Laurimar Primary School continued its winning streak with another successful year at the Energy Breakthrough, EB, competition at Maryborough last month.
EB is a three-day competition that invites teams of primary and secondary students to customise a vehicle within specifications to race against other schools.
Laurimar Primary School has participated in the Human Powered Vehicle, HPV, primary division for a decade, in which teams of grade five and six students contend a 14-hour race in pedal-powered carts.
The students must also present a 20-minute scripted presentation to judges in teams about the development of their HPV, its specifications and impact on the environment, and how the students fundraised to participate in the event, among other factors.
Teams are also queried by a judging panel on the students’ role in the HPV specifications such as tyre pressure, as well as how the HPV represents an ‘energy breakthrough’.
Grade six teacher and EB co-ordinator Mark Brown said EB was an extension and support program for Laurimar students.
“We love the fact that it takes you down to their comfort zones and shows them what they can do when they push themselves,” Mr Brown said.
“We’ve got kids in it that are high-fliers that we can give big roles to in the presentation, that they can really lead it and extend themselves.
“When they’ve got a real purpose and a script to read, lines to learn and they’re part of a team, we find that really helps those kids that need it.”
The program was implemented as a multi-month curriculum activity for children who proved themselves as willing contenders at Laurimar.
Of the 120 grade five and six students that applied to participate, 39 students were selected in three teams of 13, based on their fitness test, attitude toward schoolwork, behaviour and a speech to their classmates.
The students spent three hours each week undergoing theory sessions on environmental and health topics; boot camp with UBX Doreen gym to get students ‘super fit’ to power the carts on race day; and HPV customisation to tailor the carts.
“We have stacks of parents that tell us at the end of the year that their child is just a different child – they’re fitter, healthier, sleeping better, eating better,” Mr Brown said.
The school’s teams of Dragons, Phoenixes, and Griffins adapted their presentations on their HPVs to the themes of Elvis, Gogglebox and the Logies – dubbed the Laurimogies – scoring highly against their rivals.
The 14-hour race, counting for 50 per cent of the final score, involved eight drivers from each team rotating over two days of racing with the help of pit crews via walkie-talkies.
Battling the heat and restricted space in the HPV, students pedalled the track until they lost stamina.
For the first time in Laurimar’s history, three grade six students – Riley, Noah and Andy – completed 100-minute stints.
“We’d never had that happen until this year. That was incredible from those three,” Mr Brown said.
Laurimar Phoenix claimed the gold medal with an overall score of 96.2/100; Laurimar Dragons won silver with 91.6/100; and Laurimar Griffins took fourth with 90.1/100, against 53 other primary school competitors.
“[We preach] we’ve got three teams and you will officially be competing against each other, but we are Laurimar – if one of us wins all of us win,” Mr Brown said.
The scores continued last year’s winning streak when the three teams won first, second and third place.
“We’ll have a big target on our back next year, which I love,” Mr Brown said.
Mr Brown said Laurimar Primary School was grateful for its parent support and supporting partners, including major sponsor Chwyla Real Estate, Slices Doreen and Ghost Burgers and Grill Doreen restaurants, which provided food for the three days of competition, and Rach from UBX Boxing Gym Doreen, who trained the students throughout the program.