Fun Orientation Day for our incoming Class 7 Students

Last Friday, our incoming 2024 Class 7 students joined us for a day of fun and activities at Parkerville Steiner College. The day began with a number of hilarious ice breaker games and lots of laughs.

The students then toured the high school; visiting the classrooms, the art and craft room, the woodwork space, the library and the music room, where they watched lessons in practice and were treated to a musical performance. They then took part in a number of interactive high school activities, including a hands-on science experiment, where they learnt how to skewer a balloon without popping it, followed by an artistic workshop, where they carved nature inspired designs onto a bar of soap.  

Full of questions and enthusiasm, the students truly embraced their introduction to high school life at Parkerville Steiner College. We are very much looking forward to welcoming them to the campus in 2024. 

Indigenous society in the Fitzroy Valley

Class 7 has begun Term 4 with a Main Lesson that focused on the Indigenous Societies of the Central Kimberley region in Western Australia. This Main Lesson offered an opportunity for our students to not only learn about the historical and contemporary lives of the five core language groups of this fascinating region, but also to engage in a unique observational and reflective activity known as "sit spot" journaling. 

The Central Kimberley region is home to several Indigenous language groups, each with its own rich history, culture, and traditions. The students embarked on a journey to explore these diverse tribes, including the Bunuba, Walmajarri, Nyikina, Wangkatjungka and Gooniyandi people. 

This Main Lesson is intended to enable students to gain a deeper understanding of the intricate relationships between language, culture, and identity. They discovered the interwoven aspects of surface and deep culture, such as how the Kinship system and Totem animal responsibility contributes to the connectedness of Aboriginal people to their country and the natural world. One of the integral aspects of this Main Lesson was the daily sit spot journaling activity, a practice intended to inspire deep observation, meditative rest, and connection with nature. 

Every morning, the students spent silent time in a chosen spot; in, under or close to the trees to the south of our classrooms. They were encouraged to observe closely, listen attentively, and engage all their senses to connect with their natural surroundings. Following this, they recorded their observations, insights, and reflections in their nature journals, using both writing and drawing. 

This simple yet profound activity provided our students with a space for solitude, reflection, and deep connection with the natural world. It also allowed them to integrate their experiences and understanding of the Indigenous societies into a personal context. 

The nature journal pages are filling with beautiful sketches of flora and fauna, thoughtful reflections, and even some poetry inspired by the natural world. They are a testament to the students' growing appreciation of the Indigenous way of relating to nature and their ability to express this understanding creatively. 

The Class 7 students have demonstrated curiosity, dedication, and a growing respect for the Indigenous cultures and languages of the Central Kimberley region. It is intended that this Main Lesson has not only contributed to their educational development, but also nurtured their capacities for empathy, respect, and environmental stewardship. 

Donna Bieundurry 
Health and Wellbeing 

Pi and Pythagoras - Adventures in Mathematics

Across the first three weeks of the final term this year, the Class 8 students journeyed through thousands of years' worth of mathematical discoveries, queries, and quandaries. Using only a piece of string and a ruler, they discovered the ratio of Pi within every circular object they could find both within and outside of the classroom, while many let their creativity shine in how they represented cycles of the world in a circular diagram.  

In the second half of the Main Lesson, they received more than the recommended morning amount of sugar, as we discovered the theorem of Pythagoras through arranging 9, 16, and 25 different coloured skittles into the squares which connect to form a right-angled triangle. I also learnt a lesson from this, which is to save such discoveries for the end of a class with a group of teenagers. I had a wonderful time teaching these incredible young people, and I hope to see them all continue to flourish and grow, within mathematics and the rest of their high school journey! 

Samuel Blagg
Mathematics Teacher