Earlier this month, 20 fourth and fifth-graders from Hockinson Heights Elementary School participated in the annual Clark Public Utilities Solar Car competition, and two HHES teams earned first and second-place finishes!
The Solar G.O.A.T.s, consisting of Jackson Heid, Ian Edwards, and Vann Rawdin, placed first for giving an excellent presentation and interview. The Speed of Light, with team members Gabriel Rhew, Dallas Hendrickson, Kit Massie, and Sterling Daniels, placed second by winning the race portion of the competition. 8th grader Charlie Jackson (pictured below with HMS Science Teacher Rachel Kolafa) represented a middle school team that placed 3rd.
Students prepared for the competition by meeting weekly throughout the solar car season. During these sessions, they learned about solar energy, torque, and gears while applying concepts from their Forces and Motion units at HHES. Each week, teams recorded data, made revisions to improve their cars based on their observations, and documented their progress in journals. Students also created digital presentations detailing their scientific process to showcase during the competition's interview portion.
This experience was made possible by three fantastic coaches at HHES: Natalia Christofferson, Michelle Perry, and Dannielle Ledbetter. Rachel Kolafa supported HMS participants. Together, these four dedicated advisers helped their students bring scientific concepts to life as they designed, refined, and raced their cars.
Fantastic job, Hornets!