P.E. Wallace Middle School held their annual Gifted and Talented (GT) cardboard boat races on Friday, May 12 at Town Lake in Mount Pleasant. The students had about 3 hours that morning to design and construct their boats. Students in the 5th grade GT program could use cardboard, black plastic tarps, and duct tape. The 6th grade GT students collected and recycled two-liter bottles to build their boats, and could also use the cardboard, zip ties, black tarps and duct tape. Each boat was completely designed and built by the students with no adult assistance.

When it was time to race that afternoon, each boat was required to have at least one student aboard who would paddle their creation to a buoy, tap the buoy with their paddle, then turn around and return to shore. The races were divided by grade level with girls’ teams racing girls’ teams and boys racing boys.

After moments resembling Olympic level rowing and others looking more like the Titanic, the day belonged to the girls. The fifth-grade champion team included Anna Henry, Kate Cluley, Mallory Mancera, Kinlee Castro, Nylah Bell, and Josie Rodriguez. Winning the sixth-grade championship was the team of Emmalyn Thurman, Nayeli Pulquero, Piper Martin, Kezia Williams. More importantly the students learned teamwork, engineering, construction, and the importance of paying attention to the little details.

The Wallace GT program is under the direction of Kate Babcock.

Pictured

1 – (L to R) Thatcher Drange, Jake Jones, Juan Carrillo, and Joseph Adame carry their creation to the water.

2 – (L to R) Lane Richardson, Jamari Meeks, Joseph Adame, and Benji Baker discuss how to use the plastic tarp

3 – Fifth grader Anna Henry paddles her winning team’s boat in

4 – Wallace 6th grade science teacher, Ruben Carreo, rescues a failed creation from Town Lake

5 – Anastacia Davis (left) and Hadassah Thompson attempt to launch their boat

6 – Charles Johnson paddles back to shore with Wallace Assistant Principal, Kelly Inman, available for safety

7 – Sixth grader Kezia Williams paddles her winning team’s boat back after tapping the buoy