Safe, Respectful Learners

Women in Sports Roadshow

This term our junior female students participated in the incursion Women in Sports Roadshow which was organised in conjunction with Cumberland City Council. The program included a half hour information session with a female sports star, GWS Giants Netballer Tilly McDonell, followed by several sports clinics run by professional coaches to enhance their netball skills. The informative session included talks on various topics, such as how to overcome fears to achieve goals, the impact of sports on life, importance of education and how it can improve academic performance. This provided the students an opportunity to be part of the program in a safe space for girls to try new sports and engage with positive female role models. Merrylands High School always aims to encourage and motivate young minds to build strong, healthy and positive relationships because healthy minds breed healthy bodies.

Project-Based Learning: Designing and making Pillow Covers

Four LEAP students have been studying shapes and measurement in their Mathematics classes. The students have demonstrated and generalised their knowledge and skills in understanding mathematical shapes and operations by engaging in project-based learning. They designed and made pillow covers as their projects by accurately measuring their chosen fabric and sewing it to make a pillow cover. The students acquired problem-solving skills and set a positive attitude by working as an inclusive team.

Year 7 English: Describing a setting

Year 7 have studied drama throughout this term. To understand the concept of ‘setting’ in a play, 7N engaged in the colouring in activity of various settings and describing a setting based on a stimulus. The pictures of various settings provided them with a visual presentation of the concept as a basis for their Drama Unit. A word list of the objects in the stimulus and adjectives to make it descriptive, encouraged students to compose their writing pieces. The class is congratulated upon their efforts and sincere endeavours in creating their descriptions.

The Art of Picture Book Making with 7E

During Term 2, Year 7 students have been carefully constructing their own picture books. Students have been studying various Picture Books such as Ahn Do’s “The Little Refugee” and Shaun Tan’s “Cicada”. Through the exploration of visual techniques, students accepted the challenge to create similar works by designing their own illustrations, texts and interesting story lines. All of these components have been achieved with a high standard of student imagination and creativity. Congratulations Year 7 for their outstanding efforts!

Year 11 Science - Biology

Year 11 Biology students will be going to Taronga Zoo! In the third module of their course on Biological Diversity, students will be exploring the wide variety of animals showcased at the zoo and investigate the different types of adaptations of animals. They will also learn about the relationships between organisms in terms of specialisation, using a range of interesting Australian and exotic species as examples. The excursion is in Term 3, Week 3, Wednesday the 3rd of August.

Year 10 and 11 Science - Earth and Space

The Year 10 and 11 students from LEAP have been studying the topic of Earth and Space during Term 2. They have been learning about and making observations of our nearest celestial neighbour, the Moon. To demonstrate their understanding, students were given the task of representing the various phases of the Moon using Oreos. Having created these phases based on observations, students had to correctly sequence them.

Science - Beyond our Solar System

Beyond our Solar System, students learnt about some of the interesting constellations that can be seen in the Southern Hemisphere. One of them was Crux, commonly referred to as the Southern Cross. Students learnt about the indigenous, historical, and cultural significance of the Southern Cross, such as using it for navigation and how it represents our nation. Using apps like Star Walk, students were able to see constellations from any visual perspective, learning that a group of stars seen from Earth may not be a group at all! Students then completed a hands-on activity, using mini marshmallows to design their own constellations.

Year 11 Physics

Year 11 Physics students have been learning about forces and how they govern the motion of objects. They learnt how powerful an everyday force like friction can be. As a practical activity, students were challenged to separate two textbooks with their pages interleaved by pulling on the book spines in opposite directions. Do you think they were successful?

Year 12 Business Services Cluster E Task

For the last three weeks, Year 12 Business Services students have been completing their Cluster E Task. The students had to construct a 3-D model for a sports organisation with recyclable materials. The task encourages students to work efficiently and effectively with other people. The task  equipped the students with the skills they need to work in a professional environment. All groups utilised their creativity, insight and interpersonal skills throughout their projects.

Senior Mathematics - Bivariate Data

Our senior students have been studying Bivariate Data this semester. The focus of this topic is to introduce students to some methods for identifying, analysing and describing associations between variables (bivariate data). Students develop the ability to display, interpret and analyse statistical relationships within bivariate data. These skills allow our students to make informed decisions within society.