Joey’s students participate and a wide variety of extra learning experiences during the year. On occasion parents are invited to join in their child’s learning journey and work together on projects. Some of these events are:
Each year since 1945 the Children’s Book Council of Australia has brought children and books together across Australia through CBCA Book Week. During this time our school spends one glorious week celebrating books and Australian children’s authors and illustrators. Each year we have a parade with students dressed as their favourite book character.
National Science Week is Australia’s annual celebration of science and technology. Running each year in August, it features more than 1000 events around Australia, including those delivered by universities, schools, research institutions, libraries, museums and science centres.
The school theme for National Science Week 2021 will be Food: Different by Design. It will honour the United Nations International Year of Fruits and Vegetables and the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development.
Food: Different by Design will cover a broad range of areas in food production and sustainable agriculture, enabling students to explore topics such as biosecurity, food technology and laboratory-developed foods. Scientific development will be at the core to the theme, with other hands-on projects for students to explore.
Minds@work was conceived to give all year 5 students an opportunity to participate in a STEM activity and be assessed in Science and Technologies. In addition to working with Science and Technologies (STEM), Minds@work provides an opportunity for an activity with a wide range of capabilities (ICT, Critical and Creative Thinking) in an authentic global collaboration using problem solving.
In Science, students explored the Physical Science topic of Light – how it travels, how light is reflected and refracted, and why we get shadows using an Inquiry approach. They then take these concepts, and link them with sustainability and equity to examine how those less fortunate than us can get access to inexpensive light – something most of us take for granted.
The philosophy behind Minds@work is to give students something to care about, the tools they need, some choices and then step back out of their way.
The Premier’s Reading Challenge is not a competition but a way to encourage students to develop a love of reading for life. Through the challenge students are given an opportunity to develop their appreciation of the English language, and additional languages, and are encouraged to explore and enjoy a wide range of literary texts.
Children who complete the challenge have their efforts recognised through the receipt of a Certificate of Achievement signed by the Premier of Queensland.