Year Seven-Nine

Coaching Parade Campus

Secondary Update

The first three weeks of Term 3 have flown by, and our focus remains on ensuring students wear the correct uniform and arrive at school on time, ready to start the day by 8:45am. Our new entry and exit routines have been embraced by students, helping them develop a “ready to learn” mindset and improve their organisation and planning for each period.

Week 3 saw a successful Free Dress Day, which raised much-needed funds to support our Year 9 graduation celebrations. Thank you to all who contributed to this cause.

Mathematics incursions began this term with our Year 8 classes, focusing on building financial awareness and skills. These sessions will extend to Year 7 and Year 9 students from Week 4.

Looking ahead, Week 4 brings Science Week, with a range of exciting activities and engaging displays in the science lab during classtime,  recess and lunch. We are also excited for select classes to trial  our brand new VR headsets. 

Year 9 Science

Year 8 Science

This term, our Year 8 scientists have been diving into the building blocks of our world — elements, compounds, and mixtures! They’ve been exploring how these substances are made, what makes them different, and how we can separate or combine them. Students have also been getting to know the periodic table, discovering how it organises all the different elements and reveals patterns in their properties. Along the way, they’ve become science detectives, investigating chemical changes (where something brand new is made) and physical changes (where it just gets a makeover). From fizzing reactions to colourful experiments, they’re finding out that chemistry isn’t just in the lab — it’s everywhere around us!

Year 7 Science

In Term 3, our Year 7 students have been exploring the fascinating Earth and Space Science unit. They investigated the causes of day and night and the changing seasons on Earth, delved into the science behind tides, and discovered how lunar and solar eclipses occur.

Students also created detailed 3D models to demonstrate the rotation and revolution of the Earth, Moon, and Sun, helping them visualise how these celestial movements affect our planet

 As part of Science learning, all students took on a STEM challenge to design and construct a heat shield for a solar probe, using their own creative ideas before testing their prototypes in the science lab. Additionally, they had the opportunity to take part in the AVISTA STEM Incursion, where they engaged in interactive, activities that further expanded their problem-solving and engineering skills. 

Science Week

Science Week has been out of this world! Over the past week, our school has been buzzing with curiosity, creativity, and plenty of “wow” moments as we explored this year’s theme: Decoding the Universe.

In science classes, students have been stepping into new worlds through VR sessions, where they could explore incredible scientific concepts up close – from the far reaches of space to the tiniest particles that make up matter.

We were also lucky to have a special incursion from the AVISTA team, who gave an inspiring presentation about space exploration and the amazing technology scientists use to study the universe. Students were fascinated to learn how satellites are designed, launched, and used to collect valuable data about Earth and beyond. The presenters also shared stories from real-life missions, sparking imaginations and showing just how exciting a career in science and technology can be.

At lunchtime, the lab has been the place to be! Students have taken part in exciting hands-on activities, including:

• Exploring the beautiful Fibonacci sequence hidden in nature’s designs.
• Lighting different elements on fire to reveal stunning colours – from vibrant greens to dazzling reds.
• …and many more activities designed to spark curiosity and inspire future scientists.

It’s been amazing to see so many students getting involved, asking great questions, and sharing their discoveries with friends. Science Week might be wrapping up, but the spirit of curiosity is something we can carry with us all year long. Keep exploring, keep asking questions, and who knows – maybe you’ll be the one to decode the next big mystery of the universe!

Science Incursion

Science Week