Solar Boat Challenge—Grade Five Students
This term, the grade five students have been working together to create model solar boats to compete in the Victorian Solar Boat Challenge. The first stage of the process involved coming together into teams that consisted of members from all three classrooms.
The first challenge was to design a logo for their boat building company. Students analysed the similarities between well-known logos to determine how to make an effective logo. For the next assignment, students had to design a paper boat and test how long it would float. The results were varied with students concluding that balance and thickness were major contributors to success. Students were then supported in investigations into the properties of water and density. Through experiments with water, scales, clay and research students discovered how the density of materials in relation to water determines whether a material floats or sinks.
We are still in the explore stage and will be moving into understanding energy before construction begins in a couple of weeks.
~ Alison Knox – Grade 5 Teacher
Tournament of Minds
Two fine teams are in training for the Tournament of Minds (TOM) competition to be held at La Trobe University over the weekend 20–21 August. Each team is a mixture of grade five and grade six students. One team is called The Nature Trees and is represented by Will, Red, Krishan, Georgia, Starla, Maddi and Hudson. The other team is Team Edge and the members are Esther, Collette, Hershi, Tom, Lucy, Mia and Yoyo.
The teams have been meeting and conversations have been lively with great ideas being shared. All students wanting to participate in the TOM teams needed to write an application indicating why they thought they would be a good team member and also have parent support. The next step was for teachers to read the applications and make decisions on what was written.
When we go to La Trobe to compete, teams will be given a short term problem to solve on the day and then present their solution to a long term problem. This problem is complex and challenging. It requires the teams to think, create and then perform. We wish them well in the completion and thank the teachers who have supported the students.
~ Leeanne Baddeley, TOM Coordinator
Premiers Reading Challenge—Ends 9 September
The Premiers Reading Challenge (PRC) is open to all students at Fairfield Primary School. Every student is included and has been given a bookmark with their log in detail and password. I hope everyone has started reading books either with their parents or by themselves and recording this on their own PRC webpage.
The Challenge closes on Friday 9 September. The names of successful student names will be published in the Age. If you would like your child’s name to appear on the Age’s Honour Roll, please sign the form and return it to the school office.
We have a display of bones (see the photo). This shows the students who have completed the Challenge as of Friday 29 July. There is still plenty of room for names to be added to the display! Our PRC Champions, Ruben, Veronica, Yoyo and Julian—who are helping ot organise and recognise students who meet the Challenge—will be checking this Friday for more names to be posted to the board.
Happy Reading!
~ Leeanne Baddeley, PRC Coordinator