Issue 5

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Year 10 Child Studies – Cooking with Primary School Children 

In Weeks 3 and 4, Ms Donoghue’s Year 10 Child Studies class embraced the role of teachers as they worked alongside a Year 2/3 class from Modbury South Primary School. The aim was to develop the primary students’ understanding of kitchen safety and healthy eating through a collaborative cooking activity. 

As part of their preparation, the Year 10 students were responsible for planning an engaging lesson, designing age-appropriate resources, and thinking critically about how to deliver key messages in a fun, clear, and memorable way. They developed an introductory session to teach the basics of kitchen safety and hygiene, while also making sure the experience was enjoyable and accessible for the children. 

The following week, the primary students visited our school and participated in a practical cooking session, where they each created their own healthy pizzas. The session was a huge success, with the primary students confidently applying what they had learned, and the Year 10 students stepping up as responsible and encouraging teachers. 

Thanks to Mrs Hermanus and her class of Year 2/3 students from Modbury South Primary School for participating in this activity with our Year 10 Child Studies students! 

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Reality Care Baby

In Week 6, the Year 10 Child Studies class had the opportunity to participate in the Reality Care Baby program, where they were tasked with looking after a virtual reality baby for 2 days and 2 nights each. The baby simulators cry at random, unpredictable times throughout the day and night, requiring students to respond with feeding, changing, burping, or comforting—just like a real newborn. While many students found this to be a demanding experience, it also proved to be an incredibly insightful one where they learnt a lot about the challenges that new parents face. 

The goal of this task was not to be a perfect ‘parent’, but to foster empathy, patience, time management, and self-awareness. To accompany the practical component, students were required to maintain a journal, recording details of their experience including type of care provided, emotional responses, challenges faced, and moments of personal reflection. 

 

Below are some comments from students about the experience: 

“I think this assignment was a really good experience, and I enjoyed learning how to parent for two days and nights. I think it is a good skill to learn and it taught me a lot about parenting. Although it was very difficult, especially during the night to feed, change, burp, and rock the baby as it was very tiring and exhausting.”  
– Elisha Tonkin 

“I loved having the baby with me. I enjoyed the sense of pride I felt after spending hours taking care of the baby, and he finally fell asleep. I also enjoyed introducing him to all my friends and letting them hold him. The most challenging thing about this experience was waking up at night to tend to the baby. I found it difficult to stay awake while tending to the baby and often found myself drifting off. Overall, this experience was a fun opportunity, and it helped me understand a little of what it is like to be a parent.”  
- Mariah Hall 

“Positive moments include cuddles on the couch with my favourite Tv show, or taking the baby to places. Some negative moments are the disruption of sleep, and the 24/7 service you provide for the baby, drawing me away from other responsibilities. Being able to take care of the baby is something I feel proud of and would love to do it again. Just being able to go through the process of naming it, providing for it, and loving it is quite exciting and endearing and it’s a moment I won't forget.” 
- Grace Grindle 

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Year 11 Society and Culture – Excursion

As part of their preparation for the upcoming Social Action assessment, Year 11 Society and Culture students stepped outside the classroom and into their local community to investigate real-world issues impacting the area around our school. This fieldwork experience encouraged students to actively engage with their environment, developing their skills in observation, analysis, and collaboration. 

In small groups, students walked the surrounding streets and public spaces, identifying a range of potential concerns affecting local residents. These included walkway accessibility and pedestrian safety, such as the lack of safe crossings along busy roads, traffic congestion, and public transport inefficiencies. Students also noted environmental issues, including littering and pollution in nearby parks, and explored broader social challenges such as the cost of living, staffing shortages and ramping at the nearby hospital, and the impact of rapid housing development on local infrastructure. 

A highlight of the day was an unexpected encounter with a burst water main on Smart Road, giving students a firsthand look at how infrastructure issues can disrupt community life. 

The excursion offered students a chance to see their community through the lens of social inquiry, and many came away with a renewed sense of purpose and ideas for how they can advocate for change through their Social Action projects.  

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Year 8 HASS – Japanese Culture Activities 

To end our unit on Shogunate Japan, Ms Lowe and Mr Rowland (pre-service teacher) designed a hands-on cultural immersion experience that brought historical learning into the modern day. The goal was to explore how Japanese culture continues to influence life in contemporary Australia, building connections between the past and present. 

Students rotated through a series of interactive stations, each highlighting a different aspect of Japanese culture. At one station, they created traditional Japanese masks, learning about their ceremonial and theatrical origins. Another challenged students to write their names using hiragana, while also experimenting with shodō — Japanese calligraphy — using brushes and ink. 

One of the more light-hearted (and occasionally frustrating!) tasks involved following often confusing instructions to fold origami animals and shapes, teaching students patience, precision, and the joy of paper art.  

The standout activity for many, however, was the chance to make and roll their own sushi. Students selected their fillings, practiced the delicate art of rolling, and then shared their creations with one another. 

Students also sampled popular Japanese snacks like Pocky and red bean cakes, all while listening to a playlist of upbeat 1980s and 1990s Japanese pop music. The class wrapped up with a reflective discussion on how Japanese culture — from food and fashion to design and entertainment — continues to shape and influence everyday life in Australia. 

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Year 9 HASS – Holding History in Our Hands 

Continuing on with their immersion into the world of World War I, students in Ms Lowe’s Year 9 HASS class were invited to engage with artefacts from her personal collection, belonging to Private Frank Meyers, her great-great Uncle who served in the war.  

Students participated in a source artefact exploration of the artefacts that are over one hundred years old. They got to hold a piece of history in their hands as they explored dog tags, pay books, postcards, cameras, lunch boxes and letters once belonging to the fallen soldier. 

Many students remarked on how the experience gave them a new appreciation for the sacrifices made during the war and brought their learning to life in a powerful way that expanded their ability to empathise, understand others’ perspectives, and make connections to the past. Being able to hold artefacts in their hands created a sense of realism for an event that occurred so long ago and helped to bring history to life. 

Well done to the Year 9s for their engagement and curiosity during the experience, and the level of respect they showed to the fragility of the artefacts!  

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Year 9 Clay Slices

Ms Brown’s Year 9 art class have been hard at work creating beautiful clay sculptures that look good enough to eat. Students were required to use clay slab construction and joining techniques to create a decorative ‘slice’ container. Which one would be your sweet treat of choice? 

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UPCOMING ART EXHIBTION FEATURING MHS DESIGN STUDENTS 

Our Yr11 Design students are exhibiting selected pieces of Calligraphy works created following 2 workshops with professional lettering artist Margaret Lewis. This is an exciting opportunity for our Visual Art students to be involved in a community exhibition at Pepper St Arts Centre, Magill.  

EXHIBTION DATES 
FRIDAY 27TH June – 18^th July 
Pepper St Arts Centre 
558 Magill Rd, Magill 

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Nasharni's artwork

One of our students, Nasharni created and painted this gorgeous artwork for a competition.
The artwork represents Nasharni's mob. The elephant represents her grandmother whom she loved a lot and who taught her about her connection to the land, her grandmother also loved elephants. The emu, the eagle and the lizard are totem animals of her Aboriginal groups. Nasharni's great grandmother was Wotjobaluk and Gunditjmara and the lizard totem is of standing proud in your culture. Her great grandfather was taken from his family as a child and taken to Raukkan mission until he was moved to point Pearce to the Nurangga mission. He then grew up known as a Nurungga man. Nasharni’s grandmother is one of 11 children and was the first family of aboriginal children in the Horsham school In Victoria.
Well done Nasharni on this amazing artwork, we wish you all the best for the competition! 

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Year 10 Drivers’ Safety Presentation 

On the 21^st of May, Year 10 students participated in a driver safety presentation run by Darren from the Get Home Safe Foundation. This session aimed to educate students on the realities and responsibilities of being a driver or a passenger. Through real-life stories, a virtual reality program, and honest conversations about road safety, students were given an unforgettable lesson in how one moment on the road can change lives forever. 

Darren began the session by sharing a deeply personal story about a fatal car crash, and the impact it had on himself and his friends. He spoke about his friend, a traffic cop delivering death messages to families—a task he described as the most heartbreaking part of his friend’s job. He asked students to imagine what it would feel like for their parents to open the door to an officer in uniform with that news. This exercise helped everyone understand how quickly and permanently a bad decision behind the wheel can impact not only the driver, but families and entire communities. Darren also highlighted that using a mobile phone while driving is more dangerous than driving over the legal alcohol limit—an alarming fact that left a strong impression. 

One of the most engaging parts of the presentation was the use of a Virtual Reality (VR) car simulator program. One student from each of the five sessions were selected to participate in the simulation while the rest of the class watched the program live on a screen. The simulation allowed students to drive through a suburban environment and respond to real-time traffic, signs, hazards and pedestrians. The goal was to teach students how easily distractions—especially mobile phones—can lead to devastating outcomes. 

Manu Koriko was one of the students who used the VR simulator. When asked what the experience was like, he said, “It was harder than I thought, and I had to focus on watching the road for anything.” He explained that it felt just like real driving, with the need to look out for pedestrians, road signs, and traffic lights, while also following all the road rules. Reflecting on the experience, Manu said, “Driving isn't as easy as people think it is. As a driver, you have to do so much to keep yourself and others safe. I learned just how careful drivers need to be, and the consequences of being risky on the road.” 

The four other students also shared what they learned from the experience. Mitchell Fussen described it as a valuable learning opportunity, not just for him, but for the entire class. “I learned that good drivers are always prepared to stop, and that passengers also play a role in how safe a driver can be on the road,” he said. Liam Nash added, “I learned how important it is to avoid distractions while driving, like your phone, so you can concentrate on the road.” Similarly, Nawaab Singh reflected, “I learned that while you drive, the road is the only thing you should focus on. You should never use your phone or be distracted with other things while you are behind the wheel. Everyone’s safety depends on it.” 

The session also explored the dangers of drink driving and the responsibility that comes with getting behind the wheel. Tariq Ghamrawi said, “I learned how dangerous drink driving and distracted driving is. You are risking your life, and the lives of others.” Jasper Klose added, “I learned that anything can happen on the road at any time, and you need to be prepared for anything. You need to focus on the road.” 

The Year 10 driver safety session delivered by the Get Home Safe Foundation was an incredibly valuable experience. It not only provided realistic practice through virtual driving but also reinforced the serious responsibilities that come with being a road user. From emotional stories to hands-on learning, students walked away with a new understanding of the risks involved in driving—and the importance of staying focused, sober, and alert at all times. This session will no doubt influence how our students think about driving, now and in the future. 

By Paige Sharpe 
Year 10 student 

The driving simulator was a fun experience for me to take part in, however even though it was fun I still learnt quite a lot about road safety and how a choice could be the difference between life or death. One of the simulations I was instructed to do was drive the car while trying to type my name and my house address. I was pretty confident in my typing abilities and at first, I thought I was doing quite well until I got to my address I misspelt spelled the suburb and tried to quickly change my mistake. The split second where I took my eyes off the road was the time where a small little girl ran across the road. If at that split second my eyes were on the road I probably would have seen the girl and swerved around her. The main lesson I learnt is never take any risks especially on the road, keep safe and follow the road rules they are there to make sure everyone is safe on the roads

By Manu Koriko
Year 10 Student

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Year 12 Tailored Learning Business Innovation Coffee Excursion

On Wednesday 11 June, our Community Connections Business Innovation students and teachers took their learning beyond the classroom. We visited Charlie Black Coffee Roasters in Pooraka, where students had the opportunity to observe the coffee roasting process and interview the business owner for their Coffee Business Case Study assignment. Michael generously shared his time, knowledge, and experience, offering valuable insight into the coffee industry and small business operations. We are incredibly grateful for his hospitality and the opportunity to learn directly from someone passionate about their craft and business.

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2025 MHS Soup and Sleep 

The Year 12 SVC hosted Modbury High School’s first ever Soup and Sleep Out in support of the charity Food on the Table. Around 40 Year 12 students and staff took part, sleeping outside overnight on the Purruna Kuu deck in wet, cold conditions, with bright lights we couldn’t turn off. It was definitely uncomfortable, but that was part of the point. The experience gave all of us a deeper sense of gratitude and insight into some of the daily realities faced by people experiencing homelessness and those who sleep rough. 

In the lead-up to the event, the Year 12 SVC team, and some of their dedicated teachers cooked over 60 litres of soup for our lunchtime fundraiser. It was a great success, with plenty of students and staff grabbing a hot cup of soup for lunch. The curried lentil soup in particular was a standout (recipe below if you're keen to try it at home!). 

During the sleep out itself, students participated in team-building activities focused on homelessness and food insecurity. This included group challenges, discussions, and a quiz based around key statistics and facts, where staff and students faced off in a friendly competition. There were also a few mini games thrown in to keep the energy up and the vibe light-hearted, even as we explored some heavy topics. 

Despite getting very little sleep, students and staff continued reflecting on the experience the next morning. It was clear that the discomfort of the night had made a real impact and helped everyone involved develop a stronger sense of empathy and understanding. 

Across the Soup and Sleep Out, our lunchtime fundraiser, donations, and the casual day, we raised over $3,500. Modbury High School looks forward to building on this event in the future and continuing to raise both awareness and funds for such an important cause. 

We’d like to extend our thanks to Woolworths and St. Agnes Bakers Delight, who kindly donated to our cause, helping us keep our costs low so we could raise more money! 

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