MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS

Simon Scoullar

Middle Sub School Leader

There’s a lot happening this time of year with exams on the horizon for Year 9 and 10 students. Year 10 students also have their VCAL/VCE Orientation which can be quite daunting.

Orientation

Year 10 students must attend their Orientation, as it is imperative they understand the expectations and structures of their relevant programs and receive important holiday readings and introductory work, so they are ready for Year 11 in 2020, rather than being behind. Year 10 students should also remember, realistically, they only have two school years left.

 

VCAL Students are entering a whole new world and to alleviate any anxiety and be on top of VCAL expectations, they need to relish their Orientation and immerse themselves in VCAL and VET.

Exams

In the past, we have had issues with students arriving unprepared to exams. When I asked some students why they don’t have a pen, they tell me it is because they are given one. As this is enabling disorganisation and is a false representation of what will happen in Year 12, we will not be providing pens or calculators. It is not unreasonable to expect students to bring a pen and calculator to their exams, otherwise, they risk failing their exam.

 

All students will have an exam timetable this week and I implore parents to check it out and be supportive of this process.

 

Exams should not be a stressful time. These are not Year 12 exams and will not be the defining moment of their lives, rather a time to test themselves, consolidate their learning and get used to the process before Year 12. Teachers also use exams to inform their teaching practice and reflect on their time in the classroom. Please, if any students are stressed, come and talk to us. There are far bigger things to worry about in life.

Year 9 Art Excursion

Last Thursday, 7 November, Year 9 Art students travelled to Melbourne to view the KAWS: Companionship in the Age of Loneliness exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria. The artworks by Brian Donnely encompassed fashion and design across mediums that included paintings, murals, large-scale sculptures, street and public art, graphic and product design. The work was infused with humour, humanity and a cast of hybrid cartoon and human characters drawn from pop-culture animations that inspired students and was a great education experience, as we embark on our Pop Art unit in class. 

Here is what a few of the students had to say about the excursion;

Jayden: “The exhibition was a fantastic experience and a diverse place. It is an all-round great trip that I would like to take my family to; fun, cool and different.”

Nick: “A better way to learn about Pop Art because it is more interactive and is better than sitting in a classroom.”

Leah: “It lets students think deeper about the themes he wants to get across because he used popular culture references.”

Nessa: “It was weird, unique and cool all at the same time.”

Madeline: “I liked the bright colours and concepts behind it.”

 

A big thank you to Ms Moira Nunn for organising the excursion.

Julie Elkin

VCAL Teacher

Water Reality Check

Year 9 Community Engagement students attended Geelong Technical School to complete their project around the theme of water. Students had previously learnt how to use 360o cameras and were charged with investigating a different aspect related to water. They gathered assets (film footage and photos, text, narration) and then incorporated all these into a software program that enabled them to create a Virtual Reality experience. They added hotspots that took the viewer to another area and provided information and visuals to enhance the ‘journey’. All students were able to produce a VR experience by the end of the day and they had the opportunity to view those from other groups. It is quite funny watching students with the VR goggles on, pointing and engaging with things that are not actually in front of them!