Introducing The Discovery Lab: Our New Dedicated STEAM Classroom

We are thrilled to announce the launch of The Discovery Lab—our brand-new dedicated STEAM classroom! This innovative space will be the hub for hands-on learning, where students will explore science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics in exciting and creative ways.

From Term 1, all students will take part in weekly STEAM lessons in The Discovery Lab, where they will have the opportunity to develop problem-solving skills, think critically, and engage in collaborative projects. These lessons will promote student agency, giving students voice—and often choice—in their learning. Through interactive experiences such as animation projects, science experiments, 3D printing, and robotics, students will push the boundaries of their creativity and deepen their understanding of the world around them.

Beyond classroom lessons, The Discovery Lab will also host our weekly STEAM Lunchtime Club, where students can extend their curiosity and continue innovating. This space will serve as a launchpad for new ideas, inspiring students to think big and explore projects that can influence learning practices across the school.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all parents and guardians who supported the Carols on the Green Auction during the festive season. The funds raised have directly contributed to equipping The Discovery Lab with cutting-edge technology and resources, ensuring that our students have access to the very best learning opportunities. Your generosity has helped bring this vision to life, and we can't wait for you to see the incredible things our students will create in this space!

Stay tuned for updates and student projects—we can’t wait to see The Discovery Lab in action!

Prioritising Digital Wellbeing & Cybersafety in 2025

As we begin a new school year, we are placing a strong focus on digital wellbeing and cybersafety, ensuring our students develop the skills and awareness needed to navigate the online world safely and responsibly.

We are excited to kick-start this important learning with Safer Internet Day on Tuesday, 11th February. This global initiative challenges us all to work together for a safer and more positive online experience.

In addition, we have embarked on a new partnership with Inform & Empower, an organisation endorsed by the eSafety Commissioner as a Trusted eSafety Provider. Throughout the year, they will deliver age-appropriate incursions for all students, equipping them with strategies to stay safe online. These sessions will be reinforced in STEAM classes and through classroom discussions, ensuring digital wellbeing remains a key focus across all areas of learning. (See the attached flyer for more details on these incursions.)

The digital world is constantly evolving, and as parents, carers, and educators, our responsibility to ‘keep up’ is more important than ever. To support our community, we have been building our ‘Parent eSafety Resource’ section on our website, located under the ‘News & Events’ tab. This will be updated each term with useful guidance.

For the most up-to-date articles, hints, and expert advice, we highly recommend visiting the eSafety Commissioner website – eSafetyParents. This site currently provides resources on:

✅ Online safety basics

✅ Safer gaming for families

✅ Cyberbullying prevention

✅ Parental controls

✅ And much more!

Additionally, the Inform & Empower website offers free guidance for parents and teachers, including:

📱 How to talk to kids about distressing content

📱 Creating a Family Screen Time Plan – building healthy habits

📱 The #1 thing to keep your child safe online

We are also pleased to offer an open invitation to all parents and guardians to attend Inform & Empower’s Raising Kids in a Digital World seminar, presented by Marty (an expert educator) and Carley (an experienced psychologist). This session will provide valuable insights into guiding children in their digital lives. More details will be shared in Term 2.

We look forward to working together to create a digitally safe and responsible school community. Let’s empower our students to use technology positively, safely, and with confidence!

Introducing Our Year 6 STEAM Leaders

We are excited to introduce our new Year 6 STEAM Leaders: Asta, Yatin, Anouk, and Vallabh! These students have shown a strong passion for all things STEAM and will be our go-to leaders for everything related to science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics this year.

As part of their leadership role, they will:🔬 Help set up and run STEAM Club on Wednesday afternoons🔋 Ensure iPads and Chromebooks are charged and ready for use📢 Deliver important STEAM reminders, such as STEAM Club announcements📝 Work with Miss Rachael to plan STEAM Club and Science Week activities🖥️ Assist junior students with logging in to devices and accessing apps when needed

Their enthusiasm and dedication will help make STEAM learning more engaging and accessible for all students. We can’t wait to see what they bring to The Discovery Lab and beyond!

We look forward to working together to create a digitally safe and responsible school community while fostering student leadership in STEAM. Let’s empower our students to use technology positively, safely, and with confidence!

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