Barnwell Middle students bring regional robotics champion Super Splash Bros. to board spotlight

Barnwell Middle School’s robotics program and its student leaders presented a district spotlight at the March 20 Francis Howell R-III Board meeting, highlighting growth in participation, volunteer coaching and competitive success.

Principal Dr. Anne Thurston introduced coach Heather Thomasich and student leaders from the Super Splash Bros., the team that won a regional FIRST LEGO League championship and advanced to the state competition. Thomasich described program growth from a single team in 2007 to multiple teams that reached state-level events this year. She said Barnwell typically fields 4–7 teams each season and relies on community volunteers to coach teams.

Student leader Brenna Pham described the team’s ocean-themed innovation project and their hands-on work: “We have set up a tank to model our solution... This year, we placed first at a regional robotics competition and went to state. We also learned how to code RFID chips. RFID chips or radio frequency identification chips send information through radio waves. We use these to identify our corals which help scientists learn about them.” The students explained their outreach and research project on coral restoration and said they have spoken with the Coral Restoration Foundation about potential placement sites.

Coach Thomasich credited community volunteers and named a volunteer coach present at the meeting, and students thanked coaches and teacher sponsors. Board members and audience members praised the students’ work; one audience member said younger students at nearby schools were inspired by Barnwell’s all-girls team.

The presentation emphasized hands-on STEM learning, leadership and community partnerships as core benefits of the district’s robotics offerings.