10 May 2024
Outstanding High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) Mathematics Day organised by 'Inquisitive Minds’ at Plumpton High School proved to be a highly effective way for representing schools to provide high quality and fun maths activities for their students.
Plumpton High School's outstanding performance was notable, as they secured first place in the competition. Plumpton High School was also declared the 'Inquisitive Minds Talented Maths Champions' of the Greater Western Sydney Region, solidifying their ability in mathematical problem-solving and teamwork.
Students from Plumpton High School achieved individual success, with Year 9 students Year 9 students Ysabela Marasigan and Lanvy Nguyen earning 1st place and Jericho Villareal and Jordan Villareal placing third. Year 8 students Taha Ali and Zakariya Al-Shible also achieved winning scores while collaborating with students from another school. In the Engineering Competition, Plumpton High School secured second place, with the group led by Dev Patel constructing a bridge with a remarkable span of 57.5m.
The event exposed HPGE maths students from Year 8 and Year 9 to four hours of problem-solving activities, including an interactive lesson and engineering competition. It enabled advanced problem-solving strategies and critical thinking skills to be developed and practiced. With participation from four schools (Riverstone High School, St Johns Park High, Jamieson High School and Plumpton High School), the day facilitated collaborative learning and practical application of mathematical concepts, demonstrating the value of hands-on, interactive experiences in promoting mathematical proficiency.
A huge thank you to Ms Prasad, Ms Zhang and Ms Deni-Savio for organising the successful event and other schools for their participation in healthy competition that has built complex mathematical reasoning and problem solving.
Tim Lloyd, Principal