Teaching & Learning
Science
A much-loved KLT on the Year 8 Science calendar is when students are asked to create a 3D model of one of the plant, animal, or bacteria cells they have been studying. This challenge always produces a huge range of creative and well thought out models that over the years have included play dough, cakes, biscuits, and this year, apparel! Well done to Mila K for this very entertaining (and scientifically accur!) representation.
Spanish - Year 7 and VCE
Languages and Harmony Week at CHS.
CHS celebrated Languages and Harmony Week in Week 8 of Term 1. We invited all students and staff to celebrate the diverse languages and cultures in our school community by wearing outfits or colours that represented their culture. It was so great to see how proud students were talking about their heritage!
I chose to be a walking Spanish flag for the day or Winnie-the-Pooh as some students pointed out! Regardless, I had an amazing day finding out about everyone's personal story and celebrating the diversity in our classrooms. Can you find how to say the country you are from in Spanish on the whiteboard?
Maria Barbera Fernandez
Spanish Teacher
Politics
Year 11 Politics students visited Victoria’s State Parliament in Term 1, learning parliamentary processes and debating funding priorities for Victoria’s rapidly growing population.
James Rozek
Food Technology
Year 11 Food Tech students have been baking! The halls at the end of term were filled with the smell of cinnamon, and the sight of staff and students sniffing wistfully as they walked past.
Students then compared these well-risen delights to the store bought variety in their analysis of industry and food production.
English
As a ‘taster’ of the creative writing KLT coming up this term in the Literature Circles unit, 7B students read an excerpt from The Chinese Cinderella, set in China, 1941, then wrote a short narrative continuing the story. Many different responses were received, reflecting the diversity of thinking and imagination in the classroom. The excerpt we read ended with the young girl asking her aunt if the photo that dropped out of the aunt’s safe-deposit box was of her dead mother and father.
Fiona Villella
I watched her slowly pick up the paper like it was treasure and place it back. "Yes it is" She slowly locks it back up, my certificate, now with all the precious gems that my Baba kept safe. She gestured for me to move and unlocked the door. She then turned and smiled. "My child, you do you know how your mama died?" I slowly shook my head. I had never been told how they died even though I was 5. She sat down and started telling the story. "When your mama, my sister was 19, she married to your father. I was there at the wedding. 4 years later they had you. You were the love of her life. She never stopped talking about you." I nodded, feeling grief for someone I couldn't remember. " Then when you turned one, she died of cancer." Aunt Baba looked hurt and I understood her pain. She slowly fiddled with her ring. It was a plain silver ring with no decoration, nothing fancy. She had never told me how she got it. "Baba, where did you get that?" She sighed. "It was your mothers."
Maddie T
"Yes, it is", she responded.
"Why is it in there with all your stuff?" I asked.
"Because it's very special and I don't want to lose it."
"Oh, that's cool."
I watched her tuck it away very carefully, as if it were the most precious thing in the world.
"What is for dinner?" I asked
She seemed surprised at the sudden change of topic.
"I don't know, what do you want?" she asked
"Whatever you decide"
"Ok"
Gus S
Before I could continue asking my aunt any more questions, we heard gun fire coming from outside. My Aunt dragged me to the floor and hid me under a table. It had been nearly 5 minutes after we had heard the shots. My Aunt told me to stay and she got up, slowly reaching for the door and went outside. Even though I said I would stay, slowly I stood up and went outside. Everything was in ruins, people laid lifeless. I was following my aunt’s footsteps until I saw her lying there dead. Whilst lost in despair, I could hear something making a whistle sound and then everything was blown into dust.
Hamish S
"Yes, that was just before your father went to war," Aunt Baba stated. I wonder, what did happen to my Papa, how did he die? "Um, Aunt Baba, what happened to my Papa how did he die?" Aunt Baba started to sob "My beloved brother... He died in the war... Someone in their troop was an imposter and wanted him dead," she answered. "What happened to my mum?" Aunt Baba was still very emotional and uneasy. "She died giving birth with your brother."
"I HAVE A BROTHER!!!!"
Sam L
A curt nod was the only response she gave. As the dark form of my aunt drifted out of the door, a sharp smell of death appeared in the air, as if a corpse was in the wall. She slowly drifted to sleep...
"Hello, my sweet child. We have finally managed to reach you, from our cursed prison. You must save us, liberate our souls. Your aunt has murdered us, forever binding us to this prison. Save us."
Ridley T
"Yes, that was your mother and your father." Aunt Baba said
"Why did my mother die?" I asked
"Because sadly, your mother got assassinated in the war."
"That's sad, and, what did my dad do?" I asked
"He's currently a soldier in this war." Aunt Baba said
"So, will I survive World War II?" I asked
"Yes, you can do this my dear."
Later, I went to bed and I was wondering what would happen to my father next.
The next day......
I woke up feeling fresh. It was the weekend. I was eating my breakfast while listening to a radio … until.......news came on that my father died after getting assassinated by one of the Soviet soldiers.
"No way" I said.
Ray M