Racing cardboard boats in Strathmore

By Adelle Ellis, Times Reporter

For the first time in Strathmore, a cardboard boat race was held at the Strathmore Aquatic Centre with 16 teams from Wheatland Crossing School, George Freeman School and Strathmore High School.
On May 6, 64 students took to the water with their boats made from cardboard, tape and a surprise beach ball. About half of the teams managed to paddle their way across the pool while the other half sank.
“I think it was successful because it was a great day watching and listening to students engage with the task from a variety of perspectives,” said Mark McKeen, teacher at Wheatland Crossing School who organized the event. McKeen modelled the event on similar guidelines as the annual Skills Canada cardboard boat race competition that many of the teams had competed in before.
A few benefits of holding the competition locally is the fact that Strathmore has the facilities to hold events such as these, students can participate in front of family and friends, and participants and parents did not need to travel far.
Participating students were all smiles during the competition, even if their boat didn’t make it across the pool. Many of them are already planning for next year having had new ideas sparked of how to make things better.
“I think we should have done a little bit more reinforcing and our design wasn’t quite thought out before we started building it; so we made a lot of revisions (and) a lot of cuts where we shouldn’t have,” said Erin Slemko, a Grade 11 student from Wheatland Crossing School.
There were many different boat designs including some that looked like canoes, thin and long boats, large-based boats, some that were folded into very small designs and one that was folded to be nearly flat.
Some of the more memorable moments included some where the participants took chances with their boat design – even if they didn’t always work out.
“Sometimes I can see right away that they are going to run into some problems trying to get across the pool, but also understand the value in letting them make some mistakes in the process,” said Mckeen. He added that he is already planning on hosting the event again next year with the hopes of including sponsorship opportunities, a free lunch and T-shirts for participants, and adding some creative and thematic elements to the competition.
This year’s event offered opportunities for students to get involved in a project where they learned the benefit of teamwork and collaboration, building something themselves, applying mathematics and physics principles to a tangible project, to think critically and to build confidence.
“It is so important to provide as many chances as we can for young people to connect, critically think and gain experience in relying on their own abilities,” said McKeen. “It’s in those moments, when a young person learns to believe in themselves, where you see the greatest growth … this is experience that contributes not only to a positive self-image, but helps to build competencies that will follow them into the workplace as they collaborate and create with others.”
Winners included:
Junior high competition – first place: Mary Sandum, Lexi Kathol, Jayla Keney and Kylie Bishop, Wheatland Crossing School; second place: Eric Fladhamer, Jace Papp, Olie Burne and Tristen Fraser, Wheatland Crossing School; third place: Ethan Thompson, Jacob Van Dresar, Kadence Drabiuk and Taya Brindle, Wheatland Crossing School.
Senior high competition – first place: Cody Holdaway, Josh Kennedy, Meadow Tribe and Mason Burns, Strathmore High School; second place: Sam Kathol, Everett Bishop, Mack Burne and Darren Newell, Wheatland Crossing School; third place: Diana Pan, Remi Poyntz, Tessa Davidson and Erin Slemko, Wheatland Crossing School.