School News
Indonesian Fashion Show
This week, our Year 8 Indonesian students immersed themselves in Indonesian culture by dressing in a variety of traditional outfits from different regions of Indonesia. The classroom was filled with vibrant colours, beautiful fabrics, and enthusiastic participation as students proudly showcased their costumes.
As part of the activity, students practised their Indonesian writing skills by describing what they were wearing and also writing about their classmates’ outfits using descriptive vocabulary and sentence structures learned in class. It was wonderful to see students combining language learning with cultural understanding in such an engaging and creative way. Well done to all Year 8 students for their fantastic effort and enthusiasm!
Unit 3&4 Outdoor and Environmental Studies
The Outdoor and Environmental Studies (OES) mountain bike program was conducted over three weeks and included two practice sessions at Big Hill Mountain Bike Park, followed by a full‑day ride at Falls Creek. The purpose of the program was to develop students’ mountain bike riding skills and confidence, while also exploring the conservation, recreational, and economic relationships associated with mountain bike (MTB) riding and the conflicts that can arise from the proposal and development of new MTB parks.
The first session at Big Hill MTB Park focused on foundational skill development in a familiar local environment. The session began with skills and drills in the car park before students rode the Big Easy Up and descended via Wombats Trail. Students practised key mountain biking skills including braking control, cornering, gear selection, and maintaining control on uneven terrain.
The second Big Hill session progressed to more challenging terrain. The group was shuttled to Shady Gully, where students rode Dart Spur Track and Secret Track. A focused skills session on drops was conducted on Macs Track, before the group rode back down to the base area. The session was completed in excellent Autumn conditions, with clear blue skies, cool temperatures, and dry, grippy trail surfaces, providing ideal conditions for skill development and confidence building.
The final session at Falls Creek proceeded despite an adverse weather forecast. The group made a collective decision to continue with the excursion rather than reschedule, implementing a modified plan that focused on an adventure ride. Students climbed via Road 24 to Ruined Castle and explored trails around the Nordic Bowl. While the day appeared challenging from the valley below, conditions improved significantly upon reaching Falls Creek, with the group emerging above the cloud layer into clear blue skies.
During the Falls Creek session, students collected primary data through observations of trail design, signage, erosion control strategies, and land management practices. These observations supported Unit 4, Area of Study 3: Investigating Outdoor Environments, particularly in relation to how land managers balance recreation, conservation, and economic development.
The success of the program was supported by the generous contribution of volunteers. Special thanks are extended to Ella Gould for route planning and leading the group, Emma Colsen for running skills and drills sessions, Justin Hams for supporting shuttles and skill development, and Rhona Weir for supporting the Falls Creek riding day. Without their time, knowledge, and skills, the experience would not have been possible.
Finally, thank you to the students who approached the program with enthusiasm, supported their peers, challenged themselves, and consistently rode to their abilities. Their positive attitudes and commitment were central to the success of the program.
TT07 Everyday Textiles
We have a few more items to share with you as students are finishing up with their “Ugly Doll” projects in Everyday Textiles. Some of these dolls are looking a bit cute, and not so much like the scraps and offcuts they've been made from.
