Nor'West News: April 24, 2018

NOR’WEST NEWS Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Tuesday April 24 2018 9
Students tackle global issues in US
SCHOOLS
• By Sophie Cornish
A TEAM of former Cobham
Intermediate students will
compete at an international
competition in the United States
in June aimed at solving future
global issues
Last year, the Cobham team
of Mac Craig, Benjamin Davey,
Eric Huang and Corin Simcock
won the junior category at the
Future Problem Solving New
Zealand national championships,
while a Rangi Ruru Girls’
School team of Abby Croot,
Lucy Anderson, Emily Davey
and Victoria Park won the senior
division.
Both teams advanced to the
FPS world championships where
they will compete against 2200
participants in Wisconsin to find
solution to topics in the criminal
justice system.
E Wen Wong, 15, from Burnside
High School has also been
selected to travel to the US as
an individual competitor after
winning the middle division
individual competition.
FPS is an internationallyrecognised
competition which
encourages creative, innovative
critical thinking under pressure
to solve emerging and current
PRACTICE: The team of former
Cobham Intermediate pupils
Mac Craig, Eric Huang, Corin
Simcock and Benjamin Davey
researching in preparation for
the Future Problem Solving
world championships in
Wisconsin in June. (Right) –
The team from Rangi Ruru of
Victoria Park, Lucy Anderson,
Emily Davey, Suzanna Davis
and Abby Croot (absent).
global issues. The compeititon
will cover questions on law enforcement,
criminal behaviour,
technology and what future
courtrooms may look like.
“The students will be considering
problems that are crucial to
humanity in the future, like 30
years ahead of now,” said Sue
Williams, a specialist teacher
who will lead the teams to the
US. They will be given scenarios
which fall within the topic then
be required to find the problems
and solutions for them.
The group will compete
against US state champions and
national champions from about
other 19 countries.
“For some highly-able kids,
this is what they love doing
because it’s real, but also in their
head, very difficult and (has)
that mix of exactness and creativity,”
said Ms Williams.
The teams have applied for
funding for the trip from the
Fendalton-Waimairi-Harewood
Community Board.
Burnside High
plans on
holding its
own ‘Stage
Challenge’
BURNSIDE HIGH School
is planning to replace Stage
Challenge with its own in-house
competition.
‘Compass Wars’ will replace
the national competition which
organisers announced in January
would end in its current form due
to a lack of funding.
Last week, Minister of Education
Chris Hipkins said Rock-
Quest Promotions Ltd, which
runs the Smokefree Rockquest,
would run then Stage Challenge
this year, using a $800,000 grant
from the Ministry of Education.
The arrangement with Rockquest
is a one-off, with the ministry
working on a longer-term
funding model to keep the school
event alive. The new competition
organised by the school will allow
students the opportunity to be
involved in a “large performance
ensemble.”
The school is split into four divisions,
and each will have leaders
running the group. Each cast will
have a maximum of 6min to perform
using dance, drama, music,
lighting and projection.
The performances are set to be
presented on May 14.
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