AROUND THE COLLEGE & BEYOND

Year 7 Food Technology

Our Year 7 Food Tech students completed their practical cooking exam this week, producing delicious homemade pizzas with toppings of their own choosing. They paid special attention to flavour combinations, presentation and safe kitchen practices. Students were assessed on presentation, taste, safety and hygiene – and they all rose to the challenge wonderfully. Well done, boys!

Year 8 Geology Excursion: Rocks!

This term our Year 8 students ventured beyond the classroom to explore the rich and dramatic geological history of our region. The Atherton Tablelands area offered the perfect natural laboratory, showcasing millions of years of Earth’s story written in rock, landscape and landforms. Students were able to dig deep into concepts covered in class and see firsthand how geological processes shape the world around us.

The Tablelands provided some of the most memorable stops of the day:

• Green Hill, a classic scoria cone, gave students a close look at a once-active volcanic vent. 
• At Halloran’s Hill, students compared this broad shield volcano to Green Hill’s cinder cone shape — proving that not all volcanoes are cut from the same rock.
• The Seven Sisters showed how monogenetic volcanoes pop up across the Tablelands, each erupting once before retiring permanently.
• The Malanda Falls lava flow displayed basalt formations and the power of ancient eruptions to reshape landscapes.

• And at Hypipamee Crater, students peered into a dramatic volcanic explosion vent created when rising magma met groundwater in a spectacular steam-driven blast. 

   

Throughout the day, students tested rock samples, examined landforms, interpreted geological maps and gathered geoscientific evidence. They observed how sediment layers, folding and granite intrusions have shaped the rugged mountain ranges that dominate today’s local landscape. The Earth may take millions of years to form a landscape, but it took our students only one day to appreciate just how remarkable that story is.

From Page to Person

Hudson Miller And Liam Smith  – Homeroom 7.1 

Imagine being nine years old and arriving in a foreign city in the middle of the night, alone. Terrifying right? 

This is the true story of Abbas Kazerooni author of On Two Feet and Wings, the novel that some Year 7 classes studied this term in English. Close to his 10th birthday, Abbas had to leave his parents to escape Tehran during the Iran-Iraq War when the ayatollahs, the rulers of Iran, reduced the age of recruitment into the army. Abbas spent three months in Istanbul courageously fighting to survive long enough to be granted a visa to England.   

Last week, we were lucky enough to walk into English and be surprised with a Zoom call with Abbas, a real author!  We couldn’t believe our eyes.  We were surprised to find out that despite all his challenges alone in Istanbul and growing up without his parents, Abbas is currently a lawyer who owns multiple law firms across America. He answered our questions such as: How were you feeling after you got attacked in the alley? If you could change something, what would it be? Abbas responded with some interesting answers. He said he wouldn’t have gone into the alley if he had known what was waiting for him. These are things we would never have been able to find out if we hadn’t spoken with him.   

Abbas finished his call by sharing some pieces of advice that he has found useful in his life.  He told us that we should never feel scared to ask for help, and never back down from a challenge.  He also explained how children can be young but still have power.  Meeting Abbas has encouraged us to always listen to people’s stories and never judge someone on their looks because there is always more to the story.  

Below are some reflections the class wrote. 

Abbas' novel inspires our generation to keep pushing forward even with the harsh setbacks of life. – Jett E 

 

The story of Abbas taught me about how difficult it is to be a nine-year-old refugee who must escape a war-torn country and travel alone. – Revanth 

 

Abbas' story shows that even though he was only nine years old, he could still achieve things that some adults struggle with. – Lachlan. 

 

I learnt from the book that people can still show kindness, even in the worst places.  – Jett D 

 

The message of kindness really touched my heart.  I will always try my best to help out people in need. – Zac 

 

I realised that a hard situation can be made easy if you are optimistic. – Mason

 

Abbas has inspired me to have confidence and courage in all that I do. – Archie 

 

“My greatest weakness is my greatest strength,” is my new motto. – Jasper 

As you can see, everyone learnt a lot more than just English. 

Socratic Seminar - Year 9

Ms Fraser’s Year 9 English class recently participated in a Socratic seminar. Socratic seminars are named for their embodiment of Socrates’ belief in the power of asking questions. They are student-led, with participants exploring a topic collaboratively to build a deeper, shared understanding of the text or idea. Students listen actively, respond to one other, and guide the conversation, with the teacher acting as a facilitator rather than a lecturer.

The discussion explored how Lord of the Flies reflects human nature and society. Students noted that the boys on the island mirror the violent, hierarchical culture they grew up in and that power corrupts and concluded that the social contract is only as powerful as we allow it to be. The students were incredibly insightful and enjoyed the experience in the lead up to their exam.