By VICTORIA STONE-MEADOWS
SILVAN Primary School recently held its biennial billy-cart derby and boxcar rally with students, parents and even police in attendance.
The event is a day for staff, students and families of the school to see the results of a whole school arts and technology program run over the term.
The students in Prep and Grades 1, 2, and 3 work on their boxcars which ranged this year from racecars to buses and even a police car.
The students in Grade 4 re-created beautiful Australian works of art that are now a permanent fixture of the school’s art room cupboards.
Students in Grade 5 and 6 had a more involved project where they designed and built billy-carts that they then rode to glory during the events day at the school.
The students started by creating a design for their billy cart in a 1:10 ratio drawing, then proceeded to build those carts from their own designs.
Principal Damian Tirchett said while the projects were a lot of fun for the students, they had also learned some valuable skills.
“In all the areas students cover mathematical skills of measuring, calculating using ratios, grid work, plus design and construction skills,” he said.
“The students constructed their billy-carts completely by themselves. They only had assistance drilling holes into their axles and mounting their wheels with split pins on either side.”
The students’ hard work over the last school term paid off when they had the chance to put their creations to the test.
Sergeant Mark Knight and Leading Senior Constable Shane Cross from Monbulk Police Station were on hand with a speed camera to determine whose billy cart reached the fastest speed.
The winner with the fastest speed was Aaron Trewavis, who rolled his cart to an impressive 21km/h down the slope.
