Peter McDonald and Brendan McKenzie from Murray Goulburn Cooperative were recently invited into the Year 7/8 Biscuit Barrel class as part of the CCC Manufacturing module to outline what products MG manufacture, how new products are designed, their career paths and the various careers available in the manufacturing sector of the dairy industry. An integral part of the Year 8 Science 'Camembert in the Classroom' program is raising awareness of the research and development behind specific types of cheeses and identifying which cheese variety suits which market or purpose. Adriana Robaina from Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory described the cheese making process at WCB, various cheese types, the research and marketing of specific cheeses and the information customers need to be presented with to support their decision making. Adriana then invited the students to taste various types of cheese to describe their flavors and discuss their purpose, maturity, taste etc. As part of their studies of multi cellular organisms, diseases and how a body changes in response to the presence of micro organisms, the Year 9 Science students hosted Zoe Vogels from The Vet Group. Zoe produced a variety of props and examples to explain about common cattle diseases and outlined the causes, symptoms and treatment of pneumonia, lameness, milk fever and calf scours to introduce the topic of diseases and micro organisms to the students. Over 120 people participated in our Science Week event, "Dirty Science", a celebration of '2015 The International Year of Soils' & the TAP. Students & their families presented their investigations on topics as diverse as soil erosion, soil filtration, a composting toilet, soil profiles, water evaporation, a soil profile cake, comparing soil types, the function of roots, an investigation of rocks, soil acidity, mud maps, nutrients & fertilizers, green manure crops, worms & of course, decorated mud cakes! Guests were treated to chocolate mud cakes made by Mrs Devlin while our 3 guest judges, Nerissa Lovric (Department Economic Development, Jobs, Transport & Resources), Glenn Cain (Webber & Chivell) & Dale Creed (New Vision Farming) had the unenviable task of of assessing the various projects & presentations. The 'Schmidt brothers as rock scientists' were awarded 1st place & won a Samsung Galaxy Tablet Active with thanks to Webber & Chivell & New Vision Farming who also proved prizes for participants. Congratulations to the Science Specialists teachers, the staff, students & their families & everyone who participated in this wonderful event celebrating Science & dirt! The Year 9/10 C47 Business Studies students hosted Rhonda Henry & Tracey Luhrs from CBA who helped students understand the difference between 'needs' & 'wants' & explained about the various types of banking & finance available to customers. They described their career paths, the role of Agribusiness Bankers & Rhonda emphasized that billions of dollars are invested in the local agribusinesses which surround Warrnambool & are primarily based on the dairy industry in this region. Students were given a platypus moneybox each to help them hoard loose change as a way to save money & save for their goals. As part of the Year 7/8 Food Tech elective, "Biscuit Barrel", students are working through the Cows Create Careers Manufacturing Module where they study dairy manufacturing. Students have investigated design briefs, created a recipe, made dairy inspired biscuits, studied manufacturing dairy careers and they have designed and decorated a milk carton demonstrating their research. As part of their investigation into the maths involved in farm mapping & layout the year 8 Maths students recently hosted Sam Baulch from Australian Mapping. Sam was able to expand on the technology that was involved in the satellite mapping of farms and several students were able to locate and map features of their properties with the tools he provided. The Year 6 TAP students have received a brief from the National Trust of Victoria, who run Nehill Brothers Farm, to work with them to promote heritage animals, specifically chickens. Students have been researching heritage Australian chicken breeds and have submitted plans for chicken runs and ideas to further develop the Nehill Brothers Farm site at Purrumbeete. It was great opportunity to be able to access the skills of one of our Year 7 TRACTA students as we were also required to document the heritage property and interview the caretaker of Nehill Brothers Farm, Jim Phillips. The year 5 students are fortunate enough to have 3 different types of duck eggs in their incubator which will make the data gathered from their eggs and ducklings even more interesting this term. Jason Twaddle generously donated 8 Cayuga eggs, 5 Mallard eggs and 3 Indian Runner eggs... fingers crossed. The year 2 students are studying "Push and Pull" in Science this term so we thought we'd 'TAPify' their topic for them! Chook Fowler arranged for Lachie McNeil to provide a silage wrapper and Lachie's driver, Clint, demonstrated the silage bale wrapping technique of a McHale HS2000 Twin Satellite wrapper which was driven by a Massey Ferguson 7475 tractor. The students were then asked to describe the push/pull components of Tim Robert's Kobelco 13.5t excavator which had a log grab on front that Tim was able to manipulate to move sleepers and witches hats in an enthralling demo. Beth Roberts then described the mechanisms involved in the movement of their New Holland SL170 Bobcat and students could see the caterpillar tread move and the bucket/grab controlled by the foot and lever gears. The year 2 students were lucky enough to be allowed to climb into the excavator cab and could move the excavator arm while some students even made it clap! Thanks Chook, Clint, Tim and Beth. |
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February 2024
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