VCE-VM News

By Andrew Blackwood - Faculty Coordinator

Toasties, Cancer Research, Barista Training, Community Partnerships and Structured Workplace Learning

Our Loreto VCE-VM program shifts into Semester 2, and we have hit the ground running. Students in Year 11 visited the Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute in week 1 to meet the marketing team and researchers to see all the amazing things this organisation does for cancer research in the community. This visit will help our students with their Personal Development Skills major project in Term 4. 

Our Year 12 students completing their Certificate III in Business wrapped up their toasties micro-businesses this week after selling over 120 unique toasted sandwiches to staff over the course of this unit. The students put in a mountain of work and research about effective business practices, marketing to the consumer, working with local sustainable suppliers and ensuring their product fits with budget parameters. 

In addition to this, students completing with Cookery qualification visited FIKA to complete a Barista masterclass with local Ballarat coffee mogul, Matt Freeman. Students learned about milk texturing, shot extraction and working as a team in a bustling hospitality environment. 

Year 11 and 12 students are continuing to develop their networks and gain valuable experience in the industry through their Structured Workplace Learning. From Seeing Eye Dogs Australia in Melbourne, Yellow Espresso café, Jenny's Early Learning Centre and Lady Northcote YMCA camp our students have a range of unique interests and are doing an amazing job with their SWL. 

Finally, our Year 12s have continued to develop strong community partnerships through our Parish Garden project at St Patrick's Cathedral as well as local community organisations such as Berry Street and Sebastopol Primary School. Our VCE-VM students have been learning about the cost of living crisis and have made frozen meals for families in the community who are doing it tough.