STUDENT ACTIVITIES   -MYP 

SCAVENGER HUNT- CBD

Last week year 8 students travelled into the Melbourne CBD for a scavenger hunt. Students were excellent representatives of the college making their teachers proud with their enthusiasm and mature conduct. For some students this was their first time navigating the CBD with independence and catching trams. Students did a great job finding the various scavenger hunt items which led them to iconic areas of the CBD. This was a great experience for developing connectedness to school and to each other. We are looking forward to the next year 8 excursion to The Compound for Ninja Warrior training.

MYP - COMMUNITY PROJECTS 

Term Three has seen a buzz of energy amongst the Middle Years Programme. We kick started the Year 9 Community Project off with a personal video message from Adam Smith (a past student of MESC) who now resides in Miami, Florida. Adam proudly serves as Chief Impact Officer for Laureate Education, Inc., a leading higher education company operating five universities across Mexico and Peru, which together enrol more than 380,000 students. In this position, Adam leads company-wide efforts to track and improve impact across a range of areas including environment, community, employees, academic quality, and innovation, as well as corporate impact reporting, and the amplificon of Laureate’s purpose. In addition, Adam leads all external, crisis, and corporate communications. Adam has encountered many successes throughout his career and Adam continues to serve as a mentor, facilitator, and advisor for a number of young leaders, entrepreneurs, and non-profit organisations. He is also working together with MESC on the establishment of a scholarship fund. Adam’s positivity and obvious commitment to building connections through community service, along with the three Immersions Days helped students to build an understanding of the aims, objectives and assessment of the Community Project they are undertaking throughout Term three.

The aims of the Community Project are to encourage and enable all students to:

• Participate in a sustained self-directed inquiry within a global context
• Generate creative new insights and develop deeper understandings through in-depth investigation
• Demonstrate the skills, attitudes and knowledge required to complete a project over an extended period of time
• Communicate effectively in a variety of settings
• Demonstrate responsible action as a result of, learning
• Appreciate the process of learning and take pride in their accomplishments

Year 9 Students are now into the Planning and Investigating stages of their learning. All students have chosen the community they will serve, the need within this community that they will endeavour to meet and one of the 6 MYP Global Contexts which provides the framework and connects their project to a specific area of need that is relevant to all global citizens. 

This week, students should be setting goals and targets and meeting with their allocated school supervisors. The supervisors are there to support students throughout the project should they require. We look forward to hearing and seeing more about the projects students have chosen to undertake.

YEAR 7  

Year 7 has also begun Service as Action as part of their learning. Students will be conducting research and advocating on a cause/issue that they are interested in. This has begun in Connect Lessons. To kick start Service as Action as a whole school community, all Year 7s will be given ‘Use it up tape’ which has been generously donated by Oz Harvest. Students are encouraged to take photos of their fridges, freezers or shelves with use it up tape on leftovers and close to use by date food. 

They are encouraged to ‘use it up’ so these food items do not go into landfill. 

Did you know food waste feeds climate change? Food waste is often overlooked in the climate change debate, but is responsible for 8-10% of global greenhouse gases. That’s more than all the emissions from the plastic we produce (3.8%), the aviation section (1.9%) and from extracting oil (3.8%). Food waste is a major contributor to climate change but we can all take action, starting in the kitchen.

 Check out https://www.ozharvest.org/ to find out more. 

Here at MESC, we thank the entire school community for supporting both Service as Action and the Community Projects. These are the heart of the IB MYP Programme. 

If you have questions about the Community Project or Service as Action or can offer your assistance in any of these projects, please contact me at the College. 

Kylie Russell

MYP Leader and Co-ordinator

YEAR 7 SCIENCE 

Year 7 Science: Simple Machines

Year 7 science students were enjoying playing with Lego AND Kinect sets on a chatty Monday morning. What a way to ease into the week on a Monday morning than to play with Lego, chat about the weekend and then get to demonstrate your wonderful and extensive knowledge of physics through a complicated Lego build. All students had an impressive level of knowledge of Simple Machines and physics in a practical application. 

YEAR 9 COMMUNITY PROJECT - SALVATION ARMY REQUEST FOR DONATIONS

Walking through the streets. You could find somebody on the street, not much with them, asking people to spare money, or food, and sadly, not that many do. 

Some of these people may have risked their lives, either in the workforce, or out in the world, trying to help keep it safe, and yet they have been left with nothing. Does it seem fair? 

The Salvation Army is an organisation that works to help people who have lost almost everything, or to people who can’t work and support themselves anymore. 

They offer shelters for these people to stay while they try to get themselves back, or offer them things like food, clothes, appliances, to help them through their everyday lives. As part of our Year 9 community project, we have chosen to ask the people of the community to help donate items to help support the Salvation Army, so they can then help those people. 

During Week 5, 6, and 7, there will be collection boxes set up around the school where you will be able to drop off items that you have brought to school (We will be setting up posters and will let out a reminder on Compass giving more specifics about the time and locations). 

Please keep in mind that they are not allowed to accept any electrical hardware, baby and children items, inflatable toys, or anything that may be damaged, or in a perishing state. We have also reached out to the Salvation Army, and they have asked for people to donate women’s wear and jewellery, woollen jumpers, and blankets.  We would greatly appreciate all the help that we can receive, and it will be fantastic to see all the things you bring in during the next couple of weeks!

DONATION REQUESTS

• Women’s Wear (Clothing and Shoes)
• Jewellery 
• Woollen Jumpers
• Woollen Blankets

Cael McNally, Michael Spence & Jackson Longley 

YEAR 10 MATHS 

Year 10 our students have been investigating the genetics of Ma-Malade and Pa-Tridge and their many children.

The students examined the chances of six different traits being passed on to children, based on Ma and Pa's personal genetics (Hair, Eyes, Nose, Arms, Mouth and Feet). Each student then received a randomly generated child to make. Lastly, they were given the chance to take a family photo with Ma and Pa, who are in the back row of these photos.

It is well worth noticing things, like the fact that Ma and Pa both have claws, but some of their children do not, but all of Ma's children will have a fuzzy mouth, even though Pa doesn't.

Our students now understand why.

UNIT 2 BIOLOGY 

Unit 2 Biology class: growing a tiny crop of barley seeds for genetics. 

Biology students are growing barley in the lab to count the number of dark green plants and light-coloured plants after calculating the probable ratio using their genetics knowledge and skills. Some students added an extra side experiment to see if love made a difference to growth and will be dutifully giving one tray of barley extra love, words of affirmation and lollies every day.