TAS/VET Faculty
Term 3 has been extremely busy for the TAS/VET Faculty. The Year 12 Industrial Technology Timber and the Year 12 Society and Culture class have completed and submitted their Major Projects and their Personal Interest Projects. I must congratulate the students for their dedication and commitment in completing these projects to such a high standard. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Kessler for the many hours and for the constant support he has given the IT Timber students. There were some beautiful projects. During the 9-month period the students projects included a Chess Table, TV Cabinet, Coffee Table, Folding Pulpit, Desk, Front Door Stand and Jewellery Boxes.
All nine ITT Timber students were relieved once that 3pm time hit on Thursday 10 August. What the students have achieved is something to be very proud of and not only have they finished a project, but they also submitted an 80-page portfolio to accompany the project. To showcase their work, we had the VISTAS night where family, friends and the community were able to gather and look at the amazing work of the students.
This allowed the community to vote for the “People’s Choice Award”. Brodie Norman won this award with his beautiful Chessboard. A huge congratulations to Brodie and all the Industrial Technology students and Society and Culture students. Year 12 SDD and Mrs Hogan finished making their games based on a board or card game using the programming language Python. They showcased the skills in programming they have learnt over the last two years.
Our Year 12 classes have completed their studies and I would like to thank the TAS/VET staff for their continued hard work and the dedication shown towards their students in preparing them for their HSC exams in Term 4. I am sure the hard work of our students will be rewarded when the HSC results are released.
The Year 12 Hospitality, Retail Services and Primary Industries students who have successfully completed their competencies have achieved a Certificate of Attainment or their Certificate II in Hospitality Food and Beverage, a Certificate II in Agriculture or Certificate III in Retail Services. It is so wonderful for these students to achieve their credentials.
We are all so proud of Jonathan Koszek who was nominated for a VET Award for Electrotechnology by his TAFE teacher and he won the Skilled Engineer Vocational Education and Training Award for the Central Coast 2022. Congratulations Jonathan!
The Year 12 classes we have had in the TAS and VET Faculties have been so wonderful. Over the past two years, they have supported each through the stress of major projects, assessment tasks, managing time frames and finally the Trial Exams. You have all displayed resilience and strength over the past two years and you all should be so proud of the amazing young adults that you have all become. Your care and empathy towards each other and your teachers is so very special and we will all have these wonderful memories of our classes for years to come.
It would be remiss of me to not mention the fun times we have all shared and the many laughs we have all had in our time together. It has been an absolute privilege to watch you all grow into the amazing young adults that you have all become. I know I speak on behalf of all the teachers in the two faculties when I say that we are all going to miss you dreadfully, but we are excited for you all and wish you all the very best as you venture into the next exciting chapter of your lives.
Year 12 Industrial Technology Timber
Major Projects
Brodie Nornam and Jacob Dunn receiving their VISTAS Awards at the
Celebration Assembly
Year 11SDD have finished coding their first game – a text-based game in Python. Many students created an adventure-type game, showcasing their skills in adding functions such as ASCII art, colour-changing text and opening ULRs.
The Year 11 Society and Culture class have just completed the unit on Intercultural Communication, and this was their last Depth study for the Year 11 course. The students learnt about methods of communication, communication technologies, cultural misunderstandings in relation to communication.
The Year 11 VET classes have just completed their first round of Work Placement. Overall, our students performed extremely well and many of the students gained part-time employment at their host employers. A huge thanks must go to the Year 11 VET teachers, Mr JP Grant, Mrs Jennifer Payne, Mrs Ellen Ofahengaue and Mrs Julia Kostalas for preparing the students so well before the students ventured out to their respective workplaces. The Year 11 students have just completed their exams and next term the students transition into their Year 12 pattern of study.
We are looking forward to supporting the students in their HSC year. We had a wonderful message from Hannah Effat Manesh Nik’s Work Placement host. Her placement was at the NSW Department of Industry at the Ourimbah Campus of Newcastle University. Hannah adapted a method for measuring stomatal density (the holes in leaves) on blueberry leaves which the host business will be using in their work to assess transpiration rates. They commented that Hannah is better than the average university student! Congratulations Hannah!
In Weeks 2 -5 of Term 3, 26 the Hospitality students went out to Hospitality establishments across the Central Coast to learn firsthand about serving Food and Beverage to customers.
Mrs Ofahengaue was able to visit her students in action, and she was so proud to see them at Work Placement and hear positive reports about them from their supervisors. Comments such as they showed initiative, demonstrated great interpersonal skills, willing to learn new knowledge and skills were common. These are some very important attributes to have, and the students have done themselves, their families, and the school proud.
Nine of the twenty-six students were offered part time work which is outstanding. The students enjoyed their Work Placement. Next Term the students will be going out again for another 35 hours to work in a venue close to home. This will then complete the mandatory 70 hours of Work Placement which is a requirement of NESA.
The two Year 11 Hospitality classes have been busy preparing and organising food for the Year 12 Graduation Morning Tea and they have worked very well with the Stage 5 Hospitality class to prepare and serve a beautiful morning tea to the Year 12 students, their families, friends and staff.
They have made Zucchini Slice, Mini Quiches, Coconut and Lime Cakes and Chocolate Brownies. It is a Henry Kendall High School tradition that Year 11 prepare and serve food for the Year 12’s and the current Year 11’s have done so with both confidence and competence.
Year 11 Hospitality Work Placement
Mrs Hogan and Year 10 IST have completed their assessment task in coding their first ever game in the programming language Python. Their next assessment task was a group task in Digital Media, where each group created digital media products for a specific purpose.
Miss Reynen and 9/10 iSTEM Term 3 completed their Water Bottle Rocket unit and now have just started a new unit PBL Major Project "Mega City". The students are creating a new city that must be bush fireproof, flood proof, drought resistant, sustainable and green.
Stage 5 iSTEM Water Bottle Rockets
My Stage 5 Hospitality are so amazing! They have mastered making a range of espresso coffees, taking and delivering orders and they have really refined their skills. This term the students have made a variety of both sweet and savoury café menu items and they have done an amazing job of catering for the Year 12 Graduation Morning Tea. I am so proud of them!
Stage 5 Hospitality
Year 10 Food Technology Practical Exam Products for the Unit Food Catering
Year 10 Food Technology
The class had now developed their own recipes to test.
Food Product Development
Making Cinnamon Scrolls
This semester, The Year 9 Food Technology class have been studying the Food Equity unit of work. This unit of work investigates topics like inadequate access to food in Australia, homelessness in Australia and global hunger. Students developed their culinary skills and learnt how to make meals on a budget, creating meals from staple ingredients in the pantry.
For their Assessment, students were asked to make a healthy pancake, they completed a trial run of a pancake recipe, then the following lesson bought in some ingredients from home to make the pancake a healthier option.
Some examples of creations on the day were Diced Apple and Cinnamon, Tomato, Shallots and Cheese, Mixed Berries, Chocolate Chip, and Shredded Coconut.
Year 9 Food Technology
Our Stage 4 classes have changed context areas for Semester 2 and are all working well in creating some wonderful design briefs. 8TEC4 Mrs Hogan, Mrs McTeigue and Miss Reynen have started a unit learning about Artificial Intelligence and learning how to code using the programming language Python and extending their skills in Scratch.
Mrs Ofahengaue and 8 TEC1 have been learning about healthy eating, making healthy meals, the six food nutrients, the five food groups and factors that influence why we are not able to sustain a healthy diet. They have made some healthy meals like Sushi, Chicken and Vegetable Dumplings, Smoothie Bowls, Low GI Brownies using Black Beans to name a few menu items.
Year 8 Smoothie Bowls
This term Year 7 and Mrs Ofahengaue have been learning about Textiles and the Design Process. The students have learned about fibres, yarns and fabrics which are natural and man-made. The Design Brief for the semester is to learn about handmade textile goods and to create their own Textile Monster toy using the sewing techniques like seams and hems, and adorning their toy with machine embroidery, applique and sewing on buttons. The students have also learned about fabric decoration for example marbling, silk painting, machine embroidery and looked at designers currently using these techniques for their one of kind fabric designs.
As Term 3 draws to a close I would like to thank the teachers in both the TAS & VET Faculties for their continued support and for the wonderful learning experiences they deliver every day to our students. On behalf of the TAS/VET Faculty, I would like to thank all parents and caregivers for your continuing support, and we wish all our families a safe and relaxing holiday.
The Skilled Engineer host the VET (Vocational Education and Training) Awards to honour students who have shown exemplary performance during their vocational training. Jonathan Koszek was nominated for a VET Award for Electrotechnology by his TAFE teacher.
Electrotechnology is the broader term used to describe the physics behind electrical systems and the role of electricity in technology. Jonathon has won this prestigious award for the Central Coast. Congratulations Jonathon!
Caroline McTeigue
Head Teacher TAS/VET