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From the Head of Senior School
Thank you to all the parents who engaged in the Zoom Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences this week. I hope you found them a valuable source of information on your child’s progress and were able to take away some ideas and strategies to help your child further at home during these remote learning times.
Thank you to all parents for your partnership in the remote learning program. It has been challenging for all of us and I would like to acknowledge that challenge in particular for our families. We are all praying together and hoping to be back on campus in the not-too-distant future. Below is a picture of where the new building is up to – we have the slab down this week which is exciting!
The VCE Meeting this week was for all Year 11 and 12 students who are taking a Unit 3 & 4 VCE subject. On 7 October, which is Week 1 Term 4, all these students are to sit a compulsory test called the GAT. This test is for all Unit 3 & 4 students including those that sat the GAT last year and for those who are completing a non-ATAR course. It is important to note that exemption from the GAT is a formal VCAA application process.
Please find a link below to the VCE EXAMS NAVIGATOR 2020 – GENERAL ACHIEVEMENT TEST (GAT). This link explains what the GAT is its purpose.
https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/studentguides/ExamsNavigator/Pages/GeneralAchievementTest.aspx
While the GAT is not a test that can be studied for, below is a link to past GAT exam papers and answers. We have encouraged our VCE students to look at it and become familiar with the set-out and style of questions. You may be interested in looking at it too.
Over the past 2 weeks, Mr Peter Shepard, Miss Cathy James and I have been interviewing students applying for Year 7 in 2022. It has been a very rewarding experience and a joy to meet so many lovely students and families. It certainly also helps to give that reassurance that we are moving towards post-COVID times and a very positive future back on campus.
I wish you all the best and hope you can enjoy some of that sunshine this weekend.
Ms Cathy Marchmont
Head of Senior School
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Science News
Science Week 2020: The Deep Blue
National Science Week went remote this year. Casey Grammar students were involved in many online activities including daily quizzes, themed educational videos, webinars and science competitions.
This year’s Education Perfect Science World Championship ran from the 18 to 25 of August and was open to students around the world. Students worked at their own pace answering questions based on any scientific theme. Students were awarded points and prizes were based on the number of questions answered.
This year Casey Grammar had the largest number of participants in our history with 479 students earning a total of 56,761 points culminating in 16 awards.
Here is a summary of our results:
Top 50 in the world (placed 46 out of 1,876 schools).
Top 1% in Australia (28 out of 1,281 schools)
1st place in Victoria (252-500 registered EP students)
4th overall in Victoria.
Emerald Award (5000 – 9999 points)
Naheed Jafary, Year 8 (placed 124)
Gurleen Kaur, Year 9 (placed 140)
Meher Kapoor, Year 8 (placed 150)
Quba Ah Tong-Pereira, Year 9 (placed 173)
Silver Award (2000 – 2999 points)
Cherydan De Silva, Year 8
Bronze Award (1000 – 1999 points)
Sahasra Tadavarthi, Year 7
Allie Watts, Year 7
Tiyanie-Ekaterina Fernando, Year 8
Marie (Shannon) Bardou, Year 10
Samantha Rhodes, Year 11
Credit (500 – 999 points)
Diya Joshi, Year 7
Emily O'Keeffe, Year 8
Hetvi Gandhi, Year 8
Courtney Andrews, Year 7
Justin Thai, Year 8
Siya Patel, Year 7
Cherydan DeSilva, Year 8 also won a $20 spot prize.
Congratulations to every student that contributed towards our success this year and well done to our award winners.
It was also fantastic to see many of our students in years 7 to 10 compete in the 2020 Junior Science Olympiad. The results are yet to be released, and will be reported on in the next Discovery newsletter. Fingers crossed!
Well done to Miss Burns and her budding scientists in Leaver 5 for winning this year’s Science Week Quiz. Thank you to all who participated and made it a very exciting and enjoyable event!
A Night at the Observatory
Have you ever wished upon a star and wondered? If so, Mount Burnett Observatory are launching a new monthly series of live streams to bring the wonders of the universe to you. A Night at the Observatory will be held on Friday 4 September 2020 from 7.15pm to 8.30pm via Zoom. They will be hosting the first 100 people in Zoom chat, who will have first dibs to ask questions throughout the night; the best of which will be answered at the end of the stream. The rest of the overflow will be directed to a Livestream on Facebook.
In this first episode, you'll get a guided tour of the King of the Planets, Jupiter; an intro to Earth's place in the solar system; and a little history of the observatory. The first in a series of mini-documentaries about space, get an insight into how looking up to the sky can keep you grounded in these uncertain times.
For more information please visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/626406391636176/
Mrs Gina Upward
Science Teacher
Mr Daniel Isgro
Head of Science
Mathematics News
Today if we asked students what other subjects or what careers maths was important for, many would reply Science, Physics, Chemistry and Engineering. Some may even respond with Software Design and subjects such as IT. They would not be wrong, although the field of maths also has great connections to Art, Music and Design. Last year the National Gallery of Victoria held an Escher Exhibition which illustrated the connections between Mathematics and Art. In 2020, Casey Grammar is holding its Mathematics Week from Monday 30 August. During this week we will be promoting Maths and its diverse connections including competitions for students to make their own Escher inspired art pieces, who can catch maths in a photo and who can design the best paper plane.
Last week the Year 7s were busy designing videos to explain how to perform different operations with decimals. They had the freedom to select the platform for their creation and what concept they wanted to present. The task was created to give students the opportunity to teach using the theory that if you can explain a concept you must have a strong understanding of the concept. This teaching opportunity was especially valuable as the ability for peer support and peer teaching has been reduced due to remote learning. The task was also designed to encourage creativity and allow students the opportunity to solve real problems. If you know a Year 7 student, ask them to share what they have made.
Click here to view Krishna Upadhyay's video.
Year 9 students should have received a form this week to select their Year 10 Mathematics class for next year. The forms are due back at the end of the term to Mrs Pendlebury. If you have any questions, please contact your child's current Mathematics teacher.
Congratulations to our Unit 3 and 4 Mathematics students as they finished their final Mathematical SACs and now focus on completing the study design and revising for exams. We wish them all the best and pray they are all able to stay motivated and positive throughout the next few months.
Further Mathematicians doing their final SAC
Mrs Shelley Pendlebury
Head of Mathematics
