Category: Updates from Rose Bay Secondary College

Let the Game Changer Challenge begin

The semifinalist teams for the virtual Game Changer Challenge 2020 have been announced.

From all corners of NSW 420 students will use their design thinking skills to explore tangible solutions for a real world wicked problem in the 2020 Game Changer Challenge.

Hundreds of applications from NSW public schools were received for the Game Changer Challenge, which this year will be delivered as a colossal virtual event with seven semifinals culminating in a grand final.

The 84 primary and secondary student teams will aim to solve the real world problem: “How might we use technology to bring everyone in our community closer together?”

The student applications covered COVID-19 restrictions, including innovative ways to social distance and sanitise, cutting-edge technology like aerial transport systems, and new ways to ease social isolation, combat racism and build community for people with disability.

Department of Education Secretary Mark Scott said today’s students will solve the great challenges of the future.

“To flourish in this world they will need to be deep thinkers, critical and reflective, empathetic and creative,” he said.

“The Game Changer Challenge aims to highlight and develop these future-focused skills.”

The 84 student teams were judged into the semifinals by a panel of Department of Education executives and design thinking and STEM advisers. The judges were looking for the design thinking trifecta of desirability, feasibility and viability in the students’ applications.

Design thinking is a human-centred approach to solving complex problems, with empathy and collaboration at the heart of the process.

The teams selected for the 2020 Game Changer Challenge will attend an intensive workshop in the semifinals from 27 October to 13 November where they will learn and apply the design thinking process to build on their video application.

They will be guided through the process by expert facilitators and a series of videos produced with thought leaders in technology and innovation.

The winners of the seven semi-finals will be judged in a virtual grand final event for the title of 2020 Game Changer Challenge Champion on 1 December.

Visit the Game Changer Challenge webpage for the full list of semifinalists.

New resources to help HSC students stay healthy

With only a month until the first written HSC exams, Year 12 students have an extra place to look for support.

Year 12 and the HSC can be a stressful time, and this year’s students have already overcome bushfires, floods and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The department has brought together new and updated tools to help HSC students stay healthy, active and connected as they finish their final weeks of school.

Stay healthy HSC includes:

  • advice about looking after your own mental health and checking in on friends from ReachOut.com
  • exam tips from the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA)
  • on-demand video lessons, written by teachers, to help with study.

Visit Stay healthy HSC to explore the resources.

Update on religious and ethics activities in NSW schools

Special Religious Education (SRE)/Special Education in Ethics (SEE) is not currently permitted in Greater Sydney, including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour.

Approved providers have modified their authorised curriculum to enable students to learn from home.

Parents/carers may wish to access the SRE and SEE resources through the portal entry points to lesson content below:

For more information or support on these resources, please contact the approved provider.

Refer to the department’s COVID-19 Advice for families page for more information on school operations.

COVID-19 updates for schools outside of Greater Sydney

Restrictions on certain activities and non-essential visitors – applies to schools outside of Greater Sydney (including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour).

All students are expected to be at school unless they have even the mildest of COVID-19 symptoms.

Under the current health orders, there is nothing to restrict students and staff who must attend school from moving between two areas with different levels of restrictions. Students and staff should reduce traveling to geographical areas with higher levels of COVID-19 restrictions in place.

A reminder for all families

Students should not attend school if unwell, even with mild symptoms of COVID-19. Any person with any COVID-19 symptoms should be sent home and should not return until they have received a negative test result and are symptom-free. In circumstances where children have other medical reasons for recurrent symptoms a letter from their GP is sufficient to negate the requirement for a negative test.

Anyone who is unwell with COVID-19 symptoms is strongly encouraged to get tested and self-isolate until a negative result is received. Find your local testing clinics.

Latest advice

Refer to Advice for families for more information.

COVID-19 updates for schools in Greater Sydney

Learning from home; schools are open for families who need it – applies to schools in Greater Sydney (including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour).

Students learning from home. No student is to be turned away. Early childhood education services can continue to operate.

All non–core curriculum related activities are to cease on school site.

Schools should not turn away any student from attending the school site in person. Schools will provide a program of learning for students who attend school, and students who are learning from home.

Schools will revert to their remote learning mode, using existing resources and programs. For additional support, refer to Learning from home.

Under the current health orders, there is nothing to restrict students and staff who must attend school from moving between two areas with different levels of restrictions.

Latest advice

Refer to Advice for families for the latest information.