There’s an African proverb that states, “It takes a village to raise a child”. Whilst not quite a village, Timboon P-12’s TAP community has at its core innovative and creative teachers, who are backed by our supportive industry and community members. In 2018, there were 99 individual community and industry personnel involved in the development and delivery of TAP curriculum and associated teacher PD. This equates to 264 hours, or $10,577* of imputed value for time generously donated to support TAP initiatives. (*Dollar value of unfunded industry time calculated at $40/hr.) Since August 2012 there have been almost 370 local community members and businesses – farmers and other agriculturalists and horticulturalists – working with beef, ducks, sheep, dairy, chickens, lavender, chooks; agricultural service providers from fencing contractors to vets to agricultural research scientists; major dairy processors and boutique food manufacturers; community service providers, and parents generously sharing skills and knowledge with our students and teachers. To our agricultural partners in 2018 we have added engineers and others from the energy sector. We thank you all for your interest and support and here’s to many more TAP endeavours in 2019
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Our 2018/2019 lavender crop is currently being harvested with an awesome flush of lavender blooms, heavenly fragrance and attractive flower spikes. Some of the Riverina Alan florets have been used to distil lavender oil or create bunches whilst the Pacific Blue and Avice Hill flowers are drying out with the opportunity for our 2019 students to determine what they will produce from this season’s crop. Our Lavender products are also available for sale at Timboon Berry Farm. Our annual school journal, the Baringa, recorded the 2018 school year and once again, TAP events across various subject levels, Years Prep-12, were celebrated including the following- To conclude their TAP into Farm Science ‘Paddock to Plate’ journey, our Year 3/4 students visited Bega and Daly’s IGA Supermarket in Koroit. There students saw the milk being pumped from milk tankers and learnt about the various processes it undergoes before ending up as various products on supermarket shelves such as milk, cheese, ice cream, yoghurt, cream, evaporated milk, condensed milk and milk powder. Wow, what a journey - Paddock to our Plates! Last night our Year 8 students celebrated the Camembert cheese that they produced and advertised in Science this semester, but this morning, they were introduced to the large scale cheese making processes of Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory and Saputo Australia by Steve Billington. It was interesting to note, that despite the volume differences and mechanisation, that many of the techniques were similar to those undertaken by our students to produce their own cheese Our annual Camembert in the Classroom Cheese Appreciation night showcased the learnings undertaken by Year 8 Science students this semester. Students and parents viewed the advertisements produced by students while their cheese was judged by Mr Mottram and Julian Benson from Apostle Whey Cheese. Judges, Robyn Vale and Brooke Barnewall from Corangamite Shire, had a difficult time determining the winner of the advertisement challenge as there were many ads which delivered clear and concise messages about dairy as per the instructions of advertising executive Karen Foster. Julian Benson commended the students on the quality of their cheese and stated that some of these cheeses could win in formal cheese industry competitions. Showbags from Dairy Australia are to be awarded to the winners. Thank you to the parents and students who participated in the event, with over 90 people in attendance, our judges and Mr Mottram, Mrs Maxwell and Ms Allan for this great opportunity. In the days following TAP’s On! students recounted their favourite part of the day with various literacy and recount activities. What a great way to celebrate and showcase our extensive TAP curriculum, thanks everyone for your enthusiasm and support. TAP's On! was a wonderful celebration of the TAP curriculum and our very supportive community and industry partners who also posted about their involvement in our curriculum expo on social media. Thanks to Heytesbury and District Landcare Network, The Vet Group, WestVic Dairy, Timboon parkrun, VIC SES Port Campbell unit and George the Farmer...What brilliant partners we have, we love working with you too! Let’s see… there were dogs challenging drones, fairytale miniature goats, CSI Timboon, tourism maths based on parkrun, cow rumination, genes with teens, edible insects, cowmunity connections, Bee-Bots and plant buddies. As well as coding cows, dinosaurs and volcanoes, planting shrubs in origami pots, water bugs and water health, honey tasting, comparing fleece and fibre, bushfire maths, and preparing for natural disasters…and who could forget George! The Pop Up Markets featured Timboon Peanut Buttter, Great Ocean Ducks, Kangaroobie Meats, Heytesbury and District Landcare Group with bushfire recovery, Corangamite Shire’s ‘Who are your connections’ game and TAP Lavender. George the Farmer, Simone Kain and Ben Hood entertained students in Years Prep - 4 with story telling and a concert then Ben and Simone outlined their career paths to older students and spoke about web design and seizing entrepreneurial opportunities. During the lunchbreak students in Years Prep-2 welcomed Simone and George into their classrooms where they shared some of their narratives based on George’s stories. Almost 500 students from Timboon P-12 School and Nullawarre Primary School rotated through mostly peer led activities based on our exciting TAP curriculum. Thank you to our engaged students, creative teachers, entertaining presenters, TAP's On! backers Lochard Energy and Westpac Bank, our 2017/2018 supporters the Gall, O'Toole and Lane Foundations and everyone who participated in our annual curriculum expo. It was a great day mate! At the TAP we are very proud to announce that STEM Coordinator, Anne Frazer, is one of three Victorian teachers selected for the ‘Women In Agri-tech’ project which is to create and foster a strong network of female teachers who will become leaders in digital literacy, STEM and entrepreneurship in regional, rural and remote areas. During the ‘Women in Agri-tech’ symposium in Brisbane in February 2019 teachers will be guided by female researchers, professionals and entrepreneurs to develop engaging learning resources which will in turn inspire girls in the classroom to realise the opportunities available to them. The chance to work alongside like-minded women from across Australia means that Anne will have the opportunity to explore STEM and Agriculture and to encourage our young women of the future into Agri-tech careers. Congratulations Anne and what a coup for Timboon P12 School! |
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