.
♦ Coaches Award: Received by SBMS teacher and FLL coach Keri White for her contagious smile and continuously helpful attitude, as highlighted in essays written by her team members.
In addition to the tournament recognitions, the SBMS team, Bucket of Studs, was recognized for their significant growth throughout their first season.
The success of the tournament was made possible by the commitment of numerous volunteers and the generous support of community partners. The Mooresville Graded School District extends appreciation to the dedicated volunteer coaches and mentors at MMS and SBMS — Melissa Coffey, Keri White, Henri Ly, Eben Karriker, Connie Kremar, Kate Shirley, and Kerri Smilie — who spent months working with the MGSD teams after school. Dr. Mike Royal, MGSD Chief Operations Officer, provided continuous support of the tournament planning committee and event day activities.
If there was an award for Most Important Community Partner to our MGSD First Lego League success, it would go to Corvid Technologies. Corvid provided essential financial support for the tournament, and their employees volunteered as judges, reinforcing the strong link between education and industry.
This event underscores MGSD’s commitment to providing enriching STEAM opportunities that prepare students for future challenges in a fun and collaborative environment.
LEARN MORE
If you are interested in learning more about MGSD’s First Lego League clubs, contact Connie Kremar at conniekremar@mgsd.k12.nc.us.