Student News

Year 10 Textiles

Some exciting things are happening in the Year 10 Textiles room. Here is Emily Teggelove, Emily Bray and Tazarni Clarke showcasing their amazing work.

Year 9 Legal excursion to Melbourne

On Friday the 7th of June, the Year 9 Legal Studies class, Who’s Running This Joint?, spent the day in Melbourne learning about our legal and parliamentary system.

Our first stop was to the Old Melbourne Gaol, where students participated in a courtroom drama in the old city Magistrates Court. They re-enacted an authentic trial about a teenager charged by Victorian Police with sexting offences, and took on the roles of police prosecutor, defence counsel, judge, clerk, offender, witnesses and public gallery members.

Students enjoyed this interactive opportunity to see how a court case is tried and decided (they voted on a sentencing option in the end) as well as learning about the roles of the participants in a Magistrates hearing.

Next, and still at the Old Melbourne Gaol, students were brought into the old watch house and treated as though they had committed a crime! They were yelled at to stand with their backs to the wall, to be silent, to show the Sergeant their hands. They were marched to the holding cell corridor and ‘searched’ for contraband, and then locked into a cell - boys in one and girls in the other. After a mercifully short time, they were then led out to the men's exercise yard where the history and the processes of the watch house were explained. Students then had a chance to look through all the holding cells, including the one used for inmates at risk of harming themselves (the padded cell) and the wet cell for the drunks! Many students jumped at the chance to have their mugshot taken!

Before lunch, we had a tour of the Old Treasury Building where we stood in the old gold vaults, learnt about the importance and impact of the Eureka Stockade on the right to representation in Victoria, and sat at the table where our Governor formally signs all legislation before it becomes law.

Lastly, after a quick lunch in the Treasury Gardens, we toured Parliament House in Spring Street. Here we sat in the chairs of the Government and the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly (the green chamber), looked down on the Legislative Council from the public gallery (the red chamber), toured the Parliamentary Library and had a close up look at the mace, learnt of the reason for the red carpet throughout the building (this is where Her Majesty is allowed to walk when she visits), and found out where all that gold from the vaults of the Treasury Building ended up (painted onto the walls and ceiling of Parliament House!).

A great learning experience. Many thanks to Margie Ahearn and Jordan Frew for accompanying us.