Dr Hanan Ismail, Mr Cutting, Ms Novosel and Mrs Adel
VISUAL ARTS
Over the course of the term, year 7 students have investigated the development of visual narratives and the use of signs and symbols, creating comic book pages with the art making skills learnt over the past semester. Each student has created a unique story through a series of 4 to 6 images, helping to teach others about ethical and moral issues, like looking after the environment, or being kind to those that are different. Students utilized a myriad of mediums in the creation of their work, with some calling on graphite and coloured pencil, others ink and fine liners, and some experimenting successfully with charcoal to develop moody, or light hearted emotive stories. The scope and freedom of this task, combined with the short time frames of term 2 and each student’s success are evidence of the creativity, strength, tenacity, care, and compassion that the year 7’s have.
In Term 2, year 8 students explored various painting techniques inspired by Impressionist artists such as Claude Monet. They applied these innovative methods to create their own landscape paintings, incorporating distinctive brushwork and color palettes characteristic of Impressionism.
Year 9 learners have had a tumultuous term, with a series of excursions and other extracurricular activities disrupting their learning. Despite these difficulties, many students demonstrated great resilience in completing their work. Creating appropriations of infamous artworks from Dali, Picasso, Monnet, Munch, Van Gogh, and many others. These paintings were not only the largest that most students have ever done, but also reinforced a range of complex, contemporary issues - forcing each learner to think and critically examine the world around them.
In term 2, y 10 students responded through the making of Islamic artworks that make reference to, and explore ideas of personal identity as depicted by Islamic artworks. Students investigated the types of works produced by contemporary Indigenous artists and some ideas, issues and concepts of traditional and contemporary significance in local, national and international settings.
DESIGN
Year 7 Design Students Create Cyber Safety Games with Scratch
Year 7 students at AIA are learning block coding by creating Scratch games focused on cyber safety. This project combines coding skills with important lessons on secure passwords, phishing, privacy settings, and respectful online behaviour.
The Project
Using Scratch, students design interactive games that teach players about cyber safety. These games are specifically created for younger generations who are using online platforms from an early age. Examples include navigating through digital worlds to avoid phishing traps and collecting secure passwords, or distinguishing between safe and unsafe online behaviours.
Educational Impact
This project enhances students' understanding of cyber safety and introduces them to programming basics. Students find creating their own games challenging and rewarding, applying their cyber safety knowledge in a fun, practical way.
By designing these games for younger users, Year 7 students are not only developing valuable digital skills but also contributing to a safer online environment for the next generation.
Year 8 Design Students Explore Nutrition and Culinary Skills
Year 8 students at AIA have embarked on a culinary journey, designing menus for various health and dietary needs. Students created menus for different target groups based on different health requirements and conditions.
Hands-On Learning: Apple Pie and Smoothies
Students applied their knowledge by making healthy recipes. Two standout activities were making apple pie and creating healthy smoothies.
Apple Pie: Students made a healthier version of apple pie using flour for the crust and raw sugar, honey, or maple syrup for the filling. Rolled oats added texture, while nutmeg and cinnamon provided flavour.
Healthy Smoothies: Exploring alternative healthy breakfasts, students made smoothies with fruits, vegetables, and other nutritious ingredients. They tried combinations like spinach and banana, mixed berries with almond milk, and avocado with cocoa powder.
This project significantly impacted the students, enhancing their understanding of nutrition and developing their culinary skills. By designing menus and preparing healthy recipes, they appreciated the diversity of dietary needs and how to meet them creatively and healthily.
Many students expressed newfound confidence in making healthier food choices and enjoyed the hands-on aspect of the project. This experience equipped them with nutritional knowledge and valuable culinary skills, fostering healthy habits and lifelong skills.
Year 9 Design Students Inspire Year 3 Learners with Creative Storybooks and Engaging Activities
In an exciting initiative during Week 7 of Term 2, our Year 9 students embarked on an inspiring Service as Action project, presenting their final storybooks to the enthusiastic Year 3 pupils. This project was not just a testament to their creativity and hard work but also an incredible opportunity for them to foster a love for reading and learning in younger students.
The Year 9 students had spent countless hours crafting their unique storybooks, pouring their imagination into every page. These storybooks were not just about telling a story; they were about creating an immersive experience for the young readers. Each story was carefully illustrated, with vibrant pictures that brought the narratives to life.
But the project didn’t stop at just reading stories. To ensure an engaging and interactive experience, the Year 9 students developed a variety of activities for the Year 3 students to enjoy. These activities included:
Drawing Favourite Characters: After listening to the stories, the Year 3 students were encouraged to draw their favourite characters from the books. This activity not only sparked their creativity but also helped them connect more deeply with the stories.
Puzzles and Crosswords: The Year 9 students designed puzzles and crosswords related to the storylines. These activities were both fun and educational, helping the younger students improve their problem-solving skills and comprehension of the stories.
Matching Sentences to Pictures: Another engaging activity involved matching sentences to pictures from the story. This task was aimed at enhancing the Year 3 students’ reading skills and their ability to associate textual information with visual cues.
The interactions were a joy to witness. The Year 9 students beamed with pride as they watched the Year 3 students dive into the activities, their eyes lighting up with excitement and curiosity. This project allowed the older students to experience the joy of sharing something they had created, and the younger students benefited immensely from the personalised learning experience.
The success of this initiative was evident in the enthusiasm of the Year 3 students and the satisfaction of the Year 9 students. It was a beautiful demonstration of how creativity, when shared, can inspire and educate. This Service as Action project not only highlighted the talent and dedication of our Year 9 students but also strengthened the sense of community and mentorship within our school.
