After hearing news that the Greenpower boxes had arrived, the specially chosen Westbourne Goblin Electric car team gathered for their first meeting on Monday 13th May 2019. The ecstatic children were buzzing to open the boxes, the time had finally come…
The first cut was made; the children’s excitement grew as the plastic straps sprung open. As the lid was lifted you could see hope and anticipation in their eyes. Toby, age 10, described the moment as “Absolutely ecstatic and amazing. I have been excited since I first heard of the project!”
Harry, age 10, describes his excitement, “It will be a very cool experience because I want to be a race car driver when I’m older.”
As the items were taken out of the boxes the parts of the Kit Car were ticked off on the parts check list. Once it was established that all the parts were there, the children quietened down as they listened to a safety briefing and an introduction to the tools they would be using. This session ended with children stating their feelings of excitement as 10/10.
Monday 20th May saw the build begin in session 2, and good progress was made in the chassis assembly. Peggy and Thea proved perfect part identifiers, accumulating the elements for each stage of the build in lightning fast time. They learnt how to use a spanner and socket set to tighten the bolts and the screws. One of the problems they came across was they didn’t know how to test the tyre pressure but this became a newly acquired skill by the end of the day.
Many of the children said they struggled in the second session because they did not have enough of the tools. However they have concluded that they will hold a fundraising event so they can purchase more equipment. They have also asked for donations of certain tools in the school newsletter.
Mr Flat, a staff member conveyed his opinion about the build by saying “I’m really excited because this is an amazing opportunity for the children. They will learn new skills whilst having fun. I can’t wait to see our car racing.”
We spoke to the head teacher of Westbourne Primary School about how he felt about the green power kit car “I think PO10 has been very generous to give the children an opportunity they might have otherwise not had by sponsoring this project. One of the most amazing experiences in my teaching career was when my former school took part in the green power race. One child in particular who struggled academically took part in this, once on the race track he shone and proceeded to win the race. Finally, I believe that this gives children an opportunity to feel success in a new way.”
In session three, they plan to put the steering column together and mount it on to the chassis. There is an overall feel that the children have enjoyed themselves. Hugo, age 11, said “I like Greenpower racing, it’s really fun and I enjoy building the car with my friends. I also think that it will give us a head start for the future when we drive cars as adults.”
We look forward informing you as the project moves on and the car develops. Look out for our future reports.
By Evie Bartlett, 11 and Luca Martell, 11.