Specialists

 

Secondary 9/10 Term 4

Digital Tech

The ‘Stop Motion & Animation’ unit has been highly successful, with the students creating their own style of either a stop motion movie or an animation after learning how to create different types in Term 3. Choices included using LEGO, whiteboard and Klikbots; or, using the AnimationKit or FlipAClip apps. The students learned how important it is to move their characters in small movements to create a smooth movie, and to keep the camera and set steady. They also added titles, credits and sound effects to improve movie quality. The students have chosen a movie each that they think is their best, and they are here in these videos: 910 Students A to I.mp4 and 910 Students J to Z.mp4   It was a great unit!

Music

Term 4 Reflection

Term 4 has been an exciting and productive time in the music room, with pupils across all year levels engaging in a mix of practical skills, creativity and collaboration. From exploring improvisation and song writing to working with digital technologies and performing as bands, students have had plenty of opportunities to improve their musical abilities and confidence.

For Years 9 and 10, Term 4 focused on ensemble performance and independence. Pupils selected contemporary songs to learn and worked on playing as a band without relying on teacher direction. Alongside live performance, they explored digital music using professional DAW software, starting with guided tasks and moving into their own creative projects. 

The term ended with pupils creating original beats and using DJ decks – a great way to combine traditional and modern music-making.

Looking Ahead

It’s been fantastic to see pupils across all year levels developing their musical skills and exploring new ways to create and perform. A special mention goes to our Secondary Bands, whose commitment to regular practice and live performances has been outstanding. 

Highlights this term included the Community Concert and the Years 9/10 Showcase, where their hard work and growing confidence really shone through. Their ability to perform as tight, well-rehearsed ensembles was impressive and a credit to their dedication. 

Next year, we’ll continue building on these foundations with even more opportunities for creativity, collaboration and performance. Well done to all students for their effort and enthusiasm this term! 

PE

Students who chose the Target Sports elective completed the unit with cricket, trialling different throwing techniques to hit a target. Students also learnt more about recreational activities that involve aiming and accuracy. 

Some students qualified for the School Sport Victoria State Track and Field Championships, where they competed in 100m, 200m, 800m, Shot Put and Long Jump events. Students participated to their best, with some excellent results on the day. 

Basketball Victoria also hosted the Endeavor Cup State Championships, with Concord entering a Division A and Girls team. The girls worked hard all day, finishing 4th overall. 

The Division A team finished undefeated, claiming the State title after a close game in the Grand Final against Officer School.

Social Competencies

What a productive term it has been, as students completed the final part of our Sexual Health Unit and strengthened their knowledge of online safety and personal wellbeing.

Students explored how to keep themselves and others healthy by developing a clearer understanding of respectful and safe relationships. A major focus was learning about consent and the difference between secrets and surprises. Students learned to recognise when information may be unsafe to keep to themselves and discovered that safe surprises are temporary and positive, while secrets that create worry or discomfort should always be shared with a trusted adult.

Cyber safety remained a key learning area. Students revised what personal information is, why it must be protected and how to stay safe online. They were introduced to two-factor authentication and we examined body image and its impact on wellbeing. 

I am incredibly proud of every student who has taken part in the Social Competencies program this year. Their curiosity, maturity and willingness to engage with challenging topics have made this a rewarding year of learning.

Visual Arts

Year 9/10 students explored realism through detailed drawings of ring pops and lollies. Using pencil and oil pastels, they practiced shading, blending, and highlighting to create depth and texture. This project strengthened observational skills and introduced techniques for capturing light and reflection. Students worked carefully to achieve smooth gradients and realistic surfaces. The final artworks are vibrant and polished, demonstrating growing confidence in rendering objects with accuracy and creativity. I am particularly impressed with the persistence of all students.

Creative Media

In Term 4, Creative Media students were busy bringing their character creations to life! 

Each week we learnt techniques for using stage makeup to create amazing practical effects and practised them with classmates. Students also extended on tech skills using the camera and lighting equipment in the discovery centre to assist with photographing the characters to be turned into movie posters. Students loved seeing their characters come to life through the use of practical effects, stage makeup and costume design. 

Food Tech

The Secondary 9/10 and 11/12 students have continued to develop their kitchen skills throughout the term. They have used various cutting, slicing, chopping and cooking methods. Students have an understanding of various  seasonal fruits and vegetables and the benefits of using them. During the term they have made numerous dishes that include Crispy Tuna Patties, Warm Chicken Salad, Savoury Meatballs, Tuna and Pasta Salad, Noodle Stir Fry and an amazing Christmas Slice.  

It is really pleasing to see the students grow in confidence to work independently and in small groups to share the cooking experience. Students have developed a sense of pride in their work and cooking environment, they are independently keeping their work space clean, bringing used utensils to the sink for cleaning, assisting with the drying and putting away the clean dishes. When cooking and cleaning is complete the students happily sit together in the theory room to eat and enjoy the spoils of their labour. Staff and students reflect on the session activity, discussing what we liked or disliked and what we could improve on.

Roberta and I would like to thank all the students for being active participants and engaging with the Food Tech program. We hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas and New Year and look forward to seeing you in 2026. 

Science

Secondary 9/10 students in the ‘Beakers and Microscopes’ elective continued to explore a variety of science equipment this term including test tubes, racks and stoppers, funnels, magnifying glass, light microscopes, prepared slides, petri dishes, tweezers and digital microscopes. Some of the activities and experiments included Popping Test Tube, Bottle Flipping, CSI Fingerprinting Lab, and a scavenger hunt outside to collect samples to view under the digital microscopes. Students practised using and drawing prepared slides samples including hair, blood, tissue, plant and synthetic materials under the light microscopes. 

Outdoor Education

In the last term of the year, students participated in our bike riding program. They became familiar with bike mechanics and learnt how to apply important road safety rules. Throughout the program, students developed positive relationships with their peers while improving their physical endurance and fitness. They especially enjoyed racing against each other and completing their time trials. A highlight of the program was riding to Bundoora Park, an experience many students were excited for and thoroughly enjoyed.