Gloucester Public School and Barrington School have taken out the top rankings for the Discovery Day event held on May 3 and 4. The event, hosted by the University of Newcastle, takes experiments designed for high school students and adapts them for the primary level to encourage interest in science and engineering.

The event was held over five days to accommodate the overwhelming interest from the schools around the region. Each team of 24 students were given eight different challenges, including making a functioning, movable hand out of straws, string, rubber bands, sticky tape and a plastic glove.  

Gloucester Public School had two teams comprising of year 6 students and a select group of year five students. The school won both first and second place for the Tuesday challenges.

“Gloucester Public School has now been titled Champion School for having won five out of the last six years competing,” said assistant principal Rod Maggs.

Barrington Public School, who took 15 students, were joined by Krambach Public School and Upper Landsdowne Public School on Wednesday’s competition and won second place

“Taree’s Discovery Day is the only week long event in Australia due to the high level or interest and sponsorship,” said Barrington School teacher Dave Keen.

Both teachers commented on how well Gloucester region’s smaller schools have competed and won against the much larger schools in the Manning Valley. With Barrington School also having placed first in the past.

Gloucester’s St Joseph's Primary School had 11 students present at the challenge on Wednesday who teamed up with their Taree counterpart.