Year 10 & 11 VCAL _____________________________Page

from SJC Virtus 2017

Roll Call ________________________________Pages

YEAR 10 VCAL

A major feature of Term 1 was the Basil’s Farm Induction. Boys invited their parents to Basil’s Farm and took them on a tour of the farm, introducing them to staff, livestock and projects the students would undertake throughout 2017. The students had to set up and prepare the farm in readiness for this big night that included catering, music and introductions.

Students worked hard on a previously eroded and damaged part of the farm to restore it to a functional and attractive area replanted with native plants. The students were responsible for clearing, planning, laying irrigation, mulching and planting the area. Now that Spring has sprung the area is thriving. Students worked effectively in small teams to create items for sale at a stall at the College’s Father’s Day Breakfast. Students met their learning outcomes in Personal Development Skills by planning and running a stall of gifts of their own creation. The sales of beef jerky, hot sauce and beanies raised money and awareness for the SJC Movember campaign. Term 4 included a carp fishing environmental project, a Bellarine rail trial bike ride and attendance at a local Tradesperson’s Network breakfast. Students have undertaken a range of activities in their Work Related Skills class this year. The purpose of this class is to develop their employability skills and get them ready for the world of work. Along with completing their Certificate 1 in Employment Pathways, students have completed a number of safe@work modules, made products for the Mother’s Day Stall, created videos on mobile etiquette, completed a number of team building and work ready activities as well as creating a tried and tested ‘Toastie’ cookbook. The boys have also experienced a taste of the work force with three weeks work experience. This class is a perfect example of experiential learning where students learn vital life and work skills in a hands on, vibrant way.

YEAR 11 VCAL

In Personal Development Skills students began the year by heading off on a Challenge camp at Apollo Bay. Hiking, bike riding and beach team challenges kept the boys busy and appealed to their competitive natures. The purpose of the camp was to meet learning outcomes in problem solving, team work and leadership. The camp was a great introduction to VCAL because it bought us all together to help push each other through the challenges and helped set us up for a big year of collaborative learning. The Winter Sleep Out was a successful night as all the Year 11 VCAL students put their best feet forward in raising awareness for the plight of Geelong’s homeless. Student feedback from Year 7 & 8 students who attended was that the night was enjoyable and educational. We ran the following workshops: weaving sleep mats for the homeless, designing a 2018 winter sleep out shirt, did a simulation of what it would be like if you were homeless - having to build a shelter only to be moved on by police and business owners, ran a soup kitchen and hosted a short film viewing. In Food Studies some future business leaders may have been born when we had to present our Shark Tank project. We had to come up with a food business idea and then we had to come up with a business plan which included things such as where the business would be, who is the target audience, trading hours, market strategy and much more. Phil Pollard from “I assemble It” came all the way from Bendigo to talk to us about his business and how he got to where he is today. Not only did he talk about his life challenges and passions, he also touched on safety and what makes a young person these days employable with some secret tips. He then spoke about how his childhood love for meccano lead to his ingenious business idea. After Phil’s presentation we got stuck into assembling our own flat packs. Ikea kids kitchens were built to donate to local children’s charities.