VCAL News

Our VCAL Baristas

On the 26th February we ventured into the city to participate in the Australian Barista School workshop.  As part of our Industry and Enterprise class we are required to run a business and we have chosen to run a VCAL café so in preparation to run the café, all Year 11 VCAL students completed the Australian Barista School workshop.

We started by learning how to use the machines, then we developed a menu of coffees.  After we were confident, we were put in a customer scenario.  By the time we finished the course we were feeling like great baristas and we returned to school with many new skills that we continue to develop with the help of our teachers, Miss Marinucci and Mr Jack. 

We provide a wide range of hot drinks on our  VCAL café menu and the cafe supports many school events such as our recent Open night, Soirée, Teacher Conferences, Principal Conferences and many other events.

Through the barista school training and the work we are undertaking in our Industry and Enterprise class we are gaining 21st century skills for our future.

Samantha Storer and Joe Mills 11B

On Monday February 25, our VCAL class went to 108 Bourke Street in Melbourne where we had a great opportunity to train as baristas.  All the VCAL students made a variety of coffees over two days.  The training was integral to our course and preparing our class to run the school VCAL cafe. We learnt how to make Latte, Flat White, Long and Short Black, Cappuccino, Mocha and Hot Chocolate.  After the instructors in the Barista workshop provided our group with a guide to the different parts of the coffee machine, we were set the challenge of simulating our own cafe.  We had to greet customers, take orders and make orders.  The last task involved troubleshooting what to do if the coffee machine broke down.  We now have the opportunity to run our own VCAL Cafe Cart one day a week and at various school events.

Tamika Atwell 11A

Salvation Army helping the Homeless

On Thursday 21st of March, the year 12 VCAL class went on the Salvation Army homelessness tour followed by lunch at the Spaghetti Tree restaurant.

The homelessness tour was very eye opening to the harsh reality of how and where homeless people sleep and the amount of young people that are homeless because of family issues and abuse. When we first arrived at the Salvos, we were greeted by a few homeless people outside the Salvos building which was an interesting experience.  Our tour leader was Grace who was really nice and told us stories of where homeless people sleep and their stories which was interesting.  Grace also taught us about how many young people are homeless and the amount of homeless people in Australia. We went past a few places that they sleep like an old tram stop and an ally-way which I don’t think I would like to sleep in.

Once we finished the tour we went and had lunch at the Spaghetti Tree it was a really nice restaurant, we talked about the tour and debriefed which was fun, the food was nice having a meal as a class was good. When we were on the tour a lot of the group wanted to see some homeless people but we weren’t allowed to which I would say is for the best.

Overall it was a good day and I would like to have another meal as a class again.

Blair Buchanan – 12A

On 21st of March our VCAL class went to the city to visit the Salvation Army and do a Homelessness Tour. As we arrived,  we sat down in rows and were greeted by an employee named Grace. Grace explained many things about homelessness and the history about the Salvation Army and what they do to help the homeless. There was posters up along the wall of the percent of people that are homeless and the age of them that are going through that, the percent of that has extremely increased since then which is very sad to see as most of them are under the age of 25.  While Grace related some stories, she showed us the locations of where they happened around Melbourne. The stories that were told were very eye opening especially the story of a 17 year old boy who was experiencing homelessness because he got kicked out of home by his parents as they didn’t believe him that he was hearing voices in his head telling him to hurt himself and others around him. The boy slept in an alleyway under a staircase, with the cooler vent blowing cold air out straight onto where his head was. The Salvation Army realised why he kept his head there, as this would stop the voices in his head. The Salvation Army everyday helped the young boy and he got his life together again and went back to the Salvation Army few years later and they didn’t recognize him. It was important for us to see what these people go through on a daily basis and not to stereotype everyone. After the Homelessness tour everyone went to eat lunch at The Spaghetti Tree where we enjoyed the rare opportunity of eating together. The place was nice and the food was really good which reminded us of the stark contrast it was to the lives of the homeless. 

Stephanie Hughes – 12A