Middle School

From the Head of Middle School 

Year Nine Future Pathways

In Week Five of this term Year Nine students will explore some of the various pathways that are on offer for their future education. On Friday 20 August, at 2.00pm in the Hall,we will also be presenting a Future Pathways Information Session for Parents and Guardians. This initiative is in response to requests from parents in the annual parent survey, and to keep parents informed about the ongoing changes in the education landscape.

During school on Thursday and Friday of that week, a careers group, Curtin AHEAD, will be talking to Year Nines in small groups with the aim of getting students to start thinking about and planning their future education. The Curtin Addressing Higher Educational Access Disadvantage (AHEAD) Program is a dynamic outreach initiative that offers tailored opportunities for school students to receive personalised assistance to better understand the higher education environment. The program is delivered through interactive in-class workshops, which are aligned with the Australian Blueprint for Career Development. Students will come away with a greater awareness of their learning styles and how they link to their future choices in Years Ten, Eleven, Twelve and beyond.

At 2.00pm we will be holding a Future Pathways information session for parents. The timing of this session is the day before the mid-term boarders closed weekend. Hopefully, this will assist in allowing boarding parents to attend before travelling home with their children. At this session you will hear about what Great Southern Grammar has to offer all students as they continue their education. This includes ATAR and VET pathways, courses on offer at GSG, Workplace Learning, TAFE courses that link to school and some new initiatives.

Tea, coffee and light refreshments will be available beforehand. An email has been sent to families requesting RSVP for catering. We will also stream this session on Teams with the link in the email. I look forward to seeing parents at this event.

Middle School Social

Wednesday 25 August | 6.00pm - 8.30pm 

The Middle School Leaders will be running a Social on Wednesday 25 August from 6.00pm to 8.30pm. Tickets are $5 and available from Middle School Student Services. The theme is “Retro.” We look forward to seeing as many students as possible for a fun night!

A very friendly visitor  

Last Friday we had a unexpected visit from a very friendly galah that turned up outside Middle School Student Services. Luckily he was in the caring hands of Miss Claire St Jack and helped with daily duties all while happily sitting on her shoulder. We posted to social media seeking help finding his home, luckily his family was found by the end of the day. He had been missing for two weeks in the wild weather and living in the bush. And had flown all the way from George Street off South Coast Highway! 

Mr Adam Scott | Head of Middle School 

Spare Parts Puppet Theatre

This week Year Seven students were treated to a rendition of Jack and the Beanstalk by Spare Parts Puppet Theatre. A slightly altered telling of the story was offered; this time from the giant’s point of view. The Giant, Brian lives in a castle in the sky and spends his time magically creating clouds. To the students delight the clouds were made of fairy floss! Imagine his surprise when a ‘groundling’ appears having come up on a magic beanstalk and takes advantage of the giant’s hospitality before stealing his golden goose, Betty and his beloved golden harp. Poor Brian then falls terribly in trying to chase Jack to retrieve his stolen goods!

There are many versions of this famous tale, the first being written in 1734. This one was written by 7ft tall Sam Longley with Spare Parts, keen to offer a different point of view. There were many plays on words in the puppeteering including ‘Jack’ being personified by a loaf of bread; a clever a pun referring to the Giant’s song in earlier tales.

After the performance, there were many questions for the puppeteers, including ones about the set and their acting histories. This play has toured across Western Australia and they are currently spending five weeks touring in the South of the state; heading to Walpole after us!

Many thanks to Spare Parts for offering us such a unique and imaginative play.

Ms Rachel Mordy | Head of the Arts

Year Nine Agriculture Vineyard Pruning

The high rainfall and increased number of electrical storms has hampered the progress our Year Nine Agriculture students have made on pruning the vineyard in preparation for the 2022 vintage. Over the course of Term Three they will be mastering all the essential skills of pruning, propagating, and planting replacement grape vines. Throughout the year, students spend time out of the classroom caring for the vineyard, including the whole community event of the grape harvest in early March. The grapes are then taken to a local winery for the wine production to commence, with bottling in June for an exciting September release date. 

As well as tending to the vineyard, the Year Nines work in small groups on a project learning about, and teaching others, the management techniques required to run an apiary, aquaponics system or a chicken coop. 

Mr Julian Gugenheim | Teacher and Farm Manager 

Hospitality 

Year Seven

Year Seven Hospitality students have started the term learning about personal health and safety when working in the kitchen. Designing a mini pizza snack has been a highlight of the first few weeks.  They analysed the Healthy Eating Pyramid to determine whether a homemade pizza using a wholemeal base with low fat and low sugar sauces, as well as a selection of vegetables and herbs, and low-fat cheese, was a healthy snack.

Year Eight

Our Year Eight students are learning about the importance of including at least five serves of vegetables in their daily diet.  Incorporating production skills like grating, dicing, and chopping, as well as shallow frying as a cooking technique, the students designed some delicious vegetable fritters.  

Year Nine

Following a very successful Devonshire Tea where students invited guests to serve homemade raspberry jam and scones to, with a lovely cup of tea, the Year Nine Hospitality class are learning how to include the five food groups in their daily diet:  fruit, vegetables, protein, dairy, and grains. They’ve made chicken and ricotta sausage rolls using puff pasty that is high in fat, and filo pastry that is fat free, then analysed where the ingredients fit into the food groups.

Mrs Teresa McAllister | Hospitality Teacher