Winning ways

BY KATY SAVAGE
[email protected]
Windsor High dominates Town History contest

WINDSOR — Windsor High School has once again earned top prize in the state’s fourth annual Town History in 3D Competition.

Windsor students have placed in the 3D printing competition since it started, which is no surprise to state Director of Educational Technology Peter Drescher.

On Friday, Windsor won the competition with a design of the Ascutney Mill Dam.

Drescher said Windsor students go “over the top” in their designs each year.

“They just nail it every time,” he said. “They have a completely professional presentation.”

Windsor’s 3D Printing Team meets after school a couple times a week.  This year, the six-person team designed a model of the Ascutney Mill Dam, one of the oldest dams in the nation.

Students spent more than three months on the project. 

They took measurements of the Powerhouse building and they researched the mill’s history by interviewing local residents. 

They got topographic maps and blueprint designs from GeoDesign, Inc. in Windsor. 

Students even took bathymetry measurements of the Mill Pond to make a 3D model that matches the water. They designed the project on a computer and then printed it with a 3D printer.

Sarah Rooker, the team’s research adviser, said the students are determined to challenge themselves every year.

“They want to up their game and learn something new,” she said.

Windsor High School was among 13 middle schools and high schools judged Friday.  Students gave three- to seven-minute presentations and the judges — including retired engineers, historic preservationists and architects — evaluated competitors on historical context of the buildings and clarity of their research, among other factors.

Rooker said this year’s project was challenging. The Ascutney Mill Dam, near the Connecticut River, was built in 1834 and launched the industrial era in town. Some of the buildings are no longer there, which forced students to recreate them based on maps.

“(Students) dug in and enjoyed the project and enjoyed working together,” Rooker said.

In past competitions, the team has designed 3D models of the Windsor Prison, Windsor Post Office and the American Precision Museum. as well as buildings designed by Windsor architect Arthur Benjamin, who lived in the 1800s.

Vincent Moeykens, 18, has been on the printing team since the beginning.

“We were really excited,” he said of the win.

Windsor students won the printing contest the day after the school’s Senior Math Team placed third in the Twin State Math League. The math team won first place in Vermont and finished third overall.

Brianna Diggs, a senior, is on both teams.

Diggs said the school has traditionally been known for its achievements in sports more than academics, but that’s changing.

“Our school is getting a lot better with appreciating our academic achievements,” Diggs,18, said.

Windsor’s math team competes in four competitions a year with neighboring schools. With the win, the math team gets a chance to compete at a regional competition in Massachusetts later this year.

Meanwhile, each member of the 3D Printing Team received an annual $2,000 scholarship to attend Vermont Technical College. They also won a new 3D printer for the school.

“It’s nice to know that our hard work paid off,” Diggs said.

The competition took place at Vermont Technical College in Randolph. Enosburg Falls High School won second place while Montpelier High School received an honorable mention.