Secondary News
Secondary Science and Engineering Challenge
On 4 May, a group of Year 9 & 10 Secondary students boarded the bus bright and early and made their way to the Science and Engineering Challenge in Narrabri. The students were divided into groups and asked to complete an array of exciting activities.
One team's favourite task was entitled "Grasping at Straws". They were tasked with designing a bionic hand built entirely from straws, string, tape, cotton wool and a rubber glove. The hand needed to be able to pick up various objects - a feat that this team achieved with flying colours!
Another hit was the "Return to Mars" challenge. Teams needed to build a Mars buggy that would be able to transport a spaceship over a bumpy landscape. Our teams came up with some great ideas and showed fantastic problem-solving skills!
Other challenges included "Helter Skelter", "Job Juggle", "Stringways", "Confounding Communications" and "ElectraCity", all of which required the students to exercise their communication and problem-solving skills when completing.
The grand finale was the Bridge Building competition - judged by a real bridge designer! All five schools gathered to watch as the bridges were put to the test. Each team's bridge needed to support a trolley carrying "gold ingots" across a gap in the tracks. If they succeeded, the number of ingots increased and the bridge was put to the test yet again. One by one, the other teams' bridges broke under the weight of the ingots. We held our breath as the trolley rolled over our bridge - it held! Ingot by ingot, our bridge was put to the test. It ended up withstanding the most weight in the competition - the Phillies team won the Bridge Building Challenge! Congratulations to Isabel Schweitzer, Zalia Hobday and Stella Madden on their excellent bridge-building skills.
Overall, our Secondary team ranked 3rd in the Challenge - a fantastic achievement. It was a fun-filled day that enriched our students' learning and exposed them to the real-world applications of science and engineering. Congratulations to all of our participants!
