Published on: 12 December 2013




Design and Technology students won two State competitions recently including the eV Challenge and Science and Engineering Challenge. Boys also represented WA in the National CO2 Dragster Championships.

Last month, four Year 11 students were rewarded for their engineering skills in the ITC Global eV Challenge held at the RAC Driver Centre near Perth Airport. Harry Radloff, Elliott Smith, Luca Hancock, and Lachlan Fowler won first prize in the Senior Secondary category (Years 11 and 12) of the one-hour endurance race for small electric vehicles. CCGS 2, including Regan Tan, Seiyu Tampi, Alan Roy and Edmund Ngan, finished in third place.

The two teams dedicated Friday afternoons to designing, building and trialling their electric vehicles under the guidance of design and technology teacher Alec Barbour. In the challenge, vehicles are driven around a 3km-track for one hour using a prescribed amount of battery power along with other specifications. Each team has three drivers, which makes pit stops interesting, and the winning team is the one who completes the most laps of the circuit.

In Term 3, Christ Church won the WA Science and Engineering Challenge held at Curtin University. A team of 31 Year 9 students represented the School at the annual event hosted by the University of Newcastle and Engineers Australia.

Fifty schools from regional and metropolitan areas competed in the event, which aims to promote science and engineering-based professions to students. In teams of four, boys completed a series of 12 scenario-based activities including Bridge Building, Eco-habitat, Mission to Mars and World Sailing Spectacular.

Head of Design and Technology Geoff McGillivray said selection in the team was based on recommendations from Science, Mathematics and Design and Technology teachers. “Christ Church was announced the winner of the day and we were later advised the boys had won the State Championship and a place in the Nationals, which we declined due to time constraints,” Mr McGillivray said.

Also in Term 3, Year 8 student Ben Anderson placed third at the National CO2 Dragsters Championships. The School entered a number of CO2 dragsters into the WA CO2 Dragster Championships and after securing some prominent placings in the WA event; Ben’s vehicle was selected to represent WA at the National Championships.