Beyond the Classroom: University Programming Competition

On Friday, April 5, six students participated in the Fitchburg State University Programming Competition. 

Sponsored by the Department of Computer Science at Fitchburg State University, the programming competition features teams of students from area high schools working as a unit to solve computer programming puzzle-problems.

The competition helps prepare students for professional careers in the rapidly changing field of computer science.

Congratulations to the following students who competed in the event:

• Michael Coppeta '19
• Aidan Gordon '19
• Frank McShan '19
• Tavonga Tafuma '19
• Surabhi Keesara '20
• Daniel Walsh '20

Congratulations to the students, and thank you to Fitchburg State University and to Mr. Andrew Joyal '11, Computer Science Teacher/Coding Club Moderator! Thank you to all of our faculty and staff for making these types of learning experiences possible and continuing to challenge students and enhance coursework by going beyond the classroom to offer additional perspectives and insights.

About Technology at Central Catholic

Central Catholic faculty weave technology into the entire curriculum. We were one of the first schools in the region to implement a 1:1 learning environment through our iPad initiative, and students learn problem solving and critical thinking skills through coding during their freshman or sophomore year – a requirement unique to Central Catholic.

All Central Catholic students are required to take Problem Solving with Programming, a class that focuses on beginner programming. Students can then move on to more advanced coding and programming opportunities including courses in Video Game Design, Advanced Placement Computer Science (Section A and B), Modeling in 3D, or online courses in Web Design, and Computational Science Engineering Using Java.

In addition, the Coding Club provides students with the opportunity to pursue their passion or coding outside of the classroom.

About The Coding Club

The Coding Club provides an opportunity for students to learn about computer science through preparation to compete against other high schools in regional programming contests. The team focuses on learning how to write code to solve problems in the Java programming language. Members will work together in small groups to solve complex tasks that require sorting and searching data, interpreting and processing user input, formatting graphical output, and solving mathematical problems. Pursuing solutions to these tasks develops the ability to critically analyze complex problems, and then to implement solutions using a computer programming language.  No previous programming experience is required.