News Briefs

Students for Life members support HELP Pregnancy Crisis Aid

Pre engineering and robotics students visit the Wege Foundation

Grade School Robotics teams earn spot to compete at World Championships

Robotics teams finish first and second in Kentwood Qualifier

Students for Life members support HELP Pregnancy Crisis Aid -- 12/20/2012

West Catholic’s Students for Life club held its annual Christmas party on Tuesday, December 18. Members were encouraged to bring a gift to donate to HELP Pregnancy Crisis Aid, a Catholic crisis pregnancy center on the West Side of Grand Rapids. Many clothing items, toys, and blankets were donated, along with diapers, baby formula, and other baby items.

The Students for Life club has worked in partnership with HELP for three years, donating baby items at Christmas and sponsoring a baby bottle fund drive during Lent. Some students also volunteer at HELP after school and during the summer.

West Catholic Students for Life is an active organization with over 60 student members. During this school year, the members have taken part in a number of activities which include: participating in Life Chain, volunteering at Right to Life’s Focus on Life Dinner, attending a screening of “It’s a Girl” at Aquinas College, participating in National Pro-life Cupcake Day, and promoting the spiritual adoption of the unborn. Forty-eight students have signed up to attend the March for Life in Washington, DC in January. The club’s advisor is Mr. Patrick Nugent.

Pre engineering and robotics students visit the Wege Foundation -- 12/18/2012

West Catholic pre engineering and robotics students got the opportunity to personally thank the Wege Foundation for their generosity and update the foundation on their most recent work.

Grade school robotics teams earn spot to compete at World Championships -- 12/17/2012

The West Catholic grade school FTC robotics teams earned the innovate and inspire awards on Saturday at the Harbor Lights Middle School FTC World Qualifier. Those awards mean that the FTC teams earned their way to represent West Michigan at the first World Championships in St. Louis in April 2013. At this competition, Zachary Zakfeld was awarded the Compass Award meaning Zachary is the mentor of the year for 2012 - 2013 FTC season for Western Michigan. Congratulations to Zachary and his teams.

Robotics Teams finish first and second in Kentwood Qualifier -- 12/12/2012

Above: Middle school students participate in robotics scrimmage held at West Catholic High School in early November.

Enigma Robotics FTC Team 5385, the Riddlers, took 1st place at the Kentwood qualifier and won the Innovate Award. FTC Team 5391, the Puzzlers, took 2nd place at the Kentwood qualifier and won the Think Award. Zachary Zakfeld is now certified to referee any FTC qualifier and was co-head ref at the Kentwood Qualifier on Saturday, while Aimee Kalczuk and Peter Brechting were scorers. Zachary Zakfeld is also the main mentor of FTC Team 5391. Next Saturday Teams 5385 and 5391 will be competing at Harbour Lights Middle School in Holland and the winner of that competition earns their way to the World Championship in St. Louis MO in April.