�鶹ԭ��

Stage 2 Students win NSW Maths Prize

Catherine Milne — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 23:38:19 +0000

By Catherine Milne
8 September 2022

A trio of Stage 2 students from �鶹ԭ�� has won the Mathematics Association of NSW “Investigating with Mathematics” prize for their sugar glider nesting box project.

Students Clare Tierney, Matilda Hewatt and Mariella Cigana decided to build a sugar glider nesting box after becoming concerned about the declining population of sugar gliders in the wake of the 2019/2020 bushfires and the ongoing threat from cats, dogs and foxes.

Clare Tierney, Matilda Hewatt and Mariella Cigana with their Sugar Glider Nesting Box.

“We chose this subject because sugar gliders do not have enough materials or places to build their nests.” said Clare Tierney. “The nesting box protects sugar gliders from predators and also gives them somewhere to sleep – having a home is as important for sugar gliders as it is for us.”

“As children, we can’t stop adults cutting down the trees sugar gliders live in, but we can make other children aware of this species and encourage them to make nesting boxes and grow native plants and shrubs that provide food and shelter for our beautiful native animals,” said Mariella Cigana.

The nine-year-old students used mathematics, research and investigation techniques to develop the sugar glider nesting box. This included researching the local sugar glider population, developing a prototype from cardboard, creating a budget, and then building the nesting box using screws, glue and clamps.

“Our group found out that there is so much mathematics involved in designing and making nesting boxes,” said Matilda Hewatt. “We needed to make connections with a number of mathematical skills such as measuring distances as well as calculating the amount of money required to make the boxes. We are extremely happy with our nesting box and look forward to seeing the beautiful sugar gliders take up residence and grow the population,” she concluded.

The students used mathematics, research and investigation techniques to develop the sugar glider nesting box. This included researching the local sugar glider population, developing a prototype from cardboard, creating a budget, and then building the nesting box using screws, glue and clamps.

Students learning how to use power tools and clamps to construct the sugar glider nesting box.

The “Investigating with Mathematics” competition promotes an interest in mathematics and fosters a positive attitude towards mathematics amongst students, teachers and parents. Students are encouraged to explore ‘real-life’ challenges and, with the support of their teachers, find solutions using mathematical concepts in a practical and fun way.

“We’re very proud of our students’ work on this project,” said Luke Carr, Mathematics Teacher. “It is wonderful to see children have so much fun as they learn about mathematical concepts such as 2D modelling, volume, budgeting and measurement – and use this knowledge to improve the world around them.”

“Our teachers are committed to helping students find the Maths that’s all around them in the world – when students can see that this can help solve problems, then we are definitely doing our job well!“ said Rachael Newton, Head of Junior School.

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How to choose the right primary school for your child

Catherine Milne — Fri, 26 Aug 2022 01:34:33 +0000

The best primary schools plant the seed for lifelong learning. They do more than spelling and mathematics. Progressive schools foster your child’s curiosity about the world around them. The best way to find the right primary school for your child is to ask the right questions.

Questions every parent should ask before choosing the best primary school for their child

Knowing the right questions to ask can help you make the right decision for your child.

Can my child and I visit the school?��

It’s a good idea to visit the school before enrolling. It’s surprising how schools can feel when you walk through the front gate. While some can give off a vibe of efficiency and stress, others can feel calm and welcoming.

Open days

Open days provide tours of the school. Schools open their grounds and classrooms to welcome parents and prospective students. You get to meet the head of the school, teachers and students. You can see the condition of the classrooms, learning facilities and, more importantly, see the interactions between the staff and students.

Open days are held throughout the year.

Private tours

Some schools also provide private tours. Private tours can provide an insight into the daily running of the school.

Keep an eye out for the availability of resources per student, the presence of specialist classrooms for subjects such as STEAM and the noise from passing traffic.

Stay and Play Day

A Stay and Play Day is perfect for those little ones who are a bit anxious about transitioning to big school.

��“We like to invite little people and their parents and carers to a Stay and Play Day before they start at ‘Big School’,” says Rachael J Newton, Head of Blue Mountains Grammar Junior School.

“We recognise that this transition is a big change for children, so coming along and having a positive experience (with parents and carers nearby) is essential,” she says.

Children visiting the School for Stay and Play Day at BMGS enjoy stories and games with our Pre-K and Kindergarten teachers, while parents learn more about the School’s programs from the Head of School and�� Early Learning Teachers.��

Which curriculum is used in the school?��

The school curriculum is essentially how the school delivers the Australian curriculum. At �鶹ԭ��, we use an ‘evidence-based’ curriculum, which we find motivates curiosity and encourages learning.

“Balance is essential. Our students need explicit teaching to develop skills in Literacy and Numeracy.�� It’s important though, to give students real-life and inspiring learning projects to dive into, using their skills to find the answers to the big questions that they have,” says Rachael.

We also offer specialist classes in music and languages, such as French from Kindergarten.

Music Lessons

Learning an instrument enhances problem-solving skills, goal setting and concentration. The students work as a team and increase their self-expression and self-esteem when playing together. Evidence has also shown that learning music helps with abstract reasoning skills, which are essential for maths and science.

Languages

Children who start learning a language early are more likely to develop an ‘ear’ for the language. This will help them with pronunciation and fluency later in life. have also shown that people who speak more than one language have more brain ‘grey matter.’ They are better at tasks needing attention, inhibition and short-term memory.

Blue Mountains Grammar Junior School’s range of cocurricular activities are designed to develop young brains, ignite their passions and grow their character and capability.

What support services do you offer?

Support for your student starts in the classroom, which is why �鶹ԭ�� has the smallest student-to-teacher ratio in the Blue Mountains.

The smaller the class, the more attention your child can receive from the teacher. We find this is crucial in primary school. Students can receive more feedback from the teacher and one on one time. In smaller classes, teachers develop a nurturing relationship with the students and students look forward to their classes.

Learning support

Not every student develops at the same pace. Ask about support services offered at the school.

School ethos

Often, schools reflect a philosophy or ethos. This may be a Christian denomination or a motto, such as striving for excellence. Find out what the principles of the school are, and if they are qualities you’d like in your child.

�鶹ԭ�� has the lowest student-to-teacher ration of all schools in the Blue Mountains. (MySchools 2021)

Does the school have an outdoor eduction program?��

Schools can be a reflection of the community and environment around them. For schools that are lucky enough to be close to bushland, turning this area into another classroom makes sense.

“Our children get to experience the ‘Wild Ed’ programme right from Pre-Kindergarten, with time spent exploring and playing in the bush on our property, and very close by to the school,” says Rachael.

“Sticktopia” is the magical bushland just beyond the Adventure Playground at Wentworth Falls Junior School. Children build cubbies, explore and create things from sticks and rocks.

“We don’t mind the dirt and mud! We know that as children explore outdoor settings, they grow in curiosity, appreciation, resilience and collaboration.”

In Junior School, students experience camping, rock climbing, bushwalking and canoeing.

BMGS students have beautiful natural spaces to explore right on the School’s doorstep. Wentworth Falls Lake is just behind the School and students from Year 3 and up enjoy canoeing lessons as part of Wild Ed.

Do you encourage parent involvement in the school?��

Parents and Friend Associations are a great way to meet other parents and get involved in the school. Most meet once a term to discuss fundraising and other events.�� Usually, you can be as active or as inactive as you want.

Rachael says, “the children, staff and families that make up this community are the very best thing about it. Our students and staff make this a warm and inclusive learning community where everyone is welcome.”

Would you like to know more?��

Primary education lays the foundation for the later school years. If you’d like to experience the school for yourself, why not book a private tour? Call 4757 9023 to book a time that suits you, or submit an enquiry form and we’ll be in touch.

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The story behind the John Fuller Library

Catherine Milne — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 02:08:00 +0000

By Marlene Plummer, School Archivist
11 August 2022

We thought Book Week was an appropriate time to discover the story behind the naming of the John Fuller Library at Wentworth Falls Junior School.

The library was named after John “Johnnie” Fuller, a former Junior School Teacher. Johnnie Fuller commenced as a Junior School teacher in 1967. Amongst his many roles he became Head of the Junior School from 1974 to 1985 when it was situated in Lake Street (now Kindle Hill School)�� He loved and encouraged the reading of books, and showed a particular interest in children who had learning difficulties and took remedial classes after school.�� He taught art and craft throughout the Junior School and took an active role in all school sports.

John was the resident master from 1967-73 in the boarding house, Blue Horizons, (now the Silvermere Guest House) and Boarding Housemaster in 1978.

This colourful character is remembered fondly by many for his loud voice and vigorous personality.�� He had a great sense of humour, an attitude of fair play and interesting attire.

When asked, a past student used three words to describe Johnnie “passionate, eccentric and fun”

After his retirement, John continued to have an active interest in �鶹ԭ�� by organising Golf Days, in conjunction with our alumni reunions. The Junior School Library was refurbished in 2016 and John visited and approved the new changes.

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The story behind the daffodils

Marlene Plummer — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 00:53:22 +0000

By Marlene Plummer, School Archivist
11 August 2022

In 1888 Mr Robert Matcham Pitt was given his father’s 42 acres (16.9 hectares) of land in Wentworth Falls and on the highest point he built Coorah for his family. ��The land was described as the raggiest, sandiest and meanest looking land as you would want to see.��

Pitt planned to build a wonderful garden. He had the soil analysed by experts and discovered it was 90% sand and silica. He fertilised it with 1200 tons of cow and sheep manure and set about creating a garden that contained a large range of exotic and native species.

Robert Pitt had an avid interest in bulbs and in 1885 there was half an acre of hyacinths, half an acre of lilies, 10,000 crowns of lily of the valley and 250,000 glorious daffodils. ��He imported daffodils from England, Ireland and Japan and is responsible for introducing them to the Blue Mountains and being the first person to plant them in Australia five years before Alistair Clarke, an award-winning horticulturist in Victoria. ��Pitt hybridised and experimented with daffodils and named two after his children Clive Pitt and Doris Pitt.�� Until 1905 Pitt grew daffodils commercially but after that time, they were donated to charity.

Left to right: Paul Vardy, John Laroux, Terry Williams, Phillip Robson, and Gregory Harris

In May 1951 �鶹ԭ�� amalgamated with the MacLaurin School on the 2.4 hectares of Pitt’s original 16.9 hectares and Coorah was the only building.�� With access to the daffodils, the boys learnt how to pick daffodils and thus began years of profit from selling these beautiful blooms.�� The boarders were woken early to pick so they could be bunched and sent on the train to markets.�� The mothers had a system of bunching them for the boys to sell on the Highway – 40 for 3/- (shillings) = (30 cents).

In spring, until the middle of the 1980s, the hill below Coorah was covered with daffodil blooms.�� Many were lifted and planted in other parts of the school but many perished due to over-mowing. ��The school has held daffodil drives and on one occasion hundreds of daffodils were planted to line the main driveway and the paths to the Junior School.

You can still see daffodils lining the borders of Matcham Avenue and around the school. Best time to see them in full bloom is in early to mid-August.

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BMGS Students represent Australia at the F1 in Schools World Finals

Catherine Milne — Sun, 03 Jul 2022 23:49:38 +0000

From Wentworth Falls to the World Finals

�鶹ԭ�� (BMGS) students, Charlie Burgess and Bill Klein, will represent Australia in the 2022 World Finals of F1 in Schools STEM Challenge in July. The competition attracts more than 17,000 schools globally and is billed as the world’s most competitive STEM competition.

The BMGS Year 11 students have been involved in the F1 in Schools program for three years as part of the school’s Design and Technology coursework and Co-Curricular program. ��Competing as Team PerPetrol, the BMGS team were victorious in the National Finals in 2021, taking first place in the competition’s “Development Class”. The rules of the competition require the team to partner with another school to compete in the 2022 F1 in Schools World Finals, which led to the Team AQUEOUS collaboration with National runners-up, Aeolus Racing, from Newington College.

Team AQUEOUS will compete against more than 50 schools in the world’s foremost student competition for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The competition requires students to design and make a miniature F1 car capable of 0-80 km/h in under 1 second with each student taking on a specific engineering and manufacturing roles using real-world technology.

Klein is the Manufacturing Engineer who manages the construction of the final race car using 3D printing, CNC milling and Computer-Aided Manufacturing. Burgess is the Testing Engineer, performing physical tests on prototypes, as well as utilising virtual testing through Computational Fluid Dynamics and Finite Element Analysis. Rounding out BMGS cohort of Team AQUEOUS is BMGS alumnus, Nick Hayes who has taken on the role of Team AQUEOUS Brand Manager. Hayes represented BMGS at the F1 in Schools 2019 World Finals and is now studying Mechanical Engineering at UNSW.

“We are so proud of our students who have shown tremendous resilience and determination in the face of Covid-19 to produce such outstanding results in the state, regional and national finals over the last three years,” said Mr Brendan O’Keeffe, Design and Technology teacher at �鶹ԭ��.

“Participating in the F1 in Schools has been an incredibly rewarding experience,” said Klein. “Our aim has always been to not just succeed in the F1 in Schools, but also to help each other develop skills that enhance both our career opportunities, and us as people. We’ve had so much fun working together in Team Aqueous and are very

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Hello world!

ribbongang — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 22:39:30 +0000

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