Year Eight 

Food Technology

In our most recent cooking session, the students have focused on sharpening our knife skills and mastering the art of making vegetable fritters using the stove to cook in a shallow fry method. The students did an excellent job, and I am very proud of their efforts.

Firstly, we started with the knife skills segment of the class. It is essential to have good knife skills when cooking as it makes the process easier and more efficient. The students learned how to properly hold a knife, chop, dice, and julienne vegetables. They also learned how to keep their fingers safe while handling a knife, which is crucial.

Next, we moved on to the main dish of the class, vegetable fritters. The students learned how to make a batter with flour and egg and then added their own choice of vegetables to the mix. They chopped and grated vegetables like carrots, zucchini, and onions to add to the batter. They then used the stove to cook the fritters in a shallow fry method until golden brown. The fritters were delicious and a great way to incorporate more veggies into our diet.

As if that wasn't enough, we also made our own pizzas from scratch! The students had a blast kneading the dough and choosing their own toppings, from classic margherita to pepperoni and veggie combinations. They learned about the importance of letting the dough rise and how to shape it properly before adding the sauce and toppings. The pizzas turned out delicious, and it was great to see the students enjoying their own creations.

Lastly, we rounded off the class with some sweet treats- brownies! The students worked on their measuring skills as they followed the recipe and added the ingredients to the sauce pan. They also learned about the importance of reading a recipe carefully to ensure they didn't miss any steps. The brownies turned out fudgy and delicious, and all the students were proud of their efforts. 

Financial Literacy

As students enters the workforce and starts earning an income, it is significant for them to understand the basics of the Australian income tax system. This knowledge will help them make informed decisions about their finances and ensure they are paying the correct amount of tax. Over the past month, the Year Eight students have investigated a range of ways in which employees can be paid, and calculated the income tax with and without technologies. They have explored the purposes of the income tax system and discussed the redistributional effects of progressive income taxes. 

Over the last few weeks, we examined the concepts of assets versus liabilities and explored the purposes and language of borrowing money. We also identified the positive and negative effects of taking on debt. We have investigated the difference between good debt and bad debt and developed a solid understanding that good debt can help build our credit history and demonstrate to lenders that we are financially responsible, and it helps show our “creditworthiness”. We have researched how credit cards work and the short and long-term effects of high levels of debt. The students have explored strategies to manage debt responsibly and ethically. Here are some students’ work and reflections from the past month:

Demien Van Roy

Allan Lu

Robotics and Coding

Having worked through a number of coding activities, students are now competent at coding in Python at an intermediate level. They can convert strings and integers, apply mathematical operations, write if elif and else statements, and use comparison operators, random numbers, in and or operators, Boolean variables, while loops, and string functions. Over the next few weeks, students will apply this knowledge in project based learning, creating their choice of a chat bot or battle simulator program. This will be a valuable opportunity to showcase their knowledge and creativity.

Wood Technology

Over the course of the Term, Year Eight students have been busy working their way through the various stages of the Design Cycle and creating their first designed solution the Resin Art Serving Board. Students were provided a design brief which outlined the need for the serving board, some constraints and considerations when building the serving board, and the purpose behind creating the solution. 

With this information they then began to laminate multiple pieces of timber together to create their board. Once cured, Year Eight students were taken through the Safe Operating Procedures of the Jigsaw, identified some of the safety concerns when using the tool and used the tool to shape the board into their design shape. 

In the remaining weeks of the Term, the students will apply finishing techniques to their board and apply coloured resin to their board to create an ocean inspired design. 

Outdoor Education

The students in Outdoor Education have been focusing on their mapping skills in preparation for their hikes. They have been learning about the various types of maps and how to interpret them. They have also been eagerly learning the basic first aid skills and how to react in an emergency situation. Students were also involved in writing up and discussing their own risk assessment for an excursion. This helps them understand the various risks involved and necessary pre planning for a successful excursion/adventure.

Last week the students got to go out on their first hike around the local Saltwater area. They were abe to identify and reflect various ways on how they can better look after their environment . They were given a map which they had to follow, discuss and make decisions on which direction they were to go in.

Children were also challenged physically to walk a certain distance, which was good for their physical and mental health. Over the next few weeks, the children will be experiencing various locations, challenges and environments during their hikes in preparation for their hike to the You Yangs National Park.

Music

Students have completed their investigation into the elements of music ahead of their end-of-term test and are now using and applying their knowledge of the elements to begin composing their own scores. 

We begin this process by looking at the Academy Awards nominees for this year and past year’s awards. Amongst the nominees are incredible, legendary composers such as John Williams, Hans Zimmer, James Horner and Trent Reznor. Students used their knowledge of genre, tone and quality to identify signature characteristics of each of these composers. 

A score creates an emotional pathway that supports the dramatic meaning of a story. By analysing tone, what instruments are used and how they are played, students were able to investigate what sounds were made within a recording to evoke different emotions. 

Finally, the class chose specific emotions from a Feeling Wheel, which is a popular chart used in psychology. Once students had chosen specific emotions to explore, they then used Garageband to create their own compositions of how those emotions would actually sound. 

Visual Art

Students have recently finalised their Explosion Book exemplifying their knowledge of the Art Elements and Principles.  They demonstrated they were risk takers in attempting to use a variety of mediums to create their artefact.  This knoweldge will be used in their upcoming portraiture unit when students will have the choice in the materials they utilise for their final product.  Students were able to reflect on the rubric we unpacked at the beginning of the unit and conferenced with myself to decide how their learning proceeded and what goals they would set for their next unit of inquiry.