Around the Secondary Classrooms

Profits with Purpose

The Legal Studies and Business classes over Term 2 have taken part in the Start Up Challenge!, where they each received $25 in start-up capital and had to create an entire business from scratch. From developing a business name and product to planning marketing and sales strategies, students were responsible for every aspect of their venture.

The market day on Thursday 25 June was a fantastic opportunity for students to learn by doing. Thank you to everyone who purchased products and supported our students. Your encouragement helped make the day a great success.

Most importantly, every group made a profit, raising funds for charities including the National Breast Cancer Foundation, MND Research, Cancer Council, TeamSport4All, Dogs' Homes of Tasmania, and the Butterfly Foundation.

Congratulations to all students for their creativity, enthusiasm, and hard work. A special congratulations goes to Arlie and Elise, who achieved the highest profit, turning $50 into $232 for their chosen charity.

It was a wonderful example of students developing real-world business skills while making a positive difference in the community.

Secondary Science

Explosive Learning: Year 8's Volcano Experiment!

In Year 8 Science we have been talking about volcanoes. We completed an experiment using PlayDoh, vinegar, bi-carb soda and red food dye to make the Volcano explode.

Once we added the vinegar, bi-carb soda and red food dye, it fizzed up and rose up and then slid down the volcano showing us how a volcano works. The colours of PlayDoh we used were brownish skin colour and dark brown.

These are the steps that were used:

Step 1. Firstly you make the volcano with two types of different coloured play dough.

Step 2. Then you put in the red dye

Step 3. Then you put the bicarb soda 

Step 4. Then  you put some vinegar 

Step 5. Then it explodes and the red dye makes it look like lava just a bit brighter.

Once it explodes you can add some more red dye and vinegar and it will explode again.

Then you can make more volcanos with clay or with PlayDoh. 

Ella McGrath and Agriya Verma

Year 10 Science: A Colourful Exploration of Chemistry

Year 10 Science students have been exploring the fascinating world of acids and bases through a series of hands-on experiments. Investigating the use of indicators and neutralisation reactions, students observed dramatic colour changes as they created a vibrant chemical "rainbow". Along the way, they developed their understanding of pH, chemical reactions and the practical applications of acids and bases, bringing chemistry concepts to life through inquiry and experimentation.

Elective Insights Session

Students in Years 8 and 9 recently had the opportunity to attend a lunchtime Electives Insights session, designed to help them make informed decisions about their future subject choices.

The session featured a team of Year 10 student ambassadors representing a range of elective subjects. Ambassadors shared their firsthand experiences, providing valuable insights into the topics studied, learning activities, and skills developed through each course.

Students were encouraged to ask questions and engage in discussions about the subjects they were considering for next year. The peer-to-peer format provided an authentic perspective on each subject, allowing students to hear directly from those currently studying the electives and gain a clearer understanding of what to expect.

With the Subject Selection Portal now open, students have plenty of time to carefully consider their options and discuss their choices with families and teachers before selections close on 3 August. 

We thank our Year 10 Student ambassadors for generously giving up their lunchtime and sharing their experiences with younger members of the college. 

Debating

This year our Year 9 debating team included Eliza Fleming, Grace Claxton, Cariad Lewis, Fenella Vincent, Avni Bhargava, Dhitika Rao, Sophia McNulty and myself. We were lucky enough to make it to the Grand Final against Fahan School, thanks to each and everyone's commitment, passion and great coaching by Ms O'Rourke. It takes a lot of courage to stand up and debate in front of a crowd and it was this courage that led us into proudly representing Mount Carmel. Although the result wasn't what we wished for, we had a lot of fun throughout the season strategising, discussing arguments and sharing our views with each other. I would strongly recommend giving debating a go as it is a great skill to have and is a lot of fun! 

Carla Mione

Our Year 9 debating season was an incredible journey, culminating in a second-place finish after a hard-fought Grand Final against Fahan. Competing in the Southern Schools Competition, run by the Tasmanian Debating Union (TDU), our team of eight had the opportunity to debate a wide range of topics, from "That every millionaire is a policy failure," to the Grand Final topic "That arts and cultural festivals should require community approval to take place."

At the start of the season our goal was simply to improve with every debate, however as the season progressed, we released that the finals were genuinely within reach.

Looking back now it's amazing to reflect on how much our team developed over the season, our speech structure became stronger, our rebuttal became more responsive and effective, and the overall quality of our arguments improved with every round. More importantly, our ability to work well as a team, under pressure, improved.  

We are also incredibly grateful to our coach and parents, who generously gave up their Wednesday evenings. Their continued support and encouragement made this experience possible.

Although we narrowly lost out on winning the season, reaching the grand final itself was an unforgettable experience, one that we are incredibly grateful for. 

Sophia McNulty

Congratulations to our Year 9 Debating Team on reaching the Grand Final of the Tasmanian Debating Union competition this year. Last Wednesday evening, the team competed in a high-quality Grand Final against Fahan, debating the topic of whether Arts festivals should require community approval. After an outstanding contest, they were narrowly defeated in a split decision by the three adjudicators. Congratulations to all team members:  Avni Bhargava, Dhitika Rao, Sophia McNulty, Cariad Lewis, Fenella Vincent, Eliza Fleming, Carla Mione and Grace Claxton. We are very proud of the team's hard work throughout the season. Thanks to the debaters' families who have supported them every Wednesday evening throughout the debating season and thanks also to our Year 10 debaters, Ashritha Mamidipali and Lily Rose McGee, whose presence at the Year 9 Grand Final provided valuable encouragement and support for the team.

Julia O'Rourke