What’s Right With Our Schools: Chattanooga Valley Middle Robotics
FLINTSTONE, Ga. (WDEF) – When it comes to learning, reading, writing and arithmetic are the traditional three “R”s, but Chattanooga Valley Middle School has added a fourth, robotics. Four of its teams have qualified for statewide competition. That kind of excellence is a futuristic example of what’s right with our schools.
Todd Zinkann is the robotics coach at CVMS.
He explains, “This is the sixth year our schools had robotics and my fifth year. We use vex line robotics, and it’s a K thru collegiate level program.”
7th grader Libby Briggs says, “Well, it’s really fun. It’s sometimes chaotic and sometimes crazy, but it’s for a lot of fun.
7th grader Zayla Teater adds, “I think it’s really exciting and especially with a problem that pops up, you’re able to problem solve and help each other.”
7th grader Teagen Bell chips in, “I’m a first year, a rookie. I’ve always been excited and interested in mechanisms in different ways in which you can shape the world around you with tools and machines.”
Coach Zinkann says, “We are known statewide, because we have had such success. I feel like we’re one of the top teams in the state now. The easiest way to make it to state is win a championship at a tournament that’s local. I must determine it’s in Georgia, in the Atlanta area. So, the way we get to the championship is by having high scores. We have four teams make it. Three teams were just outside of that, but to have seven teams ranked as has as we have been, it’s just phenomenal.”
6th grader Carolina Hulsey says. “Normally, you would think like Atlanta or Washington, but we get to go hang out with those people, and then, if we like win something they’re like, ‘That’s an amazing place. That’s a small community where I wanna visit.’ ”
Coach Zinkann concludes, “Super proud kids, they work really hard, and I know they’re really excited about representing our school at the state championship. It is it going to be streamed. It’s on February 12th on a Sunday, start around 8 o’clock and go till about 3:30 in the afternoon. It’s an automatic qualification to the world championship, and that is in Dallas, Texas, and they take the top 800 teams in the world. It’s about 3200 students. It’s an absolute incredible experience. Our teams went last year. This is just a whole new experience for the kids. One they’ll never forget.”
