HoL

 

JUNIOR HOL UPDATES

2018 Semester 2 kicked off with Juniors’ Tree Planting Day.  Although it was a cold morning, the Junior HOL team had only TWO things in mind – to clean up the side garden patch and plant trees along the fence. 

Everyone in the HOL team got their hands dirty cleaning up the front side of the Visual Arts room at the Northern Building.  All little hands and big hands worked together as one so that every bit of rubbish was put in the bin.  When everything was ready, baby trees and shrubs were neatly and carefully planted and watered. Now, we just have to check the young trees so they will grow taller carrying with it the 2018 HOL Junior Team’s legacy.

In the middle of Term 3, HOL Junior team once again showed how multi-talented they are. While some thought of building toys or bird houses from scratch, some thought of a valuable piece of tool in the kitchen – CHOPPING BOARD! Some projects have already been oiled or painted and are ready for use or display. “We would like to invite you to visit us every Wednesday or Friday between sessions 3 & 4 to see how well we work…” – as one of our Junior student would say.

HoL Cafe Update

HoL Café – A Parents Perspective…

This term, I have had the pleasure in volunteering with the Hands On Learning Cafe program within Brookside College. The program is for year 8 and 9 students wanting to explore a different avenue in their education whilst giving them an introduction into the hospitality and retail sectors. The experience these students are obtaining from the program is invaluable.  

I have been assisting each week with this semester’s students, and the growth I have seen has been incredible to witness. At the beginning of the term, there was a nervous quietness amongst them all, but eight weeks in, there is a strong confidence developing in their leadership, teamwork, customer service and entrepreneurial skills.  The students are required to undertake the opening and closing of the cafe, prepare food and beverages for sale, take and communicate orders and deliver service to their customers at a high and consistent standard.  Sometimes difficulties arise and it is then, with the encouraging guidance of the staff, Seral Femi and Sarah Jarman, that I have seen the most growth.  Seral is a most supportive teacher who has the students best interests at heart and the students all respect her most highly. Sarah brings many years of first hand experience working in hospitality to this program and works with the students in an utmost professional yet gentle manner.  Students are learning on their feet and this is certainly something that cannot be done by sitting in a classroom behind a desk.

In week 6, Barista training was undertaken by many students in the Event Planning elective by a training organisation in the city. The training they received is exactly what would be provided to any employee in hospitality. All the students definitely knew the difference between a piccolo and cappuccino by the end of this intensive training session. Students will soon receive certificates for completing this course, which can be used in their resumes to support any application for employment in the future. 

I have found volunteering at school and the cafe to be a most rewarding experience.  I throughly enjoy working with students to develop skills which they require assistance in, whether that be reading, maths or customer service. I have a deep sense of pride in knowing that the time I invest in the school, the students and the HOL cafe will have long term benefits to those involved. It is incredibly rewarding to see students who I have helped be recognised for their achievements in their learning whether that be in the classroom or the cafe.

It has been a privilege to work with the staff and students in this program. I would highly recommend it to all students as the life skills they are obtaining are something that will put them in good stead for future employment opportunities, not only in the hospitality industry but any profession a student wishes to pursue. I wish all of the HOL students all the best with the rest of the year and look forward to seeing your skills and confidence grow even further.  Congratulations on what you have achieved thus far, you should all be very proud of yourselves.

Sonia Martinovic.

SENIOR HOL UPDATES

Students have continued painting the poles around the campus.  We are fortunate to have the HoL students paint these poles to maintain safety around the college but also to prevent rust build up. There are also plans to top up the rocks around the pizza oven area and neighbouring garden beds. Personal projects will keep the Senior HOL students occupied for the rest of Terms 3-4, and will involve a lot of planning, drawing, cutting and dry-fitting of materials involved.  Their projects range from a simple bedside table to a custom-built shoe storage.  There are also others who challenged themselves with building a full size study table with drawers. These projects will be in the showcase for the HOL Evening Presentation towards the end of the year in Term 4.

A number of HoL Seniors along with other Year 9 students attended the annual Harvester Technical College Taster Tour on the 24th August.  The day involved a hands-on experience in building a simple wooden project that they could take home and an insight about the College’s courses and the spectacular facilities they have to offer students wanting to pursue a pathway in trades and engineering in Years 10, 11 & 12. For more information and dates for upcoming parent information evenings, visit their website at http://harvestercollege.vic.edu.au/.

Moreover, on the morning of 6th of August, Tuesday and Thursday teams of Senior HOL attended the annual Bunnings Trip.  The secondary students have shown their amazing camaraderie and collaboration in assembling the flat-pack units of outdoor furniture for the Bunnings Spring Launch. Their focus and teamwork was outstanding and allowed them to get so much done! It was great to be able to give back to Bunnings and do something helpful for them, as they have been very generous supporters of the HoL program. 

Congratulations and job well done to all members of the HoL Team!