Gifted and Talented Education

Columba College is committed to meeting the needs of students in Years 0 to 13 identified as being Gifted and/or Talented, and to enriching their learning experiences. The needs of students who are identified as Gifted and Talented are addressed through curriculum differentiation in class programmes and also through a carefully arranged programme of activities within the College and in the wider community.  

“Students identified as having special gifts and talents are highly engaged in a programme that comprehensively caters for their individual and group abilities. The programme also provides wider opportunities of benefit to all students, such as access to speakers of interest.” (Columba College Education Review, 12/07/2014)

The GATE Co-ordinator and the GATE Committee monitor that the College is meeting its requirements with regard to Gifted and Talented Education. Gifted and Talented students at Columba are identified by a variety of means, including nominations by teachers, parents, peers and self, standardised assessments and class assessments. In line with our GATE policy at Columba, our aim is to enrich the learning experiences of these students.

The needs of our Gifted and Talented students are in large part met by class teachers through the delivery of differentiated programmes in which tasks are designed to suit a range of abilities and learning styles. In addition to this, an extensive programme of enrichment activities is offered each year.

Ailsa Carroll, 2014

For most of her life, Ailsa Carroll has dreamed of one day becoming an astrophysicist or an astronaut. Last year Ailsa was one of two Senior Secondary School students selected by the Royal Society of New Zealand to attend the International Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, in July.

 “It’s been a very real dream for me to be an astrophysicist or an astronaut, and this will make it an achievable dream.” 

GATE opportunities offered at Columba College

• Book Clubs at Year 9, Year 10 and Year 11
• Chinese: Mandarin Language Assistant from the Confucius Institute
• Classical Studies: Preparation for the annual University of Otago Classics Quiz (Years 7 to 13) 
• Creative Writing: Sue Wootton tutorials culminating in the publication of an anthology of students’ writing
• Cross Curricular: Shared Histories project overseen by the HOD Languages
• Artist in Residence (Years 0 to 13)
• Debating: Intermediate, Junior and Senior Clubs
• Elite Fitness
• French Writing: François Buffet for Senior language students
• GATE Choir: HOD Music
• Philosophy tutorials: Academic staff from the University of Otago Philosophy Department
• Printmaking 
• Professor Jim Flynn talk: Year 10 Set 1 English
• Programming/Robotics: HOD Digital Technology and Otago University Computer Science Department
• Science: CREST Award Scheme
• Science Tutorials Junior School
• Science Tutorials Intermediate Department
• Spanish Club
• Sports GATE: High Performance Speakers
• The Torchlight List Reading Certificate

Other GATE activities include:

• Talking Points: A wide-ranging and stimulating lecture series (first held in 2013) in Terms Two and Three providing a unique platform to promote discussion, increase knowledge and widen perspectives.  

• Columba College has established a relationship with the Philosophy, Theology and Psychology Departments at the University of Otago and each year runs a series of eight high-interest talks at school which are taken by University lecturers on a rotational basis. 

• All Otago University Departments have regular, high quality lectures open to the public that senior students often attend. 

• Students often attend concerts by the NZSO, the Royal New Zealand Ballet, and Southern Symphonia as well as live theatre at the Fortune and Globe Theatres. 

• The Otago Museum and Toitū Early Settlers Museum have regular events that are made available to Columba College students.

• Guest Speakers in assembly (High Achievers)

• Distinguished Alumni give addresses on their careers at a special ceremony attended by Years 7 to 13 students. 
• Business Hall of Fame laureates give talks in assembly.

Extension and enrichment opportunities for students across the curriculum that take place every school year include:

Classical Studies

Otago Classical Studies Quiz (Junior and Senior)

Digital Technology

RoboCup/Robotics Club, National Computer Science Challenge, New Zealand Olympiad Informatics Camp, Robotics Club, Code Club, University of Otago Information Science Challenge.

Drama/Dance

Annual Drama/Musical Productions, Otago University Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival, One Act Play Festival, National Youth Drama School Shakespeare Festival Entry, Stage Challenge (Stage Challenge is to be held every two years in Dunedin), occasional professional drama tutors, Drama clubs, short plays directed by senior students with junior actors.

Economics

Global Enterprise Challenge, PriceWaterhouseCoopers Aspire Scholarship, Young Enterprise Scheme, Enterprise Studies

English

Speech Competitions, Inter-House Debating Competition, Dunedin Schools’ Debating Competition, Russell McVeagh Inter-School Debating Competition, Torchlight List Certificate, Film Club, Writing Competitions, Book Clubs

Languages

German: Goethe Institute Scholarship and Short Film Festival and Eric Herd Drama Award.

French: Alliance Française Oral Competition, Jeunes Auteurs de l’Europe Essay Writing Competition (Seniors), DELF Scolaire French examination

Chinese: Regional, South Island and National Chinese Speaking Competitions, Chinese Calligraphy Competition, school trips to China

Also Exchange programmes to France, Chile and Germany

Mathematics

Senior Eton Press Maths Competition, Years 12 and 13 ASB New Zealand Maths Challenge, Otago Mathletics, Years 7 to 12 Maths Development Band, Year 10 Maths Problem Challenge, Australian Mathematics Competition

Music

Otago Chamber Music Contest, Otago Regional Big Sing, Otago Regional Composition Competitions, Smokefree Rockquest, Otago Secondary Schools' Music Festival, New Zealand Orchestral Course, New Zealand Jazz Course, IRMT Instrumental Scholarship

Religious Education and Community Service

Mission Trip to Vanuatu, volunteering at local op shops, rest homes, Otago University History of Christianity paper for Year 13 students, St. Columba Community Service Award Scheme, collecting for charities, activities through Volunteer Otago, World Challenge trips to Vietnam and Laos

Sciences

Science Fair Year 7 up, OSTA Year 10 Science Quiz, Senior Science Quiz, Biology Olympiad, Chemistry Olympiad, Physics Olympiad, Senior class visits to Otago University Science Departments, Years 12 and 13 Healthy Harbour Watchers, CREST Award Scheme, Brainbee Competition, Interschool Chemistry Quiz

Social Studies and History

The Shared Histories project, MUNA: Model United Nations Assembly, University of Otago History Quiz for schools, Regional Schools’ History Quiz, Trips to the Hocken Library at Level 3 to learn how to research using archives and also to Toitū, close links with the Department of History and Art History at the University of Otago

Sport and Physical Education

Sports Ambassador visit for élite athletes, Elite athletes seminar, Sport Otago Development Camps (e.g., Athletics), Inter-School sports exchanges, Summer and Winter tournament weeks, Specialist Coaching

Visual Art

Silk screen making with Primary students, Dunedin Art Gallery visits, tutorials and workshops held before or after school