STEAM News

Cyber Safety & Digital Wellbeing

As part of our commitment to fostering responsible and safe digital practices, all students across the school have been exploring the Student ICT and Website Agreement in class. These discussions have helped students understand the importance of using technology respectfully, safely, and responsibly.

To acknowledge their understanding, each student has ‘signed’ their name in a creative and engaging way—by designing their own LEGO character! This activity allowed them to express their individuality while reinforcing their commitment to making positive choices online.

For your reference, we have attached a copy of the Student ICT and Website Agreement. We encourage you to read through it with your child and continue the conversation at home about safe and responsible technology use.

Thank you for your support in helping our students navigate the digital world safely.

Inform & Empower Student Reflections 

The Inform & Empower cybersafety lessons taught us a lot about staying safe online while also being really fun!

Levi thought the presenter was super funny and loved how the session ended with a surprise – opening a chest only to find another chest inside!

Alex said, "I feel like I’m being safer online now that I know these things." The lessons helped us understand how important it is for adults to believe us, listen to us, respect us, and be kind to us when we talk about online safety.

Rose, Amalia, Harper, Zoe, Nicki, and Lucas learned how to "play nice" online. For example, if you're playing a game like Minecraft, you shouldn't destroy someone’s house—whether they’re your friend or not! We also learned that it's important to:

• Always log out of accounts when we're done.
• Block people who aren’t being nice.
• Be aware of what we do online and how it affects others.

Overall, these lessons really helped us understand how to be safer, kinder, and more responsible when we're online! 

Digital Technologies & STEAM Update

It has been a busy and exciting term across all year levels, with students engaging in a variety of hands-on and inquiry-based learning experiences in Digital Technologies and STEAM.

Preps – Budding Engineers in Action!

Our Preps have been tackling engineering challenges, experimenting with different ways to build the tallest towers and longest bridges using everyday materials like pegs, popsicle sticks, and clips. It has been wonderful to see students learning from each other, sharing strategies, and offering authentic feedback and praise. Their enthusiasm and creativity have been inspiring.

Year 1/2 – Exploring Who We Are & Digital Wellbeing

In support of their ‘Who We Are’ unit of inquiry, where they are investigating the central idea ‘People grow and learn together’, our Year 1/2 students have been focusing on cybersafety and digital wellbeing. They have been learning about:

• How to conduct themselves online and what is appropriate to share.
• Recognizing online risks and understanding what is OK and not OK to post.
• Identifying five trusted adults who can support them in their learning and wellbeing.

These lessons have helped reinforce the importance of making safe and responsible choices in the digital world.

Alongside this, students have begun a coding unit, where they first used directional language to guide their partners through a course before applying the same skills to navigate Beebots through a masking tape-designed track. The excitement in the room was electric, and the cheers of success when they successfully guided their Beebot through the course were magical. 

Year 3 – Building ICT Skills for Success

With NAPLAN approaching, our Year 3 students have been focusing on key ICT skills to ensure they feel confident using Chromebooks. Becoming familiar with navigating digital platforms, typing responses, and managing online tools will help reduce stress and ensure that the standardised testing process is about assessing their literacy and numeracy skills—rather than their ability to use technology.

Year 4/5/6 – Designing for Wellbeing with 3D Printing

Our senior students have dived into an exciting 3D printing unit, where they have identified real-world ‘needs’ around the school that they can address through design and innovation. Many students have chosen to create elements for our Wellbeing Corner, a space designed to offer sensory experiences that help students self-regulate and prepare for learning. They are working through the design process, brainstorming, prototyping, and refining their ideas to make a meaningful impact on their school community.

It’s fantastic to see students of all ages developing problem-solving skills, collaborating, and applying their learning in authentic and meaningful ways. 

STEAM Club Reminder

 STEAM Club runs every Wednesday at lunchtime, and we love seeing so many students getting involved. For the past few weeks, we've temporarily hidden the LEGO to encourage students to explore new STEAM activities and expand their skills. It’s been fantastic to see our dedicated LEGO fans diving into other exciting challenges like magnetic tiles and tracks, light refraction experiments, and biomechanical puppets. Keep embracing new experiences—we can’t wait to see what you’ll discover next!

Exciting After-School Club Opportunities

We are currently exploring the possibility of running after-school clubs in Term 2 and 3 in partnership with Kids Unlimited. To help us gauge interest, we would love to hear from families who would like their child to participate.

If you’re interested, please complete the following Google Form or email Miss Rachael at rbulcock@scelwood.catholic.edu.au.

We have provisionally booked the 8-week Robotics: Building the Future with LEGO WeDo course, which will offer students an engaging, hands-on experience in robotics and engineering.

🔹 Cost: $220 for the full 8-week program🔹 Location: St Columba’s STEAM Room🔹 Day: Wednesday (TBC)

We look forward to bringing this exciting opportunity to our students.