Published in the June 28, 2018 edition

By JILLIAN STRING

NORTH READING — The Batchelder School ExploraVision team shared their award winning project, iSWARM (Integrated Smart Wireless Agriculture Remote Management), with the School Committee at their meeting on June 11.

The team, consisting of third graders Patrick McGaffigan, Liam McGaffigan, Damian Adrusyshyn and Alberto Russo, parent mentors Dan McGaffigan and Al Russo, as well as coach Suzanne Callanen, recently returned from the national convention in Washington D.C., where they were awarded first place in the K-3 division, with each of the students receiving a $10,000 savings bond.

Batchelder School Principal Sean Killeen told the committee that the third grade has been participating in the Toshiba ExploraVision competition for the past 15 years, with multiple regional winners, and now a national winner.

THE NATIONAL AWARD-winning ExploraVision team from the Batchelder School was honored by the School Committee at a recent meeting. From left are School Committee Chairwoman Janene Imbriano, team members Liam McGaffigan, Damian Andrusyshyn, Patrick McGaffigan and Alberto Russo and team mentors Al Russo and Dan McGaffigan. (Jillian String Photo)

“It’s a great program where students are charged with finding solutions to problems that they think may exist in about 20 years,” Killeen said.

iSWARM is a smart farming wireless sensor system that automatically monitors the conditions of soil and crops, and can alert farmers to the first signs of problems in the field.

The team met after school for about an hour a week over the course of 10 weeks to complete the initial requirements of the project.

The ExploraVision website noted that each project must contain an abstract, detailed description of the project, a bibliography, and five sample web pages as if the team was creating a website for their product.

According to parent mentors McGaffigan and Russo, a completed website and a project video were added to the requirements for the national round of judging. The video was shared with School Committee members.

“It was a great job because they’re already starting to look at some sort of drone technology so you guys are really at the forefront of what’s going on in the agriculture industry,” School Committee member Mel Webster said. “It’s really great, and you’re spot on with the technology that’s needed.”

Committee Vice Chairman Scott Buckley and member Dyana Boutwell asked the team about the trip to D.C.

Liam McGaffigan told the committee that the group did “a lot of talking,” and that the most fun part of the trip was “maybe being on TV.”

“I think it’s a wonderful idea that you all came up with. Having grown up on a farm…it’s a smart thing, so well done,” Committee Chairwoman Janene Imbriano commented.

The project can be viewed on the team’s website at nstawebdirector.wixsite.com/farmfixers.