Music

Symphony Under the Stars

This year’s event was a highly anticipated return to live performances by the Barker Middle and Senior School ensemble program.

All performers were delighted by the enthusiastic applause from the audience. It seems almost churlish to highlight any ensemble, but perhaps most notable for the life of the School was the first (delayed) appearance of our coeducational Middle School Choir. The healthy size and high standard of all ensembles after the enforced break is testament to the talent and enthusiasm of students and the dedication of the music staff. Our incomparable compere, David Giltrap, once again demonstrated his mystical meteorological abilities by proving he can break any drought by simply saying “Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen and welcome to Symphony Under the Stars.” The heavy rain left some performers doing the dash from the Music Centre to Rosewood looking like they had just stepped out of the PE showers BUT the rain did not dampen their spirit. A new tradition concluded the evening. The grand finale presented the usual combined forces of strings, winds and voices, but gone this year were the fireworks, probably a good thing during a biblical downpour, and the pyrotechnics were formed of an audience singalong of two Karaoke Classics – Toto’s "Africa" and the Barker meme, "Sweet Caroline". As glorious music echoed around the Rosewood Centre there was no doubt that Barker Music was back in full flight…and it IS so good to be back.

Simon Smith Head of Music

BCCU 2021 AFX

With COVID in our rear view and the floods abating just in time, the BCCU 2021 AFX went ahead from 7 - 13 April at the Singleton Military Training Area.

Throughout the camp, senior cadets displayed their leadership skills supervising their cadet companies through a range of activities including navigation, radio telecommunication and first aid lessons, as well as tactical exercises and a half-day hike across the range. The BCCU was lucky enough to make use of many facilities usually reserved for official army infantry, including visiting the Australian Infantry Museum, attempting the Over Pool and Land Based Obstacle Courses, and trying their skills on the high-tech Weapons Training Simulation System using laser sights and compressed air firing. Many companies also cycled through a range of tech activities including building laser tripwires, programming drone flights, and playing RC car soccer! Alpha Company was the first to complete the five hour Horseshoe Trek along the top of the range, whilst also clearing the path for the other companies to come. On Sunday, during the main tactical exercise, the cadets applied copious amounts of camouflage paint before splitting into companies, platoons and sections and competing across a range of tasks in order to be awarded Best on Camp. The BCCU also received a visit from the incoming NSW 2nd Brigade Commander, Col Glenn Taylor, who was very impressed with the planning and running of the BCCU AFX. The Pioneers, who worked tirelessly throughout camp setting up activities for the rest of the unit, got to join Alpha Company on the Treetops Adventure high ropes and zipline course in Newcastle. The final day of AFX included a visit from Mr Heath and a Bush Chapel Service run by Rev Pete Tong. The evening concluded with the traditional skit night and ‘talent’ show. The acts were varied but always entertaining, with Charlie Company being awarded the highest score for the night.

Nathan Dumbleton BCCU LT (Tech/PR)

A Golden Year for Commercial Studies

This year Commercial Studies celebrates 50 years since becoming a department, bringing together Commercial subjects that have been taught at Barker College since at least 1911 and possibly earlier.

Left to Right First Head of Commercial Studies Department, Peter Landahl 1975; Business Principles Teacher Leopold Palmer c.1940s.

Today, Commercial Studies is made up of four totally elective subjects: Commerce in Years 9 and 10 and Business Studies, Economics and Legal Studies in Years 11 and 12. Commercial Studies’ students are guided on a journey that is as much about exploring and developing their own learning styles and methods as it is about the relevant local, national, and global topics covered. The courses are fundamentally about the world we live in and are designed to encourage students to become more informed and effective global citizens. The subjects have something to offer all students, from the practical nature of Commerce and Business Studies, with their grounding in real world situations, to the challenging issues encountered in Legal Studies, through to the theoretical foundations of Economics. This real-world learning first began as early as 1911, with commercial subjects such as Book-Keeping and Mechanical Drawing offered at the College - with ‘drawing’ (possibly mechanical) recorded as early as 1893. Between 1923 and 1941 Business Principles was offered as a subject for the Intermediate Certificate. For Leaving Certificate students between 19301931, Economics, Book-Keeping and Mechanical Drawing were grouped together for the first time as ‘Commercial Subjects’ for the annual prize giving presentation. The subject of Economics continued from 1932-1970 with a brief appearance of Accountancy between 1959-1961. By 1971, Commercial subjects had been offered at Barker for at least 60 years. Under the headship of Trevor McCaskill, a department for these subjects was finally created and Peter Landahl was appointed as the first Head of this new Department. Commercial Studies teacher, Len Nixon, who has taught in the Department for 45 years as well as being Head of Department from 1994 - 2000, estimates that there would have to be easily 10,000 students who have gone through the Department since its inception. “The introduction of Business Studies in 1994 and Legal Studies in 2000, attracted even more interest from students wishing to undertake electives in the Department,” Len explained. Over the course of his time teaching in the Department, Len has seen significant growth in the academic and vocational issues addressed through the electives offered.

Back Row (L-R) James Mann, Joshua Toth, Len Nixon, James Denton; Middle Row (L-R) Kate Kempthorne, Andrew Watts, Jeremy Whitney, Nicola Maloy, Aleisha Ford; Front Row (L-R) Jon Rheinberger, Amanda Strauss, John McGrath, Josie Christopherson.

“These positive changes have included the development of Legal Studies as a viable academic option. Commerce in Years 9 and 10 has experienced extraordinary growth and this is a testament to the curriculum which is commercially focused and the way it has been taught. “The advent of Market Day has enhanced the credibility of the Department from a commercial and vocational point of view.” There is also more of a balance between the number of male and female students choosing these subjects. “The perception of some subjects, such as Economics, of being a male dominant subject, is definitely changing,” Len said. The Department has benefited from several Heads of Department since its inception, who have shown great leadership in terms of creating high expectations of staff and students and that in turn has been seen by the student body, who have enjoyed the subjects and the courses, the support and the way in which they are taught. There are many students who have gone on to study Commercial based subjects at University and TAFE. Today’s Head of Department, Jeremy Whitney, leads a team of 12 dedicated teachers. According to Jeremy, the Department has witnessed extraordinary development in the areas of programming and assessment. But it has been in the area of pedagogy where there has been the greatest change. “There has been a demonstrable paradigm shift,” Jeremy explains. “The integration of technology coupled with a greater focus on student centred learning, has led to more value added to the learner." “Having a dedicated teaching team, who strive to do better in every aspect of their teaching, who are selfless in character and willing to be risktakers - has been a highlight of my career to this stage.”

Julie McAllister Editor

Learning about Digital Learning

I have been involved in doctoral research examining secondary school blended learning for the past eight years. Nearing the end of my journey, I wanted to share a few key findings.

The use of digital technology in the classroom has received increased attention in the press, mostly brought on by the move to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. While my research took place before the pandemic, the findings echo the anecdotal reports that purely online learning is no substitute for face-to-face (F2F) learning. Under the right circumstances, however, the combination of F2F and online learning may be more beneficial than either component alone. The combination of these two learning modes is known as blended learning. In a meta-analysis of over a thousand studies led by Barbara Means, on average, students learning in a blended setting outperformed those who were learning either solely online or F2F. The authors explained that these students generally spent more time on task and had greater access to resources. My research explored why a secondary school would design a blended learning program, and the advantages and disadvantages once the program had been implemented. Here is what I found. Why do schools use blended learning? Blended learning can be used to provide students with opportunities to develop and demonstrate cognitive skills of self-regulation, executive functioning skills and metacognitive practices. These skills explain why humans can think before they act, stay focused, and meet challenges. Blended learning is thought to be effective in developing these skills as it allows students to exercise some element of choice or control in their learning. When is blended learning most effective? My research supports a body of literature that finds blended learning is most effective when students can either demonstrate strong executive functioning skills or are motivated to learn in an independent setting. Additionally, blended learning is effective when the course information lies within the reach of a student. This occurs when a student feels there is a good balance between challenge and comfort.

What type of online activity is best suited to blended learning? Activities are most effective when they are used to dive deeper into the content that is studied in F2F classes, whilst providing students with some control over the pace of their work or type of activity. Effective activities involve a higher degree of cognitive engagement. This includes activities that are said to activate deep learning, or those that require students to create, evaluate or synthesise information. Finally, activities were effective when they allowed students to make personal or authentic connections to their personal lives or interests. What are some benefits? Students who experienced effective blended learning saw a greater sense of control and ownership over their learning. Where students felt F2F classes were moving too slowly, online activities allowed them to work at a more comfortable pace. Students were more engaged with a task when they were able to use their interests and prior skills to demonstrate their understanding. For some students, blended learning allowed them to make stronger connections in their learning. One participant explained that blended learning was like the “sand that filled the gaps” in a particular topic. When does blended learning fall over? My study found that unwanted behaviour in blended learning situations occurs for three main reasons. The first is due to a cognitive deficit where the student does not have the required cognitive skills or content knowledge to complete a task independently. The second is when a task requires minimal cognitive engagement (ie it is too easy). The third occurs when the online activities are not integrated into the F2F activities. In these cases, I saw an increase in dissatisfaction with blended learning and practices of work-avoidance. What does this mean for teachers and students? The implication is that blended learning is most useful when students are ready to be challenged to engage in deeper learning through independent work, project-based activities or inquiry learning. Teachers should ensure that students are guided to develop independent learning skills and understand prerequisite information. Students should recognise that difficulty learning in independent or online settings may require additional support in the development of metacognitive skills and/or content knowledge.

Andy Mifsud Director of Digital Learning

Barker Maths Group

The start of 2021 saw the Mathematics Department move into the modern era by creating a closed Facebook group entitled the “Barker Maths Group”, which currently has just over 100 members.

Staff now employ short videos to present mathematical problems to students, staff and parents. These video presentations allow a problem to be evolved slowly through its various stages, which students hopefully find more engaging than the bald statement of a finalised problem in email form only. Solutions to all problems are shared with members of the group after a reasonable lapse of time and honorary mentions are made of students who have submitted a convincing solution. In the Term 1 Week 10 Challenge, Matt Dunstan presented two captivating Ancient Indian algorithms for squaring numbers. Matt Dunstan is a Sanskrit scholar with a deep knowledge of Ancient Indian philosophy and mathematics. His video has already been seen by more than 80 viewers. In the video he explains how a pre-algebraic culture developed what might be thought of as a mathematical recipe which, if followed correctly, would produce the correct square of particular types of number, without having to put pen to paper. The challenge issued by Matt Dunstan was to provide an algebraic justification for these Vedic algorithms. Essentially, students were being challenged to use their strongest mathematical tool, algebra, to provide a justification as to why and how the Vedic algorithms produced the correct solutions. Morgan Stoodley, Year 10, a regular contributor of insightful solutions, rose to the challenge and his algebraic justification was shared with the group in a follow-up video. If you are interested in Mathematics, please join us in the Barker Maths Group on Facebook! Apply at http://www.facebook.com/groups/barkermaths

Boyd Carruthers Mathematics Teacher

Year 11 Studies of Religion Excursions

What do Sikhs believe and what is their sacred site like? What does a synagogue for Orthodox Jews look like and how is it different to other forms of Judaism? How do Buddhist nuns live and practice their faith?

These are some of the questions explored by Year 11 Studies of Religion students on recent excursions. Studies of Religion is a NESA course which students can elect to study in Years 11 and 12. Our 1 Unit Year 11 students recently visited the Lindfield synagogue where they were introduced to the key beliefs and practices in Judaism. Rabbi Lewin gave students a tour of the synagogue, whilst sharing a brief history of Judaism internationally and in the local community. A highlight of the excursion was when Rabbi Lewin showed students a Torah from their collection and demonstrated how it is to be read using a yad (traditional Jewish pointer). It was a fantastic excursion and students responded very positively to this introduction to Judaism. Our 2 Unit Year 11 students also recently visited several sacred sites in Sydney and Wollongong. The excursion began with the Broken Bay Cathedral in Waitara to find out about some of the distinctive features and practices of a Catholic church. This was followed by a visit to the Great Synagogue in Sydney where students were amazed by the architectural beauty and learned about the synagogue’s significance in the life of the Jewish community and in the history of Australia. Our next stop was the Nan Tien Buddhist Temple near Wollongong where students learned about daily life for nuns, the role of meditation and mindfulness in Buddhist belief, and observed an early morning ceremony. The following day students visited the Sikh Gurdwara in Glenwood, where they were introduced to Sikh beliefs and practices, and shared in a meal. One of our students, Tim Stewart, found the Gurdwara visit to be a highlight of the excursion: “I thought the Sikhs we spoke to were so generous and respectful not only of us as people but also of our background. They were clear about what they taught regarding their faith, but tied it into some aspects of western culture. They were serious but light-hearted, so we didn't feel like they were trying to convert us.” Reflecting on the excursion experience another student, Katerina Negro, said: “It was, overall, an amazing experience. I had never looked deeply into each of the cultures before going and now I have a better understanding of why people do things and what else goes on in our world outside of my life, beliefs and lifestyle.”

Caitlin Rossler Studies of Religion Teacher Tom Anderson Head of Christian Studies

“I’m so stressed about all the work.” “I don’t know where to start.”

Executive Skill Development for Middle School students

On top of the increased academic workload, young students are managing social and emotional challenges. More co-curricular events and social events take up time in the evenings and on weekends. Teens are also experiencing physical and emotional challenges related to puberty, that can trigger strong emotional responses. The pre-frontal cortex of the brain - the part which controls executive functions to exercise “good judgement” when presented with difficult life situations, is not fully developed until the midtwenties. The pre-frontal cortex takes in information and applies reason, problem solving, and other critical thinking skills to determine and achieve specific goals. The amygdala is the part of the brain that houses our strongest emotions and is well developed at birth. (An adolescent’s amygdala is larger than an adult’s.) Based on the strong emotions adolescents experience, young learners are more likely to react without planning before or reflecting afterward, when faced with a challenge. Many schools provide tools to support executive function skills, such as a school planner. But they are often used ineffectively or not at all by students who do not understand how these tools can help strengthen their own individual skills. At Barker this year we have introduced an initiative to support Middle School students to develop a routine of planning, organising and prioritising, P.O.P. P.O.P time is a dedicated ten minutes at the end of each school day, in which students: • Plan for the short and medium term, adjusting and modifying • Organise their schedule and • Prioritise action for the evening and the week We believe this dedicated time will help students to develop good habits, support their learning and manage the transition into a more complex stage of life. Practice makes permanent.

Prefrontal Cortex

Regulates thoughts, emotions, behaviour. Hippocampus

Stores learning and memory.

Amygdala

Reacts to stress and emotional arousal

Jonathan Rheinberger Dean of Middle School

Acknowledgment: Young, C. (2017); Executive functions at home and school.

Spelling Bee

It was articulatory, celebratory, extraordinary, laudatory, prefatory, even slightly sublunary!

The excitement was evident, the superior spellers were spectacular, the audience was appreciative, and the benevolent bees beyond brilliant! Our victorious vocabularians received bee-rilliant book vouchers from QBD The Bookstore Hornsby to expand and enhance their love of literacy. The Year 7 winners were: 1) Sam Wang 2) Sophie Cattle 3) Keira Jones 4) Navanj Giria 5) Duke Barnes The Year 8 winners were: 1) Elyssa Koh 2) Ben Heytman 3) Emily Paterson 4) Finley Pridmore 5) Joey Mascarenhas

Thanks to our sensational spelling staff: Magnificent Word Master - Dr Greg Cunningham Poster Preparation Precision - Kim Urbaniak Queen Bee MC - Martine Sloper Crowd Cheer Controller - Charlotte Wells Radical Photographic Recording - Hannah McGrory

Martine Sloper English Teacher

In 2018 we moved our Middle School Robotics program to the VEX Robotics Competition. Over the last four years this has allowed us to host competitions in Sydney and deliver a quality event that is unsurpassed in Australia. We’re thrilled to announce Barker Robotics’ latest achievement – qualifying teams to VEX Worlds.

Robotics Program

Redbacks Reveal Video

The VEX Robotics Competition is the largest Robotics Competition in the world, with over 20,000 teams. With only 800 teams qualifying to VEX Worlds each year, it is an incredible achievement to simply qualify. This year we had three teams qualify to VEX Worlds; two from Middle School in the VEX Robotics Competition and one from the Junior School for the VEX IQ Challenge. On the way to qualifying for Worlds, Team 4613E – TrainWreck - won the NSW State Championships; ranked #2 in Australia in High School level Skills Ranking; won a Nationals Level Amaze Award for building the most consistently high scoring and competitive robot; and won Robot Skills at the NSW State Championship. Team 4613W – Hypersphere - built a simple but effective robot, and ranked #3 in Australia in Middle School level Skills Rankings, allowing them to get a last minute call up to Worlds. Team 4613E – Team Striker – qualified for VEX Worlds in VEX IQ by winning the NSW State Championship alongside community Team 31416G Cubing Pigs from Asquith. Unfortunately travel restrictions mean our teams will not be able to travel to the USA for VEX Worlds. However, VEX created an innovative online system to allow teams to compete in Live Remote Tournaments, which took place in mid-May as The Barker went to print. The last 15 months have been incredibly challenging for our High School students in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). Normally the dedicated team gathers in early January to design and build a new robot for that year’s challenge. However, since 2020, COVID has resulted in the cancellation of every in-person event – meaning two full cohorts have now progressed through the FRC program without an experience of competing with the robot they have designed. These cancellations have resulted in no small amount of disappointment and pain for the hardworking team. FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC)

In 2020, FIRST decided to cancel all events for another year, substituting them for ‘At Home Challenges’, allowing teams to demonstrate a range of skills challenges, with an aggregate of scores counting towards winning a division of teams from around the globe. Our students relished the opportunity, designing a special lightweight robot able to move at lightning speed and rapidly shoot accurately. We are incredibly proud to announce our team had the highest scores in the Magnesium division for the ‘Power Port’ challenge (shooting accuracy), equal highest score for ‘Interstellar Accuracy’ (distance shooting accuracy) and the fastest time for ‘Galactic Search’. In fact, our scores were so good that based on raw scores, the Barker Redbacks are 6th in the world in global rankings! On 1 and 2 May, the team finally had the opportunity to play live in person at Macquarie University. Still under COVID restrictions, only six team members and two mentors were allowed in person, with the rest of the team watching live from home. The event confirmed our suspicion that this robot was special. Taking Rank #1 from our first game, the Redbacks never relinquished it, captaining the first seeded Alliance, and going on to win the event. There are many highlights of the robot worth mentioning, but there is one absolute standout. The team built a climber that drops a platform and allows other robots to climb on in the end-game. Worth a ranking point and an extra 25 points, it is as valuable as it is difficult to achieve. Many teams tried in 2020 unsuccessfully, so it is satisfying to say we are the only team in the world that has shown it in action reliably and dependably. A fitting showcase of the team’s growing abilities after two years of challenge. We are superbly proud of all the team has achieved through their perseverance, dedication and resilience.

Lael Grant Robotics Coordinator & Computer Science Teacher