Senior School 

Coffee anyone?

This year Harry Sencek, of Year 10, has been undertaking a hospitality course every Friday at ‘The Little Kitchen that Could’.  Harry has learnt various interpersonal skills related to working in the hospitality industry during his time at the course which enable him to make people feel welcome, important and comfortable when visiting his venue.  He has also learnt how to prepare some delicious drinks!  He has recently finished off the coffee making portion of the course.  He can now make ten different kinds of hot drinks on the coffee machine in rapid succession!  Harry’s teacher has remarked that he has shown quite an impressive natural ability in this area, suggesting he should seek employment in a café! Every week at the end of the day, Harry closes the class by performing a rap about the new skills he and his classmates have mastered and about the wonderful staff who support them.  Well done, Harry!

Katrina Pumpa 

Year 10 Literature - Creative Writing 

As part of our Creative Writing Unit, students wrote stories influenced by readings of Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Here are some excerpts from those pieces of work. Enjoy! 

The sound of leather heels opposing the dirt-infused gravel path seemed to be a confirmation of their arrival. The court was very cool and a little damp as they approached the three windows, then with the click of a hatch, the middle jolted open with a loud squeak of terror. Following the entrance into the court came a sharp breeze and the confrontation of inhabitancy.

Liana 

I had sustained a full twelve-hour shift that day, my legs ached and stiffened with each step climbing the maze of spiral stairs. When reaching the front of the suite, it felt like a miracle. Swiftly turning the steel doorknob, the tall door creaked open. I rushed to enter the room. It emitted an indescribable sensation of warmth and comfort. The room was strikingly lit by the candle radiating heat and warmth in its surroundings, in a trance I pulled open the curtains facing the brilliant crescent moon. There I faced the aged gentleman whose life was undeservingly taken.

Jessica

The public houses’ lantern dimly illuminated the overhanging sign advertising the nights blackjack game. The sickly xanthic glow dripping through the stained glass projected the pattern onto the cobbled street outside. A woman leaned on the brick wall in the neighbouring alleyway, smoking her pipe with deliberate and very careful puffs. Her puffs of smoke could be mistaken for her breath in the cold air that night, frost crept up the lampposts, trying desperately to extinguish the lights. 

Ben

His bloodshot eyes met directly with hers and paused, almost in contemplation. The maid did not dare breathe, the fear crawling up her back and whispering horrible scenarios into her mind was enough motivation to keep even her eyes locked in place. Mr Hyde’s eyes glowed like fiercely flickering flames but never once waned, the sight burned into her memory.

Estelle

A scream rang out down the street, echoing through the twisting paved street. Liam quickly moved towards the window and became aware of a man fallen on the ground, scrambling to get up and run away from an unseen threat in the shadow of the building. The man looked to be in his late 20’s and had brown hair, and in a normal situation he would be a handsome man, however his face was struck with a look of pure terror, as a large figure loomed over him.

Jeremy

With a tilt of the head and a gulp of the throat, it slipped through like grease. My chest tightened as a gasp for air let out a raspy cry. A strident ache consumed my body as the liquid reached my internal organs. An eerie resonance surrounded the room as my peripheral vision captured the incredulous facial expressions of Dr Lanyon.

Chloe

The bright rays of sun cut sharp lines through the gaps between the blinds, piercing through the room's darkness and illuminating the small desk, littered with papers and pens and other small items that belong to the inhabitant of the small home. Miniscule specks of dust drifted throughout the now dimly lit room creating a sort of fog that began to envelop everything with light coats of grey. A shape moved from the corner of the room, its movements disrupting the small flow of dust and sending them flying in circles around the room, the dark shape shifting into the figure of a man, the beams of sunlight washing over him leaving a shadow of darkness in his wake. The dust continued to part as he reached the window and with one swift and precise motion pulled the blinds apart, washing the whole room in the waterfall of light that came gushing in through the windows.

Alex

First, a pang in my chest as my body contorted and I reached to clutch the table, instead I missed and grasped at the empty air. An excruciating cry left my lips, as I reeled in the pain and waited for the change to be complete. I scarcely approached the mirror, where a shrivelled and disturbing creature stared back. A smile reached my lips at the thought of the havoc I can now reek, as Hyde.

Jasmine

Jekyll fell onto his back, unaware, as wave after wave of nausea crashed into him from all sides. Cries of pure terror clawed their way from his throat, all four limbs twitching as he convulsed on his back like a dying beetle. His eyes rolled back into his skull, bloodshot white, and his jaw folded in on itself, popping and dislocating into a mound of teeth and flesh. 

Anonymous

Honouring his nightly rituals, he pranced the alleyways. His footsteps echoed against the obscure nature of the dark, forming a sombre melody. Accompanied by a club firmly gripped by his right fist, his left hand was tucked away in his trousers’ pockets and his head was bent down, his eyes meandering the rugged roads. The club he carried was half the size of him, adorned with razor sharp spikes that protruded at very least three inches outwards. 

Yashvika

A sense of curiosity was laced throughout his steps, he meandered over the broken footpath, his nose leading his movements like he was trying to sense blood in the water. A warm yellow light flickered above, cutting his swift movements into multiple pieces of image, making him a character in a stop motion movie. The most feline feature was his eyes, his imperceptible glowing eyes, monitoring the shallow movements of the night, casting a glow of red and devastation beyond the confines of his sight.

Megan

Lauren Hughes

Year 10 Literature Teacher

Year 7 Coordinator 

Year 12 Chemistry excursion  

On Thursday 16  June, the Year 12 Chemistry cohort went on an excursion to the University of Melbourne Parkville campus. We were able to use and learn about the different instruments available to chemists for analysing organic compounds, and we were given a tour of some of the other facilities in the chemistry building. Our group received hands on experience using a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy machine, which is used to determine what types of carbon or hydrogen atom arrangements are present in the molecules of a sample, and Infrared (IR) spectroscopy machines, which told us about the types of functional groups (bonds) present in the molecules. Our aim was to piece together the information found using these machines to determine what substance was actually inside the samples we were given. 

We went on this excursion to see the processes we are learning about ‘in action’ so we could gain a better understanding of how these instruments are applied to real contexts. We both found this excursion to be incredibly beneficial to our grasp of the topic because we were given the chance to actively interact with the processes occurring, so we believe this experience allowed us to develop a deeper understanding of our new area of study and we highly recommend the following year levels to go as well!

At first, a lot of the equipment did seem daunting and overwhelming, especially since we haven’t learned much about how they work yet. However, it did get easier as the day went on, and overall the experience was definitely worthwhile, enjoyable, and hard to forget!

Tahlia Vosnakis and Deannah Kontekakis 

STEM Captains 

Photos - Lucy Niu