Elementary Students Explore Coding Through Robotics

Elementary Students Explore Coding Through Robotics
Posted on 11/30/2017

November 29, 2017 - Barrie, ON: Elementary students at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School and St. Bernadette Catholic School in Barrie have been exploring coding through the use of VEX and Sphero robotics kits.


The concept began last year when every secondary school at Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board received a robotics kit, created a club and competed at a board wide robot competition. After its tremendous success, it was decided that the program should also expand at the elementary level.


Since the initial CODE project was launched in 2015, we have seen many elementary schools purchase Dash and Dot, Sphero and/or LEGO WeDo robots to use in their classrooms, Learning Commons and STEM clubs.  

The idea of a cross-panel robotics program came from a conversation between Michael Quinn (Technology Enabled Learning and Teaching Contact) and Ross McDermott (Guidance at St. Joan of Arc Catholic High School). Cooperative education students from St. Joan of Arc Catholic High School in Barrie are working with elementary students in both schools to instill an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) - something that the study of robotics inherently incorporates.


Elementary students will be showcasing their new skills alongside their secondary mentors on the following dates:


Thursday, December 7, 2017 at 1 p.m.

St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School

111 Summerset Drive

Barrie, ON L4N 0A6

Friday, December 8, 2017 at 1 p.m.

St. Bernadette Catholic School

101 Marsellus Drive

Barrie, ON L4N 8R6


Community members are invited to join us on either date to see how this new program is evolving in our schools.


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Teacher Contact: Michael Quinn, Technology Enabled Learning and Teaching Contact [email protected]


Ross McDermott, Guidance, St. Joan of Arc Catholic High School [email protected]


Media Contact:
Pauline Stevenson, Communications Manager 705.722.3555 ext., 229 [email protected]