Teaching & Learning

Health & Human Development

Year 11 Health & Human Development - kids and bubs visit

As part of the Year 11 Health and Human Development (H&HD) course students learn about developmental transitions and various stages of the human lifespan. Students also explore considerations in becoming a parent and the resources needed to support parents in providing optimal development for children.

To support our H&HD students in developing a strong understanding of these key concepts, Coburg High School staff were invited to bring their infant and preschool children to school, to interact with the Year 11 students. This provided the Year 11’s with an excellent and practical opportunity to explore some key aspects of development in infancy and early childhood. 

Many thanks to the staff who brought their kids and bubs along including: 

• Eriol Backa who brought 12 month old Henry
• Melanie Buscema-Moore who brought 4 year old Iggy
• Lourdes Garcia Larque who brought 2 year old Aren
• Brigitte Rogan who brought 2 year old Lachie
• Cian Barrie who brought 4 year old Alessia 
• Ellen Drake who brought 2 year old Otis 

Congratulations to our year 11 students who were gentle and caring in interacting with the pre-school children.

Abbey, Jeff and David 

(Year 11 H&HD team)

Software Development / Algorithmics

It's always a pleasure hearing about the journeys our Year 12s go through as they head towards completion of their studies. In Software Development, students had an opportunity to select a real client to provide a software solution as part of their SAT - a School-based Assessment Task that typically goes over two terms. Here are some reflections from our Year 12s on this experience.

"Taking software development this year taught me a lot about time management and all the different parts of designing and creating software. We learnt not only programming, but also the styles of diagrams and documentation used to design software that properly meets its needs. Having completed a whole piece of software myself from its planning to full competition, now I have a lot more insight into how the industry might function. I really liked that software development allowed us to create our own unique programming project that we could tailor around what we wanted to create and also our own level of skill in coding. I found that I learnt very valuable skills in time management and adapting to problems that arise in a project. It also gave me a final (very well documented) piece of software that I could choose to use to demonstrate my software planning and programming abilities. Overall, I feel that taking this subject taught me a lot more about the love that goes into the creation of really good software that is designed to serve the people it’s made for." - Keira J.

"During my Software Development SAT (School-Assessed Task), I had the unique opportunity to work with external clients to create a software solution. This opportunity allowed me to network, gain industry experience and build connections in the community. Using my community connection I was able to leverage my SAT to help me apply for uni courses. For example, The Aspire Community Contribution program rewards your involvement in community, leadership, and volunteering with an early conditional offer for your chosen course at La Trobe." - Nikola G.

"For me, Software Development was an important enrichment of the software understanding I had prior going into year 12. Software Dev doesn't aim to push students to over-the-top programming excellence, but rather teach them the reality of working in industry. Coding isn't about cleverness or how little lines you use to create it, it's about clarity, and this is what I think a lot of new programmers don't realise, because I didn't either. It teaches students to be practical, well-rounded programmers, placing importance on not just efficient and readable code, but also documentation and security - both absolutely crucial components to the success of a software developer." - Jesse M.

Also under the Applied Computing umbrella is Algorithmics, a Higher Education Scored Study (HESS) that students at Coburg High can select to complete in hy-flex mode via the Centre for Higher Education Studies (CHES). Algorithmics is the study of computational thinking and problem solving, with a particular focus on solving real-world problems that are technically "unsolvable". A challenging subject, students who complete Units 3 & 4 Algorithmics can be eligible for up to two semester-based first year subject credits at some universities, depending on their desired course, such as University of Melbourne and Monash University. Coburg High has had students completing Algorithmics since 2023 with positive feedback from all students who have participated. Algorithmics students and some of our Maths Methods students recently participated in an extension lecture session on Large Language Models (such as Google Copilot and ChatGPT) and the mathematics behind their creation, asking meaningful questions about the computational ability of such algorithms.

Selina Dennis

Production

Throughout Term 3, the year 10 Production students have been working on developing their set design pieces, inspired by various productions like ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ’The Jungle Book’. Their task has been to select a script and a scene from one of these productions and to annotate how the context of the selected script could be realised onto the stage, through constructing a small model of a potential set design to reflect this. Students had to create a mood board for inspiration as a way to determine what they will implement into their piece, as well as a sketch to envision what the set design will look like. The images of the students' works reflect the process behind the making of the set design, which has been created by using recycled materials to ensure environmental sustainability. Students will then write an analysis of why they created the set design in the way they chose and whether their process behind the creation of the set design aligned with what they intended to create.

Max Reymers

Pre-service Teacher

Year 10 Sport Coaching and Athlete Development Elective  

On Wednesday 4 September, our Year 10 Sport Coaching and Athlete Development class attended Coburg Primary School to apply the knowledge and the skills that they had learnt throughout the term working with primary aged students.

Our Year 10 students successfully coached the Coburg Primary Grade 2 students in a variety of sports including Netball, Basketball, Tennis, Soccer and Football, developing each of the students competency levels across the array of sports. It was truly wonderful to see the positive interactions, care and guidance being provided by all members of the Sport Coaching class.

On behalf of the Year 10 Sport Coaching and Athlete Development class we would like to thank Jacob Bryant (Physical Education Teacher) and the Grade 2 Teachers at Coburg Primary for allowing our students to have such a valuable experience. 

Kylie Saccone

English Language

In English Language Unit 4, our students studied language and its use in society, at an individual level, group level and community level. Students explored what it takes to use language effectively and achieve many purposes, be it informative, emotive, persuasive or for the creation of rapport.  Many students find clear links between what we study in English Language and the real world in which they live.

"I found that I really enjoyed taking English language this year. In mainstream English I really liked discussing the intentions of language authors would use so English Language really felt like the perfect subject for me. In English Language we learn a variety of words to describe language and how our accidental or selective choices create different effects. I really enjoyed being able to explore and discuss how the language we choose helps us achieve what we want. The passion and support of the teachers in the English Language team meant I always felt supported and truly engaged in what we were learning."

"From the perspective of a math-centric student, English Language seems to me like the most suitable choice of the main three Englishes. It feels much more like an application of knowledge with areas of study like discourse and text analysis, rather than opinion and creativity. I can't say that I know exactly what other Englishes are like, but if you are particularly interested in STEM-type subjects, English Language is not just tolerable, but - for the most part - actually interesting."

Selina Dennis

VCE VM Personal Development Skills

Year 11 VCE VM have recently begun their Passion Project SAT. 

The students chose an activity they are passionate about and have been taking it in turns to teach their activity to the class. We have had tennis skills, drawing skills, AFL & soccer skills, yoga and stretching. Coming up we have badge and bracelet making, bench pressing, basketball skills and some architectural drawing. 

Olivia Stray

Year 8 Poetry

Throughout Term 3, year eight students have been studying poetry. Students have embraced the idea that "everyone is a poet and poetry can be about anything." Students are to be commended for reading and writing poetry in a wide range of forms, submitting entries to the Dorothea MacKellar poetry prize, creating ekphrastic poem minizines, as well as producing thoughtful and polished poem anthologies. We hope that students will continue to read poetry and understand its relevance to their lives. 

Julian Barker