Eighth Grade Bridge Breaking Competition

At Peck’s annual Bridge Breaking Assembly, engineering, creativity, and a little bit of suspense were all on full display as eighth graders tested the strength of their handmade popsicle-stick bridges in front of the entire school community.

While every eighth grader participates in the bridge-building unit as part of science class — learning key physics concepts such as tension, compression, efficiency, and load distribution — the eight students whose bridges demonstrate the greatest strength-to-weight efficiency earn the opportunity to bring their final designs to the stage for the ultimate test in front of the Peck community, all competing for the title of strongest bridge.

This year’s event also marked a new chapter in Peck’s eighth-grade science program, as Dr. Denise Glenn led the assembly for the first time after stepping into the role previously held by longtime science teacher Mr. Tim Loveday. Under her leadership, students continued the tradition of thoughtful design, testing, and iteration — while also enjoying some of her own special flair, including a spirited rendition of London Bridge Is Falling Down.

“I had big shoes to fill stepping into Mr. Loveday’s role and leading the eighth grade bridge-building unit for the first time,” said Glenn. “I’m incredibly proud of the creativity, hard work, and perseverance our students showed throughout the project and during the assembly itself. I’m also very grateful to Mr. Loveday for all of his guidance and support along the way.”

The standout moment of the day came from Maddie F. ’26, whose bridge held an astonishing 436.7 pounds before breaking — nearly 100 pounds more than the version she had tested before taking the stage.

“I took a lot of inspiration from last year’s winners and asked my teachers for a lot of help,” said Maddie F. ’26. “I am very proud of the amount of weight my bridge held!”