2013 Senior Admissions Handbook - The Southport School
2013 Senior Admissions Handbook - The Southport School
2013 Senior Admissions Handbook - The Southport School
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22 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Southport</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>Senior</strong> <strong>Handbook</strong> <strong>2013</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> Prep Year program develops fine motor skills with the Duplo Tech machines kits and creative ‘free build’ tasks. <strong>The</strong><br />
program is taught in the individual Prep Level classrooms by the Class Teacher.<br />
In Year 1, students are taught by a Specialist LEGO Technology Teacher. <strong>The</strong> theme of ‘Structures and building<br />
Techniques’ utilise the LEGO Duplo Structure kits. Students build and investigate simple building and balancing<br />
theories.<br />
In the Year 2 LEGO Technology classes, boys develop their understanding of Mechanisms and Machines. Students<br />
investigate Gears, Pulleys, Lever and Wheels using the LEGO Mini Machines kits.<br />
Year 3 begin their Robotic Engineering training with the LEGO Wedo kits.<br />
This robotics kit is designed for younger children. It provides hands-on learning experiences for building and<br />
programming smaller robotic models. Activities are designed to actively engage children’s creative thinking, teamwork,<br />
and problem-solving skills.<br />
Renewable Energy and Advanced Machine principles are the themes for the Year 4 Program. Students complete their<br />
‘Advanced’ Simple Machines training and develop an understanding of Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy.<br />
<strong>The</strong> programming software ‘Scratch’ and the LEGO Wedo kits are integrated to allow students to create Computer<br />
Animations with Robotic Sensor triggers in the Year 5 LEGO Robotics course. A class based theme is used to<br />
demonstrate how Robotics systems can be used in Multi-Media presentations.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Year 6 students continue their Robotic training with an introductory course into the LEGO NXT Robotics<br />
Mindstorm system. <strong>The</strong> course allows students to investigate Sensors, Motors and simple Programming structure.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Year 7 students continue their Robotic training in the <strong>Senior</strong> <strong>School</strong> Robotic Laboratory. Intermediate<br />
programming techniques are taught using the LEGO NXT Robotic System.<br />
Year 8 students have a 13-week rotation of Robotic Engineering and use the LEGO NXT Robotics sets to build and<br />
program robots to compete in class challenges such as Hill Climbing, Robot Sumo and ‘Widget’ Collecting.<br />
In Year 9, students can elect to take Robotic Engineering as a one year specialist course. Boys continue their Robotic<br />
training using the LEGO NXT robots and NXT-G programming language. Challenges include ‘a Lunar meteorite<br />
collecting Robot’ , designing and building a Robot to entering into the Robocup Junior Rescue competition, creating<br />
datalogging robots and solving the FIRST LEGO league yearly challenge.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Year 10 Robotics and Information Processing Technology course extends students programming skill by using the<br />
text based language of ‘Robot C’. Robot C is a derivative of C++, an industry standard programming language. <strong>The</strong><br />
LEGO NXT robots are easily adapted to using ‘Robot C’ and students can see the Robotic Engineering progression from<br />
<strong>School</strong> to University to Industry.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Southport</strong> <strong>School</strong> has a Young Engineers’ Society which meets weekly after school. <strong>The</strong> Society has been a huge<br />
success for the <strong>School</strong> in various local, State and International competitions and has student membership from Years 3<br />
and beyond.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Young Engineers Society students develop skills in<br />
• Prototyping, designing, problem-solving and team work.<br />
• Gaining hands-on experience with programming, sensors, motors and intelligent units.<br />
• Real life situation challenges which engage in hands-on STEM education.<br />
Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand. Confucius, 450 B.C.<br />
Gifted Education<br />
<strong>The</strong> unique learning needs of bright and gifted students are fostered through the Gifted & Talented and Honours<br />
Programs here at TSS.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se programs are designed to challenge students, empower them, encourage risk taking, creative thinking, individual<br />
accountability, foster independent learning and the pursuit of excellence.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y are designed to nurture, support and extend boys from the Preparatory and <strong>Senior</strong> <strong>School</strong> who demonstrate high<br />
levels of ability and academic potential. Selection for the G&T Program in both the <strong>Senior</strong> and Preparatory <strong>School</strong> is<br />
multidimensional with an emphasis on ability testing and profiling of the top 5% to 10% of students. Current research<br />
indicators of the characteristics of Gifted and Talented student achievers and non-achievers are also considered in the<br />
identification process.