Support Faculty Snapshot

Stage 4 

Maths 

Stage 4 Mathematics has started the year learning about Integers. They have learnt about direction, temperatures, earning and spending. We have used Mathematical operations with positive and negative numbers and a combination of both. Stage 4 have worked brilliantly and are now preparing for their first Assessment Task. 

We have commenced Length and Area and being busy estimating and taking measurements. Well done stage 4. You will be assessed on this next term. 

English  

This term, Stage 4 English students have been studying the novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. Through the text, students have explored key ideas such as friendship, perspective and fairness while developing their reading comprehension and discussion skills. 

Students have been analysing characters, events and themes in the novel and practising how to support their ideas with examples from the text. They are currently preparing for their first assessment task, where they will write a structured book review explaining why the novel should remain in the school library. 

Wellbeing 

What is the difference between being shocked and surprised? Or is being frustrated the same as being angry? This is the kind of emotional intelligence we have been developing across the term with Stage 4. We have also been tracking our habits to determine whether we are spending enough time off technology with our friends, sleeping long enough and moving our body enough to remain happy and well.   

Stage 5 

HSIE  

This term, Stage 5 HSIE students have been learning about the Industrial Revolution and the expansion of European empires. Students explored how industrial growth changed societies and increased demand for resources and labour across the world. They investigated different labour systems during this period, including industrial workers in Britain, enslaved people in the Americas and convicts transported to Australia. 

Students have also begun examining European imperialism and how European powers expanded their control over other regions during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Through analysing historical sources such as maps, political cartoons and poems, students have been developing their skills in interpreting evidence and understanding different historical perspectives. 

Visual Arts  

This term, our Stage 5 Visual Arts elective students have been working on a unit called “Cabinets of Curiosity”. The inspiration for this unit comes from natural history exhibits often found in museums. Students have used specimens and images of insects, and images of animals, including prehistoric animals, to create their works. The techniques our students have used to create their works have included mono printing, charcoal sketching, colouring and shading, collage and model making. They have developed skills in printing, using colour and shading to create different effects, and sketching animals. 

Music 

Support Music students have been exploring Australian perspectives in music through listening, discussion, composition and performance. A key feature of the course has been actively listening to and discussing different Australian works, helping students build their understanding of how music can reflect culture, place and identity. 

Using Soundtrap, students created their own soundscape compositions, experimenting with layers of sound to represent different environments and ideas. In performance activities, students have been working individually to learn and perform pieces, exploring a range of styles including ‘Like a Version’ inspired covers, jazz, and Australian art music while developing their confidence and practical music skills. 

Stage 6 

Agriculture 

Stage 6 Support Agriculture students have been exploring the concept of farms as enterprises, with a focus on how different farm systems work together to support productivity and sustainability. Students have been learning about the interconnected nature of farm operations, including inputs, processes, and outputs, and how decisions in one area can impact the overall success of the enterprise. 

To support their learning, students recently participated in an excursion to Camden Valley Farm, where they observed a working dairy farm system in real time. This hands-on experience allowed students to see how various components of a farm, such as animal management, feeding systems, and equipment, interact in a practical setting. 

Students engaged positively with the experience and demonstrated a growing understanding of how farms operate as complex, interrelated systems. We look forward to continuing to build on this knowledge throughout the term. 

English Studies

This term, our Stage 6 English Studies students have been exploring a range of texts as part of the “Reading to Write: Transition to English Studies” program. The focus of this unit has been on how reading challenges our perspectives, with an emphasis on the idea of the 'danger of a single-sided story'. 

Students have responded enthusiastically to the diverse texts studied and have engaged in thoughtful discussions on how these works have influenced their understanding of social and cultural issues.

In Week 9, students will complete their first assessment, reflecting on how reading has supported their development as senior writers.