Beyond the Classroom

Connecting Schools with Indian Communities (CSIC) initiative - highlights in June

The Connecting Schools with Indian Communities (CSIC) program is a Department of Education initiative designed to enhance cultural understanding, celebrate the achievements of Indian communities, and provide meaningful learning experiences that connect students with diverse perspectives through real-world engagement.

During June, Pakenham Secondary College launched its involvement in the initiative with two special activities, offering students the chance to engage directly with Indian culture, connect with community members and deepen their appreciation of diversity.

Inspiring entrepreneurial insights with Deepa Mani, found of POC (Proud of Colour) Beauty and Chandralaya School of Dance

On the 24th June, we were thrilled to welcome Deepa Mani, founder of POC (Proud of Colour) Beauty and Chandralaya School of Dance, to our college. Deepa led an inspiring session titled “From Passion to Purpose: Building Business as a Migrant Woman in Australia” for our Year 11 and 12 Business and Accounting students. She shared her personal journey into entrepreneurship, the challenges of running a business through the COVID-19 pandemic and valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. The session concluded with a Q&A, allowing students to engage directly and gain deeper insights into the role of migrant communities in the Australian economy and business landscape.

We thank Deepa for sharing her time, wisdom and inspiring story with our students.

Exploring Indian Cuisine with Shavan's Restaurant

Earlier in the month (10th June), our Year 10 Food Studies students visited Shavan’s Indian Restaurant in Pakenham. The students observed chefs preparing a selection of traditional Indian dishes and enjoyed a tasting experience. Through engaging discussions with restaurant staff, they learned about the key ingredients of Indian cuisine, their cultural importance and the unique cooking techniques involved.

This hands-on experience enriched students’ understanding of how Indian dishes are thoughtfully prepared, cooked and presented to guests. We extend our gratitude to Shavan’s for providing such a fantastic learning opportunity.

These projects have offered our students meaningful, real-world connections that deepen their appreciation of Indian culture and community contributions. We look forward to continuing our involvement in the CSIC program throughout the year.

STEAM Club Update

Our STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) Club has been full of exciting activities this month! Two standout highlights were the elephant toothpaste experiment and making stress balls. For the stress balls, students used simple materials like balloons and a mixture of cornstarch and water to create a fun, squishy non-Newtonian fluid. The students' reactions said it all – laughter and lots of fun!

Term 2 Clubs and Activities