Year Seven

Financial Literacy

Over the past month, our Year Seven Students have explored essential concepts, gaining valuable insights into the world of personal finance that will serve them well as they continue to grow. 

Students have explored the various career options and how income tax is a crucial part of a functioning society, providing the necessary funding for public services. Our students discovered the progressive tax system and the different tax brackets, and the fairness of tax system and its impacts across socio-economic groups.

We then turned our focus to one of the most significant financial decisions many individuals make: homeownership. Our students explored the concept of mortgages and how they allow individuals to purchase homes by borrowing money from financial institutions. We also delved into the specific context of Australia, discussing the current housing market, housing affordability challenges, and the factors that impact the ability to own a home. Students gained an appreciation for the importance of budgeting, understanding interest rates, and the long-term financial commitments that come with a mortgage.

Here are some students’ work in progress from Financial Literacy so far from Term 3:

Laiba Jurail

Pahal Patel

Food Technology 

In the first session of Food Technology, the Year Seven Orange group of students learnt about hygiene and safety in the kitchen and a basic introduction of how to measure both wet and dry ingredients accurately. After the theory part of the session, the students then explored the Food Tech room, where they became familiar with the workings of a kitchen and an introduction to fire safety. 

The students were excited when they discovered they would be making choc chip cookies. All the students successfully made delicious cookies, and some were even shared with their teachers and made it at home to their family. The next week students practised their measurement skills of both wet and dry ingredients to make doughnuts. Once again, this was a very popular dessert.

In the third session, the students were introduced to knife skills which included discussion and demonstration of the claw and bridge method of using a knife. The students then went off individually to prepare their vegetables for risotto. They also prepared stewed apple for their apple turnovers. It was great to see the students' attitude when experiencing new foods for the first time. 

Physical Education 

Since the beginning of this term, students in have concentrated on developing their basketball talents. They have practised their dribbling, passing, and shooting abilities. Students had the chance to combine their skills and compete in a round-robin game during Week Five of their Physical Education session.

Students will move onto Netball skills and minor games before taking part in a round-robin competition, this will give students opportunity to practise their netball abilities and play brief games throughout the remainder of the term.

Students in Year Seven Health are studying Mental Health; these sessions concentrate on help seeking, where to find support, and looking at important sites like Headspace and Kids Helpline.

Science

In Year Seven Science this term, students have been learning how “Objects really move” in their Physics Unit of Study.  We have been looking in depth how push and pull forces act to move objects.

'Newton's Three Laws of Motion' were introduced to students where students gained an understanding why they are important and that they tie into almost everything we see in everyday life. 

They have taken a close look at Friction and discovered that its effect depends on the nature of the surfaces and how hard one object presses against the other. Students completed a practical activity where the friction of different surfaces were compared and students gained experience completing a Scientific Report. 

They have also learned that when studying  Physics, Mass and Weight have different meanings. They were surprised to hear weight is just another word for the force of gravity and  it is measured in Newtons  not kilograms.  

English

Since our last newsletter update, Students have been active participants in reading, analysing, and discussing our novel 'Blueback'. They have been developing their understanding of the Question Answer Relationship strategy, applying this to comprehension questions as well as pointing out the QAR connections in their conversations. 

As we move into the second half of the term, Students will be using 'Blueback' as a mentor text and focusing their attention on the structure and features used in this text by transferring them into Information Reports.

Here are some samples of students work as they explored the relevance of the current front cover and blurb for the novel.

Robotics and Coding

Year Seven students recently attended the  Wyndham Tech School to participate in the Future of Work program. This excursion was a unique opportunity for students to explore emerging technologies that are transforming industry. 

Activities included using Artificial Intelligence to produce images of fictional creatures for the cover of National Geographic, learning how to create digital podcasts, and an opportunity to control an industrial robot from leading robotics company Boston Dynamics. 

Visual Art

Over the last few weeks students have been busy finishing off their first pre-assessment task.  This involved unpacking the Elements and Principles of art and using them to create an abstract work of art.  Students then used this artwork to fill their Explosion Book - the process of creating this was both challenging and extremely rewarding.  The students were working independently to fold and create their finished book which has been used to demonstrate their ability to manage their time and combine their skills to create a cohesive work of art.