PARENT/TEACHER ACTIVITY:
We host a parent/teacher information session once a term on Monday nights usually from 7:30-8:30 in the Kenmore Library Meeting room 3. Check the "events" tab for details on these events and booking. Sign up to have events emailed directly to you so you don't miss out!
Want more than an information session once a term? Come along and join our team of committed parents and teachers dedicated to providing support and raising awareness for gifted children in our community! We meet on the second Monday of the month during school terms from 6:30-7:30 in the Kenmore LIbrary meeting room 3.
Each year pre-Covid, West Branch has run a children’s activity during National Science Week. This year, despite lockdown and closures, we can still get plenty of science into our everyday lives at home.
As we are aware, the human population is getting larger and food growing areas are shrinking due to accommodating the increasing population. We know that a healthy body that is well nourished will give us the best chance of a speedy recovery from any disease or treatment. In Queensland, most people have access to healthy foods but we don’t always make the correct choices for a healthy body.
The theme for National Science Week 2021 is “Food: Different by Design” and encourages us to explore the many ways science is developing ways to ensure we have enough nutritious food available for all in a sustainable way. By becoming knowledgeable about the food we need, how it is “grown” (even in small spaces), methods of preserving and preparing foods, avoiding food waste and even packaging and transporting foods, we can conscientiously and responsibly feed ourselves with minimal ecological impact.
Let’s learn about the science of food. Whether you are in Prep or all the way through to Year 10, here are some sites you may like to access which will guide you into activities you can do to make you more aware of the science of food production and the current technological developments in the food industry:
1. https://www.scienceweek.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Food_different_by_design_teacher_book.pdf, this site is the official National Science Week site and has numerous activities that can easily be done at home. They are graded for Prep through to Year 10.
2. Citizen science projects:
a. Do you have a macadamia tree growing near you? https://www.wildmacadamias.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Wild-Macadamia-Hunt-Project-Info.pdf
b. If you go fishing and you enjoy a bit of dissection work: https://scistarter.org/got-guts
c. Wild Pollinator Count has the next Citizen Science Count from 14th to 21st November, https://wildpollinatorcount.com/
3. General Citizen Science Projects in Brisbane West:
a. The Moggill Creek Catchment Group welcome those interested in studying and preserving the ecology of Moggill Creek https://www.moggillcreek.org.au/
b. https://wildlife.org.au/rbcn/ plant a vine to help save the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly
If you are always interested in things scientific, you may like to take up this offer from CSIRO’s Double Helix magazine:
https://doublehelixshop.csiro.au/special-subscription-offer
Let’s not let Covid deter us in our quest for science knowledge and exploration.
Enjoy,
The team at QAGTC West Branch
Check out our competitions from our first season:
PAST EVENTS
We plan to facilitate the following activities:
Brisbane West Support Group welcomes Parents, Carers and Teachers of gifted children. Meetings will be held on selected Monday evenings (7:30 – 9:00pm).
These meetings will provide an opportunity to discuss the needs of our gifted children by sharing of knowledge and experiences. We hold these meetings in one of the following formats: Support Group (sharing & resourcing), Focus Topic(s) or Guest Speaker(s).
We can also identify topics of interest for future West Branch Events, eg: Children’s Activities, Gifted Family Networking Events, Guest Speakers or Support Group Meetings.
Please be aware that our Support Group meetings are purposed for Parents, Carers & Teachers, do not bring children to these meetings.
Our PINs are suitable for interested Parents, Carers & Teachers. Please note that children cannot be accommodated for at these evenings.
We will be providing an information night each term.
Our Branch Committee meets once per month immediately before our Support Group meeting. If you would like to help, join the committee, contribute to or facilitate activities for Parents and Children in the local area please contact us via: west [at] qagtc [dot] org [dot] au (WEST)
Note: For Registration & the latest details, please check the Events menu to access all events, or scroll down to the News Items at the bottom section of this page to access West Branch events.
Please regard instructions for child free events (ie: Parents, Carers & Teachers only) versus Children's Activities or Gifted Family Networking Events. At this stage for Children's Activities purposed events our Branch will not be having any 'drop & go' arrangements.
Please email our West Branch if you need to clarify any instructions.
Email: west [at] qagtc [dot] org [dot] au
President - Leisa Taylor
Treasurer - Sue Stevens
Secretary - Melissa Dornhart
