Year 10

STEAM – Year 10 & Year 7

On Monday and Tuesday, around 50 Year 10 students had the pleasure of assisting Year 7 in their journey as innovators in the 2023 STEAM Day. I have always loved STEAM from when I was in Year 7 as I thought it was such a great opportunity to look deeper and be able to use creativity alongside critical thinking to create a real solution that I was proud of. Therefore, when helping the Year 7 students along this journey, I not only felt extremely old, but so privileged to help them start this adventure as the STEAMer’s of the future.

As a teacher I was able to provide students with knowledge about aspects of their decided issue, waste, and help guide their journey to create a prototype to fix a specific waste related solution. Whilst of course Sophie and I can rant about the facts and flaws of issues such as fast fashion or food waste for a while, that isn’t the most important element of STEAM days. I found that the inventions and creative ways of expressing their designs was something unable to be taught to this incredibly talented and bright group of Year 7 students.

I think it is fair to say, as my time doing STEAM days comes to an end, the world of Redlands STEAM is in the safest hands. Not only was judging my Tutor Group’s pitches one of the genuinely hardest choices I have made recently, but viewing all the presentations in Redlands Hall at the end of Tuesday brought up ideas I think would be wasted if not continued into real inventions.

Thanks Year 7 for the amazing couple of days, and congratulations to Cowper Blue’s winning presentation, thanks to you guys I will be checking the use by date to make sure I don’t waste any food, until your app is a reality!

Millie Winton and Sophie Yu

Peer Support

Year 10 engaged with Peer Support training this week in preparation for 2024. Peer support training brings about numerous benefits, promoting a sense of belonging, improving communication skills and fostering leadership qualities. It creates a supportive environment that enhances students’ interpersonal skills, preparing them for future social and professional interactions. Additionally, the program cultivates confidence and self-esteem, empowering Year 10 to take on leadership roles.

Activities throughout the day focused on what makes a good leader, leadership experiences, working as a team, the importance of clear communication, empathising with the Year 7 experience, what kind of leader am I?, being flexible and adapting to the needs of your group, and setting up the practice of leading. Furthermore, students engaged with ice breaker activities which would be beneficial when facilitating sessions with the Year 7s of 2024.