2017 School Magazine

MATHAPATTA

Mathapatta is a two-day camp for girls in Years 9 and 10 who have a particular interest in mathematics, held at the Marrapatta Memorial Outdoor Education Centre. The camp consists of a number of a sessions on a variety of interesting mathematical topics; some of these sessions extend ideas encountered in the classroom including linear and non-linear functions, geometry, and trigonometric modelling. Others are introductions into fascinating areas of mathematics outside the curriculum such as cryptography, game theory, propositional logic, and linear programming. Several sessions each year are based outdoors, and all are designed to be challenging, useful, and fun. One of the most valuable aspects of Mathapatta is that students are developing their mathematical thinking in an environment that fosters risk-taking, creative approaches to solving problems, and team-work. Feedback from girls who have attended the camp is often focused on how much they enjoy working with their friends towards a common goal. DR PETER JENKINS

OPTI-MINDS

literature challenge asked students to imagine an incredibly surprising and stirring story that was positioned around a day in the life of the most ordinary person on earth. Because this story was to be a mixture of fantasy and folklore, its difficulty demanded that the teams demonstrate creativity through their fantasy — it provided a fun, exciting challenge that every girl enjoyed. Brisbane Girls Grammar School entered seven teams: two teams from the social sciences division; three teams from the science and engineering division; and one team from the language and literature division. While none of our teams progressed to state or national finals, many were rewarded other prizes, with four teams receiving the Honours Award and one team receiving the Spirit of Opti-MINDS Award. Opti-MINDS was a stimulating and in-depth challenge that captivated Brisbane Girls Grammar School contestants, helping us to grow in confidence and creativity. With the help of Mrs Boltman and Mrs Winter, Girls Grammar competitors performed outstandingly, and most importantly, had fun! CHARLOTTE PICKER (8M)

In August, Brisbane Girls Grammar School entered in the nationwide Opti-MINDS competition. This contest focuses on fostering creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving. Challenges are categorised into three main divisions: language and literature, science and engineering, and social sciences. We presented out Solutions in a ten-minute play in which we made our own props (from a sustainable source list) and script. Applicants also participated in a spontaneous challenge which asked girls to find a creative solution to a simple problem and explain how it worked. The Science and Engineering Challenge asked competitors to build a flat-pack home that could be assembled with one movement. This challenge was not only difficult and intellectually engaging, but also offered the girls a chance to think outside their comfort zone and collaborate on their individual ideas. The social sciences challenge presented students the opportunity to investigate different views of society and why some groups do not fit in to conventional categories. To do this, girls were asked to investigate the place of a tomato in a world where the fruits and vegetables were at war. This fun and innovative challenge gave the Opti-MINDS contestants a new perspective of social views through a simple and unique format. Finally, the language and

108 | CO-CURRICULUM | BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2017