Newman Symposium – Gifted and Talented
On Wednesday 4th September 2019, Mary MacKillop Catholic College held its annual Newman Symposium in the College Hall. This event was facilitated by our Newman students who aimed to celebrate the successes, achievements and growth in learning for all Years 7-10 gifted and talented students who participate in the Sydney Catholic Schools Newman Selective Gifted Education Program. We also had our former Newman students in Year 11 and 12 lead the evening.
During the Newman Symposium many of our Year 7-10 Newman students showcased and celebrated with our school community their experience as students in a Newman class, along with many other learning experiences they have engaged in as part of this Newman Program at our College. Families and friends of our community who attended this evening had the opportunity to speak to our Newman students and staff to discover more about the Newman program and to see first hand what our students are learning in class. Students exhibited highly engaging presentations to the school community that were representative of all subject areas.
This year we endeavoured to present the work of our Newman students in the domains of giftedness, namely, the intellectual domain, physical domain, social and creative domains. This exhibited the gifts and talents of our gifted students based on the areas they excel in.
In true Mary MacKillop style, students at our College are encouraged to challenge themselves daily and to take academic risks. Our Newman classes foster an environment for energised learners in order to build their confidence in asking questions, making connections and to be resilient, independent and motivated learners. Through the College’s learning and teaching program we strive to strengthen our students’ love for lifelong learning. The showcase encompassed student work that demonstrated 21st century skills of communication, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, design and innovation.
I would like to thank our College student body for their enthusiasm on the night and in the lead up to this event, our parent community for their continued support, colleagues from Sydney Catholic Schools and dedicated staff for their support and attendance to this evening that helped celebrate our student successes. Lastly, I would also like to thank Mr Craig Moss, our College Newman Facilitator for his organisation of the evening and dedication towards continually extending our Newman students. We look forward to another successful Symposium in 2020.
