Newman Selective Gifted Education Program

Tournament of Minds 2026 Expression of Interest

We are excited to announce that Our Lady Star of the Sea will be participating in the 2026 Tournament of Minds (TOM)!

What is Tournament of Minds? TOM is an international program that challenges students to solve complex, open-ended problems in the areas of STEM, The Arts, Language Literature, or Social Sciences. It is designed to develop critical thinking, collaboration and creative flair.

How it Works:

• The Team: 7 students from Years 4-6 work together for six weeks.
• The Challenge: Teams create a 10-minute dramatic presentation to solve a "Long Term Challenge." They also participate in a "Spontaneous Challenge" on the day of the tournament.
• Student-Led: This is a strictly "hands-off" program for adults. Students must generate all ideas, scripts and props themselves. Miss Natalie Burland will act as the group’s facilitator.

Key Dates for 2026:

• Preparation: withdrawn weekly by Miss Burland for 6 weeks during Term 3.
• Regional Tournament: Saturday 22nd / Sunday 23rd August or Saturday 29th / Sunday 30th August (dates to be confirmed).
• Location: A local host school (to be confirmed).

If your child is in Years 4-6 and would like to be considered for a team, please complete the Expression of Interest form here by the end of Term 1. https://forms.gle/bwXTUnqyLfxsnSaGA

Please note that teachers have also been encouraged to nominate students whom they believe would embrace this challenge. 

Helping Your Child Deal With Perfectionism

As parents, we want our children to excel. We want them to strive for excellence, and to feel accomplished with a job well-done. 

Gifted children know this expectation well. Because they rarely struggle with anything they attempt early on, we set high standards for them. After all, striving for perfection in the sense of learning to excel can be healthy and admirable. We just want our children to succeed.

But, when reaching for perfection turns compulsive, it becomes an unhealthy struggle. And this type of pervasive perfectionism can become debilitating to a gifted child. Gifted perfectionists can be unsatisfied with their performance on anything… even when they’ve done beautifully.

1. Let them hear about your mistakes- Kids who struggle with perfectionism often think others are perfect. Talk to them about your failures and the lessons you’ve learned from them.

2. Teach them to practice… and to lose- Many things come easy to gifted kids, so by the time they find something that’s hard, they give up rather than fail. Find something they’ll have to work at and sign them up - an art class, horseback riding, stop motion animation. Practice with them between sessions. Teach them that great things come through hard work.

3. Focus on the process, not the product- Too often, perfectionistic kids have an idea of what something should look like when it’s done. Their picture may or may not match up with reality. Throughout the process of their work, ask them questions and offer compliments. When they’re done, ask questions. “What made you use that colour?” “How did you come up with this idea in the first place?”

4. Explain your expectations, and stick with them- Gifted kids are literal and need to know up front what it means to be done with a project. Tell your literal-minded child what to expect and tell them to stop when they get to that point. Use a time limit if necessary.

5. Be silly sometimes- Gifted and perfectionistic children can be so hard on themselves. Take time to laugh with each other, especially when mistakes are made.

6. Break routines from time to time- Like all children, the perfectionist craves routine. Help them see that the occasional break from routine is okay.

7. Make and progress towards goals- Help your child see the bigger picture, and realize that mistakes and trip-ups are part of the journey. Start by having them think about things they want to achieve and break it down for them.

8. Enjoy a state of rest- Gifted children often over think things, especially before sleep. Help them to sleep by taking their mind off things. Meditation helps. 

Miss Natalie Burland

Newman Leader of Learning