STEM

Year 5/6 

The Year 5/6 students have been putting their medieval engineering skills to the test as they evaluate whether their castle gatehouses can withstand an attack from a variety of forces. Each gatehouse was built to meet a detailed set of criteria, including a functional drawbridge with an opening-and-closing mechanism, a door with a latch, structural reinforcements, a portcullis, framing, bracing and buttresses.

Students were assessed on both the speed and reliability of their drawbridge, as well as the overall security of their design. They were also evaluated on the visual impact of their gatehouse façade and were encouraged to include impressive defensive features such as turrets and other intimidating architectural elements to deter would-be invaders.

This project has allowed students to combine creativity, engineering and problem-solving while gaining a deeper understanding of medieval design and defence strategies.

Year 3/4

The Year 3/4 students are concluding their unit on bridges and tunnels with an exciting hands-on coding challenge. Using the Sphero Education App, students programmed their Sphero robots to travel through a series of tunnels they had constructed. They experimented with both the Drive function and block coding, adjusting direction, speed and timing to guide their Sphero successfully from start to finish.

Foundation

Our Foundation students are thoroughly enjoying their unit on movement and force. They have been busy experimenting with air pressure by launching mini rockets using their breath and navigating marbles and pom-poms through obstacle courses.

The excitement continued as they explored magnetic force. By attaching magnets to toy cars, students discovered how magnets can push and pull objects. They designed their own racetracks and town roads, using magnets to move their cars along the paths. When the magnets repelled, the cars zoomed forward; when the magnets attracted, the cars were pulled toward the force. 

Year 1/2

The Year 1/2 students are continuing to thrive as young designers, exploring each step of the design process. Last week, they investigated different styles of hand fans from around the world and created two of their own. After designing and building their prototypes, they tested them to see which design was more efficient.

This week, students shifted their focus to the natural world by studying a range of bird nests and the clever ways birds construct them. They then headed out to Linear Park to channel their inner birds, using scavenged natural materials (twigs, grasses, and clay) to build a nest strong enough to hold a chicken egg.

Eileen