What's happening in the classroom??

Year 7 Agriculture

We have been blessed with bunnies! In Year 7 Agriculture we breed mini lop rabbits and the students are responsible for their husbandry needs. At the moment we have two litters of babies.

2B - Hey, Little Ant

Based on the book Hey, Little Ant.

We think the boy shouldn’t squish the ant.

We think that he shouldn’t step on the ant because the ant has a family just like him. How would he feel if the ant stepped on him or his family?

We think that the ant may be getting food for his friends and family. One crumb of his food could feed nearly the entire ant community. If he squished the ant the whole ant community would starve.

We think that he shouldn’t squish the ant because it is part of God’s creation. If he squishes the ant all ants in the world may become extinct. That would mean that there would be no ants left in the world! How terrifying, treacherous, terrible and tragic that would be.

Ants are nature’s rubbish bin. So, we think the boy shouldn’t squish the ant.

Kindergarten with the Sphero Balls

Here we have our Kindy students playing with the Sphero Balls, with the help from their Year 6 buddies :)

Year 5/6 Jousting Robots in coding lessons

Year 5RF & 1S Robot Art - Collaborative Learning

Collaborative learning opportunities are an important part of the school experience. Students in 5RF and 1S worked together on robotics projects involving sand, water and paint. It was a time for the younger students to explore technology and for the older students to pass on expertise.

5RF and 1S are delighted to announce that their art entry, Robot Art, received Highly Commended at the Taree Show. We were thrilled with our big white ribbon and donated our $4 prize money to our sister school in Uganda.

Year 8 Japanese - Drumming Class

Secondary Chapel

During Chapel we talked about Resilience and the things that God has given us to help us ‘bounce back’ during the tough times of life.  The main idea behind keeping resilient is to acknowledge what the strong, good or positive things are in your life.  God has given us these things, so we can be thankful for them and use them to help us in the tough times. 

Research (even research by people who don’t believe in God) says that people who trust in God and are part of a youth group or church are more resilient than others.  It’s not just believing in God but being around other people who believe helps us to be more resilient. Part of the reliance is about being around people who care about us, but it also comes from a God who loves us, and saves us and having a community of people around us who help us have faith.  

Things that God has given us to help with the bounce back include:

• having parents who have rules and give you responsibilities, parents that you can talk to about stuff;
• an extended family of grandparents, Aunts and Uncles or cousins that make you feel like you belong ;
• having a skill that you feel you are good at like playing an instrument, playing a sport or a hobby that you are learning.
• Being part of a school you like.  So if you like coming to school, feel like you belong here and that you have a teacher who likes you.  These things help you to keep going.
• Being part of a group of friends.  Good friends are people that accept you even though you might disagree with them or think differently from them.

All of these things work together to help us stay resilient.  However, I feel there is one more thing to say about resilience.  One of the ways that God has made us is that when we talk to someone about our stress and worries, we feel better.  It has something to do with how God made our brains, that when we put feelings into words and speak them, we feel better.  So when we talk to our family and friends or our teacher or school counsellor, we put our feelings into words and feel better.  However, God made us like this because He wants us to talk to Him about our worries.  Because at his word, God created the universe, so he is powerful enough to help you in your tough times.

Year 5RF Geography

Today (Tuesday 7 Novemeber 2017) 5RF had a Skype call with an American International School in Shanghai, China. We had opportunity to ask questions and find out the similarities and differences between our schools. It was great talking to another year 5 class on the other side of the world. We were interested to find out that there were many different nationalities represented in Mr Roma's class. After the call 5RF made Pic Collages on our iPads about the students' nationalities. This was a great geography exercise.

Stage 3 - Bridge Assessment

Year 6 Maths class learning about vertices and edges

Year 4I Science

We have been learning about different materials, how to look after our environment, sustainability and how to best package things. 'Package it Better'.

The Learning Centre - highlight!

This little dude has taken up residence in TLC, sleeping under our cupboard and crawling under the door to sun itself. Secondary HUB students are VERY excited! The Steve Irwins among them are offering to pick it up. It’s been removed once to the back paddock but is back.

Bit of excitement :)

5RF Engaged in Virtual Reality

5RF engaged in a VR under water experience. We used this experience to promote learning in Literacy, Visual Arts, Biblical Studies and Technology. Having a realistic water experience helped students tackle learning with enthusiasm. We made whales, researched whale species, learnt about Jonah and wrote stories using an under water setting. It was great fun linking VR across Key Learning Areas.

A big thank you to Mr Craig for bringing the VR to 5RF!

Maths @ TCC (Secondary)

Beginning mid Term 3 2017 and continuing into 2018, Taree Christian College Mathematics faculty will be working in collaboration with both the University of Technology and the Australian Academy of Science, (under the Australian Maths and Science Partnerships Program) and in partnership with the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers, to research and develop learning resources for Mathematics.

'Maths Inside'

Working with the CSIRO and the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers, the 'Maths Inside' project is funded by the Australian Government for $1.9 million over three years. Mentored by former Chief Scientist of Australia and UTS Distinguished Professor Jim Peacock, Maths Inside aims to address the urgent need for more engagement in mathematics (and science) by Australian students as well as raising greater awareness of the career and personal relevance of mathematics in society today.

'Maths Inside' has developed a series of case studies that promote the contributions of CSIRO mathematical scientists with links to the Australian Curriculum. The objective is to develop resources that make it easier for teachers to explain the purpose of school mathematics. The project will produce teaching and learning materials that are classroom ready, referenced to the Australian Curriculum, (Years 8-12), and pedagogically sound. Video interviews with scientists, the maths of mobile phones and "real science" applications, like keeping track of whale numbers, are among resources being planned by the project team to help secondary school teachers bring maths to life for their students in accessible and inspiring ways. However, the materials developed will allow for easy integration in to the current program being delivered without any additional work for students.

The 'Maths Inside' project aims to benefit by gathering anonymous data from teachers and students that can be used to identify and understand the ways in which maths learning takes place in schools, leading to the development of enhanced resources that can support better learning outcomes. The research and conclusion concerning which approaches and resources work best in teaching mathematics will be made available to TCC as a participating school.

Maths by Inquiry (reSolve Project)

 The project will develop classroom materials with an inquiry-based approach to mathematics, for every year of school from Foundation to Year 10. The materials will emphasise distinctive aspects of mathematics, including generalisation and proof as key elements of mathematical reasoning. They will emphasise mathematics as both a dynamic human endeavour and as an enabling science which underpins scientific and technological advancement. Many of the materials will be based on relevant real-world examples and contexts, and all will enable students to deal with complex situations using a variety of mathematical methods. These resources will support the Australian mathematics curriculum.

It furthers the goals of ensuring that all students finish school with strong knowledge in mathematics, and ensuring that students are inspired and equipped to take on more challenging STEM subjects, including intermediate and advanced mathematics in the senior school.

The reSolve project is designed to produce a legacy that can be taken up and built on by teachers, schools and others once the project has concluded.

Of equal importance to this opportunity for our students is the opportunity for TCC teachers to receive accredited professional learning opportunities through both projects. 

At TCC, the 'Maths Inside' and reSolve (Mathematics by Inquiry)projects will be undertaken with selected classes only, and therefore not every class will be involved every lesson.  

This is yet another great example of the ongoing commitment that TCC has to promoting innovative and engaged professional learning opportunities with a focus on developing individual and collective strengths.