Is it a bird?  Is it a plane?  No it’s a… Gumboot?
If anyone sees a purple gumboot attached to balloons, last seen leaving Elsthorpe School heading towards the Pacific Ocean please contact 5 year old Ben Fowler.  He needs to know the distance it travelled so he can cement his name as Gumboot Chukin Champion 2013.

The staff at Elsthorpe School challenged the children to plan, build and fire a contraption that will hurl a gumboot as far as possible.  The ideas that were displayed on firing day, Wednesday the 10th of April were outstanding.  Marvellous machines from spud guns, slings, catapults, trebuchets to the first equal winner of Ben who attached helium balloons to his boot.

Principal Hayden Kennedy had the opportunity to speak to every child about the process they went through while tinkering in their parents sheds.  “The learning and this experience that occurred will last a life time.  I had Year 3 Sabine Rush  talking to me about how the triangle is the strongest shape, Year 4 Caitlyn Potter explained that if you put too much hairspray in the spud gun there wouldn’t be enough oxygen to burn, and Year 8 Briar Bicknell explain how the trebuchet uses kinetic energy to turn movement in power.  This is why the staff and Board have included Technology as a focus in our strategic planning. These types of outcomes just cant be learnt from a book.

The Elsthorpe community turned up in force to watch these budding inventors and lend a hand where needed.  New Entrant Ben Fowler took out equal first place, along with Caitlyn Potter who fired her gumboot a massive 43.9M.  Another spud gun design, constructed by Year 8 Sam Thelwell took out second with 29.1M, and Year 1 Hannah Potter with her catapult managed 19.2M