Year Eight
Science
Over the past few weeks, our young scientists have been delving into the workings of the human body, starting with an in-depth exploration of the circulatory system. In a hands-on and engaging activity, they dissected a sheep heart, gaining a firsthand understanding of the various parts and structures that make up this vital system. This hands-on experience not only deepened their knowledge but also fostered a sense of curiosity and wonder about the human body.
Our students then took their learning a step further by creating presentations about each of the body systems. These presentations have been an excellent opportunity for them to demonstrate their comprehension and communication skills. They've presented their findings and insights to their classmates, promoting peer learning and enhancing their confidence in public speaking.
English
It's always a joy to witness the growth of our Year Eight Students in their English journey, and as another term comes to an end, they have much to be proud of. The highlight of this term has been their engaging oral presentations, where they passionately pitched innovative ideas to their peers. This activity not only showcased their creativity but also their willingness to take risks by presenting in front of their supportive classmates.
Throughout this term, Students have embarked on a self-paced learning journey, honing their skills in analysing and crafting effective oral presentations. As they head into the school holidays, they can do so with the confidence of having mastered the art of public speaking.
We eagerly anticipate their return from the break, as they'll be gearing up for another exciting and creative English term to round off the year. These students continue to impress with their dedication and growth in the realm of language and communication.
Visual Art
Our Year Eight Students, who are halfway through their semester of Visual Art, are delving deeper into their artistic journey. They are now merging their understanding of colour theory with the Elements and Principles of Art. In this phase, they are exploring how Artists skillfully blend their techniques to forge their unique artistic styles. To showcase this, they are embarking on the creation of self-portraits, which reflect the elements that hold significance in their lives.
What's particularly captivating is how they are utilising a spectrum of colours to craft their skin tones and are advancing their skills by creating tints, tones, and shades to give their images depth and dimension, transforming them from mere shapes into forms.
Looking ahead to the next Term, our students will be taking this newfound knowledge and applying it to a fresh unit of work, one that extends their thinking beyond the confines of the Art studio. It's an exciting journey of creativity and exploration.
Secondary Art Extension Level Up Exhibition
We are excited to announce that the booking system is open for our community to book their free ticket to the opening night of council run Level Up Exhibition to be held at the Saltwater Community Centre on the evening of Wednesday September 20th. Use the below link to come and support these talented students on their opening night.
Financial Literacy
Over the past four weeks, our Year Eight Students explored the world and languages of debt and credit. They gained an in-depth understanding of various types of debt, including loans, credit cards, and mortgages, and how these financial tools can be strategically employed to achieve various financial goals. We discussed the importance of responsible borrowing and the potential consequences of excessive debt.
Recognising the significance of responsible debt management, our Year Eight Students dedicated their efforts to mastering the art of budgeting, interest rates, and repayment strategies. Through hands-on exercises and real-life scenarios, they applied their financial skills in creating budgets that accommodate debt repayment while allowing room for savings and other financial objectives. They also explored the significance of maintaining a good credit score and its impact on their financial futures.
Students were introduced to the incredible power of compound interest on savings and investments. They learned how money can grow exponentially over time when allowed to accrue interest. Through engaging examples and practical calculations, our students developed a profound appreciation for the benefits of saving and investing early.
Robotics and Coding
Year Eight students have been busy applying their coding skills to creating class projects to match criteria set out in a design brief. Students recently completed a Quiz program with multiple choice answers. Students used "if", "elif" and "else" statements to provide feedback on specific answers entered by the user. Students also considered design elements, such as colour, graphics and layout, to improve usability and presentation. Students are learning about how to add "in" and "or" operators to write programs that respond to keywords. The task for this concept is a chatbot program that aims to simulate a natural conversation.
Health and Physical Education
Over the past month for Health and Physical Education, Year Eight students have been developing their skills and game sense in the sport of Netball. Each week, students have enhanced their knowledge of the rules and positions unique to Netball and applied the movements and skills practiced in previous classes in Round Robin game-based situations.
Year Eight Students are also finishing their exploration into the unit of Body Systems. Students have enhanced their knowledge of the various systems in the human body such as the Musculoskeletal, Cardiovascular and Respiratory system, and gained an understanding of how each system benefits from physical activity. Year Eight Students have applied their knowledge and understanding into their end of term assessment task. Each student was required to label the components and describe the function of the four Body Systems and link each Body System to a Health-Related Fitness Component such as Muscular Strength, Flexibility or Cardiorespiratory Endurance.
As the weather is warming up and days are getting longer, the Health and Physical Education team encourages students and their families to remain active over the holidays, and we look forward to seeing you all back the first day of Term Four.