Join us for our Newman Symposium and Learning Celebration.

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How to tell if you've got a gifted and talented child, and what to do about it

How to tell if you've got a gifted and talented child, and what to do about it

We are very luck at St Mary's that all of our staff are regularly involved in considerable Professional Learning opportunities to better understand the needs of gifted students and how to cater for them, so not all of this article applies to our context. Some information here is very useful as are the links to the related articles.

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Caught in the middle: How to help gifted children survive the middle school years

Caught in the middle: How to help gifted children survive the middle school years

A post by Gail Post, Ph.D on the challenges faced by gifted children in the middle school age bracket and how we can help them navigate this time.

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Bright Now Podcast

Bright Now- 

By Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY)

A podcast about parenting and educating gifted and talented kids from Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth

Bright Now by Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) on Apple Podcasts

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Congratulations to our Year 6 Tech Girls Competition Finalists! You are Superheroes!

Our two Y6 teams are finalists in the Tech Girls Are Superheroes Challenge for 2018!

The RWorld team is a NSW Primary School Finalist . Congratulations to Aisling, Elise, Lucia, Mya and Phoebe.

The Pet Finder app team is a finalist in Australian United Nations sustainable development division – Education. Congratulations to Jasmine, Jedda and Sybilla.

Read on Below to see their pitch videos and read their business plans.

Our Y6 "Tech Girls" worked under the guidance of eLearning and Science/STEM teacher Mr Butt and industry mentors Georgie Drury - CEO of tech company Springday (Mum of Henry Hay Y2), Lynn Dang - Talent Acquisition Leader, Microsoft Australia and Christle Lee - Experience Technologist at Avanade. 

The brief was to design an app to solve a real-world problem with the aim to make a difference locally or globally.

The girls also launched their app at a special event attended by 

Team A - R World

Pitch Video and Demo
https://youtu.be/lNvdcJVpk2Y
Team A Business PlanRWORLD, ST MARY'S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
WHY ISN’T ANYONE RECYCLING?!? This is a question that comes up a lot but most people don’t know the answer to this. Well, we know. Many people are not bothered, or maybe it’s because recycling is too much of a trouble to do! If you install our free app then recycling will become much easier to do. But what else is involved in recycling? REUSING! Which is also why we have made reshare - a program within the app to make reusing (or sharing) easier too. So help save our world by using Rworld!

Team B Pet Finder AppPitch Video and Demo
https://youtu.be/FYbHiQ4FUEM

Team B Business Plan
PETFINDER, ST MARY'S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL (NSW)
Research has proven most missing pets are located close to their home. Our Petfinder app, helps pet owners locate missing pets by allowing them to create their pet’s profile with photo, name and breed. When a pet goes missing it activates pet owners and neighbourhoods to report and locate missing pets. When a neighbour locates a pet via the app, it will be taken to the vet to contact the pet’s owner and to check for injuries. The app will appeal to pet owners, council rangers, veterinary clinics and everyone in our community!

Our tech girls presented their app at a recent symposium.


Working with mentors and representatives from NS Council.

The girls created working app prototypes.
































The girls presented their apps at a recent expo at Barangaroo with girls from many schools over NSW.

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Shortlisted film in the CaSPA Battle of the Artz Competition

We are delighted to announce that one of the Stage 3 films has been shortlisted as a finalist in the 2018 Battle of the Artz competition. The film "Do not be afraid to face your fear" was made by Lila, Darci, Aine and Michaela.

2018 saw over 30 entries in the Battle of the Artz competition, involving over 300 students and 42 teachers from Sydney Catholic Schools. Some interesting concepts and techniques were explored and tested.

What a unique opportunity for students to share their ideas publicly and inform and entertain their audiences.  This medium allows our students to share stories, take risks and be passionate and creative.


The 2018 finalists have been announced on the website today and for the first time there is a public vote for a people's choice winner! Let's get out community behind this arts initiative and get voting!

Vote here.


Winner to be announced next Monday online via the website.

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Congratulations to all of our talented performers who have auditioned for roles in our school musical.

We are so excited by how well our story is progressing and are looking forward to sharing our show with you on November 28.

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The moment I felt proud to be an Australian

Congratulations to Ethan in Year 5 who wrote this letter to Mr Trent Zimmerman MP and thanks to Mr Zimmerman for taking the time to write back to Ethan.

Dear Mr Zimmerman,

I’m an 11 year old student at St Mary’s Primary School, North Sydney. As with many boys my age, I’m into my sport, hanging out with my friends and playing computer games, but not so much into what politicians say in Parliament. I do catch a glimpse of the news from time to time and I often see many politicians arguing and having a go at each other, using lots of hand gestures and trying to speak over each other and I remind myself not to go into politics when I grow up.

The other day, my parents were watching the news. I kinda groaned and asked if we could switch the TV to another channel. I don’t think they heard me and I wondered what was so interesting so I decided to stay and watch.

This is what I saw and heard:

• Malcolm Turnbull – Prime Minister – ‘We need to stand up for what we are, a free society, the most successful multicultural society in the world united by democratic values that do not distinguish between race, religion, colour, cultural background.’
• Bill Shorten  - ‘We cannot stay silent in the face of racism.’ And ‘Free speech is a cherished value in Australian society, but it is not an unfetted right to hurt, to bully, to intimidate and make some Australians feel less equal than other Australians. We have to call it out, we must condemn it…we have to stand against it, strong and united.’
• Alan Tudge – ‘We will always maintain a non-discriminatory immigration program.’
• Anny Aly  - ‘I’m tired of fighting’ as she cried.
• Penny Wong – Australia is a ‘nation that is being built by people from every country, every part of this world, a strong independent multicultural nation.’
• Ed Husic –  ‘When you hear God’s words, you hear God’s words, they are good words.’ and ‘We’re going to use this as a moment, to recognise the great things about our country, but call out the times where we have made those missteps, and say we can do better.’
• Pauline Hanson –  ‘… you do not need to be white to be Australian.’

I don’t really know what these politicians were responding to or why they were saying what they said, but I do know that they were agreeing with each other, something I have really never seen. I felt proud to be an Australian, to hear the people who represent us talk about how this country has been built by people of all nationalities and how we should stand together to act against hatred and racism. As a student about to enter my final year of primary school at St Mary’s North Sydney, I’m now going to run for school captain because the comments I heard from our leaders has restored my confidence in how strong leadership can make a difference.   

Mr Zimmermann, I know you must be a very busy person with all that you do to represent myself and all the other people who live in the North Sydney electorate, but it would be great if you could drop into my school one day and talk to everyone about how great this country is and how your party is working to unite everyone. Each year, our school is becoming more and more diverse and we have many kids from all different backgrounds. Also, on October 17-19, we will be going to Canberra and part of our trip will be to visit Parliament House. It would be great to see you there.

Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, it’s not like me to write to a politician but I thought I would take this opportunity after hearing some great things that have been said by our united leaders.

Yours sincerely,

Ethan Mock

Year 5 student at St Mary’s Primary School, North Sydney

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CaSPA 2019 Student Ensemble Auditions - Registration Open Now

BREAKING NEWS! 2019 Student Ensemble Auditions Calling all Creative Students from Year 5 - Year 12 We want YOU to audition for the 2019 Student Ensembles held in Term 4, Week 3 2018. WHAT: Skillbuilding in Drama, Dance and Vocals followed by a MASSIVE Showcase event in one centralised venue. WHEN: Term 4 Week 3, 2018 Monday 29 October (Primary) and Tuesday 30 October (Secondary) WHERE: Southern Cross Catholic Vocational College, Neich Parade Burwood TIME: 5:00pm - 6:30pm REGISTER NOW! Please see the full rehearsal and performance schedule here. And for any other information please visit caspaonline.com.au or contact your CaSPA Coordinator. 2019 Audition Requirements DANCE: Students must present themselves in correct dance attire eg: tights, jazz pants, hip hop wear. Students are to bring all dance shoes that they train in eg: jazz shoes/boots, ballet shoes, pointe Students will be auditioned in one group across a variety of dance styles Students are not required to present an individual piece Students may be required to improvise a short sequence DRAMA: Students are required to prepare a monologue or poem either self-devised or known  exploration The piece should be no longer than 1 minute in duration Students may be required to join in improvised group work and individual play VOICE: Students are required to perform part of one song that best represents their vocal quality. A second, contrasting song may be asked for if required. Students will audition without accompaniment Students may be required to sing a simple harmony ENSEMBLE FEES: The cost to participate in the 2019 Student Ensemble Program is $260. This amount will be billed from Sydney Catholic Schools via school fees once students are accepted into the program. A registration fee of $50 is included in this cost and is non-refundable if you forfeit your position in the program once workshops have commenced.

REGISTER NOW TO AUDITION FOR 2019 STUDENT ENSEMBLES

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Term 4 MindQuest Workshops - Registrations Open Now

TERM 4 Workshops - Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 November 2018

These challenging fast paced two day workshops are designed to stimulate and extend your child across a broad range of subject areas. These hands on activities include chemistry, earth sciences, lego robotics, drama, art, writing and much more. Courses focus on developing critical and creative thinking skills, problem solving and broadening your child's interests. Many of the courses for older children give them a unique opportunity to acquire advanced concepts at the high school level. 

To find out more about the 2018 courses click here.

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Big Day In - STEM and IT careers conference

Students from Stage 3 attended the the BiG Day In Junior hosted by St Ignatius' College Riverview (Regis) on Tuesday 21 August 2018.

The BiG Day In Junior is an IT careers conference designed for students in Year 5 and 6. Students had the opportunity to interact with Australia’s technology leaders and gain valuable knowledge and advice from industry professionals. St Mary’s students participated in 3 workshops: Learning to code with the ap Playgrounds, racing F1 cars and programming robots to dance.

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Congratulations to our Year 4 and 5 students who participated in the Hypatia's Challenge.

Congratulations to our Year 4 and Year 5 Team who represented St Mary’s in an exciting and enriching academic gala day for gifted girls held at Marist Sisters’ College, Woolwich. The girls participated in a number of stimulating and challenging tasks across subject disciplines.A special congratulations to our Year 4 team who one the Year 4 category.

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Outschool: Live online classes by independent teachers

You and your children may like to explore some of the thousands of online courses available through Outschool. Courses can be one off sessions or run over a period of time. 

For more information see the video below.

Outschool: Small Online Classes for K-12 Learners

To view the latest courses click here.

Please let Mrs Bassett know any of the courses that you have completed and send her a review so that we can share this information with other students.

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Gifted Challenges "Beyond intellect: Exploring the social and emotional aspects of giftedness."

Where can I find a friend? How asynchronous development affects relationships.

"Gifted children, teens and adults thrive when they understand the social, emotional and cultural impact of their giftedness, when they feel understood and accepted, when surrounded by like-minded peers, and when they are not criticized for any delays in their social-developmental trajectory. As parents, we must help them navigate the path to adulthood, seek out activities where they can develop healthy social relationships, and encourage them to accept, work with, and appreciate their unique differences."

This blog gives some insight into the challenges that asynchronous development (a discrepancy in skills or development among gifted children) can have on our students and children, along with some great strategies to support them.

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Our World Needs Maths

The Stage 3 Newman Maths group have been exploring why our world needs maths. 

Here are two movies they have created to show us how we use maths everyday.

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Experts Offer Their Top Parenting Tips for Helping Gifted Kids Thrive!

You may be interested in accessing this free ebook, written by over 27 experts in the field of Gifted Education, including Scott Barry Kaufman, Linda Silverman, James Webb, Carolyn Kottmeyer, Dan Peters, Lisa Van Gemert and MORE!

Click here to access the ebook.

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Parent Information Sessions: Anxiety in Children

Please register your interest here if you will be attending one of the sessions.

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The Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) Animation Challenge

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra is looking for animations created by students that represent one of the following musical movements. 

Create your animation to represent one of these movements:

• Movement I: Awakening. Track Cue 1: 0.00–6.22

Introduction – Lullaby – Awakening – The Escape
 

• Movement II: Plummet. Track Cue 2: 6.22–10.27

Suspension – Slow Motion (Pixilation) – Descending to the Sea
 

• Movement III: Trash Vortex.  Track Cue 3: 10.27–14.11 or Track Cue 4: 14.12–18.14
  Surging dirge, reality, beautiful melodies intertwined with the trash vortex texture – Repeat (not literal) – Albatross circling – Ending

You may use any software to create the animation such as:

• PowerPoint
• AnimateIt for stop-motion animation
• DoInk for green screen activities
• iMovie
• Adobe Animate
• Adobe Character Animator
• Scratch and Scratch Junior
• Minecraft

How to submit your entry

Upload your animation to YouTube and email the YouTube link to education@sydneysymphony.com by Monday 21 May 2018.

(Mrs Bassett would also love to see any entries that you submit. Please share with her at meghan.bassett@syd.catholic.edu.au)

Applications must include:

• The student's name and age
• Track cue number
• A short description of what appealed to them in the music to inspire their visual representation
• Which animation tools they selected.

The SSO will advise which students' animations selected for screening in the week commencing 21 May 2018.

More information is available here.

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Be a Science TV Reporter competition - Congratulations to Orlando, Darci, Juliette and Hannah

Congratulations to our Science Reporters - Orlando, Darci, Juliette and Hannah

These students have had their video selected to be viewed on the competition gallery. 

You can view their reports here.

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Gateways Festivals - Enrolments open now for July program!

G.A.T.E.WAYS has pleasure in inviting
gifted and talented children
 from Years 1-6 to
  ‘The Sydney Festival of Workshops’
 hosted by Ravenswood School for Girls, Gordon
Monday 2nd & Tuesday 3rd July 2018
 from 9.30 - 3.15
(registration 8.45) 

G.A.T.E.WAYS Festivals offer a large range of workshops running concurrently over two days with the emphasis on challenge and fun. Parents may enrol directly at www.gateways.edu.au.

Enrolment information for parents - setting up an account if a child hasn't been before

Year 1 & 2 program
Year 3 & 4 program
Year 5 & 6 program

Phone 02 9940 0303 if you require assistance or emailsydney@gateways.edu.au

G.A.T.E.WAYS is an independent, non-funded organisation, established in 1994 to provide opportunities for highly able and gifted children with special educational needs. Like-minded students can participate in programs that will challenge them intellectually and help develop their individual talents.

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