For several years, each Year 12 cohort at TIGS has supported an identified charity of their choosing. This year, the chosen charity is the Wollongong Homeless Hub. This organisation provides a range of services to people living rough in and around the Wollongong area. For example, one of their initiatives provides laundry and shower services, whilst another provides ‘rough sleeper’ kits, food and toiletry supplies distributed by teams of volunteers.
This year, as with so many other much-anticipated events, plans for a fundraising Trivia Night and a themed Willy Wonka week at school have both been necessarily cancelled as the School responds to the latest guidance from the Department of Health in response to COVID-19. Happily, on Friday of this week, we were able to proceed with Plan C (!) – a mufti-day in which senior school students paid a gold coin donation to come to school in non-uniform. It has been several years since the last mufti day and I’m happy to report the event was a great success. In addition to the students’ gold coin donations, a huge amount of Willy Wonka themed chocolate was also sold raising further funds for this most worthy of causes.
I’d like to thank Mrs Burton, Ms Lowe, the School Captains and Vice Captains, Year 12 and indeed the whole Senior School community for making the day such a great success.
Sydney University Grand Challenge
Earlier in the week, Mrs Szimhart entered a team of Year 10 boys in the Sydney University Grand Challenge:
“Nick, Harrison, Ryan, and Hasnain worked brilliantly together on this challenge. The students worked with professors from Sydney University over Zoom to create a prototype for a solution to the global problem of malaria. The students were guided through the design thinking processes and learned how to use the Pomodoro Method to create, ideate, and prototype their products. The students now have the opportunity to pitch their ideas to the university for prizes.
The students worked with university professors over Zoom as they collaborated on ideas to solve the real-world issues related to malaria. The students used the Pomodoro Method to ideate efficiently and work through the iterative process in designing a solution.
The students found deciding on only two ideas was really difficult. The process of creating a prototype was equally challenging but they came up with some really innovative ideas:
Hasnain and Harrison worked on an NGO Development plan where the NGO would supply at-risk areas with infrastructure, architecture, and business development all geared towards reducing mosquito infestation and building the economy to protect the local population.
Nick and Ryan focused on a drone program that would deliver genetically modified mosquitoes to breed with mosquito infestations and would result in malaria-resistant hybrids.
We wish our team the best of luck with their pitch”
Science Week Wrap-Up
ICAS
Ninety-five of our Year 7 to Year 10 students took part in the 2020 Science ICAS examinations this year, and those students that did not participate in the real exam did a practice exam so they could join in on the experience. We will wait for the results from UNSW, but in the meantime, the internal examination has highlighted several areas of strength in our student’s scientific skills as well as weaknesses that can now be addressed. Watching our students participate in these exams was extremely encouraging. All the students showed they were trying their very best; this was highlighted when the students did not rush to finish even though they were giving up their lunch or recess time. Well done to all our students!
Education Perfect Global Championships
One hundred and five of our students took part in this global challenge, with many winning awards. The challenge was based on hours spent revising science content through the online Education Perfect platform. Education Perfect is available at any time to all our Year 7 to Year 10 students in most of the subjects they study here at school. It is an excellent tool to help encourage home study and revision.
Final School Achievements
11th Place – Overall globally in the 250-500 student category
9th Place – In Australia in the 250-500 student category
5th Place – In NSW in the 250-500 student category
Students Achievements
Emerald: Angus
Gold: Isabella and Sophie
Silver: Samarth, Nicholas and Zoe
Bronze: Hasnain
Credit: Amogh, Isabelle, Liam and Harrison
Science Olympiads
These extremely challenging exams started last Friday and continue into this week. I congratulate the following students for putting their hand up to have a go.
Saksham, Samarth, Tania, Cameron, Dean, Harrison and Enuri.
TIGS Paper Plane Grand Finale
Greatest Distance Winners:
1st – Austin (32 metres, so far)
2nd – Jay
3rd – Angkit and Samarth
Greatest Airtime Winners:
1st – Jay
2nd – Cameron
3rd – Saksham
Applications for the STANSW Young Scientist Challenge close this Friday, and our finalists are madly fine-tuning their planes to enter in this competition open to students around the world. We wish them the best of luck!