Community of Schools
High Potential and Gifted Education: High School Taster Days
This term, our exciting High School Taster Days continued, welcoming nearly 300 Year 5 students from our Community of Schools to the Elderslie High School campus over two days. These taster days gave our future high schoolers a chance to experience what high school life is really like, from moving between lesson periods and specialist classrooms to discovering the many opportunities high school offers.
Our Year 10 and 11 Future Teachers, along with Student Buddies from Years 8 and 9, partnered with dedicated staff to warmly host the visitors. The Future Teachers showcased their leadership by delivering lessons and leading school tours, highlighting important places such as the canteen. Students engaged in fun activities like an alphabet food challenge and collaborated creatively to design and make runway-ready outfits.
Throughout the event, our Future Teachers and Student Buddies demonstrated strong social-emotional qualities, reflecting on their growth and seeking ways to nurture their own potential.
The Elderslie High School staff designed enriching lessons across various subjects. Year 5 students explored continuous line drawing in Visual Arts, crafted personalised woodburnt keyrings in TAS, tackled brain-teasing maths challenges, and wrote emotive pieces in English after using their senses to describe a stimulus. A visit to the school farm allowed students to observe the wicking beds and meet our feathered and fleeced friends. PDHPE offered a “Star Wars” themed session where students used sporting equipment and agility skills to battle it out in “deep space”, also known as the school hall.
These Taster Days provided a wonderful opportunity for Year 5 students to explore the many domains of potential, showcasing Elderslie High School’s broad and rich curriculum and the diverse ways our students can extend their learning and talents.
Stage 2 High Potential Gifted Program: Exploring Chemistry and Crystallisation
Our Community of Schools Stage 2 High Potential Gifted (HPG) students have enjoyed an engaging term designed to foster creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. Through a variety of hands-on activities and challenges, they have delved into advanced topics that ignite their passion for learning.
This term’s focus was on Science, specifically chemistry and crystallisation, where students investigated the fascinating process of crystal growth. Through interactive sessions, they not only explored scientific concepts but also developed practical skills using common science equipment. Emphasis was placed on working safely in the science laboratory and applying the scientific method to guide their investigations.
Looking ahead, next term students will participate in a 5-week mathematics program, tackling exciting mathematical puzzles and concepts to further develop their problem-solving skills. In Term 4, the focus will shift to English, where students will engage in creative and analytical activities designed to challenge and inspire their communication and reasoning abilities.
Elderslie High School is proud to offer a diverse range of opportunities across the domains of potential. Our programs are designed to engage and challenge every student, with a strong focus on talent development for high potential and gifted learners. The Stage 2 HPG program continues to provide a dynamic environment where students collaborate, stretch their abilities, and cultivate skills that lay the groundwork for future academic success and a lifelong love of learning.
Well done to all our enthusiastic participants!
