Student Excellence Program
VHAP Masterclass Excursion (grade 5/6 students): In week 1, selected Tarneit Rise Primary School students attended the Victorian High-Ability Program (VHAP) Masterclass at Virtual School Victoria in Thornbury. This exciting event brought together high-ability learners from across the state who had completed the VHAP Maths or English program earlier in the year.
Students participated in a range of stimulating and thought-provoking workshops designed to extend their thinking and creativity.
Maths Session 1 – “What Time Is It?”
In this fascinating session, students considered different perspectives on time — both mathematically and philosophically. They explored questions such as What is time? How do we measure it? Should we measure it differently? Students also examined the history of timekeeping and discussed how our understanding of time has evolved… if they had time, of course!
Maths Session 2 – “You Crack Me Up”
This hands-on cryptography session challenged students to explore their environment to find clues and hidden messages. Working collaboratively, they analysed and decoded these puzzles, gaining insight into the art of making messages secure and the techniques behind code breaking.
English Workshop – “Illuminating the Shadow”
“All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow.” – Leo Tolstoy
In this creative writing workshop, students examined the shadow archetype and the patterns we see in heroes and their opposites. They unravelled the role of the shadow in storytelling and the monomyth structure before creating their own compelling hero — one reader would love, in a story worth telling.
The day was a wonderful celebration of curiosity, creativity, and high-level thinking. Our VHAP students represented Tarneit Rise with excellence, confidence, and enthusiasm. We are so proud of their efforts and the way they embraced this incredible learning opportunity.
Andy Griffiths VCES Event (grade 5 students): Tarneit Rise Primary School was thrilled to take part in the Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series (VCES) event last term: ‘You & Me and the Peanut Butter Beast Launch’ with Andy Griffiths.
This exciting online event celebrated the release of Andy Griffiths’ latest book, You & Me and the Peanut Butter Beast. Students from across Victoria tuned in to hear one of Australia’s most popular and funniest authors talk about the inspiration behind his stories, his creative writing process, and how he brings his characters to life.
As part of the event, schools had the opportunity to enter a special competition — and we’re excited to announce that Tarneit Rise Primary School was selected as a winner! Our students received a signed copy of Andy Griffiths’ new book, which will take pride of place in our school library.
Students loved the energy, humour, and creativity of the session, leaving them inspired to experiment with their own storytelling and imaginative ideas. It was a fantastic celebration of reading, writing, and the power of creativity!
Congratulations to our students for representing Tarneit Rise with enthusiasm and creativity — and a big thank you to the VCES for providing this unforgettable experience!
If you want to watch his presentation, we have attached a recording of it here: https://www.youtube.com/live/1VTK_9Y0nMg
Jacqueline Harvey VCES Event (grade 6 students): Last term, a group of talented Tarneit Rise Primary School students took part in the Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series (VCES) event NGV Book Week with Jacqueline Harvey.
This exciting online writing workshop, hosted by the National Gallery of Victoria, was led by bestselling Australian author Jacqueline Harvey, known for her much-loved series Alice-Miranda, Clementine Rose, Kensy and Max, and Willa and Woof.
During the session, students explored the fundamentals of storytelling—developing characters, building settings, crafting engaging plots, and experimenting with rich, descriptive language. Inspired by artworks from the NGV Collection, they produced their own short pieces of creative writing that showcased their imagination and flair.
We are thrilled to share that Tarneit Rise Primary School students entered the writing competition and won signed copies of Jacqueline Harvey’s books! This is an incredible achievement and a testament to their creativity, effort, and love of writing. You will find these fabulous books in our school library.
Congratulations to all students who took part and represented Tarneit Rise with enthusiasm and pride. What a wonderful way to celebrate Book Week!
Maths Problem of the Week:
Click on each link below to be taken to 3 different APSMO problems. Keep an eye on our next newsletter for the solutions.
Naomi (3/4)
https://apsmo.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/POW-Naomi-ME.pdf
Sort it Out (1/2)
https://apsmo.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/POW-Sort-it-Out.pdf
Triangle Trace (5/6)
https://apsmo.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/POW-Triangle-Trace-MOJ.pdf