This term, as we were unable to run a swimming program for our primary students, we approached Scott McKenzie from the Port Campbell Surf Life Saving Club (PCSLSC) to help raise awareness of surf and water conditions and to provide key water safety messages for our junior students. Scott, Sean Lenehan and Guy Faber from PCSLSC generously gave their time to provide targeted, age appropriate safety messages to our junior students. Our guests outlined basic water / beach safety, swimming between the flags, identifying rips, how to perform CPR and the Life Saving Victoria Nipper Program. Scott described pathways through lifesaving and the history of the volunteer lifesaving movement and encouraged students and their families to enjoy our waterways but to be safe over summer. Sean described modern life saving procedures using drones and students could see the flags, IRBs and surfboats that are used for training and competition exercises. The 3 main messages from today's sessions were- Don't underestimate the water, Swim between the flags, Don't swim alone.

As part of their physics investigation of forces and small engines, our Year 7 science students have previously visited the South Western District Restoration Group’s rally ground in Cobden. This year, we filmed Club members demonstrating some of their agricultural machinery so students could observe this natural science of motion at work. The class learnt that the South Western District Restoration Group's aim was to foster interest in the restitution and restoration of steam or oil engines and other vintage articles and welcomed new members. Adam Edge and Ian Wilson detailed the forces used in their farm pumper, a Fordson tractor with a front end cable loader, a  Fordson tractor fitted with a hay bale lifter and an overhead shearing plant. Adam was also our guest in the classroom and discussed with students the rotational motion, linear forces, winch drives and mechanical forces at work that operated the farm machinery. Students then examined Adam’s gas fired steam engine models and Adam, as an experienced engineer, was able to provide feedback to the students about their catapults to help increase their momentum, accuracy and ability to stabilze the models. What a wonderful way to help make forces and physics come alive in the classroom!

​Brauer College trade teacher, Neil Porter, valued all professions and encouraged his students to pursue a career based on their interests as he recognised the many resulting benefits when industry and schools work together. After his sudden passing, his son, Matt Porter, became the Coorduinator of the the Neil Porter Legacy with an aim to continue Neil's work. Three teachers from Timboon P-12 joined a bus full of enthusiastic secondary school career advisers, teachers and youth workers on a day trip full of industry visits. It was brilliant to hear so many conversations about opportunities for students, classes, teachers and school-leavers. There will be many positive outcomes and partnerships from this one activity. Thanks to DemoDairy Foundation for supporting the day! Businesses visited and promoted included Warnambool Livestock Exchange, Charles Stewart & Co, Bega Cheese, Food & Fibre - Great South Coast, K9000 Dog Wash, Owen Truss - Warrnambool, Warrnambool City Council, Warrnambool Stadium, Warrnambool Library, Lighthouse Theatre, AquaZone, South West Academy of Sport, South West Sport, Lyndoch Living, genU, MPower, Change, Roma Britnell MP, MISS KIT Beauty Therapy & Make-Up Academy, NAB, Warrnambool And District Food Share, Tasweld, South West Skills and Jobs Centre, Saputo, The Midfield Group 

This year, despite not being able to physically visit farms to learn about Farm Safety, our Year 5/6 students have been investigating various components of this vital messaging as they delved into newspaper reports and interpreted statistics during their maths lessons. Students compiled Farm Safety Data Charts after they had researched the facts and data from a variety of sources including Farm On Line, Safe Work Australia, The Weekly Times, Australian Farmers and Dealers Journal and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Statistics were gathered on dangerous sectors in agriculture, deaths by age group, quad bike deaths, motorbike accidents, machinery deaths, electric fences on farms and child farm deaths in Australia.  As topics were researched and collated, students discussed the data and compared the surprising and shocking statistics around Farm Safety to further reinforce the importance of keeping people safe on farms in our region whilst learning the skills of data analysis and graphing information.

​The Year 9/10 ‘So you want to own your own business’ Commerce elective is designed so students can learn about businesses, entrepreneurs or individuals who have been successful in the commercial world. They are also looking at local business models developed by our local people including ex Timboon P-12 student, Darcy McGlade, who created Diamer Corp. Students learnt that Darcy started his venture as a student working on farm jobs and selling horse pooh to buy his first printing machine and that the business was originally run from his bedroom. Diamer Signs was a full-time operation when Darcy finished school and he stressed the importance of working hard when given the opportunity. He reiterated that the right attitude was the most important trait, having a strong sense of purpose and being prepared to sacrifice to achieve what you want. Darcy described the development of Diamer Signs which specializes in everything from large scale signage for vehicles and shop fronts, to stickers, canvas prints, the wrapping of trucks and trailers and 3 dimension illuminated signs. He outlined the evolution of Diamer Corp, the development of his business model and the potential he sees in businesses in our area that will include Diamer Logistics, a transport and warehousing operation, Diamer Industries, a product development arm, Diamer Bioproducts that will use renewable fuels, alternative energy sources and Diamerville that will evolve into property development. He is most proud of the Coastal Marine Search and Rescue Training map book he developed with Ross Powell which uses geographical co-ordinates and local place names to help easily direct emergency services to incidents and has already saved lives. His parting advice to the students; do it today, do your research, do what you are passionate about, don’t go into business to make money and be diverse in your skills. Thanks Darcy.  

Check this out! This week, Amelia, Sidney, Lyla, Jeddah and Oscar feature in a Cobden Timboon Coast Times story featuring journalist and photographer, Stacey Gladman, as our Year 3/4 classes recently interviewed Stacey about her role as a reporter. It was a very informative session as recounted in the TAP Blog (12/11/21) with students given a glimpse into the world of reporting as they write and edit their own publications. Students were impressed that Stacey 'didn't use her own name once' as they are currently learning how to write in the third person as they edit their own stories. Check out the resulting interview stories. What a fun spin on a reporter being asked questions with the interviewer being questioned by the interviewees!  ​

As part of the TAP and courtesy of the VFF’s “Kids To Ag” project, our Year Preps learnt that they are never to young to learn about healthy plants, animals, ‘Growing Well’ and the scrumptiousness of chocolate pizzas! After reinforcing their knowledge about what plants need to grow well during their excursion to the Heytesbury and District Landcare Network nursery and Timboon Berry World last week, this week we visited the alpacas at GORGE Chocolates and the Chocolate Alpaca. ‘Alpaca Whisperer’ Matty Delahey, introduced the students to some of Ian and Angela Preuss’ 1,500 Suri and Huacaya alpacas. Precious, the friendly Suri alpaca, was a favourite with her dreadlocks and the Preps could compare her with the fluffier Huacaya alpacas. Matty and the students discussed the alpaca’s needs including water, food, shelter, fresh air and company and learnt that the alpacas are shorn once a year, have their toe nails and teeth trimmed and receive their vaccinations. We learnt that baby alpacas are called cria, mothers are called hembras or dams, fathers are called machos or sires and that they originally came from Peru. Chocolate pizzas were then created with input from Angela, Brooke and Sophie and these were decorated with lollies, sprinkles, licorice, and chocolate alpacas. After a picnic at GORGE Chocolates, our tired Preps boarded Popes bus back to school to read the adventures of Macca the Alpaca and to share their chocolate pizzas with their families – maybe! What a scrumptious excursion! ​