The process involves students planning, researching, and actioning their learning. While all girls are supported along the way, the Personal Project is student directed and focuses on the interests and passions of each individual. The personal nature of the Project is important, with students deciding what they will learn and how they will learn it, what success will look like, and how they will express their new skills and knowledge to the world. The development of new knowledge occurs within a context that is of significance to the student, allowing them to follow their curiosity and creativity.

In 2021, the Personal Project topics chosen have once again spanned the six Global Contexts, Fairness and Development, Identities and Relationships, Orientation in Space and Time, Personal and Cultural Expression, Scientific and Technical Innovation, and Globalisation and Sustainability, demonstrating the wide range of interests of the students. The girls have created products such as picture books, websites, videos, digital designs, essays, artworks, and music compositions, all while expanding their researching, communicating, reflecting, and thinking skills.

One highlight of the 2021 Personal Project is the sustainable fashion business created by Isabella K who now designs, manufactures, and sells clothing made from upcycled and recycled materials. Isabella combined her interest in e-commerce, her passion for fashion, and the Globalisation and Sustainability Global Context to learn about starting a small business with a big ethical message.  

Writing a 3500 word report offers the girls an opportunity to reflect on the process. Their highlights, challenges, growths, and developments are critically analysed and their products evaluated. The report asks girls to consider how they have grown as IB Learners, with emphasis placed on their Approach to Learning Skills and the Learner Profile Attributes. Year 10 have expressed how they have improved their project management and research skills while also overcoming hurdles like procrastination and indecision. It has been fantastic to see the girls thinking about thinking, talking about communication and planning how they will plan throughout this process. 

A task of this kind does not happen without the help of many people. Year 10 would like to thank Mrs Sinden, Mrs Wade-Ferrell, and the Library Team for their organisation, mentoring, and feedback; the IT Staff for their advice and assistance; their families for guidance and support; Mrs Calleya-Jones for her care and enthusiasm; and their Teacher Supervisors for wise counsel and encouragement.

While current restrictions have caused us to change our original plans for celebrating the girls’ work in person, we will soon be able to enjoy watching their highlight videos on Canvas. Well done Year 10, you can be very proud of your application and the results of your efforts.

The Water Concerto uses a unique combination of well known instruments such as the piano and clarinet, as well as unconventional instruments including water percussion, a prepared vibraphone and a waterphone. Our girls had the opportunity to discover these instruments and their particular sounds and playing techniques. 

Tan Dun is a contemporary Chinese composer, born and raised in a rural village in Changsha in Hunan province, and now living in New York. Each movement of The Water Concerto reflects different parts of his life and our girls were able to imagine the tranquillity of rural China compared with the hustle and bustle of the city of New York.

The musicians interacted with our girls through creating body percussion patterns, discovering high and low sounds, and explaining how pitch can change when instruments enter the water. We enjoyed listening and reflecting during the online performance. Our girls have deepened their understanding about the role of a performer and an audience. It was exciting to hear responses from our youngest girls, who were raising animated hands, typing in the Q and A column, and unmuting themselves to interact with our musicians. 

We are now communicating with Musica Viva about how their concerts can be enhanced even further within this online platform. We would definitely welcome another musical group to Tara in the future!

The girls rotated around the different running, throwing, and jumping events in their age groups. They participated in sprints, discus and shot put, long jump and high jump. The size of the park allowed us to operate the different events at the same time. Being able to watch our fellow house mates and spectate the other events taking place around us added a real sense of togetherness and created a wonderful atmosphere throughout the day.

Towards the end of the program, students who qualified in their heats earlier on in the day competed in the 100m and 200m finals. They proved to be very exciting to watch with the smallest of margins separating placings in most races. Girls were committed and caring athletes throughout the day and demonstrated thoughtful acts of sportsmanship. We were able to acknowledge and celebrate our champions and runners up in our final awards assembly last term. Congratulations and thank you to all girls who participated for contributing to a wonderful carnival. 

Junior Champion: Eden W
Junior Runner Up: Ruby O

Sub Junior Champion: Ashleigh F
Sub Junior Runner Up: Cleo F

House Champion: Crawford 

The ELC to 2 Carnival was held on Mouleric Oval on the last day of Term 2. This carnival always draws a big crowd, and this year was no different! Our fabulous cheer squads made up of mums and dads, grandparents, aunts and uncles and friends were not short on house-coloured streamers and banners and they waved them proudly as the girls sprinted past them in their races. Girls rotated around a jumping obstacle, relay races, a space rocket throwing challenge and games and activities using a parachute with the help of their teachers and our diligent Year 6 leaders. It was very rewarding to see the girls proudly perform the skills they had been learning in their PE lessons to overcome the movement challenges at each station on the day. Congratulations to all girls who took part for being balanced risk-takers!