Myrniong and ELC
Digital Technologies in the Junior School
This week, the Junior School staff and students have accessed programs aimed at enhancing the teaching and learning of Digital Technologies. On Tuesday, Miss Simone Brabham coordinated a professional learning session in collaboration with the University of Adelaide. Staff spent the afternoon exploring one concept ‘algorithms’, plugged and unplugged resources, integration opportunities with Maths and Literacy and the role of robotics and coding in primary education. On Wednesday, Mr Graham Lewis took a combined Year Five/Six group to the Hamilton Library to take part in a ‘Water Science Workshop’. The group spent time engaging with an environmental engineer to create fun scenarios where a truck carrying salt collided with a truck carrying vinegar outside a potato factory, and the resultant mixture found its way into the nearby creek systems. The children learnt to build their own salinity and pH meters with ‘arduino kits’ and used computer coding to determine which of the provided samples contained both salt and vinegar. The students gained an understanding of the importance of a clean environment, clean fresh water and the significant impact it has on the wellbeing of the community and individuals within it.
Year 12 Myrniong Students
On Wednesday we welcomed back 21 Year 12 students who had been students of the Junior School. The weather gods smiled on us and we welcomed the returning students with a guard of honour up the beautiful Myrniong driveway. At an outdoor Assembly, each Year 12 was introduced to the Junior School. They shared one word that summed up their time as a student at the Hamilton and Alexandra College and were presented with their 2013 Year 6 positive affirmation sheet, a Year 6 Myrniong badge, a sprig of rosemary and a selection of photographs from their time as a student at Myrniong. It was wonderful to see so many Year 12 parents who came to share in a special week for our school leaders.
State Sports Victoria Volleyball
On Monday, 14 Year Six students travelled to Warrnambool to compete in the State Sports Victoria Greater Western Region Volleyball Finals. The boys’ and girls’ teams acquitted themselves well. As the tournament progressed, their skills and teamwork improved. In line with the Senior Campus push for improved attendance by our students, all those who trialled for the volleyball teams had attendance percentages considered. This will also be the case for Super 8s Cricket later this term.
Year Six Leadership
It has been pleasing to see a number of projects initiated by our Year Six School and House Captains. School Captain Miranda Page has been piloting a Year 6 ‘Memento Shirt’ project. Miranda put information notes together, organised for designs and colours to be voted on by her fellow students and distributed information to parents. Her fellow School Captain Oscar Hausler has been driving a bottle tops and bread tags project. He organised House collection points and will send these items off to be recycled into prosthetic limbs and wheelchairs. Young House Captains Emma Donovan and George Huf have a ‘Crazy Hair Day’ planned for later in the term. The gold coin fundraiser will allow for money to be spent on stationery items for their community project.
Mr Stephen Nelson
Head of Junior School