SECONDARY SCHOOL
VCE & Careers Expo
On Thursday 28 April our Year 10, 11 and 12 students attended the VCE and Careers Expo at Caulfield racecourse. The Expo is designed to introduce students to various careers and an opportunity to speak directly to course providers, universities, TAFEs and training colleges, as well as some industry representatives. It featured over 130 exhibitors, seminars on VCE subjects, career, employment and study advice.
Our students made us proud with their exemplary behaviour at the Expo. They used their time effectively and made the most of the opportunity.
After the VCE and Careers Expo, Year 11 and 12 students visited Monash University Caulfield Campus. The excursion to Monash University was the ideal opportunity for students to hear about various university course options and the transition from school to university. The tour of Monash Caulfield Campus helped students to build a sense of the university life and excitement about becoming a tertiary student.
A highlight of the day was the Monash University current student panel, who shared their university experiences.
Irena Yevlahova
Careers Coordinator
Clean Air, Crystal Clear Water and Leeches!
The Year 9 Humanities classes were fortunate enough to get out to the Central Highlands to enjoy tours of both a Temperate Montane Forest as well as a Cool Temperate Rainforest.
In Geography, Year 9 students study biomes, food security issues and the interconnections between people and places. We focus on investigating the role of the biotic environment and its role in food and fibre production. Students examine the biomes of the world, their alteration and significance as a source of food and fibre, and the environmental challenges and constraints on expanding food production in the future.
The ecosystems of the Victorian Central Highlands have distinctive characteristics which help to class the region firmly as part of a Temperate Forest Biome. Cool temperate rainforests in the Central Highlands are dominated by Myrtle Beech and Southern Sassafras with an understorey of ferns and mosses. They are generally restricted to sheltered, moist environments which are not affected by bushfires for long periods, such as alongside streams. They only cover 0.6 of one percent of the total area of rainforest in Australia. As such they are worth preserving as they are so unique to their environment.
By exploring this special region, students were able to consolidate their learning and see firsthand how things work in the real world, not just words in a textbook.
All in all, a rewarding experience for both students and teachers!
Homar Pardo
Senior School Teacher
Studio Arts
Trial and error are the backbone of the VCE Studio Arts design process. Students have been busy exploring and developing their ideas. They are consolidating their folios and they are getting ready to create final artworks. We are excited to see new artworks take shape in the coming months! Here is a sneak peak of some student folio work.
Tom Gibbs
Head Of Visual Arts
Foundation Maths Excursion
In early April, the year 9-10 Foundation Maths students attended a half-a-day excursion at Knox Shopping Centre. This excursion was planned to provide students an opportunity to use basic Financial Math skills in everyday situations. Students visited several stores, particularly the ones with discounts. This helped the students to calculate percentage discounts in real life situations. Students visited two different banks and collected information on how to open a bank account.
Students were also provided an opportunity to organise a Budget Meal as part of their unit ‘Setting financial budgets’. Students visited the local groceries store and shopped for items to organise their budget lunch. It was interesting to see that with the low budget given, the students still managed to save at least 50 cents. Students prepared their budget lunch using the college’s MPH kitchenette under Mr Fernandes’ supervision. The excursion ended with a yummy budget lunch which the students enjoyed.
Louis Fernandes
Secondary School Teacher
7F Science Corner
Year 7F Science students were fortunate to have a practical session with Mr Crotty on ‘How to make a natural indicator using red cabbage’. Students were given detailed instructions on how to make their own indicator and use it on different solutions in the lab to check whether they are acidic or basic. Students thoroughly enjoyed learning about acids and bases and how indicators help scientist to identify various substances.
Recently, while studying the unit ‘Habitats and interactions’, students conducted an investigation on earthworms. Students investigated the physical features of earthworms and were able to understand the relationship between living and non-living features of an ecosystem. It was interesting to see how students started naming their earthworms and forming a connection with them. After the investigation, students carefully placed the earthworms back into their natural environment.
Louis Fernandes
Secondary School Teacher
9A Bull's Eye Dissection
This term, we learnt about heat, sound, and light. We were very excited to be doing this practical report. After preparation, each group received a bull’s eye. We received a pair of scissors, a probe, and forceps. Using our tools, we removed the fat surrounding the eyeball and were able to locate the optic nerve. Then we pierced the cornea to remove the aqueous humour, which to our surprise was black like squid ink. After splitting the eye into two halves, we were able to remove the lens and retina. A mass of vitreous humour was also removed from the inside of the eye. It had a jellylike texture and several people played with it like slime. Then we removed the iris from the back of the cornea. We also learnt that the pupil is not a physical part of the eye, it is just a hole in the middle of the iris.
Every team's results varied, but everyone had a lot of fun. I hope that future year 9’s will also have fun while completing this experiment. We would like to thank Mrs Hooi and Mr Fernandes for organising this practical lesson for us.
Youran Wang & Yiran Wang
Students of 9A
Careers Newsletter
The St Andrews Careers Newsletter is a great resource for our students and parents. I aim to provide information about the latest offerings from universities and TAFEs, upcoming Expos, Open Days and workshops and it is inspiring to hear students’ comments about the programs and workshops they’ve attended.
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Monash University: Discover Monash Seminar Series; MYSci three-day science program for students in Year 11&12, 28-30 June (school holidays)
- The University of Melbourne: Focus on Melbourne Series 2022
- RMIT: Discover What’s Next Seminar Series
- La Trobe University: Aspire – Early Admissions Program to La Trobe.
Irena Yevlahova
Careers Coordinator
Tips For Teenagers On Finding Their First Job
The Parents Website is an initiative of Independent Schools Victoria, providing a curated selection of news, features and resources for parents on raising and educating children.
Finding the first part-time job can be hard for teens, but as the economy bounces back from COVID, now is a great time to find work. Careers expert Helen Green offers advice for teenagers. Read the article here.
Irena Yevlahova
Careers Coordinator