It's the engineering olympics! Students in Alex Siragy's Engineering I & II classes put this quarter's creations--trebuchets and boats--to the test. In Engineering I, the class split into teams and designed five large trebuchets, each unique but with a midsection that could hold a bag of sand and a pouch to hold their 'ammunition' - tennis balls. The class spent their final exam period holding a trebuchet launch demonstration and competition to a cheering audience. Teams launched tennis balls at targets, competing for distance and accuracy. The winning trebuchet design was by juniors Elijah M and Kavi M.! Seniors in Engineering II built boats within a given set of dimensions to maximize displacement, speed, maneuverability, and effectiveness. Boats were constructed using a variety of materials, including wood, aluminum, plastic film, and duct tape, powered by electric motors, and controlled using a remote control system. The testing was a fun event that attracted many onlookers. This year's winner was the SS Iceberg Marine, built and piloted by seniors Sawyer R and Elena P. Congrats to this years' competitors! (fb)

What do 9th graders think the meaning of life is? Working with the Integrated Science, History and English team, this year's Freshman class made TED Talks sharing their wisdom. Each student pondered the question and wrote about what they considered the meaning of life to be, then they took their scripts to local filmmaking hub Light House Studio and turned them into videos. Some of their thoughts included the importance of: reading for mental health, listening to music to reduce stress, volunteering and how it affects your personal growth, spending time with friends, balancing relaxation and productivity, finding happiness through gratitude, spending time in nature, being a role model, finding inspiration, and making human connection. There's some great advice in there! Thanks for sharing it, 9th grade! (fb)