Teaching & Learning
Visual Art
Year 10 Visual Arts students have been working hard this term with an introduction to the application of mark making. Students have been experimenting with materials including, grey lead pencils, fine liners, markers, acrylic paint and soft pastels. Their most recent project was to practice contour line drawing, a method of drawing that allows students to make observational drawings focusing on line and shape. Students then filled their line drawings with dots, lines and various patterns. It has been an exciting term, all students have learned new skills and moved beyond their comfort zone to produce a rich body of work in their Visual Art Diaries.
Kate Lennon
Learn 2 Science
With Melbourne University we have been running the ln2science STEM peer mentoring. Over 10 weekly visits per semester mentors, who are Melbourne University students, build meaningful relationships with secondary students and their teachers in science classes. These mentors help to engage students in these disciplines and inspire them to pursue STEM studies at school and beyond.
Elowen Amos Hurst is a geology student at Melbourne University and is working with me & 7E. Elowen's knowledge of geology is astounding - she regularly goes on digs around Victoria and Australia. We are very fortunate to have such expertise in our classes!
Below are some snaps of Elowen out in the field!
Lakshmi Sharma
Reptile Encounters
During week 7, all of our Year 7 students had the opportunity to build and explore their understanding of classification during an incursion with Reptiles Encounter. During the session, students were able to observe and “get up close” with a range of vertebrates and invertebrates including an Olive Python, a Sugar Glider, some Stick Insects, a Barn Owl and more. Students were introduced to the Linnaean classification system and interacted with different animals to identify and discuss key characteristics that classify them within different groups.
Some of the things that stood out for our students included:
"There are a lot of funky names that are used to categorise animals."
Tiyella, 7G
"I learnt that Carl Linnaeus created the Linnaean Classification System."
James H, 7G
"I learnt that there are many smaller groups of the same animal but with minor differences." Amber, 7I
"I loved holding the sugar glider because you were able to see it up close and also see what it uses to glide."
Jett, 7I
"The snake was the most interesting animal to look at especially because I didn't know they used to have legs."
Florence, 7I
"I enjoyed seeing the frill neck lizard, because it opens up its frill to make it look big and scary." Tom, 7G
Katherine Ryan
Writing Competition
Congratulations to the winners of our 2020 CHS Writing Competition. The winner of the Senior Category is Celine F, and the winner of the Junior Category is Maggie L. Congratulations!
Amber Partington
Indigenous-Education.com
I am passionate about Indigenous Education and believe that by educating students in Indigenous Perspectives, we can eliminate the cultural bias & appreciate the amazing contribution to society by the First Nations People.
I decided to make and personally fund a website for teachers and students with Indigenous resources available in one place with the relevant Indigenous links. This website is being used by primary and secondary schools across Victoria and I have received thanks from many of them - I have also been asked to assist teachers in building the profile of indigenous perspectives within their school.
There are also links for funding and programs for indigenous students for university and employment opportunities.
Lakshmi Sharma
MISEP
We here at Coburg have been given a great chance from Melbourne University to be selected as one of 10 schools in Victoria to participate in the Melbourne Indigenous STEM Education Program over 18 months. This program delivers essential Indigenous knowledge & STEM training to Indigenous and non-Indigenous students through a series of engaging, hands-on, Indigenous-led curriculum based workshops. The program is divided into 3 workshops; sustainability, astronomy and fire. We are so excited to have this at our school and what a fantastic opportunity for all our students.
Dance & Drama
Congratulations to all Dance and Drama students who performed for their KLTs this week! Audiences saw Drama performances ranging in style from Slapstick and Melodrama to Greek Theatre, our Year 9 dancers performed a Hip Hop routine, and our VCE Dancers performed a gorgeous contemporary piece. A fantastic start to the year for our Performing Arts students.
Jenna Carracher
Music
Thanks to our student performers who recently entertained students and staff at our Term 1 Assembly. As always, this was the highlight of the day!
Science
Science with 9E & 9H has been extremely exciting this term, we are now studying the atomic theory unit and the students had a practical on the flame test, here they observed different flame colours of produced by cations of ionic compounds. We have also just completed a series of precipitation reactions and identified the insoluble component formed.
Our fabulous VCE Unit 3 Chemistry students have been studying redox reactions, galvanic cells and fuel cells in Unit 3 AOS 1 and carried out experiments on a series of galvanic cells.
Lakshmi Sharma