Forty eager Year 6 students checked in at Muswellbrook Sports Centre, armed with nothing but ideas about columns, cross-bracing, triangles, arches, stress points, suspension, energy and a bucket load of enthusiasm.

They competed with seven other schools to build towers to withstand earthquakes, construct bridges to transfer loads, create models to replace body parts, design buggies to travel on Mars and a myriad of other challenges throughout the day.

“We were very proud of our students and their contribution. It is always an amazing day and we are very grateful to sponsors Yancoal as well as organisers Newcastle University, Muswellbrook Rotary and the St Josephs High School students who work together to co-ordinate the event,”  teacher, Natalie Moore says.

“We witnessed many high fives, embraces and back slaps between the students as they shared the pure joy and satisfaction  that comes from collaborating to overcome problems and accomplish a challenge.”

Over the course of the day the students had to assess, plan, collaborate, design, construct, negotiate and re-design often.

“We were most proud of them though when they experienced the most significant lesson of the day….failure! They supported each other, reassessed what they could have done differently, then acknowledged others that succeeded. Thomas Eddison says I have not failed, I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

Student Lara Adamthwaite says she really enjoyed working with my friends and constructing the minipult

“We got it the furthest distance in our group,” she explains.

“Absolute awesome fun. I’d recommend all the other year groups to have ago and join in the day,”fellow student, Hamish Obrien says.