Band Camp

From Friday 14 to Sunday 16 March, over 50 Symphonic Band and big Band students along with Mr Cosic, Mrs Anderson, Ms Prior and Mr Cooper, went away to Alexandra Headlands on the Sunshine Coast for our biannual Band Camp. Nestled in a peaceful bush setting, the camp involved many rehearsals where the bands worked hard on progressing as an ensemble and getting repertoire ready for the year ahead. On Saturday morning we had a two-hour workshop with a special visiting conductor, Sharelle Guest, who worked on ensemble skills and repertoire.

It wasn’t all work, however! On Friday evening the Year 12s hosted a great Trivia night which was followed up by a YouTube karaoke session. Highlights of the night were the daggy t-shirts/PJs, Mr Cosic’s mullet wig and Mr Cooper being ‘forced’ to sing Defying Gravity at Karaoke. Because St Patrick’s Day was just two days away, Saturday night was Irish/green night featuring a guest Celtic band, Buckley’s Chance, who performed for us and also taught us some bush dancing; there were many sore muscles the day after!

Thank you to all the students for your work over the weekend, and also the assistance of Mr Cooper, Ms Prior and Mrs Anderson for your sterling efforts over the weekend.

Debating

On Wednesday 26 February, our Year 10 Debating team competed in their first debate of the year against Mt Gravatt State High School. Arguing the negative side of the topic, "That military leaders should be directly elected by citizens (whilst remaining subject to the authority of elected civilian leaders)," our team delivered a compelling and well-structured argument.

In what was described as an ‘exceptional’ debate from both sides, Wynnum State High School secured a hard-fought victory, winning by just one point.

Congratulations to our speakers—Arlo, Xavier, and Annabel—who represented the school with confidence and skill, and to timekeeper Mars for their vital support. Well done, team!

The Science Experience

In the January school break, Mars (Year 10) and Eve (Year 11) took part in The Science Experience, a program designed to provide students interested in science with the opportunity to practice real world science with real world scientists. This amazing opportunity was made possible through the full sponsorship of Mars and Eve by the Rotary Club of Wynnum and Manly.

During this three-day program, students from around Queensland visited QUT, Griffith, and the University of Queensland and were able to use their cutting-edge facilities. Eve and Mars worked with other like-minded students to investigate scientific problems on topics from strong triangles to spectroscopy to blue frogs.

In Term 1, Eve and Mars were accompanied by their parents and our Head of Science, Ms Natalie Quinn to a presentation evening hosted by Rotary. Both students shared their learning and enjoyment of The Science Experience program and their gratitude for Rotary’s sponsorship. Eve and Mars have been able to share their experiences with teachers and fellow students upon returning to school this year.