Year 7 and 8 scientists from Aquinas College have excelled at the recent Bay of Plenty EPro8 Challenge.
The Epro8 Challenge is technology and problem solving challenge with a range of equipment for the kids to use to come up with solutions to some quirky problems (a robotic guard dog, a laser pointer, creating a bridge that a vehicle can travel over with traffic lights).
Our Yr 7 team of Stanley Watson, Heath Lochhead, Jacob Pinto and Jack Gundry competed very well, and made a 2m span bridge with lights to control their ‘vehicle’ as it moved across the bridge, which had to be a metre high.
Our Yr 8 team of Gina Knowles, Boston Kesner, Samuel Rush and India Mahy solved a range of problems (keeping a balloon 2.4m in the air using fans and braces, created a ‘laser’ which could roam around the room and also made a bridge) AND managed to finish second which qualifies them for the regional finals in Rotorua in Week 10.
The kids did a great job of working together and showing a fair amount of resilience in the face of some firm (but fair!) judging.
