Friday, September 11th, 2009

New Bremen pupils teaming up in race for success

By Margie Wuebker
Photo by Margie Wuebker/The Daily Standard

Megan Krieg and Dominic Steinke check out the battery-powered race car they built Thursday afternoon as part of a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program at New Bremen Elementary School.

NEW BREMEN - Elementary students in the New Bremen school district are learning the importance of working together toward a mutual goal - building race cars that can race across the gym floor toward the finish line.
They use neither textbooks nor high-tech equipment, just nimble fingers, an illustrated guide and plastic building blocks in assorted shapes, sizes and colors.
Kendra Post of St. Henry, who has been trained by Lego Engineering of Sparta, Mich., to bring the program to schools, enjoys working with youngsters in grades kindergarten through 3 as part of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program.
STEM typically worked with older students, but grant money this year brings it to the primary level.
Students Dominic Steinke and Megan Krieg head to their assigned work space to check out the neatly arranged tray of colorful components that they must turn into a car.
"I am r-e-a-l-l-y good at Legos," Steinke announces. "I kinda like doing all the work. Is that OK with you?"
Krieg, who hopes to be a teacher one day, listens quietly before gently reminding him, "We're supposed to work together."
Steinke assigns the girl to locate tiny pieces of the wheel assembly as he works on the frame. She picks through various compartments and emerges with the needed parts.
"Are you talking about these?" she asks. He looks at the parts and nods affirmatively before replying, "Hey, you're pretty good for a girl."
He confidently assigns more tasks, which she successfully completes. The pair progress from start to finish with few problems before moving down the table to help neighbors Katie Howell and Zach Bertke.
"We were doing great until we jumped ahead a couple of pages and put on the fat part," she explains. "So we took it off and started over."
One by one the teams complete the appointed task, some encountering more problems than others. Not all the complications occur during the construction phase.
Teammates Estella Hainline, Elisa Alt and Anne Marie Duncan watch as their car stays put despite the hopeful whirring of their battery-powered engine.
"We've got a big problem here," Alt says as her teammates nod in agreement. "I think we should put the big wheels in front and the smaller ones in back."
Hainline consults the guide and reports the wheels are fine. With help from Post, they diagnose the problem as poor contact requiring nothing more than a gentle squeeze at the right place.
"Now that wasn't so hard," Duncan declares as they cast lots to see who drives and who cheers from the sidelines.
The big race commences with Post calling "Go!" Ten cars take off along the appointed course. The Steinke/Krieg team finishes first with Bertke and Howell coming in a close second.
There are no trophies, burnouts or other hoopla. The students, according to Post, come away with something far more important - lessons on the value of teamwork and collaboration.
"I learned that working together is fun," Krieg says. "Two people can do something faster than just one person."
Bertke ponders the same question regarding what he learned and smiles broadly before replying, "I learned how to build a race car out of Legos."
Griffin Huber says he learned a "whole bunch of neat stuff," such as the bigger the engine is, the faster the car goes and about aerodynamics (air races over something that is rounded rather than rectangular).
"And one last thing," he says with a mischievous grin. "Check the batteries because you aren't going anywhere if they're dead."
Photo by Margie Wuebker/The Daily Standard

And they're off! New Bremen elementary students send their Lego cars hurtling toward the finish line.

Additional online stories on this date
Job and Family Services
The effects of state funding cuts have been magnified at the local level as the number of needy people has skyrocketed in the last year.
Statistics [More]
Three-game wins on the volleyball court are usually not very emotional, but that wasn't the case for Celina on Thursday.
After the unexpected death [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
Residents tired of cleaning up trash
In the 25 years Rick Krogman has lived at 5729 Coldwater Creek Road, there has always been a problem with people dumping their garbage in the creek. And now the problem is even worse, he says.
A simple change in lighting and other energy-saving steps could net Mercer County thousands of dollars in savings in the future, according to a recent "green energy" review.
A Burkettsville area dairy farmer will receive more than $50,000 in federal money to build a manure storage structure at his farm that should correct pollution problems.
ST. MARYS - Auglaize Acres, the county-owned nursing home, is pulling itself back to financial solvency, county commissioners told St. Marys Rotary members Wednesday in an update of 2009 county activities.
St. Marys City Schools board of education failed to adjourn its public meeting following an executive session Wednesday evening.
The board went int
A Minster-based company was awarded a $22,150 contract to supply and install cabinets and other items for the 911 dispatch area of the new jail.
Mercer County commissioners approved the contract with Heyne Construction during a meeting Thursday morning.
The dozens and dozens of varieties of dahlias at the Midwest Trial Garden located in Bonneville Mill Park near Bristol, Ind., was an unexpected surpr
CARTHAGENA - It's the comforting eyes that first draw visitors to the large portrait of Jesus tucked in a corner of Pastor Jim Trick's cozy apartment
Celina girls tennis coach Jan Morrison called Thursday's Western Buckeye League match with Shawnee a big test.
Both teams entered the matchup 5-0 in league play, the only unbeatens left, after posting 5-0 wins in their last WBL matches.
Despite being only 21 years old, Josh Richards heads to Eldora Speedway for this weekend's World 100 as one of the many favorites to take home the $43,000 winner's check and the prestigious globed trophy.
Compiled by Ryan Hines
and Gary R. Rasberry
Alyssa Winner put together a spectacular run of serving to help Marion Local improve to 7-0 overall and 2-0 in the Midwest Athletic Conference with a three-game sweep of St. John's at Arnzen Gymnasium in Delphos on Thursday night.
One More Curtain Call
With the initial weeks of the gridiron season unfolding in recent weeks, so was the case 50 years ago this week, as a pair of local teams met in thei