Fulton

B.L.I.N.D.

Building Lasting Impressions that Never Die is in full swing at FHS after a year of minimal activity. Our junior and senior leaders are mentoring our freshmen and helping them navigate the first year of high school. The leaders participated in the freshmen retreat, which included Fulton, Newman,

Rock Falls, Prophetstown and Morrison. It was an outdoor event this year, and the weather was beautiful and the relationships built were outstanding. With the pause on many events last year, the current sophomore class was not able to experience a freshman retreat. Fulton took on the event and various teachers took the role of leaders so that the freshmen could have a similar experience.

Gearing up for another great season

The FHS Robotics Team No. 11177 is excited for yet another great season with the Gear Grinders.

New opportunities and obstacles are what this team is about — they’re always striving for success and learning a great deal of skills along the way! Alongside coaches and mentors, students/team members learn STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) and engineering skills that help them on their journey toward their own careers outside of robotics.

Our team competes in the First Tech Challenge (FTC), a national competition for students in grades 7 through 12. This year’s competition is called Freight Frenzy, in which two teams each have two drivers work together to score points in a round against two other teams by starting off with a pre-coded platform. They then count up the points at the end and determine the winner.

Though our main goal is to create and design a robot we can compete with, we also like to give back to the community. We do this through events with outreach and STEM, including hosting group events with younger kids, robotic summer camps, and trips to businesses and colleges to promote STEM careers.

We are especially grateful to our sponsors and volunteers, for this wouldn’t be possible without their endless help and support. Follow our team’s progress this season or contact us about sponsoring our team by reaching us on Twitter: @GearGrindersFHS or Email: geargrinders@riverbendschools.net

Full STEAM ahead at Fulton High

This fall, students at Fulton High School had an opportunity to enroll in a newly offered STEAM class. To complement the school’s current Exploring Computer Science class, the STEAM class was developed to give students an additional year-long opportunity to study a variety of topics including the subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics.

Throughout the school year, the students will be introduced to a variety of STEAM activities and projects such as computing using Raspberry Pi’s, coding Tello drones, creating art using Adobe Creative Suite software, Autocad design and 3-D printing, and learning the basics of the computer language, Python.

In the photos at left, students ranging from freshmen to seniors are shown creating interactive games using Scratch and Raspberry Pi’s. The students were challenged to create a game using LED’s, buttons and buzzers attached to their Raspberry Pi breadboards to enhance their games being created in Scratch.

A Pathway to a career in education

In 2016, the State of Illinois passed the Postsecondary and Workplace Readiness Act (PWR Act), which was enacted in all Illinois schools. This bill gives high school students the opportunity to participate in programs that are designed to support students in preparing for future education or careers. The Education Pathway Endorsement provides students professional learning and academic readiness as they prepare for a career in the education field. A student who earns the endorsement will complete high school committed to the education field and have a leg up on college success. The student gains both technical and essential employability skills provided throughout the endorsement process. The Lee-Ogle Whiteside Regional Office of Education has partnered with Sauk Valley Community College to facilitate the implementation of college and career pathway endorsements through a grant from the state. River Bend Community Unit School District 2 has been a part of this grant and is working to provide opportunities for their students to be prepared for their futures. Last year, Fulton High School had 3 students who graduated with this endorsement and will have 3 more students graduate this year with the endorsement. Students are required to complete a multitude of tasks in order to qualify for the endorsement. They have to spend 60 hours inside a classroom, teach multiple lessons, be observed by the pathway coordinator, present two team-based challenges to a group of school personnel, and much more during their time in the pathway. Gaining experience like this in high school, will set them up for success in their future careers as teachers.

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