Term 2 has been such a busy term! Year 12 are in the midst of their Major works and their Personal Interest Projects. All Year 12 students in all our courses will be starting to prepare for their upcoming Trial HSC Examinations and we wish them the very best of luck. Most of the students have been working diligently to have their projects at the 90% completion stage by the end of the term.

There are a large variety of projects and I must congratulate those students who have been working solidly from the beginning of the process. I am confident the students that have been working continuously and abiding to course requirements and time frames will be rewarded with very good HSC results at the end of the year.

Year 12 Timber are busily working on their major projects. With the due date closely approaching Mr Kessler will be offering holiday classes to support the students. The Year 12 Engineering Studies class have been studying the topic of Personal and Public Transport with a focus on bicycles. They have looked at the materials that make up bicycles from inception to the most current, the mechanics that go into bicycles and lots more. The Year 12 Society and Culture class are well into the writing of their Personal Interest Projects and they are working very diligently on these. The projects must be at 90% completion by the end of Term 2. I will be offering holiday workshops at school in Week 1 of the holidays to support the students complete their projects. The Year 12 Society and Culture class have completed Assessment Task 3 on Popular Culture. They have all done such an amazing job with this task and I am so very proud of their efforts.

Mrs Hogan's Year 12 Software Design and Development class have finished their Major Projects creating a game, based off a board or card game. They have successfully used their skills in coding to create some amazing games. All students used the programming language, Python. Well done to all students, now to work and study for the Trial and HSC examinations!

Year 12 SDD Major Project by Hannah Effat Manesh Nik

This semester, Year 12 Hospitality have been completing their Assessment Tasks and final units of Competency on the Evidence Central Learning Platform. In the practical environment the students have been making Winter Menu Items. Examples of Menu Items the students have made this term are Creamy Vegetarian Pumpkin Pasta Bake, Chilli Lime Chicken Tacos with Grilled Pineapple Salsa, Pasta Carbonara as well as Corn Fritters with Bacon, Roma Tomatoes and Avocado. Mrs Ofahengaue and her students have been having a lot of fun this term!

Year 12 and White Chocolate and Caramilk Cookies!

This term the farm has welcomed three new calves, two steers and one heifer. These animals were purchased in exchange for two fully grown Heifers that arrived at the farm this time last year. Current projects at the farm include building a new horticultural Igloo revamping the Mandala Garden sewing a paddock of oats, transplanting the trees in the citrus orchard, constructing a mulberry hedge, propagating banner grass for cattle consumption and continuing to expand the egg business. Year 11 Primary Industries students have just completed their first Work Placement at various businesses. The business owners have reported back to Mr Grant how wonderful the students have been while on Work Placement! Well Done Year 11!

Stage 6 Primary Industries

Year 12 Retail Services and Mrs Kostalas have just completed their Cluster F Task - Visual Merchandising and are beginning their last Task, Cluster G - Point of Sale and Retail Security.

The two Year 11 Hospitality classes and Mrs Ofahenguae and Mrs McTeigue have been working online with the new qualification. All work is now digital and is found on the Evidence Central website. Students create an account and can work through the short modules at their own pace. Assessment is completed online through quizzes.

The software grades the student’s work. All Year 11 Hospitality students across NSW have been using Evidence Central this year. In the practical environment, Year 11 Hospitality Students are making a variety of sandwiches and flat breads to industry standard and are using their knowledge of hygiene, WHS, food preparation and organisation. The students are enjoying the course and are building their skill set by practising knife skills and using different types of equipment with a variety of fresh ingredients. Examples of menu items include Steak sandwiches and Reuben Sandwiches, Butter Chicken Pizza, Chicken Macaroni Bake as well as Passionfruit, White Chocolate Muffins and Lemon Delicious Pudding with Ice Cream! Some of the wonderful Year 11 Hospitality Students helped Year 7 make their Teddies in a Blanket!

Year 11 and 12 Hospitality

Year 11 Software Engineering and Mrs Hogan are currently working on learning new skills in the programming language, Python, and are creating a simple GUI with a specific purpose. Students are encouraged to discover ways they can make a GUI that is effective and aesthetic pleasing while learning the developmental process of designing and programming programs. Year 11 Engineering Studies and Miss Reynen have moved into the specific Core Topics and have started looking at Braking Systems. Focusing on the historical developments, impacts on society and the environment, the materials that make up a brake and the mechanics involved in working brakes.

The two Year 11 Society and Culture classes with Mrs McTeigue and Mrs Mitchell have just completed their second assessment task and I must congratulate the students on their fantastic achievement in this task. Their responses were conceptually rich with synthesised and sustained judgements and substantiated with consistent relevant strong examples throughout their writing. Well Done Year 11!

Stage 5 Timber and Mr Kessler have been working on building a Dartboard Cabinet this Semester in Timber. They have built knowledge around widening and housing Joints including Biscuit Joints and Finger Joints. They have used machinery including the Disc Sander, Pedestal Drill, and the Router to complete the Cabinet. The students have excelled during this project and are eager to start the next. Well done Stage 5!

Stage 5 IT Timber

The Stage 5 100hr Computing Technology with Mrs Hogan have been learning about HTML for webpage creation and what makes good design for a UI. Students will create their own webpages on a topic of their own choosing using the skills they have required during the term.

This Term Year 10 Food Technology and Mrs Ofahengaue are studying a Unit of Work called Food Trends which covers knowledge about Food Styling, Photography, current Food Trends, Local Produce, Food Wastage, Dietary Trends as well as Emerging Technologies in the Food Industry and Food Sustainability.

Some of the menu items the students have organised and prepared this term are Chocolate Brownies, Bubble Tea, Spinach and Cheese Gozleme as well as Acai Bowls.

Stage 5 Food Technology 200hr

Unit of work - Food Trends

Year 9 Computing Technology with Mrs Hogan have been learning about Robotics and the impact they have on our lives. They are learning the skills on how to code EV3 Robots for a set of challenges and preparing for the Robot Challenge Day early next term.

The Stage 5 Hospitality students and Mrs Friend have had such an amazing term! They have started using the Evidence Central platform and have been really demonstrating their skill level. The students have excelled in their culinary journey this term. They have applied their knowledge of making multiple recipes including brownies, scones, bread making and focaccia to cater for the Biggest Morning Tea, showcasing their dedication and passion for the subject. The food that they have prepared has been absolutely delicious! Well Done Year 10!

Stage 5 Hospitality

This term, Stage 5 100hr Food Technology have been studying a unit of work called Food in Australia. In this unit of work, the students learn about the Cultural knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's, Bush Tucker foods, Australian Cuisine today and the influence of multiculturalism on our diets and food choices. Examples of foods prepared and organised this term: Chocolate, Coconut and Wattleseed Slice, Johnny Cakes, Lemon Myrtle Cheesecakes, Vegemite and Cheese Scrolls, Butter Chicken with Rice, Homemade Sausage Rolls.

Stage 5 Food Technology:

Unit of work Food in Australia

Amaziah with her Johnny cakes.

The Stage 5 iSTEM class and Miss Reynen have completed their Hydraulics unit. The students were required to make a working hydraulic machine that had to replicate a real work machine. The class have now moved into their new topic of Water Bottle Rockets program with the influence of NASA. This focuses on the aerodynamics of the rockets and understanding the basics of aeronautical engineering. The students will build their own rocket and then will be launch from the oval early next term.

Stage 5 iSTEM Hydraulic Machines

Year 9 Food Technology students and Mrs Friend have been diligently working on their Food Product and Development Assessment Task, putting on their creative caps to research, design, and create a unique ice cream flavour to introduce to the market. They have employed quantitative research techniques to design and test their innovative ice cream flavour, ensuring its success in a new ice cream cafe. Their dedication and hard work have paid off, as they have shown remarkable progress in their research and testing. I eagerly await the unveiling of their final product in Term 3!

Year 9 Food Technology Ice Cream

Mr Grant and his Stage 5 Agriculture class have been very busy planting produce at the farm. Mr Grant also runs Farm Fitness for sport every Tuesday and the students can have hands on experience on the farm.

Stage 5 & Farm Fitness students

The Stage 4 Technology Mandatory Digital Technology classes along with Mrs Hogan, Miss Reynen and Mrs Friend have been completing coding their games in Scratch. Students showed off their skills they have learnt this year, in creating some amazing and fun games.

Mr Kessler and his Stage 4 classes have been developing their practical skills this term. They have been using necessary tools and machinery to build and construct some fantastic Mantel Clocks. Some of the machines they have been using include the Disc Sander, Pedestal Drill, and Scroll Saw. It is exciting to see how their skills develop with other Technology classes in Semester 2. Great work Stage 4!

Stage 4 Mantel Clocks

This Semester, Mrs Ofahengaue and her Year 7 class has been developing their knowledge and skills in Textiles. They have learned about fibres, yarns, fabrics and how we are surrounded by textiles in our daily life from clothing and accessories, home decor to outdoor materials like a sail for an outdoor sunshade. The students studied their project using a design process and addressing a design brief teaching them to think laterally. They have studied fashion and textile designers and learned how they can create wearable art by being creative. The design brief was to design and make a handmade toy from recycled fabric.

Year 7 Monsters

The Stage 4 Technology Mandatory Digital Technology classes and Mrs Hogan, Miss Reynen and Mrs Friend have been completing coding their games in Scratch. Students showed off their skills they have learnt this year, in creating some amazing and fun games.

Miss Reynen and her two Year 8 classes have completed the multimedia unit, where they designed and created their Dream House in Floor planner. They have also utilised the 3D printers to print an element/object from their house. The results were outstanding!

This term the Stage 4 Technology Mandatory Food and Agriculture classes have been working on a unit of work called Grow and Thrive. In this unit of work the students learn about the Australian Agricultural Industry. The design brief was to grow their own herbs. The students would visit the farm to monitor the plants growth, taste test the snow peas they grew, handle chickens and visit the newly born calves which they loved! In the practical lessons in the kitchen the students made menu items from freshly grown vegetables and herbs from the gardens on the farm plus other very tasty treats!

Year 7 at the farm!

Year 7 Teddies in Blankets!

These holidays will be invaluable for our Year 12 students to work on perfecting and completing their HSC Major Projects which are all due for submission in Term 3. Please discuss your projects with your teachers before the holidays about any work that may be needed. Also, please check with your teachers about attending the holiday workshops they are holding. These are designed by the teachers and are invaluable in helping students complete their projects.

On behalf of the TAS/VET Faculty we wish all our students and their families a safe, relaxing and happy holiday.

Mrs Caroline McTeigue

Head Teacher TAS / VET

Canteen 2024