Diary Entry - May

The Final Countdown

Well it might be the last month but we have never been so busy!

The Rockets Launch Challenge Spring Project 1

It was a beautiful day to launch rockets! We had loads of entries for  the best looking rocket and also the best performing one from the younger learners. The STEMM team had the additional task of incorporating a payload. Wow how those rockets travelled!

Some travelled so far we never saw them again! Mike Hales , our support from Rolls-Royce Filton helped to adjudicate and we look forward to him coming back to make some special presentations.

Interactive Boxes (supported by the University of Wales) Summer Project 1

Alan Rowse, our technology consultant tells me that his team of high school student teachers have been working furiously at producing the interactive boxes to our specification. The boxes have been delayed by problems with laser cutting equipment but we hope that they will be ready before the project video completion.

Biodiversity! (supported by DWR Cymru and the British Orienteering Association) Summer Project 2 and Bridging Project

As an opener we are busy designing a science based orienteering course around the feeder pond near the visitor centre at the Drive. We have had expert advice from a naturalist adviser Mary Watkins who runs the Education Centre at DWR Cymru and plan to be in touch with the biodiversity team at Caerphilly Borough Council. We have located a place that will be good to develop.

We made enquiries to the British Orienteering Association for orienteering maps. Marie Tomos , our orienteering consultant on the team advised us that this area has never been surveyed for this purpose. And so we have another first for this project as we have commissioned a survey and map which is shortly due to arrive.

This project links the present with the future. We will not see completion this year and work will re-commence in September for the newly appointed STEMM and SALT teams.

Year 6 STEMM Team Handover to the Current Year 5 Team

Get the Kleenex out! Our STEMM team is shortly to hand over the operation to the Year 5 SALT’s who will then become the new STEMM team for September. The STEMM team will also be on the hunt for budding scientists from year 4 to become the new SALT teams. Both teams will be a hard act to follow!

Celebrations

We are also busy creating a celebratory display at our dedicated project centre ‘The STEMM Area’. We are only now able to decorate because the area has been governed by fire regulations due to nearby building operations.  An end of year STEMM party is also planned.

To cap it all we have an inspection in a couple of weeks and the inspectors have already taken a healthy interest in our proceedings. The future looks bright!

Farewell

Thank you for reading and good luck to all the other teams.
See you in October!

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