Around the Junior School

Exciting Art News!

The artworks of Lucy Austen (Year 3) and Joshua Leung (Year 4) have recently been named finalists in Platform Arts Hub’s annual art prize Youth Textures of One. This competition is an annual small art prize for young artists in schools within a 100km radius of Blayney. 

The theme this year is ‘Light and Shade.’ Lucy’s artwork, titled Two sides to every story, is a self-portrait, half sketched using a 6B art pencil and half painted in watercolour, abstract with snakes representing her hair, an orange slice representing her mouth and a book representing her eye. 

Joshua’s piece, Me, is also a self-portrait, half sketched using a 6B art pencil and half a collage created using coloured paper. Both are striking artworks and take on their own unique interpretation of the Light and Shade theme. 

An opening celebration and award announcement will take place on Saturday, 9 April from 12pm – 2pm at Platform Arts Hub in Blayney, for anyone who would like to attend and show their support. The students’ work will continue to be hung in the gallery as part of Platform’s exhibition from 9 – 30 April if you wish to view artworks by students from around our region at a later date.

Trip to Bodangora Wind Farm

24 March 2022

In year 6 we have been learning about energy and the transformations of energy that occur in our daily lives. We have investigated renewable and non-renewable energy sources and how electricity is produced from these. To further our learning on this subject we went to the Bodangora Wind Farm, near Wellington, to expand our knowledge on wind powered energy.

Bodangora wind farm consists of 33 wind turbines and started operation in 2019. It cost approximately 250 million dollars in construction, which included the required land works, materials for turbines, underground wiring and building of infrastructure. Each year the wind turbines generate enough electricity to power approximately 49,000 homes.

Upon arrival to the farm, we were taken to a point where we got to see wind turbines in action and learn about how they work to produce clean energy. Michael (our tour guide) informed us that each turbine is 85 metres high and when the wind speed is optimal the tip of the blade travels at around 290km per hour. We learnt about how the kinetic energy from the wind forces the turbines to turn and a coil inside a generator to spin. This generation of electricity is then transported to a substation through aluminium wires. The farm has 33 kilometres of wire to connect the turbines to the substation, all of which run underground. 

After learning about the farm and the turbines, we travelled to another location where we were lucky to also see a turbine blade on the ground. Each blade is 63 metres and is made from fibre glass and balsa wood. Although this combination of materials ensures the blade is light and can commence movement without too much wind, it does result in the blade being unable to be recycled when it comes to the end of its life at around 20 - 25 years. We also learnt that the blades are quite flexible and tend to flex when rotating through the air. To help with the constant wear on the blades, additional tape is placed over the leading edge to help protect it, whereas on the tail edge there is a spiky finish, which improves the blades efficiency. 

I personally found the excursion very enjoyable and fascinating. I enjoyed learning about how the power is conducted and how the wind turbines work.

Daniel Rourke 

Pre-Kinder

Specialist Teachers are a fun and important aspect of the Pre-Kinder program.

Music - developing listening and auditory skills and introducing the children to beat and high and low sounds. Learning new songs is great.

Library - Mrs Pengilly enjoys having the Pre-Kinder children. It is a lovely time to share a story and learn how the library works and the all important task of borrowing a book. 

PE - Miss Collett this term has enjoyed being with the children during their outside play. Miss Collett challenges their gross motor skills by engaging them in balancing and climbing, practising hopping and ball skills.

Junior School Lunchtime Craft Club

During Term 1, the Junior School Lunchtime Craft Club have been busy learning how to weave baskets using cardboard.

The group showed great determination, patience and resilience whilst weaving their baskets. It was also so nice to see their interaction with one another together with lots of chat and laughter.

The group came to the decision to fill their baskets with Easter Eggs and donate them to Ascot Gardens for the residents to enjoy for Easter. Great work Janagan, Digby, Hallie, Finlay, Nick and Tom (absent from photo).

Merit Awards 

1 Elmer

• Eleanor Dellar for always doing her best in all her work
• Tom Haydon for being a dedicated student, always eager to learn

2 Alcott

• Eve MacMahon for embracing new learning experiences and relishing challenges
• Michael Gurr for commitment to his class work

2 Barty

• Morgan Zinga for persistence all term in English – ‘egg’cellent work!
• Elizabeth Milliken for great grammar – especially with our noun groups
• Savidu Fernando for consistent application in his studies

4 Attenborough

• Reginald Caskey for having a positive attitude towards learning
• Harper Purvis for asking lots of interesting questions

4 Phillip Parker King

• Tom Rourke for improved effort in his learning
• Leopold Wade for being a conscientious learner
• Mya McLachlan for being a dedicated learner

5 Irwin

• Adelaide Swift for her perseverance in mathematics
• Cassandra Philippe for an impressive Bushfire Research Task
• Zach Stacpoole for working diligently on measurement tasks
• Asher Jones for her effort in calculating the area of triangles 

6 Goodes

• Amelia Lawrie for services to the school on Open Day
• Sophie Caro for services to the school on Open Day
• Xavier Zinga for services to the school on Open Day
• Samuel Commins for services to the school on Open Day
• Eliza Lord for services to the school on Open Day
• Lucas Choi for services to the school on Open Day 

6 Mabo

• Natalie Hayward for services to the school on Open Day
• Nicolette Saran for services to the school on Open Day
• Benjamin Chambers for services to the school on Open Day
• Jed Volkofsky for services to the school on Open Day
• Georgie Simpson for services to the school on Open Day
• George Nash for services to the school on Open Day