IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Kizuna Taiko Drummers
Springboard is a program at Rosny College designed to support the learning, social and emotional needs of students with disability. Several years ago, Taiko drumming was introduced as a means of engaging students and encouraging them to improve their confidence, creativity and resilience through a subject called Expression through the Arts.
In October 2018, The Springboard Kizuna Taiko players visited Japan, an experience that gave them an exceptional opportunity to challenge themselves and their perceptions of what they were able to achieve. All of the students gained enormous benefits in their confidence and self-esteem throughout their international experience.
Early this year the group were awarded the Japanese Consul General's Award for building relationships between Australia and Japan. The Consul General flew to Hobart to present this award. It was a huge honour for the group and school to be internationally recognised for this program.
The group also recently acquired $24,000 worth of drums thanks to the Hobart City Council and the Tasmanian Community Fund. This has allowed them to share the healing power of Taiko with thousands of Tasmanian school students and the wider community. Most recently the group wowed Drama Teachers from all over Australia performing at the Drama Australia Symposium in Salamanca.
Rosny College hopes to take another group to Japan in 2020 to continue to build the friendships of peace and harmony with our Japanese friends.
Congratulations to all involved with the award winning Springboard Kizuna Taiko Drumming Group. What a wonderful range of opportunities for the students.
Mitchell Torok
Mitchell finished year 12 at Rosny College in 2018 after completing his studies in a range of subjects including STEAM. While at Rosny Mitchell was also involved with UTAS, extending his Robotics knowledge and skills.
Recently, along with his cousin Isaac, he created a smart watch style device that can detect whether an elderly person has fallen and trigger an alarm. Called ‘aWear’ the device can be worn as a brooch, watch or lanyard and links to a database that can SMS nursing staff the residents status and location in real time. Mitchell came up with the idea due to concern for his 89 year old great-grandmother.
In 2018 Mitchell and Isaac won the Senior Students category at the Tasmania iAwards for their creation. They then attended the National iAwards in Melbourne where they received a Merit (2nd place) in the senior secondary category and also won the Pitchfest section of the iAwards in the senior secondary category.
Earlier this year Mitchell and Isaac won the engineering category of The BHP Foundation Science and Engineering Awards and were invited to go to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in the United States of America. Mitch and Isaac finished 4th in the world for their category.
Mitchell is currently studying Mechatronics at UNSW. He hopes to continue to develop the ‘aWear’ device to prevent hospitalisations from falls in older Australians.
Congratulations and all the best for your future Mitchell.
