Specialists
Secondary 9/10 Term 2
Digital Tech
In ‘Minecraft Extend’ the Secondary 9/10 students were thrilled to turn some of their simple builds into 3D printed objects. They included keyrings, magnets and pendants. Then they finished their learning portfolios, made in Google Slides as part of the Google Drive Suite. It was a great end to the unit.
Music
Students in the music elective have been focused on beat making using Ableton Live software. Many hard electro beats were composed, before students tried their hands at DJing with cross fades, live loops, echo transitions and beat matching. Students have also jammed on instruments to keep their more traditional instrumental skills honed.
PE
Students that chose the Net and Wall Sports elective completed the final part of the unit, which included practising their volleyball and badminton skills. Students enjoyed testing themselves against their peers in modified and competitive games, demonstrating different motor skills while under pressure.
Students from Year 7-12 also participated in School Sport Victoria Cross Country events this term. Each Monday, many of these students trained during their lunch break, which helped increase their capacity to run for extended periods of time. Congratulations to all students involved in this program. We look forward to seeing some of these students compete at the State final on 24th July.
Social Competencies
In Term 2, the Secondary 9/10 Social Competency program focused on the theme of personal safety, with a particular emphasis on Drug Education. Students explored both legal and illegal substances commonly referred to as 'recreational drugs'. They examined the potential negative effects these substances can have on the body, as well as the legal implications associated with their use. This included discussions around common beverages such as alcohol, with an emphasis on understanding that individuals must be 18 years of age to safely consume them legally.
Throughout the unit, students engaged in a variety of learning activities to demonstrate their understanding. These included drawing tasks, sorting activities, group work, and role-playing scenarios to practise strategies for saying ‘no’ and identifying trusted adults they can speak to if they feel unsafe or unsure.
In addition, students explored the topic of Cyber Safety. They examined the importance of privacy settings on digital devices and discussed what constitutes cyberbullying. The unit also covered how to report inappropriate or unsafe behaviour online, the legal requirements involved, and strategies to act as an upstander rather than a bystander in online situations.
Visual Arts
Students explored their imagination through various projects. They researched the concept of imagination and created artworks that reflected their personal interpretations. Using a variety of materials in creative ways, they completed abstract art with insulation pipe, wire, and plaster wrap, and collaborated on a collage for a local nursing home.
Creative Media
Secondary 9/10 students have been busy this term creating storyboards and shooting short scenes for a film project. They did a fantastic job working together to plan, write and operate all the equipment on set. Students were challenged to organise their footage and edit it together using the software program iMovie.
Food Tech
Semester One has been very enjoyable for students and staff in Food Technology. We have chopped, diced, cubed, shredded, sliced, whipped and coated various foods. The students have enjoyed making healthy takeaway options and have a clear understanding of the benefits of home cooked as opposed to store bought foods. Some favourite recipes are Chicken Nuggets, Meatballs in Napoli sauce, Fried Rice and Quiche. Looking forward to making Cupcake Brownies to celebrate a great semester!
Science
Following on from our learning in Term One, students investigated microorganisms by setting up an apple experiment, to see which acidic solution would work best to preserve apple slices. Our initial experiment did not work out as planned, so students set up an additional experiment to see if they could get a better result. Students were able to observe the growth of microorganisms on pieces of apple under a microscope.
Throughout the remainder of the term, students explored chemistry and physics topics through a variety of experiments including; Lava Lamps, testing chemicals using a red cabbage indicator and litmus paper, Film Canister Rockets, Popsicle Stick Chain Reaction, Floating Table Tennis Ball and Balloon Helicopters.
Outdoor Education
Students have been participating in the Rock Climbing program at two different locations which were La Trobe University and Bounce Inc. They have been actively working together as a team to build their confidence and trust. The students really pushed themselves and climbed to the top of the walls. It was great to see all students encouraging each other and showing resilience when attempting the more challenging walls.
