The last week of Term 1 has seen our amazing Year 7s busily preparing for their culminating activities FUSE and STEM.

In STEM, Year 7s participated in the fourth annual Physics Cup at Aussieworld on Wednesday. In preparation for the Cup, students worked in teams to investigate the physical forces that act on us, and the simple machines that help us utilise these forces. The event involved racing against the clock to find twenty locations around Aussie World that contained hidden forces and simple machines. There is a catch, however; in order to gain points, teams had to be brave enough to go on the ride where the forces and simple machines were found. The competition was designed to give Year 7s the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of physics concepts in a ‘real world’ environment. The winners of the Cup will receive the inaugural trophy and the chance to go back to Aussie World the following year as honorary champions. The winning team will be announced on the last day of Term 1.

 In FUSE, Year 7s  are about to have their Clash of Empires Festival. They’ve spent the term comparing the ancient empires of Rome and China, developed a persuasive speech about why their chosen empire was superior, and will be performing their speech to an audience at the Clash of Empires Festival. Audience members will choose either red ironstone (Rome) or green jade (China) to drop into the decision chamber based on the persuasiveness of each team’s speeches.

The winning empire will also be announced on the last day of school for Term 1, followed by a ‘feast’ of the most popular dish of each empire.

Larry McKeown, Year 7 Coordinator