A few weeks ago, Mr Elsley and I had the privilege of taking some keen students to the Science and Engineering challenge at CMS.

This nationwide event is run by the University of Newcastle and brings together all the secondary schools in the region as well as a contingent of home schoolers to compete in solving science and engineering problems.

There were 8 different scenarios students had to compete in and these ranged from making the most effective propellor which could be used for modern purposes like wind turbines, to replicating the ingenious fishtraps that were invented by First Nations peoples. Students had to utilise many areas of design, inventiveness and efficiency to solve these problems working in teams of 2-4 people.

We teachers were not allowed to help of course, so it was a great day for Mr Elseley and I to walk around eating the provided food while our students were busy cracking the problems. 😉

It was absolutely wonderful to see our students working together, facing the challenges and the speed bumps and taking it all in their stride to achieve solutions.As we live in such a changing world, problem solving, creative thinking, resilience and teamwork are increasingly important to tackle whatever challenges come our way, and to see our students excel at this was really beautiful and they should all be extremely proud of themselves - as we are.

The day finished with the bridge challenge, where students were tasked to build a bridge out of balsa wood and masking tape, in which we came agonisingly close to drawing 1st place against the homeschoolers, and you can see the devastation on our faces.

Of course winning isn't everything, but it is nice to be recognised for your efforts and so we were all pretty chuffed to hear that in the overall scores, not only did we win the Mparntwe competition, but also qualified for the national competition by getting the highest score out of any school in the Northern Territory! Thanks to Mrs Tsai for organising this, and the bus drivers who made it possible, and to all the students who as I said we are very proud of.

Student Comments:

I participated in the Science and Engineering Challenge not knowing what to expect nor what we were doing. It was hosted at CMS and there were about 7 schools that competed in this. We had to solve different problems; my friends and I were assigned to the claw grabber that could pick up a weight cup across a curtain distance, had to throw a soft ball to a target, and we had to drop a cotton ball on a target as well. We had to work together as a team and come up with ideas on what to make and how we could successfully do this for maximum points. We did all the tests and they were all successful.

Our other friends were working on different problems to solve but we are not allowed to help each other.

At the end we were waiting for the results and St Philip's came first out of all the schools in Alice Springs, then they announced that we came first in the NT and we qualified for nationals in Canberra.Which none of us were expecting!

It such a great opportunity to participate in the Science and Engineering Challenge.

~ Lily Dodd

Entering the competition, I wasn't sure what to expect. The next thing I knew, I was sitting at a table with two friends, figuring out how to build a grabbing claw using only cardboard, string, and a pipe.

Although everyone had different ideas at first, we managed to combine them and build the best claw we possibly could. The experience really challenged us to think outside the box and solve problems together.

I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and never expected us to win!

Thank you!

~ Moksha Prasath Kamur

I had a great time at the Science and Engineering Challenge. The activities were super interesting, rewarding, and really got me thinking. I really enjoyed taking part. It was a fantastic experience that was both super engaging and a lot of fun. The different activities really pushed us to think creatively and work together as a team to solve some pretty cool problems. I walked away feeling really inspired and glad that I had the chance to be a part of it.

~ Anabia Kaleem

The Science and Engineering Competition was really enjoyable and engaging. I loved the variety of challenges and being able to complete them alongside my friends. The challenges helped me develop my critical thinking, teamwork and communication skills, as these were vital to our group’s success. Everyone involved in the competition was extremely kind and helpful, which made the experience even more memorable.

~ Andrew Noble

A few things I liked from this experience were the hands on challenges, friendly competitiveness and how everyone came together in their groups to help St Philip’s win.

From this experience I got to learn new skills in engineering and new insights on things like, traditional fish traps and how the tail of a wind turbine works. The Science and Engineering Challenge was a fun and educational experience I’d recommend to any future Year 9 and 10 students in the following years.

~ Eshal Imran

Nathaniel Newman

Teacher

Year 7 to 9 Learning Expo