Maud S. Sherwood Elementary School fifth graders participated in their first Hackathon in May, organized by KidOYO and hosted by the East Williston School District. A coding software used by students at all levels, KidOYO enables students to learn basic coding skills like block coding as well as more sophisticated coding languages like Python.
The Sherwood Hackaneers, led by the school’s technology aide Fred Stroh and district technology integration specialist Timothy Brush, participated in the upper elementary division of the Hackathon competition. The team consisted of eight students – Penny Becker, Quinn Dobson, Julian Kelly, Jameson Lynch, Jeremiah Vargas, Ariston Hamm, Cayden Smith and Lucas Taormina. The students learned KidOYO during their “exploratory block” with Stroh this year. After participating in a Skill Dash, the students had opportunities to practice before school and during lunch and recess. The fifth graders utilized the KidOYO apps Hatch and Sprite Editor to compete against 18 other schools from across Long Island, earning 10th place overall.
“We are proud of our Hackaneers finishing in the top 10, which is quite impressive for first-time competitors,” said Chad Walerstein, Islip’s director of technology, innovation and information systems. “We are proud of our students and their growth mindset, and we look forward to sending teams from multiple schools next year.”
Date Added: 6/5/2023