Technologies News
Hospitality Electives
Year Seven
Our Camfield students have been busy building their kitchen confidence by practising knife and oven safety, creating delicious taco salads, chocolate blueberry muffins and banana pikelets, while learning clever ways to use leftovers. Along the way, students are developing important cooking skills and learning to work safely and effectively as part of a team in the kitchen!
Year Eight
This term, students have impressed us with their creativity and teamwork while making homemade bread rolls, quick pickles, and burgers; exploring the six essential cooking methods; practising time management; and even trying their hand at food photography. From visiting the garden to selecting fresh produce and deciding how to cook it, students have developed valuable Hospitality skills and are now preparing to collaboratively design nourishing grab-and-go lunch boxes using leftovers and freezer-friendly ideas. This is a fantastic group we hope to work with again in the future!
Year Nine
Students have had a fantastic time exploring the six essential nutrients through creative mocktails, tasting sessions featuring interesting vitamin and mineral-rich foods, and group recipe challenges. They have also been building confidence in the kitchen by making homemade fresh pasta, béchamel, ragu, and lasagne, with students completing a design brief in which they created either fettuccine or ravioli, demonstrating wonderful creativity and enthusiasm throughout the process. This class has been delightful, enthusiastic, and fun throughout the term, and we are excited to finish with some MasterChef-style competitions while looking forward to seeing these students continue developing their skills in Year Ten.
Year Ten
Students have been highly productive in the kitchen during the second half of the term, with one highlight being the opportunity to host Year One students as part of Primary School Science Week. Our students took on leadership roles as they helped the younger students make damper using freshly collected samphire from the local harbour, while also demonstrating how cream is whipped and transformed into butter to serve alongside the warm damper. The class has since explored Chinese cuisine and the art of steaming, creating dishes such as steamed wontons, lo mai gai, and deep-fried ice cream, and are now busy designing recipes for an exciting dim sum meal they will prepare and serve next week.
Certificate II Hospitality
Year Eleven
Our talented Year Eleven Hospitality students have been refining their kitchen skills through the preparation of a delicious range of appetisers, showcasing newly developed knife skills, time management, production, and presentation techniques. Dishes created so far include baba ganoush with homemade pita bread, vol-au-vents, potsticker wontons, antipasto platters, canapés, homemade hummus, and chilli oil, all demonstrating impressive creativity and teamwork. Students are also expanding their understanding of the hospitality industry through research into hospitality sectors, merit-based employment, compliance, legislation, quality assurance, and workplace expectations, and it has been wonderful to see their confidence and collaboration continue to grow.
Year Twelve
It has been incredibly rewarding to watch this group of students grow into an independent, supportive, and highly motivated team, constantly encouraging one another and striving for excellence in all they do. This has been especially evident through their involvement in several functions this term, including representing both themselves and the school with professionalism at the recent Gate2Plate Awards Dinner at Retravision Stadium, where they assisted in serving a four-course meal to 200 guests, and at the VET Show, where they prepared grazing boxes filled with homemade delights and showcased their barista skills through a range of espresso coffees and hot chocolates. A particular highlight has been seeing the students confidently manage weekly staff coffee orders by sharing roles, working collaboratively, and producing high-quality beverages, while continuing to expand their skills in preparing and serving a variety of non-alcoholic drinks, I am incredibly proud of all they have achieved.
Mrs Teresa McAllister | Head of Technologies/Teacher
Sustainable Production
Year Seven
Our Year Seven Wilson garden is looking great after all the rain, with several students taking home three different varieties of pak choy on Monday.
We also made wooden signs for the garden. Lots of fun was had using the hammers, and the result was some very creative designs.
Ms Diane Thomas | Teacher
Year Eight
The Year Eight Sustainable Garden class has continued to make excellent progress in our garden space this term. Students have been busy maintaining their garden beds, harvesting produce and preparing areas for the next stage of planting. It has been rewarding to see students take ownership of their gardens and develop practical skills in growing food sustainably.
Much of the produce harvested this term has been supplied to the Hospitality department, where students have been able to see their hard work contribute to the creation of a variety of dishes.
A highlight of the term was our beekeeping lesson, where students had the opportunity to learn about the important role bees play in sustainable food production and healthy ecosystems. Under the guidance of Daniel from Ripple Farm Beekeeping Supplies, students visited the school beehives, removed and inspected honey frames and participated in the honey extraction process. The extracted honey has been left to settle and warm before being jarred, allowing students to experience the complete journey from hive to harvest. This hands-on experience provided students with a greater understanding of pollination, biodiversity and the vital contribution bees make to agriculture and the environment. It has been fantastic to see students engage enthusiastically with both the gardening and beekeeping aspects of the course, developing a deeper appreciation for sustainable food production systems.
Mr Kane Smith | Teacher
Design and Technology - Woodwork
Year Eight
It has been another busy couple of weeks in the Year Eight woodworking classroom. After focusing on joinery and then moving on to laminating for their sandboards, students are now working towards completing their lolli dispensers. This project has a mixed focus and relies heavily on each student’s ability to measure and cut with precision, as it involves a larger number of components and a variety of materials. The dispenser includes a Perspex front, with timber used for the remainder of the project. There has been some great work produced by all involved.
Mr Brodie Sarre | Design and Technology – Woodwork Teacher
Design and Technology
Our Design and Technology students across Years Seven to Eleven have continued to build their practical workshop skills and confidence as they progress through a range of exciting projects this term. It has been fantastic to see students developing independence, creativity and pride in their work while producing high-quality projects.
Year Seven students are now well into the construction phase of their keepsake box projects and are beginning to put the finishing touches on their work. Throughout the term, students have continued to develop their skills in measuring, marking out, cutting, sanding and assembly. They are now preparing to add personalised design elements to their keepsake boxes, allowing them to showcase their creativity and make each project unique.
Year Nine students have successfully completed their folding camping picnic tables and are now finalising their side tables. Many students are currently designing personalised engravings for their picnic tables in preparation for laser cutting, which will allow them to add a unique finishing touch before taking their projects home. It has been great to see students applying the elements and principles of design while creating functional and visually appealing pieces.
Year Ten students are putting the finishing touches on their dartboard cabinets, with many projects now completed and being taken home. Students have also commenced planning for their Semester Two Community Furniture Project. Working collaboratively in groups, students are identifying opportunities to create meaningful and purposeful timber products for various areas of the school. Over the coming weeks, students will consult with members of the school community to determine specific needs and wants before developing concepts and detailed designs using Fusion 360. Students will then move into the production phase, bringing their ideas to life and creating projects that will have a lasting impact across the school.
Meanwhile, our Year Eleven students are completing and taking home their upholstered footstools, showcasing the skills they have developed in both furniture construction and upholstery. Students have now begun the planning and design stages of their major individual projects, which they will continue to develop and construct throughout the remainder of the year.
It has been fantastic to see students continuing to challenge themselves, problem-solve, collaborate and further develop their workshop capabilities as they work towards completing their projects.
Mr Kane Smith | Design and Technology Teacher