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Gifted and Talented
It is said that in his old age Michelangelo observed, “I am still learning”. These words embody the philosophy of the College’s Academic Excellence program, which aims to recognise that learning should not only be a means to an end, but rather a lifelong process of growth in our unending journey to know ourselves and others.
Students involved in the program are encouraged to develop a true love of learning through an immersion in a broad range of cross-curricular academic experiences. In seeking to develop our students’ creative, collaborative and critical thinking skills, we aim to mould them as learners for life who will be prepared to grapple with the challenges of an unknown future.
This year, the Academic Excellence program has featured a number of fulfilling learning opportunities tailored for students who seek to realise their academic potential. Future Problem Solving
Future Problem Solving is a year-long elective in which students are entered in the Future Problem Solving International Global Issues competition, competing in groups of four to engage in a team approach to exploring challenges of the future. The focus of this cross-curricular course is to develop the students’ high-order creative, critical and collaborative thinking skills to equip them for the difficulties posed by a world that is ever-changing.
This year the elective was offered to students in Year 8, and an additional class will be created in 2015 for Year 9 boys who would like to continue their involvement in the competition. Other students from that year group who had missed out the previous year were also invited.
da Vinci Decathlon
In Term 1, the College fielded two teams in the da Vinci Decathlon, an academic gala day held at Wesley College) that is comprised of a series of challenging events such as code breaking, cartography and philosophy. The event was a wonderful opportunity for gifted and talented students to be challenged in a fun and interactive team environment.
Our Year 8 team had mixed success in their division placing 17th overall, but the boys did well to score in the top ten of the philosophy and engineering challenges. I commend them for their fantastic team spirit and the positive approach they brought to the event.
Our Year 10s enjoyed some significant successes. As they ranked seventh overall they were honoured to be in the top ten teams of the senior division of the competition. They performed particularly well in the science challenge (ranking third) as well as cartography (ranking second), but most impressive was their first place score in the English category. The boys are to be congratulated for their enthusiasm and supportive approach in tackling the challenges as a unified team.
I thank both teams for their efforts and look forward to seeing our students build on their successes in the Decathlon next year.
Hale School Philosothon
The Philosothon is a prestigious academic competition for which students contemplate important philosophical questions in small-group discussions called communities of inquiry. This year the topics were:
1. Could it be that the pursuit of happiness is self-defeating? 2. What are the limits of scepticism? 3. Does belief in free will make us better people? 4. Are rich countries morally obliged to provide debt relief? The boys provided informed and insightful contributions to their group discussions and overall their results were strong. Particular mention should be given to Daniel MacMillan (9.2) for placing third in his year group and to Jack Biasin (10.2), who placed fourth in his category.
I thank all the boys involved for the wonderful way they represented our College. I also thank Mrs Lissa Coleman for her help coordinating our involvement in the event and for the moral support she provided the boys on the night itself.
Academic Excellence in 2015
The College is pleased to be expanding its program for gifted and talented students in 2015. While some of the opportunities provided to our boys will be selective, others are designed to include students who have a keen interest to be involved. The boys are encouraged to seek out these activities as their participation is both welcomed and appreciated.
Ultimately, the Academic Excellence program isn’t about awards and certificates; it’s about connecting with others, being enriched by new experiences and propelling further into a fascinating world where so much is still unknown to us.
Mr Richard Herrmann Gifted and Talented Coordinator
