Class
Class staff continue to be busy working to ensure that the Year 12s have completed all assessments before the end of term - not an easy task with the number of activities planned in the next couple of weeks. We recommend that students use their class time wisely and attend prep to keep up to date with upcoming assessments.
In Week 8, Drones students have their assessments. On Monday September 8, it is the Drones theory tests and on Tuesday September 9, for those who have passed the theory, it will be the practical assessment. Drone students should revise for the theory test by going through all of the units and completing the practice tests.
Week 8 also marks the start of the next round of OLNA testing. Year 11 writing is on Tuesday September 9 and reading on September 11. Numeracy will be in Week 9.
Finally, in Week 8 we say goodbye to Miss Lola as she begins her much anticipated maternity leave. We wish Ms Lola all the very best for a speedy delivery. We are all so excited to meet the newest member of the Thomson family.
Annette Wells
Head of Curriculum
Ag Science and Animal Production - Miss Kateland Jury
The Ag Science and Animal Production students have been completing a feed trial using Hyline chickens. The students created three feed rations with 18%, 20% and 22% protein which we fed to the chickens ad lib. The students weighed the chickens every week for five weeks and found both the 20% and 22% protein chickens weighed considerably higher on average than the chickens which were fed the store-bought Milne chicken starter crumble.
As the chicken trial has been completed, students can now pre-purchase chickens from Miss Jury to collect on Open Day (minimum purchase is two chickens per person). The chickens will cost $15 each and all proceeds will be donated to a charity of the students' choice.
Year 11 ATAR Camp
On Wednesday, we visited a pivot irrigation farm in Gin Gin where we learned about their processes, and we were treated to different breads that were grown and ground on the farm. It was good to learn about the entire milling process from start to finish and the difference from typical broad-acre farming. We then visited The Loose Leaf Lettuce Company, where we were shown the entire growing process, from the farm to packaging in their factory. We then finished the day with dinner out at Siennas.
On Thursday, we visited Murdoch and were taken around their on-site farm. We heard from current students doing Animal Health, Ag Science, and crop and pasture courses. We then made our way to Curtin and toured around one of the accommodation facilities and heard from some 3rd year Ag Science and Ag Business students and their lecturer. We were then taken to the labs and shown different trials on different crop types. We ended our night with Strike bowling and late-night shopping at the Carousel Shopping Centre.
To finish our camp on Friday, we visited an Angora goat farm where we learned about their unique breeding program, the mohair the goats grow, and the differences from fleece. Afterwards, we made our way back to Northam, where we visited Australian Grain Technologies (AGT) and talked about their different varieties of crops and how they trial them. We were also shown their crop trials and how they plant and harvest them.
Overall, all the places we visited were very interesting and we all learned a lot. We would like to say a big thank you to everyone who gave up their time to talk to us.
The Year 11 ATAR students