Junior School
The Premier’s announcement last week regarding the elongated period of lockdown for us all and the plan for a staggered return to school has led to many conversations in our community. Rest assured I am working with the Headmaster and the Executive to come up with a plan for us to manage the return to school when those dates arrive in late October, early November. More will be communicated to you when the plans reach their concluding stages.
In the meantime, Online Learning continues to occur with a wide variety of experiences across the age groups. This week Stage 3 conducted a Virtual Tour of Canberra. Though not quite the same as actually being there, the children “visited” many of nation’s capital’s key venues and reflected on their learning as they went along.
A couple of weeks ago, Stage 1 Grapes took a break from their regular learning schedule and became teachers for the week. The idea was that the students became the teachers and planned lessons and taught their families based on ideas and resources provided by Mrs Goodlet and Miss Malliate. By clicking on this link you can see a selection of what the children produced. I hope you enjoy looking at the wonderful pictures and photos as much as I did.
Wellness Wednesdays appear to be having the desired effect, at least for those of us at school, of providing a break from screens. Here are some pics from Wellness Wednesday at Springwood this week:
While all this learning has been happening over preceding weeks, our Tournament of Minds teams have been busy preparing their submissions for this year’s challenges. Read on to find out more with a report from Dr Drew, our tireless and greatly appreciated TOM Facilitator.
Mr Nigel Cockington
Head of Junior School
Tournament of Minds in the Junior School
Our Tournament of Minds teams demonstrated extraordinary problem solving, creativity, determination and commitment in adapting to a completely online format. Many extra hours were spent in Zoom meetings, and working independently on aspects of the Challenges to bring together complex, creative solutions. In seven short weeks, our two Junior School teams each managed to produce video solutions of an impressively high standard that thoroughly addressed the tough scoring criteria.
One of our JS teams chose the Language Literature Challenge, which involved setting a classic story (from a list of set texts) in a new context and developing a series of promotional release materials for the new book/movie before finally revealing the original source. In a rewrite of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, our team told the tale of a little girl leaving the house against her father’s instructions during a lockdown, necessitated not by a pandemic but by an alien invasion! They unpacked the story of her navigating her way through alien territory and ultimately having to leave behind a necklace given to her by her abducted mother in order to escape. Each part of the story was presented using a range of promotional techniques including film clips, songs, posters, a cartoon strip, a book cover and a newsflash. Over 70 video clips were sent backwards and forwards between team mates and resolute students teaching themselves to use video editing software. Parents generously delivered wrinkly green paper found in the storeroom at School from letterbox to letterbox, enabling students to stick it all over their walls at home so that they could film in front of a green screen for some scenes! Out team demonstrated extraordinary energy and determination in striving for the highest of standards. Their finished product is amazing!
Our other Junior School team, after much deliberation, chose the Social Sciences Challenge, which involved consideration of one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals from the perspective of four people, some from different time periods, who would have an opinion on a current, critical, global issue. Our team (of 11 and 12-year-olds!) researched, wrote, performed and edited a conversation in which TV interviewers hosted a discussion between Sitting Bull, Gandhi, Diana, Princess of Wales and Martin Luther King Junior about the issue of Reducing Inequalities. Of course, this involved researching and developing an understanding of many significant and complex historical events, even before scriptwriting could begin. Team members tackled many other challenges, including having to edit their script from 13 minutes down to the required 10 before filming could commence! Their carefully edited video solution includes a vest made of newspaper and an elaborately fashioned Sitting Bull costume. Our team was gritty in seeing this challenge through and meeting the deadline!
Both challenges were extremely difficult, and our teams showed ingenuity, resourcefulness and tenacity in rising to the demands of Tournament of Minds under extraordinary circumstances.
Some Language Literature team members:
Some Social Sciences team members:
Dr Elissa Drew
TOM Co-Ordinator