At the start of the year, a group of Stage 3 students from Jindabyne Public School was offered the opportunity to participate in this online coding course. The school facilitated several sessions during class time to help students access the program, watch video tutorials, and use the Scratch coding platform. Throughout Term 1, Rafael and Alexander demonstrated exceptional dedication, frequently seeking assistance and utilising their recess and lunch breaks to complete and submit their coded game and video walkthrough for the challenge.
Alexander Diaz secured second place in this year’s challenge, while Rafael Plum achieved first place overall. Both students developed their games using Scratch and produced video walkthroughs of their games and coding processes, which were essential components of their competition entry.
Rafael Plum reflected on the experience, stating, "I learned to persevere and not give up. I also learned that if you put two coding blocks together, they create a new purpose. For example, if you get a 'move block' and a 'forever block', they will move the object forever."
Alexander Diaz shared his thoughts, saying, "I got to work with my friend who helped me to understand how the coding worked and what the blocks do."
Their accomplishments not only brought them individual recognition but also earned Jindabyne Public School a plaque of appreciation. This plaque, presented on behalf of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet's Office for Women and the University of NSW School of Built Environment (Women in Construction Project), acknowledges the school's support in the 2024 Robotics Coding Challenge and includes the message, "Thank you for nurturing our country's future innovators."
Jindabyne Public School is proud of Rafael Plum and Alexander Diaz for their commitment to learning and their outstanding achievements in the 2024 UNSW Coding Challenge.
