Secondary School News
Secondary Science News
Year 7 students did a marvellous job in gaining their Bunsen Burner licenses. They are now officially scientists in the making. They recently made use of their new ability and learned to boil water and measure the heat increase. They then plotted their results to find that they drew a straight line.
Students from Year 8 have begun to learn how to use a microscope. They have been looking at slides of very small things and have been making slides from onion skins and Elodia.
The Year 9 students have been studying Ecosystems and the factors that affect them. Students took dried yeast and experimented with different parameters to see how different water temperatures and the addition of sugar affected its growth.
Year 10 and 11 Legal Study Students
Year 10 and 11 students studying legal studies were taken on a guided tour of the Old Melbourne Gaol, where they participated in a Watch House and Court Room drama experience focusing on culpable driving.
Year 9 Bread Art CAT completed in week 7
Some excellent bread designs coming out of the Year 9 cohort
Secondary Art News
Altona Secondary students were invited to participate in the ‘Hobson Bay 5x7 Art Prize’. We have 17 entries this year with students from years 8 to year 11 entering their creative artworks based on the theme of ‘That Song’. I am very proud of the artistic skill and dedication of all the students who entered. The exhibition will be ready to view from the 6th April until the 25th of April at the Louis Joel Gallery.
Year 10 Legal Studies - Old Gaol and Magistrates Court Excursion
On Tuesday students from our Year 10 Legal Studies class consolidated their study of sanctions by visiting the Old Melbourne Gaol, the old Magistrates Court and Watch House.
Term 1 Volleyball
It has been a 'smashing' start to volleyball season at Altona College. As usual, students from Years 7-12 have been training hard before, at recess, at lunch and after school. The dedication to their development is something to be admired.
This Term our Senior, Intermediate, Year 8 Teams have competed at Eagle Stadium for the chance to win the Hobsons Bay Division Championship. Commiserations to our Intermediate & Year 8 boys who battled hard and finished top in their pool. However, they would both lose to a strong Intermediate & Year 8 Boys Laverton Team in the Grand Finals placing Runners Up overall.
Congratulations to our Mixed Senior, Intermediate Girls and Year 8 Girls who finished top in their pool and also won their Grand Finals moving onto Western Metropolitan Region Tournament later this year.
We wish the Year 7 Girls and Boys Teams good luck on their tournament in Week 9 later this Term.
Also this Term, our U18 Boys, U18 Girls and U16 Boys ventured over to Maribyrnong Sports Academy to participate in 'the Summer Lightning Championships'. In previous years, Altona College has done really well and this year would not be any different. Both our U18 Boys and U18 Girls would place 3rd overall and the U16 boys would lose to a tough Maribyrnong Sports Academy Team in the Grand Finals finishing Runners Up overall.
A big thank you to our fantastic Staff and PE Department for organising, driving and convening in Term 1. There are a lot of 'behind-the-scenes' work for events like these to run smoothly and we are very grateful. Finally, we appreciate all the love from our Altona College Community. Thank you parents, guardians and friends who drop off students early to training, pick them up late after school after training and come to cheer them on during competition.
Thank You,
Altona College Volleyball
VM students excursion
Year 11 and 12 Vocational Major students headed to Melbourne Museum this week to complete the Physics Challenge program through TAC’s Road to Zero initiative. Students engaged in activities measuring the stopping distance and how it varied depending on the traveling speed of the vehicle
Year 9 Science
A transect is a path along which one counts and records occurrences of the objects of study (e.g. plants). The Year 9 students counted plants and drew up our garden outside our labs and other parts of the school. They worked liked real Ecologists.
Year 11 Biology
Year 11 Biology have been learning different techniques in analysis. Here students are preparing samples.
Year 10 Chemistry & Physics
Students in Year 10 Chemistry have been learning about how different metals react with solvents. Students experimented to see the reactivity ofdifferent metals.
Year 10 Chemistry has been learning about the periodic table and they recently tested different metals and non–metals to observe and report on their conductivity, that is, their ability to conduct electricity.
Year 10 Physics students have been learning about Newton's 3 Laws of Motion. Students experimented on different surfaces with bikes to see how motion changed and how it could be manipulated by changing gears. They are also looking at car crashes and how Newton's Law of Motion, especially the Law of Inertia is intrinsic in car safety. Students have been experimenting with different ideas to improve safety in cars by simulating people are cars travelling at different speeds with different safety measures
Year 9 Truganina Swamp Excursion
The highlight of our Ecology unit was our trip to Truganina Swamp to witness first hand the biodiversity of the area and how Melbourne Water is improving the area. Thank you to Gerard Morel who spent the day at the swamp teaching the students.
