What is Tournament of Minds?   Tournament of Minds is a problem-solving program for teams of students from both primary and secondary years.  They are required to solve demanding, open-ended challenges from one of the following disciplines:   ·        Language Literature ·        Maths Engineering ·        Social Sciences   Tournament of Minds is an opportunity for students with passion for learning and problem-solving to demonstrate their skills and talents in an exciting, vibrant and public way.   Tournament of Minds has been one of the fastest-growing national interschool programs to challenge the youth of Australia and is now expanding internationally.   It provides for the ever-increasing demand for sophisticated educational opportunities.  The rapidly increasing and widespread involvement of thousands of participants throughout Australia and internationally demonstrates that Tournament of Minds is not only a worthwhile investment in the education of our youth, but also an integral part of our collective future.

This year we have one Tournament of Minds team who have been meeting Friday lunchtimes to learn the rules and practise past Spontaneous Challenges.

Mathematics Faculty GATS Activities/Programs:

Mathematics students at Gosford High School are continually being challenged within the scope of their respective and demanding courses.

Currently, within the curriculum, the highest achieving students in years 9-11 are being accelerated in their learning.

As well, each Mathematics classroom teacher regularly provides extra curricular opportunities within normal lesson time.

In every classroom students are continually enriched and extended by being challenged and exposed to puzzles, problems and extension mathematical situations.

Other ‘out of lesson’ activities:

• University of NSW Mathematics competition (Years 7-12)
• Newcastle University Mathematics Competition (Year 11)
• GHS Maths Challenge (Lunchtime Activities for Years 10 and 11)

Science

GHS Students at the Science and Engineering Challenge

Students in year seven to year ten study four ‘full term’ contextual units each year. Studying units of work of this duration enables concepts to be covered in considerable depth. Indeed, all the optional material in the NSW Science Syllabus and more is covered by students at Gosford High School.  Practical work and research form major components of all the junior science units and there is an emphasis on student-centred and student-directed learning. The science faculty supports and encourages innovative teaching strategies that utilise higher order thinking skills to engage and challenge gifted and talented students.

The faculty runs two special programs for talented students, the Science Extension Group and the Agriculture GATS group. Both meet weekly and are involved in a range of exciting extension activities.

Extra-curricular science activities form an important part of the Faculty’s gifted and talented student policy and students from the school are encouraged and supported to participate in a wide range of activities, such as:

• The Physics and Chemistry Olympiads (Lectures for Physics are provide after school for Yr 11 students and some students advance to the National Training Workshops in Melbourne every year and in 2009 one of our students gained one of the six places in the Australian Physics Olympiad team)
• Murder under the Microscope (Year 7 Twice state champion)
• State Envirothon Competition (Year 11 Three time State Champion)
• Sydney University Physics Challenge (Science Extension Group)
• National Chemistry Competition (Years 10-12).
• Big Science Competition (Four students achieved perfect scores in 2009).
• Newcastle University Science and Engineering Challenge (Regional winners for six of the past eight years)
• Intel Young Scientist Competition (Years 8-9)
• Bug Survey
• Beryl Strom Environmental Essay Competition
• Crystal Growing Competition (Year 7)
• National Science Forum (Year 11)
• Seimen’s Science Summer School (Year 9)
• The UTS and Honeywell Engineering Summer Schools (Year 11)
• Sydney University Biannual Science Summer School (Year 11)
• School Energy Audit
• School Rubbish and Recycling Analysis
• Lego Robo Soccer competition
• Eureka Sleek Geek Video Competition (Finalists three of the past four years)
• Eureka Awards Action Against Climate Change Prize

TAS

Students are all offered opportunity to explore their particular talents through the student based learning and individualised projects offered.  However, other extra curricular opportunities are available.

Students are offered opportunities to participate in competitions and workshops when they become available including:

• The Australian wool Fashion awards
• Hunter fashion show
• University of Wollongong Engineering competition
• University of Wollongong Design and Technology competition
• Whitehouse School Fashion Drawing workshops and scholarships

Whilst the information on these is provided for the students do not take up the offer although we have had a student win the school section of The Australian Wool Fashion Awards in the past and the Fashion Drawing Workshops are well supported.  Generally though, students prefer to extend themselves with their school based projects to ensure good examination results and they have excellent opportunity and support to do this.

HSIE

The HSIE faculty provides a wide range of activities to engage and challenge students at GHS.  These activities are provided on both a class and whole year basis.

In the classroom students are extended through activities requiring both higher order thinking skills and collaborative skills.  Assessment tasks are designed to elicit responses from students displaying empathy, critical analysis, research and investigation skills.  Further, with an increasing faculty focus on technology in the classroom we will be able to extend G&T opportunities in the area of ICT.

Students are also extended beyond the classroom through the provision of excursions, incursions and competitions.  Some of those opportunities include:

• Year 8 ‘Hands on History’ excursion to Macquarie and Sydney Universities.
• National Geography Challenge
• WESSSTA Geography Challenge
• University of Newcastle Year 11 Business Plan Competition
• CPA Australia Plan Your Own Enterprise Competition
• Year 10 Decade Study Day
• Commerce small business Opportunities
• Geography Fieldwork Opportunities
• MUNA

CREATIVE AND PERFORMINGS ARTS CALENDAR

• YIPA (Youth in Performing Arts) auditions early February, applications December previous year, performance usually June.
• Central Coast Dance Festival.  Auditions late Term 1, performances late Term 2.
• Out of the Box.  Gosford High Performing Arts evening at Lizotte’s. Dramatic and musical entertainment by our students in a non-school environment with delicious food!  Bookings can be made online@lizottes.  May 6^th. Admission $13.50
• Opera Queensland.  Visiting GHS and conducting a 5 day workshop for vocal and dramatic performers.  Free concert on the concluding Friday. Term 2 Week 4.
• Chamber Ensemble will perform at various venues during the year, the first being the Primary Schools Principals’ Conference in February.
• The Vocal Group will perform at various venues during the year.
• Musical: auditions for the school musical will be in early Term 3. The performance dates will be in late Term 1, 2010.
• A Central Vision, the annual public secondary schools exhibition at the Regional Gallery at East Gosford, 12^th February – 11^th March. Admission free.
• Fractured Fairytales Year 9 Drama students perform at Gosford Public School.
  The School (Jazz) Band first function - Welcome to Year 7 Cabaret night.
• Sculpture by the Bay – site specific sculptures by our Year 10 students and other schools at the Regional Gallery and Imperial Centre.  Starts early Term 2.
• The Gozzibald Prize: mid-late Term 2 sees the fourth year of this crowd pleaser.  Year 7 exhibit their “Hero” expressive portraits, and subject their work to professional judges and “peoples choice’.
• Central Coast Showcase  - invitation and audition for this event.  Features drama, dance and music.  Laycock St Theatre, late May.
• Seen and Heard: our major exhibition for the year featuring work from Years 7-12, including HSC Bodies of Work.  September 7^th and 8^th.  Also showcasing the individual talents of senior music students on opening night.  Early September.  Two days only in the school hall.
• NIDA Scholarship:  this involves workshops held at the school in Term 2/3 vacation for drama students.  Applications for a scholarship (worth $200-$300) will need to be made to the Drama teacher mid Term 2.
• Summer School Australian National Gallery – only two places are available for NSW.  Applications close mid year for the summer vacations.  Year 11.
• HSC extension Course NAS Visual Arts. Year 11.  Applications early Term 2.
• State Drama Camp
• State Music Camp
• Schools Spectacular
• HSC Music Performance concert mid August
• HSC Drama Performance night August
• Bell Shakespeare Scholarship - Auditions   
• Drama Festival – Mindplay Auditions