PDHPE

Fast approaching is the end of Term, and each of our PDHPE classes are preparing for our Cross Country Carnival on Friday the 12th of April from 2:10pm. Between now and the 12th, junior classes will walk the course to familarise with the course layout. This provides students with an opportunity to further train and run the course out of school hours.

Pictured below is a rough course outline for the 3km Course: 12 & 13 years boys and girls

The 4km Course: 14 & 15 years boys and 14, 15, 16 & 17 years girls

The 6km Course: 16, 17 & 18 years boys and 18 years girls

I have also included some short running programs, pitched at 4km and 5km, that may also assist students with a training program over the next 3 weeks. Please contact the PDHPE Department if you need assistance with your training program.

Zero to 5km: https://sport.unimelb.edu.au/pdfs/Beginner-Run-plan-week-2.pdf

4km Training Plan: https://perthrunningfestival.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/PRF20_TRAININGPRO_4km.pdf

CAPA

Music

The Eisteddfod season will start early term 2 . We have entered a number of our ensembles and HSC students. Please find below dates:

HSC Compositions - Monday April 8th due to Miss Sampson

HSC performances - Sunday 19th May at OTC

Speech and Drama - Monday 20th May and Tuesday 21st May

Choir Night - Wednesday May 22nd at Lazenby Hall

Class Ensembles and Band Day and Night - Tuesday 4th June at OTC

Visual Arts Excursion

Our elective art students in years 9, 10, 11, & 12 were treated to an amazing opportunity on Tuesday in Tamworth this week. Students were in awe of the outstanding artworks produced by last year HSC students and delighted with a private tour of both the exhibition and the gallery's storeroom. Learning about how the galleries curate exhibitions, acquire artworks, store works and run art exhibitions. Many students took this as an opportunity to get inspiration and discuss their own artmaking with the gallery staff and their peers.

English

In preparing to compose both short and long analytical responses, a necessary ingredient to these in the use of purpose words. These types of words establish the intent of the writer to challenge, affirm or illuminate the stylistic choices of a text and their desired impact. Within the English KLA, these words are often used to analyse these choices in all types of text, but also, as a point of self reflection on the impact that students wanted to have in their writing. The exposure of these words begins in Year 7 and becomes more necessary in the everyday work of our senior students. An example of these words are often displayed in the classrooms to assist students in recalling a range of vocabulary that they can utilise in their writing.

By engaging with this vocabulary, students are less inclined to use more simplistic language such as show or use, which don’t present the same authority as words like contradicts or accentuates. It encourages students to have a clear purpose and intent in their writing and to have authority as composers.

Year 7 English

Year 7 English continues to explore the theme of ‘survival’ through the novel, ‘Hatchet’ by Gary Paulson. Through the novel they have examined the literary technique of imagery, exploring the five different types of imagery that can be utilised by a composer. These being:

Visual imagery
Gustatory imagery
Olfactory imagery
Tactile imagery
Auditory/aural imagery

Deconstructing the text, students have used quotes in order to build a visual representation of the protagonist Brian Robeson.

Year 10 English

Year 10 have been exploring ‘Contemporary Australian Stories’ and have considered the impact of authentic Australian stories. This has been done through exploring the phenomenon of ‘Bluey’. Students let their artistic side blossom by creating their own Bluey comic that portrayed a piece of Australian culture.

Year 11 Standard English

Year 11 Standard English have been analysing the text, ‘The Paper Menagerie’ by Ken Liu. In this examination, they have been exploring the use of magical realism within the text, where the paper animals that Jack’s mother made for him as a child come to life. In order to explore this in their own writing, Year 11 have constructed some origami. Over the course of their next few lessons, they have to use the symbolism and connotation of their animal and the colour of paper that they chose to craft a magical realism text.

Year 12 English Standard

Have started working on their Module A: Language, Identity and Culture by examining the film, ‘Reindeer in my Saami Heart’. In order to explore this text, students had to complete an analysis of the contextual understanding of the Saami people. By doing this, students needed to work in teams to break down different readings and consider how this information has either been suppressed by the composer Janet Merewether or incorporated into the text.

TAS

“Light The World”

Year 7 students are currently finishing their first 8 week rotation in Mandatory Technology.

One of the five rotations students undertake is the “Light The World” unit. In this unit students look at the big question:

"How can we provide safe, affordable and effective technologies to developing countries?"

They use the design process below, which comes from the Stanford d. School. This ‘design thinking’ process attempts to balance the creative and analytical aspects in designing.

Students also investigate how coding is used to design and manufacture modern products and how we could use technology to assist those communities less fortunate than ourselves. Some of these technologies include learning how to use CAD (Computer Aided Design) programs such as Adobe Illustrator and CAM (Computer Aided Design) systems such as laser cutting to produce a functional product, primarily using recycled materials.

The major design project of the unit has the following design brief:

Design and construct a recycled cardboard LED lamp using CAD/CAM technology

Year 7 LED lamps manufactured from recycled cardboard.

Science

The Goldcoaster

Unlike most other rides at Dreamworld, the Goldcoaster was built at Lunar Park in 1995 and relocated to Dreamworld in 2001. It was refurbished in 2015 and again in 2020. Since it is an older ride it relies on conveyors to propel the train and take it up the track and uses breaks to slow it down. This is unlike other rides which use electromagnetics and Lenz’s law to propel trains. The Goldcoaster uses Lenz’s law to collect electricity with a collector, which engages with the train automatically, using the current induced by the incoming train to collect the power to open the harnesses.

During the ride the train relies on gravity and momentum, using the kinetic energy gained going down from the highest point, the ride can propel itself throughout the rest of the ride. During this ride, there are two loops, where passengers experience 4.5 Gs of force. Earth’s gravitational field exerts 1 G, meaning a passenger will weigh 4.5 times more during the loops than normal.

The Giant Drop

“The Giant Drop is the tallest and fastest thrill ride in the Southern Hemisphere with speeds of up to 135 kph and a free-fall of 39 stories.” - Dreamworld

The Giant Drop follows Lenz’s Law, which states that the induced current in a conductor will create a magnetic field that opposes the change in magnetic flux that produced it. There is a magnet at the top of the ride and the bottom, as the seats move they induce their own magnetic field. This magnetic field counteracts the field that the magnet produces to move up and down. Once reaching the top of the ride, at a height of 115 metres, the seats are released into freefall reaching 135 kph before being stopped by the permanent magnets.

The Steel Taipan

“You’ll hang on tight as Steel Taipan snakes around 1.2km of twists, turns and three gut-lurching launches! With 4 inversions and the world's first "Tailwhip" - a spinning seat at the rear of the train, this experience will have enough venom to leave you reeling.”

On the Steel Taipan, the riders are strapped into the ride and passed through an electromagnetic linear accelerator. The way this works is by using a series of electromagnets that turn on one after the other. This induces an electric current in a “fin” on the carriage of the ride. The electric current makes its own magnetic field that causes the ride to get ‘dragged along’ by the electromagnets. The steel taipan goes past these electromagnets 3 times getting upto a speed of 105 km/hr. The carriages are propelled towards the first hill on the rollercoaster which, like in most rollercoasters, is the biggest hill. After this hill the ride does not receive any extra power (no more pushes), it completely relies upon the energy that it got from the electromagnets at the start. The riders then go through a series of twists, turns and loops, experiencing a maximum g-force of about 3.8G (or 3.8 times their body weight). The carriage comes back to the launch bay, ready to do it all again.

Mick Doohan’s Motocoaster

“Mick Doohan’s Motocoaster features a fluid track with changes in elevation and high-speed corners, reaching just over 72 km per hour. The riders are held in by a unique restraint system in life-size replicas of 500cc racing bikes. So hold on and experience the next best thing to Moto GP Racing!”

On the motocoaster, riders are get into replica motorcycles. The ride starts with a red light countdown before being propelled by a series of rotating tyres that are attached to the track (not the motorbikes). Once the motorbike carriage has passed these tyres, the carriage just continues without any extra energy input into the ride. The motocoaster goes around sweeping bends with banked corners to mimic the experience that a motorcycle rider has in a race. The banked turns help to direct the forces that the riders experience down their body from their head to their chest and then into their seat. The riders finish by being slowed down by electromagnetic brakes similar to the ones found in other rides.

Maths

As we approach the end of Week 9, it's time to reflect on the progress and dedication of our students in the field of Mathematics. Let's look at their achievements and the topics they've been exploring across different year levels:

Year 7: Embracing Fractions

In Year 7, students have been delving into the world of fractions. They've been mastering the basics of numerator and denominator and honing their skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of fractions. With each passing day, they're gaining a deeper understanding of these fundamental mathematical concepts.

Here is a shot from a number recognition tasks during Mr McCann’s class this week.

Year 8: Solving Equations

Year 8 students have been immersing themselves in equations and problem-solving. They've been refining their skills in solving linear equations and exploring the principles of algebraic expressions. Through various problem-solving activities, they're developing critical thinking and analytical skills essential for their mathematical journey.

Here are some shots from an equation matching activity during Mrs Mitheu’s class this week.

Year 9: Exploring Indices

Indices have been the focus for Year 9 students as they explore the power of exponential notation. They've been learning about the laws of indices and applying them to simplify expressions and solve equations. As they delve deeper into this topic, they will gain insight into exponential growth and decay.

Year 10: Unraveling Surds and Measurement

In Year 10, students have been unraveling the mysteries of surds and measurement. They've been exploring the properties of surds and applying them to solve mathematical problems. Additionally, they've been refining their skills in measurement, understanding the importance of accuracy and precision in mathematical calculations.

Year 11: Navigating Advanced Functions and Units

Year 11 students have been navigating the complexities of advanced functions and units. From exploring the properties of even and odd functions to mastering the conversion of units, they're expanding their mathematical horizons. Through rigorous practice and application, they're preparing themselves for the challenges ahead.

They've have also recently completed their first assessment task of the year, demonstrating not only their mathematical prowess but also their grit and determination in overcoming challenges.

Year 11 Extension 1: Exploring Combinatorics

Our Year 11 Extension 1 students have been delving into the fascinating realm of combinatorics. They've been studying permutations, combinations, and probability, gaining insight into the fundamental principles of counting and arrangement. Through challenging problem-solving tasks, they're enhancing their mathematical reasoning and decision-making skills.

Our Year 10 Accelerated Mathematics class who are studying Extension 1 Mathematics hard at work in Mr Harris’ class.

Year 12 Standard: Statistical Analysis

For our Year 12 Standard students, it's been a journey of statistical analysis. They've been analysing data sets, exploring the principles of statistical inference, and applying statistical techniques to real-world scenarios. Through hands-on activities and data interpretation exercises, they're gaining practical experience in data analysis.

Year 12 Advanced: Further Calculus

Year 12 Advanced students have been mastering the intricacies of integration. They've been exploring techniques such as definite and indefinite integrals, as well as applications of integration in calculus and real-world problems. Through rigorous practice and problem-solving, they're honing their skills in calculus and mathematical reasoning.

They've also recently completed their first assessment task of the year, demonstrating not only their mathematical prowess but also their grit and determination in overcoming challenges. These tasks highlight competence and areas that need further revision moving forward.

Year 12 Extension 1: Further Integration

In Year 12 Extension 1, students have been delving deeper into the realm of integration. They've been exploring advanced integration techniques, including integration by parts, partial fractions, and improper integrals. Through challenging problem-solving tasks, they're extending their understanding of calculus and its applications.

Year 12 Extension 2: Vectors

For our Year 12 Extension 2 students, it's been a journey of exploration in the world of vectors. They've been studying vector operations, vector equations, and applications of vectors in three-dimensional space. Through hands-on activities and problem-solving tasks, they're gaining insight into the geometric properties and applications of vectors.

As we bid farewell to another week filled with mathematical exploration and discovery, we commend our students for their dedication and hard work. We hope they enjoy the Easter weekend, filled with relaxation and perhaps some mathematical fun with Easter puzzles and activities!

Harmony Day