Floating toaster sees Northland school team win berth in international STEM competition in USA

A floating toaster has won a Whangārei school team a berth in an international Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) competition in the United States.

The three-student team from Parua Bay School - named Floating Toaster and made up of Issy Nudds, Alex Balcombe and Max Stallworthy - won the Intermediate class of the New Zealand National Aquabot finals in Tauranga on Sunday.

They have qualified to represent New Zealand in the Middle School section at the international SeaPerch competition in at the University of Maryland in May 2023.

As well, Wellsford’s Rodney College Rodney Rays team won the High School section and will also head to the University of Maryland competition next year.

More than 40 teams took part in the competition on Sunday, including from Northland - Matarau, Parua Bay, Tangiteroria, Kamo High, Bay of Islands College, Ōpua School and Panguru.

Ōpua School’s Aquaboys came third in the intermediate section which was the most competitive section of the competition with the most teams vying for placings. Matarau School Charlies Angels came second in the Primary section.

The two teams from Te Kura Taumata o Panguru hearts sank when two weeks before the competition their teacher, Lizzie Boyle fell from her horse dislocating her shoulder, breaking her ankle and off school. Whaea Lizzie made it back to work in time to help them submit their Technical Reports and arrange a driver to take them on the eight-hour drive to Tauranga to compete.

Teams from Tangiteroria, Bay of Islands College and Kamo High School also competed winning individual challenges. Kamo High School Manta Rays and Matarau School Aquadrifters took the grand prix awards for the fastest Aquabots in New Zealand in the High School and Intermediate classes, respectively, navigating a 6m obstacle course.

The competition includes challenges outside the pool including a 10-minute presentation to judges and submitting a technical engineering design report a week before the event for teams to demonstrate the scientific and engineering knowledge behind their Aquabot.

Outstanding in this section was the Tangi Turbos from Tangiteroria School of only 35 pupils who prepared an outstanding scientific report to win first place in the competitive intermediate section.

In the primary Technical Report section Parua Bay School’s Jimmy’s Tribe team also came first with Matarau’s Charlies Angels coming in third. Alongside their performance in the pool the young students demonstrate a wealth of scientific talent across the region, organiser Gareth Bodle said.