Future Problem Solving National Finals

On Friday 13 October, students from Iona Presentation College selected to compete at the FPS (Future Problem Solvers) departed Perth to attend National Finals in Brisbane. The invitation to participate in this prestigious competition showcases the exemplary skills of our selected students and highlights their role as outstanding ambassadors for Iona.

This remarkable opportunity provided a learning and growth experience in an immersive atmosphere, fostering a strong sense of community as the number of students invited to National Finals transcended campus boundaries with representatives from the Senior and Junior school!

Our Senior School team was made up of two students, Samantha Lee who participated in as an individual in the Global Issues Problem Solving competition – Senior category, and Rebeka Rong, who competed in a MAGIC team, also in the Global Issues Problem Solving competition – Senior category. Both Samantha and Rebeka experienced considerable personal success with Bronze Medal performances in their divisions. We applaud the dedication and hard work it took the girls to achieve their individual accolades, and take this time to recognise the quality of education, and the commitment to excellence provided by their College educators and mentors.

The Junior School had two teams participate in the Global Issues Problem Solving competition – Junior Division. Annabel Cruickshank, Indi Hopkins, Olive Hooper and Olivia Richardson made up one team and Grace Chantler, Rosie Connolly, Tilly Dobrzanski and Heather Morgan the other. It was a great honour for our Junior students to attend National Finals, particularly as only four Western Australian schools in the Junior division qualified for National Finals and Iona Presentation College was the only Junior school at Nationals to have two teams competing! We are extraordinarily proud of the girls and look forward to watching them continue to grow and achieve as they move on to Senior school.

The FPS National Finals proved to be an enriching and rewarding experience for Iona Presentation College students. Their exemplary results, the learning and growth opportunities, the immersive atmosphere, and the sense of community all combined to make this event a memorable one. It showcased the potential for students to excel when they are provided with the right environment and opportunities for growth and collaboration. The success at the FPS National Finals serves as a testament to the commitment to excellence and the spirit of innovation at the College.

Finally, a special thank you to Miss McDonald, who volunteered to accompany me on this trip in place of Ms Neesham, who is currently enjoying her Long Service Leave. Miss McDonald was a wonderful mentor and guide for the students and we feel very blessed that she was a part of our trip!

Miss Gabby Groves
Junior School Enrichment Coordinator

Student Reflection

This year, the National Finals for Future Problem Solving were held in Brisbane, from the 13 to the 15 October. We were lucky to be chosen from the national qualifying paper on the 'Robotic Workforce', placing us in the top 10% of participating students in Australia. For the competition, we were asked to identify challenges and solutions on the topic of a 'Throwaway Society'.

The Nationals experience was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, allowing us to sit an exam with like-minded people and challenging problems. This compromised of sitting a two-hour exam, as well as judging the Middle Divisions Action plan presentation, allowing us to look at the competition from a different angle.

All our hard work paid off, as Samantha won bronze in the Individual Senior Division and Rebeka also placed third in the MAGIC Division (a four member team comprised of students from around the country).

In our spare time, we took the opportunity to explore all the sights that Brisbane had to offer, such as walking around Streets Beach, the CBD and the lovely street markets. As well as this, we immersed ourselves in a huge variety of food available, making our three-day trip the best it could possibly be.

We would like to thank Mr Cook and Mrs Neesham for preparing us for the National Finals, and Mrs Groves and Miss McDonald for accompanying us on the trip.

Samantha Lee (10 O'Halloran) and Rebeka Rong (10 Treacey)