Friday, September 28, 2018

Students Test Catapult Prototypes

Tests can be a common activity in school. But a group of students at Blackville School were involved in a very different test this week: catapult testing.

Students who built catapults for the Catapult Challenge for the The Pumpkin Fling this Saturday at Waterford Green in Chatham did a test run at Blackville School on Thursday and Friday.

Students from participating schools will be launching pumpkins to see which goes the farthest on Saturday. The creator of the winning catapult will be awarded $750.00. There is also a chance to win the School Spirit Award, valued at $250.00.

Mr. Ashley Hallihan has organized a team with his Environmental Science class. “The students use science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to build their own creation with lots of school spirit,” explained Hallihan.


Additionally, Hallihan noted the event and the test runs leading up to the event get students outside to enjoy the fall season. This week his class held competitions with Mr. Rob Lenhart’s grade 7 class to determine which group will compete in the challenge on Saturday.

Hallihan has been involved in the event before. As a teacher at Miramichi Valley High School, his students won two challenges.

The event is hosted by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of New Brunswick (APEGNB) and will be held this Saturday from 12-2:30 pm at Waterford Green in Chatham.

For more photos from the catapult testing at Blackville School, click here. For more information about the event, click here.

Article by Julia Curtis
Photos by Maggie Jardine