(we keep forgetting to log out Caroline before writing the blog, but this is Serena and Gever tonight)

It's our first full day - and so the morning begins with the big reveal. The group gathers together as Gever prepares to explain.

It's our first Seniors week, this group looks like there ready to hit the ground running, so we're going to tackle a lot of big challenges - all at once. We're aiming to simultaneously improve the train - by extending the track, redesigning the train car, and building some sort of powered "launch" system - all while building our city itself, starting with a skyscraper.

As a group, we discuss the minimum requirements for each piece. Our track system will include 16' spans. The City team will put people at least 20' in the air. The emphasis, as we start to design, should be placed first on safety, then on durability and fun.

Excited to tackle all these problems at once, we split into teams - named Piki, Nooi, Kablooi and Panda per Tinkering School tradition.

On Piki with Collaborator Caroline, we have Addison, Lil J., Chloe, Zack, and David. They'll tackle the City! To do so, they'll have to build something more than twice their own heights.

On Nooi, with Junior Collaborator Elijah, we have Alex, Lily, Eloise, Hayden, Tyler, and Corin. They're off to redesign the train - improving it's capacity, durability, and ability to handle turns.

On Kablooi, with Collaborator Serena, we have Anna, Lee, Dylan, Claire, and Sasha. Our new structural engineers will be responsible for extending the track to more than twice it's current length, building the bridges to make the archways work, and improving and maintaining the track length we already have.

And On Panda, with Junior Collaborator Kieran, we have Sophia, Noa, Rodrigo, Gigi, and Zeke. They set off, ready to work on how to launch the train. They'll have to explore different options, then test and refine a safe, consistent way to launch.

Piki carries some plywood out to the field to get a feel for the land where they'll be building.

The train team - Nooi - heads our to do some forensic analysis on the current cart, learning from the past iteration to improve on their design.

Zeke has demonstrated a talent for juggling skateboard wheels. He practices as Team Panda discusses options for the launch.

We gather for "Structural Engineering 101" - Gever's intro to how to build (and not build) strong, durable structures capable of supporting tinkerers.

How strong is a 2x3 really? We test it, laying flat with the wider (3") side up. Gever places his weight....

And the board cracks.

Then it's back to our respective groups. Gever consults with the track team, lending his expertise.

And last nights tool training starts to come in handy - Zeke takes a pass at the chop saw.

Portrait of a Tinkerer: Sophia pauses for the camera on her way back to her project.

The train team has decided they need to disassemble the train car in order to salvage parts for there next iteration. Lily works on removing the guide wheel.

Rodrigo and Noa work together to clamp together the ramp the launch team has decided on together.

Tyler, Elijah, and Alex work through the re-engineering of the wheel mounts on the trolley car. This may be iteration six on this particular problem since the train started rolling three weeks ago.

Lily makes a new friend on the hike up to visit the goats.

It seems that Lily makes friends easily on the ranch...

Sasha takes her cut-list with her everywhere.

Kieran comes to help the track team; he's got the clamp that matches the shirt, and Anna brought the colorful hair and relentless stick-to-it-iveness!

Sophia and Chloe stuck with the launch ramp and got it ready for testing tomorrow. There is, however, growing concern that the transition from ramp to rail may be too abrupt, so Zeke and Gever started working on a slope adaptor.