Rockwood Students Put Boat Designs to the Test in Inaugural Middle School Regatta

On May 13 and 14, eighth-grade Academic Stretch students and teachers from all six Rockwood School District middle schools converged at the Rockwood Summit High pool for the first-ever Eighth-Grade Boat Regatta.

Using only cardboard and duct tape, students worked in groups to create boats that could float on water and oars to propel themselves across the pool surface. The groups worked for weeks to research and create the best design possible.

On the regatta days, the students took turns racing their boats. Some vessels glided across the pool with ease. Some … did not.

But all of the students involved had fun while learning and engaging with the engineering design process!

Schools recorded their top three finishers, as well as giving awards in categories such as Best Theme, Best Engineering, Fan Favorite, Best Teamwork, Best Ship Name, Best Oar/Paddle, Most Creative, Best Titanic and Best Tugboat … for a certain team whose vessel capsized at the beginning, leaving the pilot swim and drag the boat the length of the pool.
Congratulations to these creative, outstanding Rockwood students!

LaSalle Springs Middle

• First Place – “RowRow JoJo” (25 seconds) – Brendan, Maggie and Avery (and boat captain Stretch teacher Rachelle Berkley)
• Second Place – “The Rocket” (28 seconds) – James, Adam and Retief
• Third Place – “Tiki” (29 seconds) – Joey, Rudy and Drew
• Best Theme – “Boatageddon” (zombie apocalypse) – Malloy, Anna and Cameron
• Best Engineered – “The Rocket”
• Best Teamwork – “The Megalodon” – Liesl and Adalyn
• Best Ship Name – “Tesla CyberDuck” – Timmy, Harrison and Lincoln
• Best Oar/Paddle – “The Rocket”
• Most Creative – “The Blood Vessel” – Amelia, Cami and Emma
• Best Titanic – Grennan and Mike

Rockwood South Middle

• First Place – “The Scrambler” (43 seconds)
• Second Place – “The Minnow (62 seconds)
• Best Theme – “The Scrambler” (carnival)

Selvidge Middle

• First Place – “Alpha Wolves” (44 seconds) – Trisha Ahir, Petra Gereau and Olivia Sanborn (44 seconds)
• Second Place – “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (80 seconds) – Liam Burian, Bridget Fitzgerald and Luna Schroer
• Third Place – “US Ranbir” – Ranbir Bhatia, Talieya Blagrove and Evie Miller
• Best Theme – “Mario Cart” – Achyut Aenagandula Chase Schratz, Izzie Westerhold and Scarlett Zurweller

Wildwood Middle

• First Place – “Boatie McBoatface” (41 seconds) – Alex Cannon, Ben Davis and Greyson Kealen
• Second Place – “Bikini Boat Babes” (53 seconds) – Giada Corio, Whitney Drapalik and Allen Lobo
• Third Place – “The Mermaid” (95 seconds) – Addie Clark, Divya Sinha and Saphine Witt
• Best Theme – “The Mermaid”
• Best Engineered – “Boatie McBoatface”
• Fan Favorite – “Bikini Boat Babes”
• Best Teamwork – “The Mermaid”
• Best Ship Name – “Ship Happens” – Luci Cordes-Palmer, Whitney Drapalik and Lorelei Smythe
• Best Oar/Paddle – “Ain’t Getting Wet” – Drew Williams and Charlie Winslett
• Most Creative – “Super Hot Macho Tacos” – Carson Foster, Char Heger and Chase Momtaz
• Best Titanic – “Das Boot” – Tristan Bader, Abel Carrier and George Parenti
• Best Tugboat – “Super Hot Macho Tacos”