Learning Updates

- School of Innovation

School of Innovation

It has been wonderful to welcome back our School of Innovation students for Semester 2! 

We are excited to reflect on Semester 1 and what we have achieved, and set new goals for Semester 2. We have welcomed new staff to our SOI team and trust that they are already enjoying their time at St Anne’s College. Please familiarise yourself with your student’s Pastoral Group Leader, and ensure that you are making contact with them as required. We look forward to a fantastic Term 3!

Rach Chapman, SOI Learning and Teaching Leader

Important Uniform Information

A reminder that all School of Innovation students are required to wear their academic uniform items each day, except for sports days or other nominated days when their sports uniform items can be worn. Please ensure your student is in their full academic uniform. If this is not possible on a particular day, please send a note, including the date your student will be able to be in full school uniform. A dress code, in particular a uniform, provides a visual connection to identify students as members of St Anne’s College community. The way a uniform is worn makes a statement about our college and it represents the fact that the student is a part of the community.  The benefits of a school uniform include:

• Allows all students to feel equal

• Helps prevent bullying and competition on the basis of clothing

• Ensures students appearance reflects the expectations of St Anne’s College

• Enhances the profile and identity of the college and its students in the wider community

• Strengthens the spirit of community within St Anne’s College

• Enhances individual student safety and group security

• Ensures all students are dressed safely and appropriately for school activities

• Encourages students to develop pride in their appearance

• Prepares students for the expectations in workplaces

• Encourages students to present themselves appropriately for a particular role

Thank you for your support.

iPads and Class Materials

All School of Innovation students have been provided with their iPad, keyboard, charger, Apple pen, and stationery; including books, pens, pencil case and folder. These items are required for our students to best access their learning experiences, make progress and succeed. Can you please check in with your student to see if they require any additional items and ensure you provide them with these. If your student has damage to their device, please ensure this is reported to their Pastoral Group Leader and an IT member so it can be rectified (with any payments or costs organised). Please ensure your student is charging their iPad daily so that they are able to fully participate and engage in all learning activities and tasks throughout the day. If they have forgotten to charge it, they should bring their charger so they may charge it at school. 

 Physical Education in SOI

This week, School of Innovation students have begun learning athletics skills in preparation for the College Athletics Carnival in Week 5. They started by learning shot put and discussed skills, and will progress to practising high jump and hurdles next week.

Year 7 Buddies

Last Friday was a buzz in the north yard of the college as the Year 7 and Foundation buddies had their first catch up after the holiday break. The Year 7 students planned an alphabet scavenger hunt for their Foundation buddy. They had to either find an item shaped like a letter, create a letter from nature, or find something that begins with a letter. Below are some of the instructions given, with photos of the outcome.

Connor asked his buddy Flynn to put stones on the path to make the letter 'P'.

Sukh asked her buddy Shaan to find the letter 'Y'.  Shaan found the letter 'Y' in a tree.

Chelsea and Saanjh were asked to find something that starts with 'B', they found bricks!

Year 7 Science

Year 7 students have began exploring the idea of classification in their science classes. They have discovered how scientists organise and categorise the vast array of living and non-living things in our environment. Through interactive discussions they learned about the importance of classification in understanding and studying the natural world. Students have explored the characteristics that define something as living or non-living. They investigated the unique attributes of living organisms, such as the ability to grow, reproduce, respond to stimuli, and maintain homeostasis. In contrast, they identified the qualities of non-living things, such as lacking biological processes and the inability to grow or reproduce. Students have researched how Indigenous cultures have utilised their beliefs and cultural systems to classify and categorise the world around them. Students were also introduced to the concept of dichotomous keys. They discovered how these tools enable scientists to identify and classify organisms based on a series of specific characteristics. Through interactive exercises and problem-solving tasks, they gained hands-on experience using dichotomous keys.

Below are some examples of students creating their own dichotomous keys: 

Year 7 Maths

Our Year 7 students have been focusing on fractions and how to add them. Students began by delving into the fascinating world of fractions. They explored the concept of fractions, including numerators and denominators, and learned how to identify fractions in real-life situations.  Once the basics were firmly established, our enthusiastic learners eagerly embraced the concept of fraction addition. They grasped the idea that fractions with the same denominators can be added directly, while fractions with different denominators require a few additional steps. In the upcoming weeks, we will continue building upon this foundation to expand their knowledge and skills of fractions. 

Year 8 Science

Our Year 8 students’ are exploring the concept of energy and its many forms, with a special focus on kinetic and potential energy. They began by comprehending the concept of energy as the ability to do work or cause change and discovered how energy is involved in all aspects of our lives, and is essential for powering the world around us. They learned how kinetic energy depends on an object's mass and velocity, discovering the relationship between these factors and the energy possessed by moving objects. Students have started to create a mind map of the different forms of energy ensuring that they include a definition and 3 examples of that energy form. Below is an example of a students mind map:

Year 8 Maths

To begin this term, Year 8’s have embarked on an engaging journey exploring data collection, understanding key terminology and discovering various ways to present raw data. Their data exploration began by understanding the importance of collecting information and how it contributes to decision-making and understanding the world around us. They learned about the distinction between a census and a sample, recognising that a census collects data from an entire population, while a sample is a subset of the population used to draw conclusions. They familiarised themselves with terms such as variables, population, sample size, bias, and random sampling. Understanding this language has empowered them to articulate their thoughts and engage in meaningful discussions about data. Students are now beginning to expand their data analysis skills by exploring various techniques for presenting raw data. 

Year 9 - "Oh! The places you'll go!"

"Oh! The places you'll go!" is the theme for the learning for this term in Year 9! Students are inquiring into a number of different careers, investigating the pathways that people took to get into the jobs that they have. Each of our students will end up in different career paths, so being exposed to as many stories as possible is crucial to their understanding of the job market!

This inquiry is supported by our RE theme for the term, Prophets and Saints, where students are learning about significant individuals in our Church and the positive impact that they have made on the world. 

As a part of this learning process we are asking that parents/carers/community members come into the college to speak to our Year 9 students about their jobs and pathways. There is a number of different sessions available for people to come into the college. If you are interested in presenting to a group of Year 9 students, please email the Year 9 Pedagogy Leader Adam Zito on azito@sackialla.catholic.edu.au, all careers/pathways are welcome!!