On June 16, West Mercer Elementary School 5th-grade teacher Tom Tivnan and his 5th-grade Submersible Team launched their vessel Sea Wolf on its maiden voyage in Lake Washington.

The students began the project in Tivnan’s after school club in January and worked right up until the last days of school.

While Tivnan provided all of the necessary materials and equipment, the students built the submarine entirely by themselves. Using basic scientific knowledge from previous years, the students were successfully able to keep the sub afloat and capture photos of the bottom of the lake.

“I was so proud of what the kids accomplished and they were too,” Tivnan said. “The kids enjoyed themselves, and were eager to take it on while I stepped back.”