Layers of Learning - Skills for Success

A Night of New Horizons

Before the heavens opened up in the last week of school in Term 1, our Year 7, 8 and 9 parents had the opportunity to set their sights on a New Horizon. Throughout Term 1 students in our Year 7-9 Gifted and Talented program engaged in design learning tasks focussed on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics).

The process of the learning was based on Six8 Design Thinking Process developed by Martyn Harris, the Head of New Horizons and Darren Rackemann, Director of Academic Performance and Innovation.

During the term Year 7 New Horizon Students learned about friction, gear ratio aerodynamics and forces by designing and creating a customised formulae one race car using 1:18 scale. Students designed many of the parts using 3D printers and completed time trials on a custom made racetrack to identify needed alterations.

Year 8 New Horizon Students were challenged to be a proposed design of the next Virgin Galactic rocket using a scale of 1:200. Through this task they learned about rocket engines, payloads and the compounds used to create thrust.

Year 9 New Horizon Students took on the task of designing an operational model of the next Boeing aircraft. Through studying lift, thrust, control surfaces and body systems, students were able to design and build a model aircraft that was then tested on the power anchor.

These design tasks help to develop important skills for success that our students need as they impact the world around them. Skills for Success is one of our core Layers of Learning on Hillcrest’s Learning Framework.

LAYERS OF LEARNING – Skills for Success