A spectacular display of science and technology learning!

Our Science and Technology Fair hits the mark on many levels. It is a test of organisation, perseverance, problem solving, independent and collaborative work,  reflective and critical thinking, growth mindset.  Yes, that's right, our Balmac Super 6!

It really shows the value of these skills and attitudes and how our children learn to manage increasingly complex tasks. Congratulations to all students who have achieved their goals and also a big thank you to parents and family members who have supported along the way.

You will see on your child's report, reference to the Balmac Super 6 and how they are developing skills in certain areas. You will also note nest step recommendations that will help drive learning goals next term. These recommendations are a good place to start at parent/teacher interviews in week one next term. Please remember to book your interview time.

I have just returned from a very special trip to the US looking at Science and Technology programmes in schools as well as attending the ISTE 2017 conference. This conference is a world leader in science and technology education and with 18 000 attendees it was a sight to behold! The very latest thinking and practice was on display and provided me with some great resources and connections to further grow our school in this area.

Our recent developments around the CAMLAB (Creating and making lab) and the introduction of coding, robotics, electronic control, virtual reality, put us at the very forefront of school programmes internationally.  Our goal is to continue to grow opportunities in this area so that it becomes another "set of tools" your child has available to learn. Once again structures like our Balmac Super 6 are very much to the fore in this area. I also acknowledge the excellent work that Phillipa Dick does in facilitating our CAMLAB.

I was also fortunate to spend a day hosted at Google. This amazing experience also reinforced the importance of global thinking and  creative problem solving.  With 40 000 employees on site it was impressive to see and hear the culture of this company and how it maintains it's creative edge.

I hope everyone has a relaxing and enjoyable break over the next two weeks.  My thanks to our excellent and hardworking staff for a great term.  There is much to look forward to next term and I look forward to seeing everyone back refreshed and ready for action.

Kind Regards

Andrew Hunter