STEM: TIDE Program

TIDE : Technology . Innovation . Design . Engineering

Westminster’s TIDE Program, which begins in the elementary, focuses on rigorous project-based curriculum in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to develop our students' ability to collaborate, think creatively, communicate effectively, and to work independently to solve problems.

PLTW Launch (Grades K-5)

Using the nationally-recognized Project Lead the Way (PLTW) curriculum, students in kindergarten through fifth grade have the opportunity to infuse project-based learning techniques in designing toys, solving real-world problems, building robots, and learning programming using Scratch, VEX Blocks, and ROBOTC languages. PLTW Launch taps into the exploratory nature of students, engages them in learning that feels like play, and encourages them to keep discovering. PLTW Launch’s 24 interdisciplinary modules bring learning to life. The program empowers students to adopt a design-thinking mindset through compelling activities, projects, and problems that build upon each other and relate to the world around them. As students engage in hands-on activities in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science, they become creative, and collaborative problem solvers.

PLTW Modules

Programming Patterns, Stability and Motion, Form and Function, Tinkercad, RobotC Programming, Novel Engineering, Input/Output Computer Systems, Robotics and Automation, Input/Output: Human Brain, and Highrise Programming.

News

Elementary Robotics Team Brings Home Award from World Championship
6/2/2021
Westminster's elementary robotics team, 6855A, is the winner of the 2021 VEX IQ Elementary School World Championship Design Award for the Venus Division.
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Elementary School Robotics Wins Five World Bids, Seven Awards
4/20/2021
During this year's State competition in Naples, FL, the elementary school robotics teams came home with seven awards. The REC Foundation also awarded five World bids at the competition, and Westminster won them all!
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Middle School Robotics Team Wins State Championship
4/20/2021
The middle school robotics teams competed at this year's VEX South Florida Championships in Naples, FL.
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Students Use Minecraft to Build Virtual Solutions to Real-Life Problems
10/7/2020
Elementary Enrichment teachers Mrs. Pastrana and Mrs. Castellanos implemented Minecraft in Education so students could design and build solutions to real-life problems as part of their Project Lead the Way Curriculum (PLTW).
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ES STEM Faculty

List of 1 members.

Mrs. Claudia Pastrana

PLTW Launch and Enrichment Teacher

Ext. 1252

Harvard Graduate School of Education - Master's Degree, Language and Literacy
Florida International University - Bachelor's Degree, Elementary Education

Warrior Robotics

Fourth and fifth grade students who wish to further their engineering skills may also apply for the VEX IQ competitive robotic teams. These after-school student clubs allow students to build and program their own robot, and to showcase their skills at local, state and national competitions.

VEX IQ Robotics ES Awards

List of 4 items.

2019-20

Team 6855A
Judges Award – Regional Competition
Excellence Award – Regional Competition – Earned State bid
Create Award – Regional Competition

Team 6855B
Amaze Award – Regional Competition
Design Award – Regional Competition – Earned State bid

Team 6855C
Excellence Award – Regional Competition – Earned State bid
Teamwork Champion Award – Regional Competition
Robot Skills Award (twice) – Regional Competitions
Design Award – South Florida VEX IQ Elementary School State Competition – Earned World bid
2018-19

Team 6855A
Inspire Award - Regional Competition
Build Award - Regional Competition
Judges Award - Regional Competition
Design Award - Regional Competition – Earned State bid
Inspire Award - South Florida VEX IQ Elementary School State Competition

Team 6855B
Inspire Award - Regional Competition
Design Award - Regional Competition
Design Award - Regional Competition
Design Award - South Florida VEX IQ Elementary School State Competition – Earned World bid
Judges Award - 2019 Vex Robotics World Championship
3rd place Costume Contest - 2019 Vex Robotics World Championship

Team 6855C
Build Award - Regional Competition
STEM Research Project Award– Regional Competition - Earned State bid
Design Award/Robot Skills Champion Award - Regional Competition
Teamwork Champion Award/Robot Skills Champion Award - Regional Competition
Excellence Award/Teamwork Champion Award– S. FL VEX IQ Elementary School State Competition - Earned World bid
Create Award - 2019 Vex Robotics World Championship
2017-18

Team 6855A
Design Award - Regional Competition
Excellence Award - FL State VEX IQ Competition
State and World Bid

Team 6855B
STEM Research Project Award - Regional Competition
Design Award - RoboSLAM Competition
STEM Research Project Award - RoboSLAM Competition
RoboSLAM, State and World Bid

Team 6855C
Excellence Award - Regional Competition
Think Award - FL State VEX IQ Competition
State and World Bid
2016-17

Team 59350A
STEM Research Project Award - Regional Competition
State Bid

Team 6855A
Design Award - Regional Competition
Judges Award - FL State VEX IQ Competition
State and World Bid