Year 8 News

Year 8s Reach for the Stars with "Tickle My Droid" Incursion

From Monday 19th to Wednesday 21st, our Year 8 students took part in an exciting and inspiring incursion called "Tickle My Droid", designed and delivered by the Victorian Space Science Education Centre (VSSEC). The hands-on experience immersed students in a NASA-style mission, where they had to think like real space engineers.

Working in small groups, students were tasked with simulating the challenge of programming a Mars rover. Using Spheros—small robotic devices that can be programmed to move and change direction—students planned and coded routes with precision. Just like NASA teams dealing with the real-life communication delay between Earth and Mars, our budding engineers had to consider a 30-minute delay before receiving feedback on their code. This meant every instruction had to be carefully planned and tested.

Throughout the sessions, students rose to the challenge with enthusiasm, demonstrating teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Many showed remarkable talent and interest in coding.

We are very grateful to Emma from VSSEC, who travelled from Melbourne to guide our students through this out-of-this-world experience. While visiting, Emma also generously provided professional learning for staff, sharing her expertise in using the school's telescope—originally provided by VSSEC several years ago.

A big thank you to Emma and the VSSEC team for helping ignite a passion for space science and technology in our Year 8 cohort.