Connecting with others is a great way to build a community and live harmoniously. Learning about others can be exciting and expand our life experiences. Sitting in the Harmony Week assembly this week gave me the opportunity to see my students in a different light and certainly expanded my understanding of the languages spoken with our College community.  To keep the learning about other cultures and language groups this weekend, we could all try to do our usual hobbies but research how these hobbies are done in other countries. Perhaps ask, how do other countries prepare chicken dishes? Or how do other countries celebrate birthdays? We could even think about what live sports events are occurring around the globe this weekend. The opportunity to understand others and adopt some practices from other countries that we enjoy, will lead to greater harmony in society.

At the start of the semester, Charlotte Brook, Simon Edgar, Sara Bakanay, Tim Grosser, Rebecca Taylor, Sophie Wager, Paul Dilkes, Kimberley Costello, and I started the Harvard Course on Visible Thinking. The College, in its charter has identified a commitment to Teaching for Understanding. This pedagogy practice has evolved from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and is continually added to as more and more research data is analysed and tested. The course we will complete in the coming weeks is called Visible Thinking. Perhaps the biggest takeaway for me is the cognitions involved in thinking and the nuances required to explain what thinking means. Harvard says Observing; Interpreting; Reasoning; Connecting; Considering viewpoints; Forming conclusions; Asking questions and Uncovering complexity are all types of thinking but when combined, the true power of these elements becomes noticeable. I like the analogy where each type of thinking is a piece of string but by combining the thinking (or string) into one ball, we have even greater capability. 

Today, the College staff were invited to participate in the Bake Sale run by Year 6s to raise funds for the Australian Bilby Foundation. Next week, the students will volunteer their time to cook, market and sell goodies to help an Australian animal - one of Queensland's endangered mammals – as a part of their educational goals for the Winton Camp. There are so many different cognitions required in this service and is an opportunity that will stay with some students for a very long term.

The thread that connects Harmony Week, Teaching for Understanding and Fundraising is people and relationships. We are very fortunate at the College to have so many wonderful people who provide us with opportunities to learn. 

Thank you everyone in our community who helps us refine our thinking and challenges us to experience more.

Sue Walduck | Director of Teacher Development & Effectiveness

Harmony Week – Putting the Unity in our Community.

This week, our College has celebrated Harmony Week with a variety of workshops and activities. Our own Tucker-Bag canteen offered Food from ‘around the world’, and our College came together to celebrate Harmony Week at an assembly this Wednesday. The assembly showcased cultural performances and student work that highlighted how proud our College is of our diversity and emphasised how learning about each other is what makes us whole.

A.B. Paterson College truly represents modern day Australiana – with over 60 languages and dialects spoken at the College!

A special thank you to Interact College Captains, Charlotte Squire and Vipasha Rajkumar for their efforts and vision in celebrating Harmony Week at our College this year.  

For more information about Harmony Week visit: https://www.harmony.gov.au/

Stephanne Siberry | Head of Library Services

Jacob Lahood

Congratulations to Jacob Lahood who has been offered a scholarship to attend the International Science School at the University of Sydney in July this year. Jacob is one of only seven scholars selected from Queensland to participate in this program.

The program has an amazing line up of guest lecturers, all leading scientists in their fields, including one of the UK's leading fusion energy experts Prof. Howard Wilson; dark-matter hunter and astrophysicist Prof. Alan Duffy; Antarctic ecologist Dr Elanor Bell; carbon capture entrepreneur and ISS2003 alumnus Dr Casey Handmer; and many more!

We look forward to hearing all about Jacob’s experience on his return next term!

Matilda Grant

The Australian Mathematical Olympiad (AMO) is an invitation-only event run by the Australian Maths Trust (AMT). Approximately 100 students from Australia and New Zealand are invited each year to participate in this prestigious event based on their previous strong performance in Mathematical Competitions throughout the year. The contest is held over two days, with each contest comprising of four questions over four hours. Results from this Olympiad are used by the AMT to select students to attend the Australian Mathematical Olympiad Committee’s Selection School.

This year, Matilda Grant was invited to compete in the competition. She performed exceptionally well, achieving a silver award which placed her in the top 25% of students.

Additionally, following this competition, Matilda was invited to participate in the Australian Mathematical Olympiad Committee (AMOC) Selection School, which she participated in, in early April. This involved three days of online lectures followed by a trip to Melbourne where she sat four, four and half-hour exam papers.

We are incredibly proud of Matilda’s achievements and look forward to seeing where Mathematics takes her in the coming years.

Congratulations to Scarlett Fisher 

Her film “The Special Guest” has won another Best Picture award at the Children's Film Festival in Seattle.

In addition, Scarlett’s film was selected for a further two big film festivals - the Brooklyn Film Festival in New York, and the Singapore International Children's Film Festival. We can’t wait to hear the outcome from these two festivals – Good luck Scarlett!

Belinda Pilgrim | Head of Academic Academy

Last week the Friends of A.B. Paterson College (FAB) had the pleasure of hosting our annual Mother’s Day events and what a busy week we had!

Monday and Tuesday morning saw the school yard buzzing as excited students selected that perfect gift for mum from our Mother’s Day Stalls. With an assortment of gifts from bath goods to stationery and jewellery, lots of thought and effort was put into picking that perfect gift and we hope that you all loved the choices that were made. Thank you must go to our wonderful army of Volunteers and Senior Students who braved the cold to help us on the stalls. You all assisted in making the mornings so special for our youngest students and we thank you for your time and efforts. 

 On Friday morning our annual Mother’s Day Celebration took place in the Lower Maths building. The room was filled with much love and laughter as our A.B. Mums joined together over a cup of coffee and some delicious food. Entertainment was provided by our wonderful Junior Choirs and Dance Troop, and it was so special seeing our 2023 Prep Students performing for the first time on the big stage. Thank you to the Performing Arts faculty for coordinating such beautiful performances. An extra special thank you to our wonderful College community for making the morning so enjoyable, and on behalf of the whole FAB committee we hope you had the most amazing Mother’s Day. 

Thank you to the following parent volunteers: 

Joanna Duggan, Kristy Bracehan, Kerry Jensen, Fabienne Tillot, Kristen Sheehan, Richard Nixon, Rebecca Kirkpatrick, Mahnee Guy, Cassie Gaunt, Lauren Thiel, Tiffany Paffey, Dijana Macanovic, Nikki Durre, Kristie Pain, Zoe Garnett-Lepelaar, Naomi Favero, Kun Huang, Kristen Randal, Bec McQueen and Alexina Long.

Thank you to the following student volunteers: 

April Chen, Ava Smith, Briana Heffernan, Samuel Cathcart, Jacob Lahood, Jahn Komorowski, Lixuan Wang, Matilda Grant, Mieka Siganto, Phoebe Dunbier, Amelia Halstead, Bailey Masters, Bree Holt, Chloe Ward, Emelia Wedemeyer, Mia Lee, Sophie Chapman, Bridget Roosenboom, Turab Shah and Zoe Clacher.

Kristin Higgins | FAB Chair

On Mother’s Day, a group of our very talented A.B. Brumbies travelled to Victoria Park in Brisbane to take part in the Queensland All Schools Cross Country Championships. Despite the tough course, our students did not disappoint, with a number of outstanding results against the best runners in Queensland.

We had an amazing seven students finish in the top 10:

• Nolan Yu (7 Years Boys) – 2^nd Place
• Hayden Ozoux (13 Years Boys) – 4^th Place
• Emilie Hutt (18/19 Years Girls) – 5^th Place
• Summer Mitchell (10 Years Girls) – 5^th Place
• Ashton Coward (12 Years Boys – 7^th Place
• Lilyana Ozoux (9 Years Girls) – 7^th Place
• Imogen Ozoux (11 Years Girls) – 8^th Place

In addition, our trio of Ashton Coward, Liam Glover and Bennett Longhurst took out the Group Team Medal for the 12 Years Boys which is an outstanding achievement!

We would like to give a very special shoutout to the Mother’s of these Brumbies who came along to support on their special day, we really appreciate everything you do.

Congratulations to all students involved.

Nathan Burgess | Director of Activities

The Metaverse and Winton Centre are a hive of activity each and every day. This week, we are taking the opportunity to showcase how the students at the College are embracing and engaging with our new innovative, flexible learning space during a single lunch time break.  A snapshot of what is really happening on a daily basis. 

The photos really speak for themselves. You will notice students immersing themselves with various technologies as well as interacting with their peers. Often, we make assumptions that students have decreased their social interactions because of the technologies available to them. However, we are beginning to discover that students are becoming quite social when interacting with both devices and their peers. The devices are a catalyst for such behaviour.

The Metaverse and Winton Centre are by no means ‘quiet zones’. On the contrary, students are encouraged to collaborate, share digital and social experiences together, engage with robotics, create a podcast, assist with 3D prints, play the piano, engage with card and puzzle games etc. There is so much on offer and our students really are making the most of it.

At A.B. Paterson College, we are working towards revolutionising the way students connect and interact, bringing them together like never before. We also hope to support them in finding ‘their place’ in this community. Some enjoy the sporting field, some the stage, others the food/art/tech labs. The Metaverse and Winton Centre flexible learning space allows for our students to find their place in amongst the world of technologies. Provision on all-rounded education and offering experiences for those wishing to find ‘their place’ in our community. In this digital age, technology acts as a catalyst, breaking down barriers and creating networks that bring our students together for mutual growth, enrichment and achievement.

Beth Claydon | Head of Digital Literacy & STEAM

During Maths rotations this term, Year 5 students have been coming to the Metaverse so as to integrate the skills learned in Maths to that of the various Digital Literacies and Technologies skills required of them. Their experience consists of rotations where student agency is promoted, as well as tasks where connections are made from traditional teaching methods to that of more contemporary experiences.

Activities ask students to use Tinkercad to create 3D prints illustrating their understanding of shapes, Makey Makey interactive posters (using Scratch) to showcase area and perimeter concepts, LEGO for the calculation of area and perimeter, Dash robots for 2D shape configuration etc. Students then capture their learning and showcase this digital in their Maths Journals. True learning occurs when students create artifacts of their learning and then share these with others. It gives voice to their understanding and differentiates the learning environment for all.

Student engagement has increased, and it has been exciting to watch the connection being developed between general classroom practice, to that of immersive experiences where students integrate technologies with what could have been ‘traditional worksheet activities’. 

All part of the master plan here at A.B. Paterson College. Provisioning a world-class education for our student community.

Sophie Wager | Year 5 Teacher

Jingeri Jimbelung (Hello Friend)

This year the Junior School is embarking on a deeper understanding of Kombumerri culture by learning Yugambeh language. Yugambeh is spoken by the local Aboriginal Kombumerri people who are the Traditional Custodians of the land that stretches from Logan city to the Tweed. College staff have worked in consultation with the community via the guidance of Dr Candace Kruger, Griffith University Lecturer, Yugambeh Elder and Songwoman who is a Kombumerri-Ngugi Traditional Custodian of Yugambeh Gold Coast and Quandamooka Moreton Island.

Every week students are focusing on a Yugambeh Word of the Week and teachers are utilising various strategies to ensure best practice of the ATSI standards as outlined in the Australian Curriculum (ACARA). The Yugambeh Word of the Week is highlighted in the Prep-Year 3 Student Planners. Due to the success of this initiative, Years 4-6 students will also be learning Yugambeh language in SELF lessons, with the inclusion of the Yugambeh Word of the Week in all Junior School Student Planners for 2024.

Further to this, the Early Learning Centre, Banjo and Friends and Outside School Hours Care will be including the Yugambeh language list in their programs with students. For the remainder of the term students will be focusing on the words below.

One of our greatest strengths at A.B Paterson College is the diversity of cultures represented throughout our student body. We look forward to sharing more in this space.

Ngaurai Ngulongmai (Speak Soon)

Samantha Middleton | Year 2 Teacher 

During our combined Technology and Science lessons this term, Year 4 students have been researching their own chosen plant in class. They have engaged with the Scratch program interface and used some of their research to create their interactive Scratch projects. Students have utilised their coding skills and included speech, text and their own games in these projects.

Please see the reflections from some of our Year 4 students below:

Dex, Evan and Luke: We think Scratch is a good coding game where people can learn different types of strategies. It is a great way to share your knowledge as well. I think that it is a good way to improve knowledge also. Scratch is relaxing and lets us be creative to use our coding skills and different blocks.

Lucas and George: Scratch is a fun coding game. You use coding blocks to create our own project or game and share these with our friends and teachers. We can also checkout other people’s creation and learn from them.

Ivy S and Harlie: The things we like about Scratch are …

• That you can learn to code.
• You can create mazes, drawing games and engage in many more fun activities.
• You can learn new skills while having an exciting time.
• There are cute sprites, and the code can make them do things on their own.
• Scratch opens your mind to discover new coding activities.
• It has many types of codes for different outcomes, and we enjoy exploring these.

Wenxi, Amber O and Phoebe: Scratch is a cool coding game because you can program characters and create fun games. It also gives you opportunities to play other people’s games and allows students to explore different coding techniques to create different things. We have even learnt how to upload our own characters and create GIFs!

Emery, Miles and Audrey H: Scratch is a great programming website for students because it is simple and easy to use, although it can be a little challenging for young users. Scratch is a good program for us to use to make games, use our coding skills and express our imaginations without it being too complicated.

Eassie and Nina: We like Scratch because it lets us program a lot of interesting things and it is very easy to do projects on this interface. We also like Scratch because it can let us make fun things like games or an interesting scene.

Ronnie and Kenneth: We have enjoyed using Scratch this semester; we have learnt lots of different ways to code in the app. There are also many skills to learn such as inserting backdrops and buttons so our projects can talk to us.

Emika and Alexis W: We like the big variety of creative coding and designs of plants and places that we can share with others in Scratch. The coding gives us so many things to do and we like playing around with them to discover new features of the program.

Jackson, Ben and Lachlan: We like how we can make our own blocks and change someone’s code without changing it for everyone else. We also enjoy creating our own games and love how there are no rules and no end to the coding.

Jayden, Henry, Aran and Eddie: We like using Scratch as a way to share our scientific knowledge because it is very creative and we can use our coding skills.

Tim Collins, Leanne Clark, Zoe Truss-Michaelis & Tiffany Henry | Year 4 Teachers

Year 2 students recently visited Hinze Dam to extend their science knowledge outside of the classroom. Students are learning about the water cycle process, naturally, and how water travels from a dam to taps at home.

Students began the excursion at the Hinze Dam Information Centre and then progressed to viewing the dam from the pedestrian footbridge. Students viewed and learned about water control and water quality testing. Our tour guide shared interesting information about the local area and the treatment process water goes through so we can drink water safely at home.

We continued our tour to the spillway and saw where the water is released and then moved on to a science experiment. We tested the water quality of water samples and learned how to measure water accurately. We learned that alum is added to the water, so the dirty particles stick to each other and then sink to the bottom.

We had such a fun day learning hands-on outside the classroom!

STUDENT QUOTES ABOUT THE DAY:

I learned that the Hinze Dam provides clean drinking water to 3.2 million people every day. I enjoyed the science experiment of testing the water to see how clean it is. - Cedric

I learned that the Hinze Dam cleans and stores the water for us to drink in the Gold Coast and the South East area. My favourite part of the day was the science experiment. We learned the flock (dirt) sinks to the bottom when alum is added to the water. - Mila

It was the BEST DAY EVER! - Noah

My favourite part was when we separated the clean water from the dirt just by adding a chemical and shaking it. - Anders

I enjoyed learning about how the dam is being made bigger so it can hold more water. - Harriet

I learned that the Hinze Dam supplies water to over 3.2 million people! I really enjoyed being out in nature. - Evelyn

I enjoyed doing the experiments! It was a really fun day. - Oliver

Ashlee Lord, Samantha Middleton, Angie Hall and Donna Symms | Year 2 Teachers

KITCHEN GARDEN

In the school of A.B. Paterson,
Where learning and growth take flight,
The kitchen needs some greening,
To make meals more wholesome and brighter.

The solution lies in planting,
A garden that will thrive and bloom,
And with the help of all the students,
We can create a sustainable room.

The seedlings we'll nurture with care,
And watch them grow tall and strong,
Adding herbs and veggies galore,
To the meals that we serve all day long.

With each harvest, we'll celebrate,
The bounty that our efforts bring,
As we taste the freshness of our labour,
In every delicious offering.

So, let's come together, A.B. Paterson,
And make our school kitchen shine,
By helping it to grow its own,
And creating a greener design.

This project was led by AJ Chetter and students involved were: 

Harrison Stuanton-McCallum, Stella Teasdale, Yousif Elghobashi, Paige Yen, James Lindeberg, Ben Sturgess, Saad Sajid, Maisie Edgar, Ryan James, Kayla Sweeney, Jayden McNiven, Lulu Mathers, Jake Belinha, Muaz Khan, Kalyani Vijayan, Ellie Roh, Vipasha Rajkumar, Abby Giggins, Charlotte Middendorf, Byron Batt, Naia-Rae Fenton, Stella Davis and Emilie Hutt

Daisy Ross | Year 6 Teacher

Congratulations to Year 6 student, Oliver Watson 

on his recent selection in the South Coast Queensland team for the upcoming National Futsal Championships. 

Oliver was selected after being involved with Queensland Futsal’s Talent Identification Program and will compete in Sydney next January.

The College is extremely proud of Oliver for his achievement and we look forward to hearing about his experience!

Nathan Burgess | Director of Activities

CLOSING SOON! 

This is your LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER YOUR BUSINESS IN THE A.B. PATERSON COLLEGE FOUNDATION'S 2023 INSPIRE BUSINESS DIRECTORY. refer below for booking information.

The Inspire Business Directory provides business owners and employees with an opportunity to advertise their businesses to the wider College community.

The 2023 guide will be distributed to College families and will also be available via the College and Foundation websites, regular newsletters, and the College App.

Please contact Ben Ryan from ADV Collab to make your booking or to obtain more information.

Mobile – 0432 545 995
Email – ben@advcollab.com.au