It Takes a Spark

Our Year 4/5 students recently attended the It Takes a Spark conference, where they explored hands-on learning through innovative activities. They had the opportunity to build prototypes and tackle real-world problems using creative problem-solving skills. From designing solutions to exploring technology, the conference inspired students to think critically and collaborate with peers. The experience gave them a glimpse into the world of STEM, encouraging them to become future innovators and problem solvers.

Some highlights from the Year 4 students

Zion R: The big drones were my favourite. I was on the leaderboard. I also put on the VR headset, and it took me to the moon. It was fun but a little scary.                                      

Mihira A: My first rotation was the Shooting Stars. I enjoyed it because they talked about how heavy or light a star can be. If a star is heavy, it could injure someone. The STEM Expo had a go-kart and candy on the floor; you had to drag the toy cart and collect the candy. Everyone was lining up for that game. I had to build a boat that could float while holding a lot of marbles. I had lots of fun.                                     

Ruth M: I liked it because we got to control robots, and it was super fun but hard. I also liked the STEM Expo because we got so many free things like hats, bracelets, and pens. The last thing I liked was when we got to make a bridge out of LEGO, and my partners were Ini and Angel. It was so much fun.

Josef K: I liked the big muffins; they were so big. I also liked all the free stuff. I got about 30 Mentos at the STEM Expo. I really enjoyed the prosthetic leg rotation; it was my favourite part. There were VR games, but sadly the line was too long. We got to code drones, which was fun. We block-coded them. There were diggers and trucks, and we had to collect the candy. The last thing we did was build rockets, and it was fun to watch them launch.

Ronan C: The things I loved about the It Takes a Spark conference were recess and lunch. They served giant chocolate muffins, and they were delicious. After you ate, you were allowed to go to the STEM Expo, where there were all sorts of freebies. I got some squishies, balls, Mentos, and chocolate. I also got some bands, hats, and markers. Then I tried some VR experiences; some were scary, like jumping off a skyscraper, and some I didn’t even understand, like a construction site. Another one of my favourite things was the challenges. The best one was building a Minecraft bridge. I was paired up with my friend. At first, you had to solve these not-so-tricky ciphers to get to the next level. Everyone got up to level 3 because there wasn’t enough time. Then we built a bridge, but the same thing happened—we didn’t have enough time to finish.

Ini: I liked the robots that we got to control with a permanent marker and how they could follow the line of the marker. I also liked the VR. When you put on the VR headset, you appeared in a white room, and then there were two buttons you had to press to teleport to an elevator. There were many different buttons in the elevator. When you press the button that says 'plank,' the elevator closes and then opens again. You find yourself on top of a tall building with a plank in front of you, and when you hit the ground, it goes white, and you are back at the start. I also liked the freebies: candy, a pen, a hat, and bracelets. I really enjoyed the excursion.