The Year 5 boys have received a laptop that they will use to attend the Aurora classes via video link from their schools in Griffith. 

The classes are stage three math and science units also involving components of high school level STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) problem solving and hands on skills such as photography. 

“We have started to learn about cameras because we are about to do a film making project,” Oliver said. 

“We are learning about and making pictures, voice recordings, and video, and we are sending them in to Aurora (to have a movie made).” 

Beelbangera student Hamish Ellis said he will doing a presentation at his school, talking about what he has learnt through the classes. 

Aurora science teacher Virginia Claff said the boys were selected for the opportunity classes after “the school had to apply and the parents and the children had to write to us why they would like to be a part of our program.”

“In the future Year 5 and Year 6 primary school students wanting to enter the Aurora Opportunity Classes will have to sit the standardised NSW selective schools exam in year four to determine weather they are eligible,” Mrs Claff said. 

Opportunity Class assistant principal Serena Mclean said “a lot of us when we go through the normal scope of education aren’t getting the opportunity to problem solve, to communicate, and to sell their product, so these kids are learning those sorts of skills.” 

“Aurora College has been running their Selective High School Program for about four or five years now and we find that when our kids have better communication and problem solving that allows them to learn at a faster rate and integrate what they’re learning,” Mrs Mclean said.   ​

DO YOU WANT MORE GRIFFITH NEWS?

Receive our free newsletter delivered to your inbox every Monday morning. Sign up here.