Welcome back to another exciting semester at A.B. Paterson College! Semester 2 is well and truly underway, with the Year 6 Winton Camp departing and our Senior College Musical commencing. Now that we are at the half way point of the academic calendar is a perfect opportunity to take time to reflect on the goals that we set at the beginning of the year, consider the progress we have made towards achieving them, and set new objectives based on our accomplishments from Semester 1. Our Year 12 students will certainly be reflecting on not only their academic results from Semester 1, but also their achievements as leaders of the College and how they can persevere in their goal of building school spirit and community.

Our Year 9 cohort will also be reflecting on their achievements in Semester 1 as they consider the various pathways available for their future. Students will complete their Senior Education and Training Plan with the support of their mentors and will make their subject choices for Year 10. This is an exciting time for our Year 9 students as they contemplate studying those subjects they are most passionate about and those which support their chosen pathway for post school and beyond. 

With so many opportunities available at the College, perhaps a supplementary goal for the second half of 2021, in addition to your existing targets, is simply to take advantage of all the wonderful programs and initiatives offered. I was overwhelmed to witness the exceptional performance of the College Musical, Guys and Dolls, last night. The cast and crew were outstanding with each performance polished to perfection. Congratulations students and staff on this wonderful achievement and good luck for your last two performances! 

Whether you hope to improve your academic results or aim to take advantage of every opportunity, I wish you every success in achieving the goals you have set for yourself and I hope that you have a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding semester.

Charlotte Brook
Head of Senior School

Our Year 6 cohort may have been bleary eyed as their alarms buzzed in the early hours of Wednesday morning, but by the time our intrepid adventurers had arrived on campus to greet their friends and teachers and climb aboard the buses, the excitement was palpable!

The long-awaited day had finally come - Winton Tour 2021!

Excitement was mixed with nerves for some – but that was mainly among parents, who will anxiously await the return of our campers next week.

An entire day spent on a bus will test the resilience of even the most seasoned travellers, but our staff and parent volunteers report that our students were beautifully behaved and coped well with the distance. They arrived in high spirits, and ready for the challenge of setting up camp in Charleville Showgrounds.

Fears of camp bed disasters were unfounded as the students expertly assembled their cots and settled in for a good night’s rest, as Charleville turned on a warm night.

The following days were filled with exploration – Charleville Cosmos Observatory, the Bilby Experience, the Royal Flying Doctors’ Service just to name a few of the fascinating places visited.

We cannot wait to hear more from our happy campers when they return with stories and lifelong memories from their outback experience of a lifetime!

Safe and happy travels!

Technology has transformed almost every aspect of our lives, and now education systems around the world are being updated and upgraded. COVID-19 has accelerated this change, showing us what can be achieved and pushing companies to develop new and different programs.  At A.B. Paterson College, we are continually tapping into the digital revolution and adopting new technologies to help students reach their full potential. Through the teaching and learning driven use of iPads and laptops in Prep – Year 3 and our 1 to 1 device program from Year 4 - 12, we aim to enable a more flexible and individualised approach to ensure learning can continue regardless of the many and varied challenges of life.

The Next Generation
Although some might view technology as pervasive, for younger generations, it is ever-present. I sometimes find it hard to grasp that my own children will never know a time before the iPhone was invented. There have been many iterations since my youngest daughter was born in 2010. The ‘cool at the time’ flip-phones and Nokia bricks of my youth are ancient relics of a pre-information age.

The combination of evolving educational needs for children and a more uncertain future of work means that updating what children learn, and how they learn it, has become a crucial matter for our College.

Classrooms 2.0
In a survey of 1,400 educators, the majority believe classrooms of the future will be centred around self-paced and personalised learning. This student-centric approach enables students to have some autonomy over their learning, based on individual interests and skill level. This can be facilitated by artificial intelligence, coding, and video-based learning under the guidance of professional educators. During a recent visit to a culminating STEAM activity in Year 5, I was amazed by the clever and creative digital applications the students were developing – such as using Scratch to demonstrate how planets in the solar system orbit the sun and creating QR codes, to name a couple.

Video Learning
In the same survey mentioned above, 98% of educators view video learning as a vital component in personalised learning experiences. Most institutions report incorporating video into their curriculums in some way, but even higher demand for video-based learning may come from students. This is because video learning increases student satisfaction by 91%, and student achievements by 82%, which is why teachers are increasingly using video for tasks like:

- Providing material for student assignments;
- Giving feedback on tasks and assignments;
- Flipped instruction (blended learning) exercises.

A flipped classroom overturns conventional learning by focusing on practical content that is delivered online and often outside the classroom.

Creating First-Class Humans
The benefits of technology as teaching aids are undeniable, however we are not in the era of 'iTeachers' yet. What is more important is that these aids are used in tandem with developmental and educational psychology - ultimately keeping students rather than technology at the core of education.

"The future will be about pairing the artificial intelligence of computers with the cognitive, social and emotional capabilities of humans, so that we educate first-class humans, not second-class robots.”  OECD, Trends Shaping Education report

After all, how children develop these skills is perhaps less important than their ability to navigate change. If we can inspire our boys and girls to do and be their best and also equip them with the ability to use the latest technologies, they can overcome anything. This aligns with our College mission – ‘To challenge the individual to achieve, and to act with purpose and character’. 

Simon Edgar
Head of Junior School

Please refer to the attached careers update from Head of Pathways, Jeanette Maxwell.

Information includes:

• Energex Apprenticeship Opportunities
• Australian Defence Force (ADF) Information Sessions
• Scholarship Information
• University Open Days and Expos
• Private Providers
• QTAC Applications Open
• Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority
• Universities

From The Careers Desk 14 July 2021

The A.B. Paterson College Foundation is pleased to present the 2021 Inspire Business Directory to highlight the many family businesses in our College community, should you wish to support them.

The directory is available via the 'Our Community' section on the College website or under 'Contacts' in the College app.

2021 Inspire Business Directory

Grace by name and graceful in dance! Year 7 student, Grace Tian Xu, recently achieved incredible results at the Ipswich Junior Eisteddfod.

Grace won First Place in two categories - Classical Solo 11 years and Demi Character Ballet 11 years. She also received a Very High Commended certificate in Lyrical & Slow Modern 11 years.

Congratulations Grace!

Luciana Jasper was busy during the school holidays competing in the U12s QLD Basketball State Championships. Luciana's team came 4th in Division 2 and Luciana ended up topping the Queensland statistics in her division! Well done Luciana! Mr Collins and 6C are very proud of you!

Congratulations to our Week 1, Term 3 Bumper Sticker Winners!

Rebecca Delacy

Ying Ying Li

In order to be in the running to be a weekly winner, your vehicle must be registered in the competition. Enter here:

collegebumperstickercompetition@abpat.qld.edu.au

Include you car registration number, name, email and phone number.

Collect your 2021 bumper sticker from College Reception.

Our lucky winners each receive $100 off their school fee invoice for the following term! At the end of Term 3, all of our weekly winners will be invited to an afternoon tea where one family will be drawn to receive FREE* tuition for their eldest child for Term 4 2021 (*tuition fee only).