Around the School

Jeans for Genes Day

On Friday the 2nd of August myself (Milly Wright) and Lilly Mirtschin hosted a casual day called Jeans for Genes where everyone came dressed in their best pair of jeans and bought in a gold coin donation. 

The cause behind this day is to raise money for research so they can find treatments for those affected by a genetic abnormality/ disability. Lilly and I worked with Ms Colquhoun and Jill to have meetings that got our details and behind the scenes paperwork in place before the day. 

As part of our VCE VM literacy unit on advocacy we had to choose a topic we were enthusiastic about and wanted to advocate for. We chose to do Jeans for Genes as we both have family members affected and wanted to raise awareness on how common they can be, some just more obvious than others. 

The day was a success, and it was great to see everyone coming in their jeans to support the cause. 

Lilly and I are incredibly grateful and want to thank everyone for their donations no matter how big or small as every little bit helps. 

Year 11 Personal Development Skills

During term 3 the class have been focussing on community and active citizenship as well as ways to engage with and support our local community.

Most students have been involved in community volunteering at three local organisations. Eventide Aged care, HIRL, and the Argyle Shop.

Students have enjoyed the various experiences:

The work has been good. We have met a lot of nice people and love how we get afternoon tea is great!

-Jack (Argyle)

I’ve had a great time learning about how Eventide runs and getting to know each resident individually. I’ve really enjoyed my time there and I like the work we do.

-Savannah (Eventide)

The staff/ volunteers are very kind and welcoming. They always find a way to engage all of us in the activities they do daily.

-Kaleb (Argyle)

I’ve enjoyed working at Eventide in the kitchen. I have realised that collaborating with older people is very hard so cooking for them is a lot more suited to me.

-Mel (Eventide)

Overall, the time volunteering at Eventide has been an eye opener to what lives where like for the older generation in Australia. I’ve enjoyed serving cups of tea and meals to the residents as well as playing board games and making fruit salads in the kitchen.

-Holly (Eventide)

I have enjoyed talking and playing games with the older people. I don’t like being in the kitchen and prefer to be talking and socialising with them.

-Rhiannan (Eventide)

Throughout the volunteering Eventide I have enjoyed talking to the residents and hearing about their life stories. It’s also been good to go into the kitchen and learn new things. It’s been fun to play games with the residents and have a good laugh. You learn just how keep the residents happy and focussed on positives.

-Maddie (Eventide)

The benefits for volunteers and the important role they play in our local organisations has been learnt and discussed by our year 11 students. 

They have shown initiative and care during their volunteering and have developed good friendships and knowledge during their ongoing efforts.

English

What is happening in English?

It is such a thrill to be able to share with our community some of the happenings in English at Baimbridge this term.  Since much of the school is currently studying Shakespeare, I’ll try to heed the words of loquacious Polonius from Hamlet to remember, as he failed often to do, that ‘brevity is the soul of wit’.

I would like to start by applauding the fantastic work that continues to take place in the Year 7 and 8 Hubs.  The staff in those teams continue to build strong literacy skills in our younger students and challenge them with thought-provoking texts.  The Year 8s are currently deep in their study of ‘Trash’ by Andy Mulligan.  Year 7 students have recently explored the tumultuous life of Arthur Hobhouse in ‘Alone on a Wide Wide Sea’ by Michael Morpurgo and earlier in the year met Mr Percival in the classic Australian text ‘Storm Boy’ by Colin Thiele.   Here is an excellent extract from a task completed by Harvey McKay where he analysed the theme of family in ‘Storm Boy’:

Family is the most important element in someone’s life. Storm Boy is very loving towards his dad Hide-Away. Page 19 shows a great example of Hide-Away and Fingerbone Bill showing love for Storm Boy: ‘Neither of them liked seeing Storm Boy looking sad’ (Pg.19). Storm Boy had brought the three pelicans into his family, and he showed love to them like every person in his family; he was so upset when he had to give them up and it showed that he really loved them. ‘Storm Boy pressed his head against Mr Percival’s and gave his friend a last soft squeeze.’ ‘Goodbye, Mr Percival,’ he said. He had to pause for a second to clear his throat’. ‘Be a… be a good pelican, Mr Percival, and look after yourself.’ (Pg.27-28)

The Year 9 Advanced English students, in Term 2, completed a study of George Orwell’s classic text ‘Animal Farm’ which many adults reading this newsletter may have covered when they went through school. Here is an extract from an essay written by student Toryn Hoyt on the use of language as a tool for deception in the totalitarian society of Animal Farm:

The phrases and maxims (used by the pigs) are a tool used to reinforce ideas, yet these ideas themselves are even more potent and sinister. Information, manipulated or outright false, is fed to the residents of Animal Farm more than actual food. Speaking of which, a recurring idea of ‘improving food production’ is spewed several times by the pigs.  The statistics and numbers of Animal Farm’s production always seems to improve as the pigs frame it, yet the residents see none of this in their meals.  The statistics are trivial as the animals ‘would rather eat more food than hear the statistics’ but it plays into the narrative of success and comradery. Similar illusions of proficiency are used to convince outsiders, with bins being mostly filled with sand yet topped with grain to appear full.  The majority of such schemes, and, to be honest, most displays of pig totalitarianism are done by Squealer. His ‘strangely persuasive’ stature, and way with words are used tirelessly to appeal to the need of the pigs. This is exactly the reality of real-world propaganda where leaders use language as a tool by redefining a truthfully bleak reality into one desired by rulers.

I had the pleasure of reconnecting with Attius Finch and sharing his calm, patient yet unwavering personal conviction for justice through a Year 10 study of Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’.  Here is an extract from Maddie De Zwart’s essay response where she analyses this key theme:

Justice is portrayed as a fragile ideal, frequently compromised by deep-seated prejudices. The trial room of Tom Robinson, an African American falsely accused by a white woman, Mayella Ewell, serves as the central narrative though with the notion of justice is interrogated.  Despite compelling evidence proving his innocence, Tom is convicted purely because of his race.  This miscarriage of justice highlights the systematic racism ingrained in the legal system and society.  Atticus Finch, the lawyer defending Tom, foregrounds this when he states, ‘the one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a court room, be he any colour of the rainbow, but people have a way of carrying out their resentments in a jury box’.  Illuminating the harsh truth at the time that such justice was an ideal not often realized in Maycomb.

Across Term 3, all students in Years 9 to 11 are studying plays by Shakespeare.  Why all the old books and plays you may ask?  These archaic texts are portholes into the past and reveal how attitudes and perspectives change, develop and oftentimes reemerge across the shifting tide of history.  And so too, with these developments, does our language grow and change.  Shakespeare gave us countless expressions we use today as did Orwell give us ‘Big Brother’ and Harper Lee gave us Atticus Finch’s timeless observation that ‘The one thing that doesn’t abide majority rule is a person’s conscience’.

To conclude our studies in Shakespeare, the Bell Shakespeare company have agreed to make a massive detour off their well-worn tour schedule to visit Baimbridge College to run 2 programs for our Year 9 - 11 students. These will occur on Monday 16 September are will be a real treat.  There is a modest charge for these programs and all students will be required to attend. The details of the workshops are on compass. 

Finally, our Year 12 VCE students are well and truly into the final stages of their English program and next term will undertake the right-of-passage which is the 3 hour 15 min final exam.  I encourage them to work hard and purposefully in preparing and be confident in their ability to succeed.  To leave the final thought to Shakespeare, a message to the Year 12s: ‘our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt’.

Science

In science this term we have been remarkably busy. Our Year 7 students have focussed on forces and getting creative in designing prototype parachutes. Our year 8 students have been investigating the different ways in which energy moves around us and is used. They have looked at the movement of light and how this creates the rainbow phenomena. 

In year 9 and 10 our electives sciences have been studying the different strands of Science. In Electricity students have been modelling electrical circuits with the use of Snap Circuits, Genetics and Evolution have explored the relationship between DNA and the traits that we display. Acids and bases have investigated the development of the periodic table and how the structure of an atom has evolved over time. In applied science students were introduced to microbiology through the study of diseases and pathogens. 

Our VCE science classes have continued to work through their Unit 2 and Unit 4 coursework. They have attended excursions to Ecolinc, where the Year 12 Chemistry students sharpened their lab skills in extracting and analysing organic compounds. The Year 11 Biology students investigated the genetics and diversity amongst Tasmanian Devils and their fight against facial tumours. The end of the term will see our Yar 12 Biology students also attend Ecolinc  to enhance their learning of proteomics and evolution. 

We were also fortunate that during the Term we have celebrated Science Week. This saw many class activities and science excursions take place, including that of Ecolinc. It is always great to assist local primary school in celebrating science week during the year as well.

CERT II Sport Coaching

As part of the unit competencies for this certificate students involved have recently been doing foundation level coaching at Gray St Primary School and learning about maintaining sport and recreational facilities at HILAC. Great experiences and students who completed these sessions found them unbelievably valuable.

Art 

2024 Coleraine Art and Photography Show

This year, the Baimbridge College Visual Art Department curated and presented a collection of 24, Drawings, Paintings and Photographs in the secondary school category of the Coleraine Art and Photography Show.

All students experienced success. It takes great courage for students to display their artworks in a public exhibition. I commend all participant’s.

In particular I acknowledge the success of:

• Layla. Ruby. Isabelle. Joy. Mia. Georgia. Libby.
• Isabella Jury. Best Landscape Photograph 
• Danielle Knight. Best Artwork

It was a delight to see so many, students, parent/s, guardian/s, grandparent/s, and great grandparent/s attend this exhibition, generations of family that have been making and sharing their art in community. It is an honour to curate student artworks into a collection that can be presented in the historical Mechanics Hall. Furthermore, I did wish to acknowledge the wonderful contributions made to our community by the Coleraine Art Show Committee. 

                                                Other Art Shows in our region

Student have also participated in the Warrnambool Gallery Portrait Drawing Competition, the Rotary Hamilton Art Exhibition, and the Glenthompson Art Show.

Success takes many forms, and I want to highlight the determination and resilience of our driven young artists. Their willingness to engage in extracurricular community activities is truly commendable.

Our students have shown remarkable independence, creating high-quality artworks both in class and at home. This commitment exemplifies their resilience and determination.

I also commend our Visual Art students for their work curating the Baimbridge College collection for exhibition. Their thoughtful approach to mounting artwork, preparing frames, and organising hooks and wiring for display has significantly enhanced our Visual Art Extension program.

Finally, I wish to acknowledge the Coleraine, Rotary and Glenthompson community engagement committees for their inspiring initiatives that motivate so many students to explore their creativity.

-Mr Constantine.

Textiles

Students in our Year 9 & 10 textiles class have been working on their tie-dye techniques and experimenting with fabric dyes. Another component  to their class work is creating a fabric booklet using their sewing skills and testing their ability to use the sewing machines. 

Careers

In Term 3 we hit the ground running in Careers. There was the first ever South West Careers Expo in Hamilton which was a huge success for the region and supported by local businesses and training providers. The Year 9 students attended this event and came away with a wealth of knowledge and advice. We are looking forward to next year's event.

A handful of students attended the RIST Taster day in week 2 and got to experience all the different areas of the Agriculture certificate from working fam dogs, shearing, working in the yards, agronomy and horticulture and using various virtual technologies such as tractor simulators, welding with VR headsets and VR cattle handling.

It was a really educational day and gave students insight into future pathways at RIST through VETDSS.

Morrisby face to face interviews happened in week 3 with all Year 9 students meeting with professional profilers that counselled them based on their online Morrisby results. Future Careers and what elective subjects they will need were discussed and plans developed for their future pathways. The students came away from these sessions with increased motivation and enthusiasm for their futures.

Koorie Careers Day

On Thursday, August 8th, we had the privilege of attending the Goolum Goolum Careers and Pathways Expo in Horsham with our Koori student. This event provided an excellent opportunity for our student to engage directly with representatives from various universities and employers, exploring a wide range of potential career options.

The expo was designed to be highly interactive and hands-on, allowing the student to gain valuable insights into different career paths and the educational requirements for each. Throughout the day, the student was able to ask questions, gather information, and participate in activities that furthered their understanding of the opportunities available to them.

In addition to the educational benefits, the student also enjoyed collecting a number of freebies, adding an extra element of fun to the day.

Overall, the Goolum Goolum Careers and Pathways Expo was a highly rewarding experience, offering our student both inspiration and practical information to help guide their future career decisions.

-Mr Lynch

Passport to Employment

Passport 2 Employment is a program to prepare, support and assist students with a disability or multiple barriers aged 15+ for the transition into life after school.

The program aims to prepare, support, and assist students for this transition period, by providing them with skills, information, work experience and knowledge about these options and about the challenges they may have to overcome.

The students enrolled in this program have just completed their 4th week of the 8-week course. Students have been able to engage with many services thus far and have gained confidence in working with other students from surrounding schools along with a wealth of information and developing interpersonal skills.

Some of the topics that have been covered to date include the following:

• Meet and greet: Breaking down any barriers of engagement with the students, a fun enjoyable session to allow the students to feel comfortable.
• You’ve got the look: Job interview skills from what to wear to an interview and how to present yourself. Interpersonal skills such as eye contact and handshakes along with personal hygiene.
• Health and wellbeing: The students explored ways in which they can maintain health and wealth with this session being held at HILAC.
• You’ve got the skills: This session held at ARE ABLE where the students looked at communication, teamwork, problem solving, planning & organising and self-management.

SRC Halloween Casual Dress Day

On Thursday 31st of October student participated in a Halloween Casual Dress Day wearing some scary costumes. Students also participated in a Bingo competition where they had to complete a bingo card by asking different teachers for a riddle to solve, those that completed the card went in the draw to win some Halloween prizes.

Congratulations to the following winners:

1st Prize - Rhianna B

2nd Prize - Amely P

3rd Prize - Izabella K