To the editor:
While I usually give high marks to the Gloucester Daily Times for its coverage of our public schools, I believe the Times missed an opportunity this week to give greater emphasis to an extremely important Gloucester Public Schools achievement.
Last Saturday, at the FIRST Regional Robotics Competition in Boston, Gloucester High's Robotics Team was given the prestigious Judges Award for Curiosity-Driven Robotics. Dr. Woodie Flowers, world-renowned MIT professor of Mechanical Engineering, gave Gloucester the award, and I quote:
"During the course of the competition, the judging panel may encounter a team whose unique efforts, performance, or dynamics merit recognition, yet doesn't fit into any of the existing categories. The judges want to give a special award today to one such team. Our winning team is steeped in robotics. Working with a dedicated teacher-mentor, the students integrated the principles of science with the practice of engineering.
"The result: an incredible curiosity-driven robotics program. Taking robotics into their academic curriculum, the students built robots that roll and robots that float, robots that climb stairs and even a cool robot tow vehicle.
"The FIRST team experience inspired new paths for some team members, who instead of joining the work force after high school, now plan on attending college to pursue science and engineering careers. As a result of this great team's success, new resources will now be provided to ensure that more students will benefit from this school's curiosity-driven robotics programs.
"For your curiosity-driven robotics program the Judges Award is presented to Team No. 2103 — Comcast Cable, Gloucester Education Foundation and Gloucester High School."
I believe this award is one of the best awards a team could get. I believe Kurt Lichtenwald and his staff and community mentors are a credit to teaching. I believe the members of Gloucester's robotics team are a model for young people. And I believe the robotics team is a credit to Gloucester.
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ED SHOUCAIR
President,
Gloucester Education Foundation
