Student Experiences 

Bionics Institute STEM for Girls Mentoring Program

At the start of the year,  four talented Year 11 students — Alexis Liew, Alyvia Liew, Avery Liew and Grace Mossman —were invited by the the Bionics Institute to participate in their Girls in STEM Mentoring Program.

Throughout the program, our students were paired with Professor Kate Hoy and PhD student Jacqueline Noonan, both from the Institute, who served as their mentors.

Over the course of the year, the girls visited the Bionics Institute to engage with their mentors, attend lectures on cutting-edge research, and meet researchers who demonstrated their equipment and experiments.

To further enhance their understanding, the students were assigned research papers focused on Alzheimer’s disease and brain function.

In October, they presented their findings to the senior VCE Biology class, offering insights into Alzheimer’s.

We are very grateful for the opportunity our students had to engage with an industry-leading organisation, gaining hands-on experience in world-class research and development.

LIVE FM Broadcasting Workshop

In Term 4, our Year 9 leaders, along with a select group of Years 10 and 11 Media students, had the privilege of working with Ralph Barba from LIVE FM. They spent the day learning how to navigate live radio and conduct engaging conversations with guests for the audience. 

You can read some of their reflections below. 

Lydia Allison, Year 9

Interviewing such influential leaders was a transformative experience. Under Ralph Barba’s expert guidance, I understood that I need to tap into my curiosity and ask the right type of questions to receive the best answers. 

Listening to our guests share their leadership journeys felt nerve-wracking at times, but I also enjoyed the experience. Thanks to the advice given by Dean Cohen and Rob French, I feel ready to take on new challenges.

Stepping outside my comfort zone to be on live radio was exhilarating, and I can whole-heartedly say that I’ve gained so much from this invaluable experience! 

Jock McKenzie, Year 10

I learned many skills related to radio and podcasting, such as how to keep audiences engaged and the differences between the two formats. Experiencing the full setup was fantastic, and it's something I hope to do again in the future.

Daniel Vanston, Year 11 

As part of our Live FM workshop, we were joined by former School Captain Charan Naidoo, Flying Fox founder Dean Cohen, Kilvington Chair of the Board Sarah McSwiney, Principal Rob French, Community Service Program Director Jacqui Goldenberg, and entrepreneur Matt Nation, Director of Nation Partners. Each guest shared insights into their leadership journeys and how these experiences shape their work across various fields.

Throughout the day, we had the opportunity to develop technical skills in broadcasting and gain valuable perspectives on leadership. Hearing how each guest applies leadership in their roles helped us to understand how this trait can be applied in different aspects of life, not just at school.

We left the workshop feeling more confident in our ability to engage in meaningful conversations and excited to apply these lessons in our own lives and within the school community.