Hospitality  

Food Technology 

Our students are starting and continuing to learn and develop valuable skills in the Food Technology kitchens. Ms Jeffree has been working hard perfecting the Year 8 Oz Harvest Feast program, a program highlighting the sustainable way to plan, purchase, use-up and cook healthy, tasty, and affordable meals and treats. The Year 10 program takes our students across the globe whilst fine-tuning their kitchen skills and elaborating on their cooking repertoire. 

VET Hospitality/Cookery

St John’s Regional College has a healthy number of enrolments for VET Hospitality Unit 1&2 (first year students) this year for the VET in Schools Hospitality (Front of House - FOH) program. Students enrolled from a variety of schools and colleges within the local area, joined our St John’s Regional College students for an interesting and robust Hospitality program.

Students have commenced a great year of learning; attaining and developing new skills and knowledge, growing their professional maturity, and working together setting up the Graduates’ Restaurant and serve our many regular customers.

They have come a long way from the first few weeks of nervousness and timidity; with all students now participating in Restaurant service: our first-year students doing a lot of the preparations and Restaurant set-up, and our second-year students providing the meals and Restaurant service. There are signs students are growing in confidence, skills and knowledge. We look forward to seeing them continue their growth and participate in the second-year program, where students will continue to develop their hospitality skills and serve our local community members and perhaps mentor the newly enrolled cohort for 2025. 

The VET Hospitality Unit 3&4 (second year students) group is smaller in numbers this year, however, what the team lacked in numbers, they made up for in personality, professionalism and a commitment to the second-year program.  Students have been working on their coffee and mocktail skills, offering their own creations for each service period (mocktail of the week). They have served up an array of colour and tastes to meet the discerning palate of our new and regular guests.  

Our students will continue to participate in many functions held on the SJRC calendar including the student Leaders Dinner, Careers Expo evening, the Wellsprings for Women events, and perhaps the Performing Arts evening planned for late 2024. Some students are looking for the opportunity to mentor our first-year students and guide them during service periods in the Restaurant. We are confident these students will make a strong and positive impact on their peers.

VCE VM and Community Gardens

Students enrolled in the Year 11 and 12 VCE VM program will have a busy year of activities, both hands on and theoretical. Many Fridays over the year will be spent making and delivering freshly made coffees to the SJRC teaching community. What a great way to begin a Friday morning with coffee delivered by a student!  Our VCE VM/VCAF students will continue to learn many life skills that can assist them when they finish their studies, and they are looking for permanent employment or even just cooking for siblings and guardians at home. These skills are transferrable in life and in work.

When the team wasn’t offering coffee, they will be busy cooking up a storm for Mother’s Day High Tea and the Mother’s Day Stall, or using their green thumbs in the newly weeded, fed, and mulched Fidelis Community Garden. We would like to thank our Fidelis Community Garden volunteers - Don Buchanan and Kim Gillam for their assistance and vital knowledge with bringing the ‘veggie patch’ back to life again. The Gardens are still a work in progress and something our VCE VM students under their teacher’s guidance will continue to work on in the next few years. We are eager to see the fruits and vegetables used in the Graduates’ Restaurant and Food Technology Kitchens for students to cook up a home grown, freshly picked delicious meal or delight.