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VMS Students Win National Honors at Future City Engineering Competition
Sidney Anderson, Benjamin Clauss, and Jeevan Jeyabalan, Grade 8 students at Valley Middle School in Oakland, were awarded Second Place at the National Future City Competition in Washington, D.C., and received a $5,000 technology grant for their school. The team’s work received further recognition by earning the National Competition’s Special Award for Best Future City Model!
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Tenth Straight Future Cities Win
VMS Students Win Future Cites Regional for Tenth Straight Year
Sidney Anderson, Benjamin Clauss, and Jeevan Jeyabalan, eighth graders at Valley Middle School in Oakland, recently captured the New Jersey Regional Championship at Rutgers University. This was the tenth year that Valley Middle School has won this prestigious award by competing in the New York and New Jersey Regional Championships.
The mission of the National Engineers Week Future City Competition is to provide a fun and exciting educational engineering program for sixth, seventh and eighth-grade students that combines a stimulating engineering challenge with a "hands-on" application to present their vision of a city of the future. Problem solving, teamwork, research and presentation skills, practical math and science applications, and computer skills are needed to successfully complete the Future City challenge.
Their entry consisted of a Sim City computer model, an essay on “Providing a Reliable and Effective Health Care System That Improves a Sick, Injured or Disabled Patient’s Quality of Life and Comfort,” a narrative, a table top model, and a presentation.
The students received a Flip cameras as well as a five-day trip to Washington, DC where they will represent the New York City region at the 19th annual National Engineers Week Future City Competition Finals. In addition, they received a $1500 STEM grant for their classroom.
The students will travel to Washington, DC, with their teacher, Judith Vihonski, to present and defend their city to panels of engineers from February 17 - 22. Mr. Robert Akovity was the team’s engineer-mentor and Mr. Ned Carpenter was the model facilitator. Former VMS students, Alec Carpenter, Kevin Cheetah, and Matt Whittle were also mentors for the project.
Their city, Eleebana Wahan, is located in Australia and is a reclamation project. The city features a Health Dome, helicoid bridges, cliffside condos, and a humanoid robot named PAM. Their city, constructed of recycled materials – from computer parts to cereal boxes – also received the People’s Choice award. The students spent over 400 hours on the project. Most of the work was done after school.
Valley’s second entry, Inipiruq Piqaluyak, an Arctic city, received the Best Organized City award. Their city featured algae bridges, floating hotels and hospitals, and wildlife preserves.
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Brendan Dente Wins First Place in History Channel Video Competition
Brendan Dente was an eighth grader at Valley Middle School when he submitted his video in late May. His video, “Satellites: Life Changers of America,” traced the history of satellites from Sputnik in the 1960s through the launching of current communication satellites. He described the impact of telecommunications satellites from Echo and Telstar to the current consumer satellites, which have affected global communication and foreign policy.. He included interviews with Terry Hart, former astronaut and former president of Loral Skynet, the Telstar satellite network; Mike McCurry, former White House Press Secretary; and Bill Hemmer, CNN and FOX News anchor.
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Students from VMS Advance to State History Day Finals on May 1, 2010
Four teams of Valley Middle School students are advancing to the state finals of National History Day after participating in the Northern Regional Competition held at Seton Hall University on February 27, 2010. The theme of National History Day is Innovation in History: Action and Impact.
Colin Whittle an, eighth grader, presented his research and documentary on the jet engine. His investigation led him to the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum where he interviewed an aviation historian. He also interviewed Ian Whittle, the son of jet engine inventor Frank Whittle and Chris Von Ohain, the son of the German inventor, Hans Von Ohain.
Jade Pace, Alex Hutcherson, and Julia Hansen found primary research for their exhibit on the submarine at the Paterson Museum and the USS Ling. They also interviewed a submariner.
Keith Riley, Colette Barca, Meredith Rivas, and Chiara Dibella explored the innovations of Les Paul. They received responses from curators at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and acquaintances of Les Paul. They also met with one of his close friends who brought some of Les Paul’s guitars.
Sidney Anderson and Nia Burrell created an exhibit about the telescope. They interviewed astronomers and visited an observatory.
The state qualifiers are refining their research and preparing for the state finals on May 1, 2010, at William Paterson University.
National History Day is the largest history education program in the country whose mission is to provide students with opportunities to learn historical content and develop research, thinking and communication skills through the study of history. In the past, several Valley Middle School entries have advanced to the national finals in Washington, DC.
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VMS Future City Team Wins Second Place At Nationals in Washington, DC.
Three Valley Middle School Students from Oakland, NJ, captured second place at the National Future City Competition held in Washington, DC. The team, along with their teacher, Judith Vihonski, and mentor-engineer, Robert Akovity, spent 4 days at the national competition where they presented and defended their city to panels of engineers. This was Valley's ninth consecutive year in which they advanced to the national competition.
More than 32,000 students from 1,100 schools in 39 regions participated in this engineering competition.. During the national event, the 5 top teams were selected and presented their city to "celebrity" judges and an audience of over 800 people. Two jumbotrons provided close up views of the model and the presenters during their final presentation. The event was televised on FOX 5 Morning News in Washington, DC.
The school received a $5,000 scholarship from the National Society of Professional Engineers for technology. The team also received 2 special awards for water management.
Their entry consisted of a Sim City computer model, an essay on sustainable, temporary housing for disaster victims, a narrative, a tabletop model, and a presentation.
Their city, Waihona Meli, is located on the island of Lanai and features vertical farms, green energy production, rotating wind turbine hotels, and innovative infrastructure. The team spent countless hours researching, practicing their presentation, writing the narrative and essay, and creating a scaled model of their Hawaiian city.
Sponsored in part by the National Engineers Week Foundation, a coalition of more than 75 engineering, professional, and technical societies and some 50 corporations and government agencies, Future City is the largest and most successful education program of its kind. Regional winning teams receive an all-expense-paid trip to the Future City National Finals, hosted by Bentley Systems, Incorporated, in Washington, D.C. during Engineers Week."
I know that you will want to report this amazing achievement to Oakland's governing body. Additionally, please know that our Team would accept an invitation from the Mayor and Council to present their project. Might we also request that a notice be placed on the Borough's announcement board (located on Ramapo Valley Road) congratulating Valley Middle School's National Award Winning Future City Team.
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VMS Students Win the New Jersey Future City Regional Competition
Monica Chung, Emily Gore, and Matthew Whittle, eighth graders at Valley Middle School in Oakland, recently captured the New Jersey State Future City Championship at the 18th Annual National Engineers Week Future City Competition held at Rutgers University. This was the ninth consequtive year that Valley Middle School has advanced to the national competition. The students received a $750 technology grant, a camcorder, a team dinner, and the trip to the national finals.
The students will travel to Washington, DC, with their teacher, Judith Vihonski, and mentor/engineer, Robert Akovity, to present and defend their city to panels of engineers from February 13 - 17. More than 33,000 students from 1,100 schools in 40 regions are participating this year.
Their city, Waihona Meli, is located on the island of Lanai and features vertical farms, green energy production, rotating wind turbine hotels, and innovative infrastructure. The team spent countless hours researching, practicing their presentation, writing the narrative and essay, and creating a scaled model of their Hawaiian city.
Sponsored in part by the National Engineers Week Foundation, a coalition of more than 75 engineering, professional, and technical societies and some 50 corporations and government agencies, Future City is the largest and most successful education program of its kind. Regional winning teams receive an all-expense-paid trip to the Future City National Finals, hosted by Bentley Systems, Incorporated, in Washington, D.C. during Engineers Week. National grand prize is a trip to U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. Their entry consisted of a Sim City computer model, an essay on sustainable, temporary housing for disaster victims, a narrative, a tabletop model, and a presentation.