Robotics Rising: How GNS is Nurturing Tomorrow’s Innovators

For many years, under the leadership of Ms. Tanis Masson, the robotics program at the GNS Junior School has been a cornerstone of our co-curricular offerings, promoting curiosity, problem-solving, and a love of engineering in students. This year, we’re thrilled to build on Ms. Masson’s legacy by introducing new Lego Spike Prime kits and expanding our opportunities for students. In addition to Ms. Masson’s program for Grades 3 to 4, Mr. Shewry and I are excited to lead the First Lego Explore League for Grade 5 students and the First Lego Challenge League for Middle School students, in Grades 6 to 8.

Learning robotics through our program, especially with platforms like First Lego League, goes beyond programming and assembling robots. It helps students develop essential teamwork and collaboration skills as they tackle and solve complex challenges together. Robotics provides a dynamic environment for students to develop critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, pushing them to consider and test multiple solutions, embodying the Design Cycle in a real-world context. 

First Lego League offers a platform for students to experience complex challenges and develop essential skills such as resilience, adaptability, and communication. By participating, students gain confidence and learn to embrace failure as part of the learning process. We take pride in fostering an inclusive and accessible environment, where students of any skill-level are welcomed and supported to explore robotics. 

In the future, we aim to further expand our robotics program by creating entry points for Senior School students through the First Tech Challenge, providing a pathway to more advanced robotics competitions. 

We are grateful for Ms. Masson’s dedication and the strong foundation she has established. With her contributions as our guide, we look forward to growing and enhancing our program to continue these enriching experiences for our students at Glenlyon Norfolk School in the years to come.

We are excited to host the South Vancouver Island First Lego Challenge League scrimmage on November 24, at our Pemberton Woods Campus. This exciting event offers students a chance to interact with other teams, exchange ideas, and learn from each other. This gathering is not only about competition but community building—a key foundational piece of our program.

If you are interested in attending the South Vancouver Island First Lego League Scrimmage, the event will run from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, November 24 in the Pemberton Woods Campus Dining Hall.