Andrew Gee (Calare, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Four years ago, Mrs Sharon Cloete introduced a robotics program to Mullion Creek Public School. Since robotics became part of the school curriculum in 2013, the students have competed in the RoboCup Junior Australian Open Championships. This year, three dance teams from Mullion Creek Public School placed first and equal second at the state competition and progressed to the national championships in Brisbane. They took place in the first week of the September school holidays, and the students finished sixth, seventh and 13th—a fantastic effort.

What is even more impressive is that the competition involves the students designing and programming these robots. The first team I would like to mention today programmed their robots to dance to the music from Disney's Fantasia. Special mention goes to students Chloe Grosling, Elianna Wentworth, Piper Dening, Sophie Gorman and Saffron Strickland. The second team coordinated their robots to dance in a boxing match to the song Eye of the Tiger. Special mention goes to students Hunter Middleton, Max Sheardown, Edward Southwell, Oliver Inman and Liam Griffith. The last group I would like to recognise designed and built robotic dogs and choreographed a dance to the song Who Let the Dogs Out. Special mention goes to students Ellie Calaja, Anna Martin, Katelyn Peters and Maddison Brooking. I would like to once again recognise Ms Sharon Cloete for bringing this remarkable program to Mullion Creek Public School and Principal Sally Beer for supporting the robotics program that has seen our local students excel on a national level. Mullion Creek is a small school, but it is certainly a mighty school in what it's achieving on the national stage.