On Wednesday, 25 September, the Point View School hall in Botany buzzed with excitement as 11 schools gathered for a highly anticipated inter school STEM competition. Designed to challenge the minds of Year 3 and 4 students, the event ran from 11am to 2:30pm, filling the school with the lively energy of future innovators. One school had to withdraw at the last minute, but quick thinking by organiser, Mr Rankin, led to the formation of a “Dream Team,” composed of a mixed-grouping of students across schools who were happy to step in and make sure there would be enough teams for each round. The event featured a series of stimulating STEM-based activities, encouraging teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving in a hands-on environment.

The day’s success was amplified by the beautiful weather, which set the tone for an afternoon of learning and friendly competition. Mr. Rankin, specialist STEM teacher at Point View School, kicked off the day with a motivating introduction, emphasising the importance of STEM education in preparing young learners for a rapidly evolving world. He spoke eloquently about how STEM isn’t just about mastering specific subjects but also about developing critical thinking, collaboration, and adaptability – essential skills for their future success… with lots of dad jokes peppered into his introduction to the day’s challenges.

As teams prepared for the first round of challenges, it was clear that this day was about more than just winning; it was about fostering a love of learning and innovation among all who participated.

Engineering Fun and Teamwork: Six Stations

The competition featured six engaging stations, where all students participated and could choose between easier and more challenging tasks at each one. These activities were designed to foster teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving, while testing a range of STEM skills.

At the tower-building or bridge-building station, students used wooden blocks to create the tallest or most structurally sound structures. Once completed, their creations faced a tough test – a leaf blower simulating strong winds, challenging them to balance height or length with stability. Teams had to think critically about how to use their materials effectively.

The robotics station offered two exciting activities: Sphero golf and R2D2 bowling. In Sphero golf, students programmed a Sphero robot to navigate a course. R2D2 bowling involved guiding a small R2D2 droid toward bowling pins, requiring students to perfect their programming skills to ensure accuracy. Both activities required careful planning and problem-solving, with fun built into the activity.

The Top Trumps station featured a special science and engineering twist, thanks to custom sets designed by Mr. Rankin. Students played the card game with STEM-related categories, having to think strategically to outsmart their opponents. The PlayStation 2 version (which, having been released in 2000, was older than all of the children playing the game) added a digital component, testing their ability to adapt the same strategies in a different format and with dinosaurs as the context.

At the simple machines station, students explored the mechanics of levers, pulleys, and other fundamental machines. The hands-on challenges encouraged students to think like engineers, using these devices to complete specific tasks, all while learning about the physical principles behind each mechanism.

The speedometer challenge required students to help LEGO Maggie, a character in a wheelchair, increase her speed and ‘pimp her ride’. By experimenting with different designs and configurations, teams aimed to improve Maggie’s performance, deepening their understanding of the relationship between force, motion, and speed.

The final station combined two unique activities: candle-making and Cartesian divers. Students first crafted their own candles, focusing on the properties of materials and the process of creating a functional product. Afterward, they swapped to the Cartesian divers challenge, where they used droppers and paperclips to design ‘magic’ divers that moved up and down in a bottle of water by manipulating air pressure. This station combined elements of both chemistry and physics in a highly interactive way.

Throughout the day, year 5 and 6 senior students from Point View School served as mentors and judges, evaluating how well teams worked together and tackled each challenge. These senior students did an incredible job, ensuring fairness and providing guidance to the younger participants.

The Vision for the Future

Mr Stuart Rankin was the driving force behind this event, overseeing its organisation and ensuring that everything ran smoothly on the day. His dedication to promoting STEM education and creating an engaging environment for young learners was clear in the thoughtful design of the activities and the overall structure of the competition.

It became clear that TENZ could play a valuable role in supporting the growth of this competition in future years. The potential to involve more schools and diversify the range of STEM activities is enormous, and with the solid foundation, there is every opportunity to expand.

The event ended on a high note with the announcement of the winners. After totalling the scores awarded by the judges, first place for 2024 went to Pakuranga Heights. Thanks were given by Mr Rankin to all those who lent him a child or three for the last couple of days.

He continued: “The Point View school team performed well achieving fifth out of twelve behind the rookie winners Pakuranga Heights. As MC, ref and timekeeper, I wasn’t really allowed to coach so the poor kids were really on their own. Despite that, they really seemed to be one of the most mature and focused of all the teams so we must be doing something right.”

Mr. Rankin praised the senior mentors for their hard work throughout the day, noting with a smile that their fascination with candle dipping became a recurring theme. Though they were meant to be supporting the younger students, many found themselves drawn to the satisfying process of dipping candles. “I do empathise with them,” Mr. Rankin jokes, “but I still don’t fully understand why it’s so satisfying!”

Those whose classes came to watch and support today were also acknowledged. It helps empower the kids and a lot of the kids that were front and centre today aren’t necessarily our usual academic achievers. These kids demonstrated their STEM knowledge and strong teamwork and problem-solving skills. Each winning team proudly selected prizes to take home from a selection of mainly LEGO prizes, a fitting reward for an event centred on building and innovation, alongside their handmade candle and ‘parent tricking’ Cartesian diver.