At Nowra Anglican, we love seeing our students engaged, and one of the responsibilities we have as educators is to spark that engagement.

FUSE is a new and developing programme that has commenced in the Junior School. Initially working with selected students in Stage 3, FUSE in one of our initiatives under our Enrichment umbrella.

Mrs Tiffany Van Heerden is currently looking after this initiative and describes the way this programme has commenced:

In FUSE this term, our Stage 3 students have donned their Detective hats to solve The Case of The Stolen Tiara.

The museum was locked and alarmed for the night. The tiara safely on its stand. The day’s deliveries waiting just inside the door. However, the following morning the tiara was gone and nothing but a heap of sand remained in its place…

Who stole the tiara and how did they do it?

Each week the students were given a clue relating to a different discipline area. The first clue required students to understand Sorites Paradox. The second clue could only be solved using Pythagoras’ Theorem. With each new clue a new concept was introduced, be it from the world of science, philosophy, literature, linguistics or maths.

The student-led inquiry has been designed to allow each student to determine their own ending to the investigation. Who was the criminal? What were their motivations? How will they plead? Only the students themselves can say.

Of course, opportunities like this are not unique to our Enrichment programme. Our students are constantly challenged to think critically, to explore possibilities and to collaborate on how they solve real-world problems.

Our Enrichment Programme has been evolving. Mrs Jayne Kingsley has been leading this area and Mrs Tiffany Van Heerden has been working in this space in the interim. We look forward to Miss Lily Jackson joining us as our new P-12 Enrichment Coordinator from the commencement of 2025, where we will see programmes like FUSE and other opportunities develop.

We’re looking forward to seeing how this story of the stolen tiara ends when students hand in their summative task in Term 4. Students can choose between a presentation, a written narrative, or a visual representation. Whichever format they choose, they must solve the mystery and close the case!

Mr Brendan Gorman
Deputy Principal, Learning and Innovation