From The Junior Secondary Head of Department
With David Capill
Toolooa’s STEM Squad have hit the ground running this term and are preparing for a number of exciting challenges.
14 students are participating in the 2021 TechGirls Competition. This exciting opportunity connects girls in years 7-9 with industry and business mentors that help the girls to build apps to address real-world needs and demands. We have a very strong group of female STEM entrepreneurs here at Toolooa and can’t wait to see their ideas and apps take shape over the next 12 weeks.
In week 7, we will have a record number of students competing in the 2021 Gladstone Robotics Competition. This year we have six teams eagerly preparing for the event. Students are working in groups to build and code robots to complete a series of instructions and complete obstacles with accuracy. Students are spending each of their lunch breaks working hard to be prepared and we are very proud of their dedication.
Additionally, we have 13 students competing in the 2021 Santos Scratch Challenge. In this challenge, students are given a number of coding tasks that require them to design and create animations, quizzes and games using Scratch software. The challenge is contextualised around the operations of Santos GLNG and as the students progress they are learning more and more about the different projects and positions at GLNG. Yesterday, our students have the privilege of a visit from Santos GLNG Plant Manager, Rohan Richardson. Rohan’s presentation was of great value to our students and we thank Rohan for giving his time to share his experiences with us.