Last Monday, 28 of our Year 4 and 5 students proudly represented Caningeraba at the Gold Coast Robotic Sumo competition held at Carrara Sports Stadium. The event brought together more than 500 students from across the Gold Coast, with 18 schools and over 140 teams competing throughout the day.
Caningeraba entered 10 teams across a range of divisions, with students battling it out in more than 1,130 LEGO robot sumo matches. The aim of the competition is simple — use your robot to push your opponent out of the ring, just like a real sumo contest! After eight intense round robin battles, division winners and runners-up were announced. Our students achieved outstanding success, finishing the day with two division runners-up and one division winner. All three teams progressed through to the finals and competed exceptionally well against strong opposition.
A special mention goes to Stella and Mabel, who fought their way through to the Grand Final. Unfortunately, in the opening round their robot fell from the platform and broke. While the disappointment was obvious, what stood out most was the resilience and determination they showed as they worked together to repair their robot and continue competing. Their perseverance and sportsmanship made us incredibly proud. The grand final can be viewed at the 4 hour 58 minute mark here: Gold Coast Robotic Sumo Grand Final Video
What made this achievement even more impressive was that our students competed successfully against schools with dedicated STEM teachers and specialised robotics programs. Every Caningeraba robot was designed, built and coded by the students themselves. While guidance was provided, the creativity, problem-solving and programming were all their own work.
The excitement is still peaking with students already asking about the next robotics challenge and eager to get started again.
Our STEM program provides incredible opportunities for students, and these experiences would not be possible without the support of Sharon Prior and Tyla Jenkins, who generously give up their time to support students and foster their passion for STEM learning.