Year Seven

Robotics and Coding

This term, we have been lucky to have three students from the University of Melbourne visit our school to run Arduino workshops with students from Years Seven and Eight. Robogals is an organisation that was established to address the gender imbalance in STEM and engineering careers. University students from Environmental Engineering, Computer Science and Arts supported our students to use code and Arduino microcontrollers to program LEDs and switches. Students attending the workshops enjoyed learning about electronics and hearing about engineering careers.

English

It has been a very exciting term in English as students have demonstrated their knowledge and understanding of the Monomyth by creating their own Hero's Journey narrative.

As we move into the final week of learning for Year Seven, Students are now focused on creating their final published written product after working through the editing process. Here's a snapshot of some of the writing and planning process.

Food Technology

Congratulations to all the students who participated in the Food Technology sessions from the Red group this term.

During the sessions, the students have been actively engaged in exploring new recipes and experimenting with different dishes. For many of them, it was their first time trying the meals they prepared and cooked themselves. The students have developed a better understanding of food safety and personal hygiene practices, which they have diligently applied throughout the classes.

In the past month, the students have been honing their knife skills and gaining valuable experience in preparing vegetables for rice paper rolls and fried rice. They have also been introduced to stove top cooking techniques, using them to boil water for the rice paper rolls and sauté to cook their fried rice. This exposure has allowed them to learn sautéing and the absorption method of cooking rice. It was great to witness the success of their rice dishes and rice paper rolls, and from their reflections, it is evident that they found their creations not only delicious but also worthy of recreating for their families.

In addition to savoury dishes, we have also ventured into making sweets, with a focus on baking biscuits and creating their own designs with icing. The students grasped the significance of preheating the oven and measuring ingredients accurately to achieve the best results in their baking endeavours.

Once again, congratulations to all the students for their accomplishments in Food Technology. Keep up the great work and safe holidays.

Financial Literacy

During Year Seven Financial Literacy classes this term, Students explored the concepts of income tax, mortgages and housing affordability. Students compared the advantages and disadvantages of renting versus buying and completed practical activities applying their knowledge into real-world settings. Students utilised their information literacy skills, by examining websites to find quality information for their research.

Following that, Students explored the concepts of credit versus debit, and how it is implemented in real-world settings. Students explored the usage of credit cards and debit cards, analysing the differences between the two.

To finish the term, students were introduced to the concept of entrepreneurship as well as analysing Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

Physical Education 

Over the past three weeks, Year Sevens have been participating in a range of skills for Cricket. Students have learnt the techniques of bowling and batting and applied these skills to game situations.

During Health,  students investigated the use of drugs within sports, explored the various ergogenic aids and how these can impact the outcome of sport.

In the remaining weeks of the Term, the Year Sevens will have the opportunity to participate in various minor games such as Dodgeball, Multisport and Flag Football. 

Visual Art

During the last few sessions in Visual Art students have been unpacking self-portraits through the ages.  We have had a strong focus on the work on Tim Burton and how different artists manipulate the Elements and Principles of Art to create their own unique identity through Art.  Students are working toward completing their own Burtonesque self-portrait utilising symbolism to tell a narrative about who they are.  

Science

During the last four weeks, Year Seven Science students delved into the fascinating world of Earth’s layers and the ancient supercontinent, Pangea! The young scientists have been enthusiastically studying the layers that compose our planet. From the solid inner core to the dynamic outer crust, students engaged in lively discussions, to understand the characteristics of these layers. 

In addition to this, Year Seven students took a step back in time to discover Pangea, the supercontinent that existed millions of years ago. They learned about continental drift and volcanoes, piecing together the puzzle of how our continents have changed over time. They have showcased the newfound knowledge through various classroom activities such as completing worksheets, online quizzes and presentations. Year Seven students have also submitted their meticulously maintained moon-diaries, which they were writing from the past month. 

As we come to the end of this academic year, let’s take a moment to reflect on the incredible journey we have had. Let’s celebrate the achievements of our budding scientists! The curiosity and enthusiasm displayed by our Year Seven scientists in 2023 have been commendable. The skills and knowledge that students have acquired this year will serve as a solid foundation for their future scientific endeavours. So, keep exploring, questioning, and embracing the marvels of the world around us.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and look forward to more scientific explorations in the coming year!