• Home
  • Articles
    • Front Page
    • General Interest
    • Snippets
    • Mayoral Notes
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Competitions
  • Our Community
    • Our People
    • Question of the Week
    • Jobs in the Central West
    • Be Seen
  • Features
    • Rural Round Up
    • My Place
    • Health & Wellbeing
    • Loving Local Living
    • Just a Short Drive
    • Real Estate
  • Sports
    • Bowls
    • Cricket
    • Equestrian
    • Footy Tips
    • Golf
    • Netball
    • Rugby League
    • Rugby Union
    • Soccer
    • Touch Football
  • Contact Us
    • Contact Page
    • Advertise with us
    • Testimonials
    • Submit an Article
    • Subscribe to the Parkes Phoenix

Parkes Phoenix

PCS Back At Birdman Rally To Defend Title

March 8, 2018 By editor

The first time they came third, last year they won – how far will they fly this Sunday? Nine senior Design and Technology students of Parkes Christian School will once again be competing at the 2018 Moomba Birdman Rally in Melbourne on Sunday.

The Year 11 and 12 students have lofty standards to live up to after winning the Flying Class section last year. “We managed to fly 11 metres, which was enough to take out the trophy for longest flight of the day,” said Design and Technology teacher Jason Wynstra. “It was such a buzz to come away with the win and the students are really excited to try and defend their title this year.”

First intended as a fun way for Design and Technology students to engage with their classwork in a practical way, the students now take the competition very seriously. “A major component of the Design and Technology syllabus is problem solving, so I thought this competition would be a great opportunity to explore that,” said Jason.

The problem they need to solve is how to construct a glider light enough to fly into the river off a small platform, but sturdy enough to safely support a pilot. “Watching the students come up with creative ways of solving this problem is just so satisfying as a teacher,” said Jason. “They use STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) skills to help them create a top-quality aircraft.”

While making the 10-hour trip from Parkes to Melbourne may seem like a lot, the school is more than happy to take part and provide a unique experience for its students. “We’re the only school in NSW taking part in the rally,” said high school coordinator Greg Ballantyne. “We are committed to providing real-world experiences for our students rather than just burying them in textbooks and theory. It’s a far better way for students to learn and they share an experience they will never forget.”

According to Greg there might be more exciting projects on the way for the school. “We have a project that Google is very interested in, and another that I have to keep under wraps for now,” he said. “But when that one hopefully takes place later this year, it will be out of this world!”

As the event is a charity fundraiser too, the PCS team is supporting Currajong Disability Services this year. If you would like to sponsor them, go to https://birdmanrally.gofundraise.com.au/page/JasonWynstra

Filed Under: Articles, General Interest

Latest Print Editions

Click here to download the recent issue (248) of The Parkes Phoenix (1.5MB PDF) – 26th February 2020

STAY CONNECTED

The Parkes Phoenix would like to thank you, our Facebook friends, for your continued support and readership!

CENTRAL WEST RURAL ROUND UP BOOKLET

Click here to download the Rural Round Up Booklet 

SEARCH THE PHOENIX

Recent Articles

  • No More Struggles With Sleep February 26, 2021
  • Young Reporter Writes Own Newsletter February 26, 2021
  • Honour Roll Shines Light On Hidden Treasures In Our Community February 26, 2021
  • Anzac Day To Go Ahead February 26, 2021
  • Snippets… February 26, 2021

CONTACT THE PHOENIX

Head Office Phone: (02) 6344 1846

Postal Address PO Box 203 Canowindra NSW 2804  

Editorial – Maggi Barnard Phone 0403 080 085 editor@parkesphoenix.com.au

Sales – Rochelle Frame Phone 0490 517 590 sales@parkesphoenix.com.au  

View our Privacy Policy.

View our Conflict Resolution Process.

View our Ethics and Complaints Policy.

Want to advertise with us?

Information on our Community Promotions.

Submit an Article

We are always looking for new articles of interest to the local community.

Please feel free to submit an article for possible inclusion in a future issue.

To submit an article, click here to use our online article submission form.

Sign up for The Parkes Phoenix Newspaper

* = required field

Copyright © 2021 · Website setup by WebSysMan