Maddingley

Year 5 Science at Staughton Vale Newsletter

This week Year 5 Maddingley students visited the Staughton Vale Campus as a part of their science studies. They looked at the different landforms visible in the distance from the Campus and investigated how these were formed over time through volcanic activity, weathering and erosion.
Students rotated through three key activities across the day:
Water and Erosion Modelling Using Stream Tables
Students explored how water moves across land and contributes to erosion. They used different stream flows, looking at the effect on modelled landscapes. It simulated erosion over time and helped students develop a deeper understanding of how natural processes affect the environment.
Geology of Anakie Gorge
A walk through Anakie Gorge showed students distinct sedimentary rock layers and they learned how wind and water shaped the region over millions of years.
Western Volcanic Plains Exploration
On a walk to the Observation Deck at Staughton Vale, students viewed the natural landforms of the Western Volcanic Plains. They completed labelled scientific drawings to document and reflect on the geological features and landforms observed.
Students enjoyed a great day outdoors, applying their classroom learning to a real-world environment.

Miss Sarah Thomson – Head of Science (Maddingley)

Final Middle School Assembly of Term 2

Middle School recently held its final assembly of the term, bringing the school community together to celebrate student achievements and reflect on a successful semester. A key part of the event was the presentation of awards for sporting excellence, recognising students who had shown outstanding performance, dedication and sportsmanship across various athletic events.
In addition, a group of students received School Colours Awards, an honour given to those who had actively participated in a wide range of school activities. This award acknowledged their enthusiasm and consistent involvement in representing the school.

 Harry H received a Principal Award for his continued excellence in BMX which recently saw him placed 3rd in Australia and New Zealand.
Read Harry’s reflection:

The AusCycling BMX Mighty 11’s International Event (Aus vs NZ)
The Mighty Elevens event is an International race between Australia and New Zealand that happens two times every year, which began in 1995. There are ten riders from each country, five girls and five boys. For this event they pick the fastest 11 year olds in the country, with the number 1 rider being the captain and the No. 5 rider being the reserve.
May 2025 – Held at Lake Macquarie in Newcastle NSW
The riders arrived at the location 3 days earlier to begin training at the track. This year, due to the bad weather in Newcastle, we did not ride the track until racing on Saturday. Instead. we trained at some nearby tracks that weren’t waterlogged!
When we weren’t training for team building and getting to know each other better, we got to go ten-pin bowling and go to Timezone, along with some team dinners. At the main dinner event, each team of riders was presented with their country jerseys in which to race in.
Racing Weekend
The event kicked off with an opening ceremony, with national anthems and the New Zealand riders also performed the Haka to kick start the racing. We rode 14 races over the weekend, including a special memorial class in which other riders could race against the Aus and NZ test team riders. My weekend started off a bit rocky with a big crash in my first race and I banged my heel hard, but I was able to keep going and in the 3rd race the Aussie boys finished in the first 4 positions. This year, the Australians won both the Mighty 11’s Girls and Boys event. This also meant that the Australians have won five of the last six Boys Test events in a row.
What will you remember about this event?
I will remember everything that we did on and off the track, new experiences, meeting new people, riding at new tracks, learning new skills and my first international event – very rewarding!
Harry H6A

Matilda J was awarded a medal for being chosen to represent the VSAC swimming team – the only Middle school student out of a team of seniors.

Eight students received medals for being Year Level Champions from our House Athletics Day.
Year 5 Female: Eloise E (Lerdederg)
Year 5 Male: Jimmy K (Dale)
Year 6 Female: Chelsea R (Toolern)
Year 6 Male: Harry H (Pykes)
Year 7 Female: Hailey B (Djerrwarrah)
Year 7 Male: Harrison L (Kororoit)
Year 8 Female: Zara S (Pykes)
Year 8 Male: Jerix A (Parwan)

The Athletics Winning House was Parwan. Well done to all those students who contributed to this win for their House.

At the recent ACS Athletics, our Year 8 team received a pennant as the best Year 8 team, which they presented to our Principal, Mrs Ogston to proudly display in the school.

We also recognised and celebrated our House Cross Country Year level Champions who also received an award for their dedication and talent in running at this year’s Middle School Cross Country event.

The winning House for the Cross Country was Parwan. It seems that the other students are going to have to dig deep over the coming years to wrestle these two awards away from what looks like a strong athletic House this year.
We also presented School Colours Awards to students who have amassed enough points over their Middle School years so far. These points are gained from taking part in a range of activities that represent the school.
Single Colour Points (50) awarded to:
• Tanush M 6C
• Aarzan Q 6D
• Palakshi R 7C
• Vivaan S 8C
• Palaash K 8I

Double Colour Points (100) awarded to:
• Annabelle E 7C

We then had a great music performance from Portia F (12I) who performed ‘I’m not that Girl’ for the musical Wicked.

A recap was given on how well the students were doing in the Middle School basketball competition that is held every week at lunch time.
Current standings are:
In Y5 & Y6
6th Place Djerriwarrah & Pykes & Kororoit
5th Place Toolern
4th Place Parwan
3rd place Pyrites
2nd Place Lerderderg
1st Place Dale
In Y7 & Y8
5th Place Kororoit
4th Place Pykes & Parwan
3rd place Dale &Toolern
2nd Place Lerderderg & Djerriwarrah
1st Place Pyrites
Overall results are:
4th Place Kororoit
3rd place Dale
2nd Place Parwan & Toolern & Djerriwarrah
1st Place Pyrites & Lerderderg
It’s still early days with still lots of games to play, so the overall winners could be any team at this point.

This assembly truly showcased the incredible talent and spirit within our Middle School community. We encourage all students to get involved, join a club, try something new, and most importantly, have fun!

Mr Scott Bayne – Head of Middle School