Decatur County Schools

Hutto Elementary Hosts School-Level GaSTC Technology Competition — Winners Advance to January 28th Regional

Hutto Elementary hosted a school-level GaSTC technology competition for grades 3–5 on December 1st, giving students a chance to independently create projects in their category of choice and qualify for the upcoming Southwest Regional event at SWGA RESA on January 28. Students worked on their own to showcase computational thinking, the design‑engineering process, and strong creativity—skills that build toward future workforce readiness. First-place finishers will advance to the regional competition.

Award-Winning Categories — Hutto Elementary Winners

• 3D Modeling (3–4)

  • 1st place — Brody Harris (Grade 4)

  • 2nd place — Isabella Calderon (Grade 4)

  • 3rd place — Navydiaus Pittman (Grade 4)

• 3D Modeling (5–6)

  • 1st place — Ayaan Patel (Grade 5)

  • 2nd place — Ian Garza (Grade 5)

• Animation (3–4)

  • 1st place — Selena Harris & Adalyn Godwin (Grade 4)

  • 2nd place — Harold Smith & Payton Swatts (Grade 4)

  • 3rd place — Cannon Smith (Grade 3)

• Animation (5–6)

  • 1st place — Ellis Blanton & MaKenna Simmons (Grade 5)

  • 2nd place — Aniyah Jackson (Grade 5)

  • 3rd place — Jenna Holley & Ashton McCall (Grade 5)

• Digital Game Design (3–4)

  • 1st place — Owen Smith (Grade 4)

  • 2nd place — Samuel Bryant (Grade 4)

• Digital Game Design (5–6)

  • 1st place — Claire Weaver (Grade 5)

• Graphic Design (3–4)

  • 1st place — Milani Jackson (Grade 4)

• Graphic Design (5–6)

  • 1st place — Perry Wade (Grade 5)

  • 2nd place — Adleigh McMillian (Grade 5)

  • 2nd place — Alanna Phillips (Grade 5)

  • 3rd place — Heidi Griffin (Grade 5)

• Robotics (3–4)

  • 1st place — Devon Patel (Grade 3)

• Robotics (5–6)

  • 1st place — David Cruz & Peter Alvarez (Grade 5)

  • 2nd place — Silas Rand (Grade 5)

  • 3rd place — Jaxen McCoy & Ravien Anderson (Grade 5)

  • 3rd place — Carter Hall & Micheal (Grade 5)

• Video Production (3–4)

  • 1st place — Prince Hayes (Grade 3)

  • 2nd place — Jacob Villalobos (Grade 4)

  • 3rd place — Parker Swatts (Grade 4)

• Video Production (5–6)

  • 1st place — Lanorris Hayes (Grade 5)

  • 2nd place — June Kelley & Amiyah Scott (Grade 5)

  • 3rd place — Morgan Swain & Kathrine Bell (Grade 5)

• Programming (5–6)

  • 1st place — Lauren Smith (Grade 5)

  • 2nd place — Mark Swain & Clark Worek (Grade 5)

Tournament Leadership, Judges, and Community Support

The school competition was organized by Samantha Palmer, Media Specialist and Victoria Cay, Woz Ed instructor, hosted in the fabulous Hutto Media Hub and STEM center, supported by Hutto Elementary staff, and judged by district-level instructional leaders. The event helped provide feedback for all the students who participated preparing them for the next level of competition. Decatur County is committed providing multiple opportunities for student to be exposed to technology-rich careers readiness skills throughout all grade bands in the system.

Why This Matters

Students independently designed and built projects that highlighted computational thinking, iterative design, and creativity—core competencies for future workforce readiness in fields like software, engineering, robotics, digital media, and more. This school-level event is a hands-on step in preparing students for regional competition and future career pathways.

Next Steps

First-place winners from Hutto Elementary will represent the school at the Southwest Regional GaSTC Technology Competition at SWGA RESA on January 28. Congratulations to all participants and best of luck to those advancing to regionals!