REMEMBER the anxiety before a big maths test?
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Sometimes it really is better being an adult.
There will be thousands of Hunter students - 22,170, to be precise - feeling that heat this morning ahead of the Newcastle Permanent Primary School mathematics competition.
Hopefully they handle it better than we did.
But while maths is the subject of the day, they'll also be making history.
COVID and lockdown mean students will be taking the test digitally, the first time it's been delivered that way to the year five and six kids from 363 schools.
It's been something of a hit, with a record number of participants. Newcastle Permanent chief executive Bernadette Inglis said nothing was going to stop the competition from counting this year.
"There's no doubt COVID-19 has created many barriers to student learning, but time and again teachers and students have proved their resilience and found new ways of working. We know how much students across regional NSW look forward to this competition each year, so we've done the same, adapting to an online solution," she said.
"Our maths competition is about encouraging students at all skill levels to get enthusiastic about maths and challenge their problem solving skills. Providing an opportunity for students to experience maths in real life situations in a fun way is also really important."
The competition dates back to 1981, when only a tenth the number of students participated. Winners claim complimentary accounts with the financial institution, and top performers get an invite to an online mathematics team challenge next May.
We wish all the participants luck to make it count, and are hoping some of our readers can recount their memories of the test. Send your recollections to topics@newcastleherald.com.au.
Sitting pretty for citizenship
IF you're reading this, there's a good chance you know Newcastle is the best place in the world. It's a fact not lost on Steve Barretto, who has seen a lot of the globe.
Mr Barretto was born in England, grew up in South Africa and shifted to Northern Ireland when he was 19. He moved from Belfast in 2008 after meeting his wife Nadine, who hails from Newcastle. Mr Barretto seems to have fit in just fine. "Newcastle is the best place in the world, without a doubt," Mr Barretto said, correctly.
"I remember as a kid watching cricket and wondering what it would be like to live in Australia."
Mr Barretto need wonder no more. On Tuesday he was part of some of Newcastle's biggest digital citizenship ceremonies to date on Tuesday.
"I'm really happy it's all official, I'll be having a little lockdown celebration at home with my family tonight, with some beers I have in the fridge and a meat pie," Mr Barretto said.
According to City of Newcastle 14 per cent of Novocastrians were born overseas, and more than 14,000 speak a language other than English at home.
The city has added 500 citizens in 2021 despite lockdowns, whittling down the wait list. Tuesday's ceremonies included 190 people who hail from 39 countries including Afghanistan, Iran, Sri Lanka and South Africa. Lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes said finding a way to have ceremonies was about more than pomp, giving people the status needed for work requirements and other matters linked to immigration status.
"Adapting our face-to-face citizenship ceremonies to online was a simple measure City of Newcastle could take to provide practical support to our new citizens at this challenging time," she said.