Year Eight 

Financial Literacy

Over the last four weeks, our Year Eight Students learnt about earned income from different jobs and professions, passive income from investments, and the importance of diversifying income streams. They discovered the connection between education, skills, and earning potential, laying the foundation for informed career decisions. 

Moving on from income, they learnt about the different types of taxes and the role taxes play in funding public services and infrastructure. Our focus then turned to the tax landscape in Australia, where students gained a comprehensive understanding of both progressive and regressive tax systems.

Beyond the learning of tax systems, students understood that individuals with higher incomes are subject to higher tax rates. They grasped the concept of tax brackets and how progressive taxation ensures a fair distribution of the tax burden based on one's ability to pay. In contrast, they discussed the potential implications of regressive taxes on income inequality and social welfare in regressive tax system.

In Financial Literacy classes, our students actively participated in discussions, tackled challenging financial scenarios, and showed a genuine interest in learning how to make informed financial decisions.

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

Anushka Chatterjee, Bushra Mohammed Asif & Thasneem Mohammed Asif

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 were 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 saucepan. They also learned about the importance of reading a recipe carefully to ensure they didn't miss any steps. The final product turned out perfectly with a fudge consistency and were delicious. All students were proud of their efforts.

Physical Education

Since the beginning of this term, students in Year Eight have concentrated on developing their basketball talents. They have practised their dribbling, passing, and shooting abilities as well as gameplay and learning the rules of the game. 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 next participate in skills and minor games on the sport of Netball. Before taking part in a round-robin competition, students will practise their netball abilities and play brief games throughout the remainder of the term.

Students in Year Eight Health have been studying the structure and function of the body systems as well as how the cardiorespiratory system responds when we exercise. 

Science

Over the last few weeks, students have been learning about Cells- Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic. They have been able to distinguish the differences between plant and animal cells and which cells are responsible for what function. 

Last week the Year Eight students carried out an experiment where they put one celery piece, split into two, into red and blue food colouring, so that they could see how plants get water from the roots to their leaves. They then cut these up and looked at them under a microscope.

This week, students have moved on to look at systems in the Human body. They have started with the circulatory system and will, next week, be dissecting a heart!

Robotics and Coding

Year Eight elective students are currently working on smart garden designs. They are connecting micro:bits to moisture sensors and collecting data about air temperature and soil moisture levels. They are then writing code in Python to decide whether or not plants require watering, and displaying this information on the LED display. This practical element of the course complements the theoretical aspects of learning to code in Python and creates more variety and choice for students.

Visual Art

The last couple of weeks has seen the Year 8 students investigating how artists use manipulation of their skills to create their own identifiable artworks.  Students have been unpacking the impact their personal and cultural backgrounds have on their creation and perception of different artworks in line with our current unit of inquiry.  They have started creating their self-portraits focusing on how mathematics is used in the creation of art.