The Tech Club and the Robotics Team, two of Pinewood’s STEM-focused groups, have begun preparing for the inevitably busy school year. At the club fair held on Aug. 31, both clubs recruited new members. 

Advised by computer science teacher Haggai Mark, the Tech Club is a student-led group that meets twice a week on Mondays and Fridays. Last year, members made a spirit points tracker that displayed the overall points for each grade. 

“The tracker is just a hub to see upcoming events and who is winning among the grades,” Tech Club co-president Rosalie Wessels said. “To find it, there is a link on Veracross.”

Wessels also expressed excitement about the club’s agenda for the semester, as she and other members tackle a new project. 

“With Ms. Siegel, we are going to be working on a website that will show summer camps and programs that Pinewood students have attended,” Wessels said. “Students will be able to view the opinions of those who have taken them and maybe even enroll themselves.”

The Tech Club will also participate in Hackathons, 24-hour events where participants create an app or website that solves a given prompt. 

Advised by parent Will Rees and coaches Dean Reece and Leslie Peters, the Robotics team represents Pinewood School during various tournaments throughout the build season. As the largest student-run club, it is divided into many sections, which fosters deep technical skills that are used to benefit the community. 

Co-captain Carolyn Steeg said that she has hopes for the future. 

“Over the past few years, the robotics team has had relatively few active members,” Steeg said. “This year we have a lot more freshmen, which is great because that means Robotics can continue after the seniors graduate.”

The Robotics season officially begins in January, but before it starts, the team uses the prior year’s robot to compete in an off-season tournament called Cal Games. During the second semester, they compete in one major tournament, as well as various local events. 

Both the Tech Club and Robotics Team have a busy year ahead of them, but, with the addition of several new members, their lineups are stronger than ever.