WEB EXCLUSIVE Underclassmen taking the robotics elective spent their last class periods helping fourth graders from Convent Elementary build simple circuits in the Sparks Studio.

“Helping the fourth-grade girls has been really fun,” sophomore Arlena Jackson said. “It’s nice to help other people who could use it.”

The high school students are assisted by robotics teacher Chris Person-Rennell.

“The fourth graders each had to design their own circuit to build,” Person-Rennell said. “They started working on the circuits yesterday and will finish their circuits today.”

Freshmen in Person-Rennell’s B Period class began working with the younger students on their circuit designs on Wednesday and sophomores during today’s H Period class helped to assemble the designs.

“We had learned about circuits in class so we were able to create blueprints for the kids and help begin to put them together,” freshman Sarah Barnes said. “They had to design it originally, but they needed guidance in order to achieve their ideas.”

The high schoolers and fourth graders were able to work together because of a schedule overlap, but it also has been an opportunity for the high schoolers to learn how to work with kids, according to Barnes.

“Working with younger kids was a good experience for me because I was able to explore new and different ideas with them,” Barnes said. “I think that is a really valuable thing to learn.”