The Year 8 Chinese class made lanterns last week to commemorate the Mid-Autumn Festival. Below is a short reflection written by one of our students.
"On Monday, 5 September, the Year 8 Chinese class participated in a fun yet educational activity involving the making of lanterns for the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. After this activity, we watched a video on how these lanterns related to the Chinese history and the
importance of this festival to the Chinese people. Overall, it was a very enjoyable
experience."
In Term 3, Year 8 Italian students explored the topic of 'la scuola in Italia' (school in Italy). Students learnt about the Italian school system, range of subjects studied, as well as a typical timetable and school day in Italy. Students also learnt how to express what school year they are currently in, the College that they are studying at, the subjects they have been working on, as well as the subjects that they prefer and importantly, give reasons for their preferences. Lastly, students have mastered the ability to tell time in Italian and they applied this skill by talking about their own timetables. The following videos showcased students talking about their school life at Siena College, providing information on all aspects outlined above.
Year 8 Italian students have also commenced a cultural unit on Italian eating habits and of course, COFFEE was the central theme of it all! Students were given a demonstration of how Italians make coffee at home. The following photos show students using a Dosacaffe dispenser to fill up a caffettiera, an essential in Italian kitchens.
In this unit of mangiare all’italiana (eating the Italian way), students learnt how to express their food preferences in Italian, how to describe their own food and drink choices for meal times throughout the day. The following photos and videos showcased students' discussion on food preferences and in particular, what they normally have for breakfast.
Students recently went on a Language Experience excursion in the city to practise their Italian language skills. The Year 11 Italian students have been learning about Migration, whereas the Year 10 Italian students have been studying the Italians' passion for food and coffee. The excursion has allowed our students to understand how Italian migrants have influenced the Australian society and how Italian food and coffee have become a very important part of Australian culture too.
The students participated in a presentation and Q&A session on coffee and its evolution by Coffee Machines Technologies; Italian class at Melbourne University, Italian migration presentation by Museo Italiano; as well as a Q&A session with Brunetti owner, Giorgio Angele who kindly shared his personal experience as an Italian migrant in Australia. All these activities have been conducted in Italian to offer students the opportunity of a full language immersion experience. Students also had opportunities to ask questions and interact in Italian with the various presenters and people throughout the day.
Below is a short student reflection written by one of our Year 11 students.
“Abbiamo iniziato la nostra escursione all'Università di Melbourne e andando una lezione italiano mentre gli studenti stavano completando le loro pratiche orali. Ascoltare gli studenti provare la loro presentazione e parlare in gruppo è stata un’esperienza benefica, perché potremmo imparare di proseguire Italiano dopo la scuola. Siamo andati attraversato Lygon St per raggiungere il Museo Italiano e abbiamo ricevuto una presentazione sulla migrazione italiana in Australia, dove abbiamo potuto usare le nostre conoscenze da unit 2 e parlare in una discussione. Dopo, siamo anche andati a Brunetti per il pranzo, dove abbiamo acquistato autentico cibo e dessert italiani. Il nonno di Cassia, il fondatore di Brunetti, ha parlato della sua esperienza come un emigrato. Ascoltare questa storia di migrazione italiana è stata una ottima opportunità per noi per imparare sulla migrazione italiana a Melbourne, dove abbiamo potuto vedere la grande influenza che i migranti italiani hanno avuto sulla cultura in Australia. Come studenti nell’anno 11, questa escursione è stata un'opportunità coinvolgente e unica per espandere sul nostro apprendimento oltre la classe, dopo le sfide che abbiamo affrontato mentre imparando l'italiano a casa durante ‘remote learning’ negli ultimi due anni."
English Translation
"We began our excursion by joining one of the Italian classes at Melbourne University while they were completing their mock oral presentations. Hearing the university students rehearse their presentation and speak as a group was a beneficial experience, as we were able to gain knowledge about what it would be like to pursue learning Italian after we leave Siena. We walked through Lygon Street to head to Museo Italiano to attend a presentation about Italian migration in Australia, where we could apply our Unit 2 knowledge and contribute ideas in a discussion. We also went to Brunetti for lunch, purchasing authentic Italian food and desserts. Cassia’s nonno, the founder of Brunetti, spoke to us about his experience as a migrant. Hearing this Italian migration story was a great opportunity for us to gain insight into Italian migration in Melbourne, where we could see the great influence Italian migrants have had on the culture in Australia. As Year 11 students, this excursion was an engaging and a unique opportunity to expand on our learning beyond the classroom, considering the challenges we faced learning Italian remotely during lockdown."
The Year 10 French class organised a nice little morning tea with the students as part of our unit study on food and eating habits. Below is a short reflection written by one of our students.
"For the last couple of weeks, the Year 10 French class has been studying a unit on food and exploring the differences between French and Australian eating habits. We have approached this topic with a particular focus on the relationship between food and culture, and as a part of our unit, all of us shared some of our own favourite food from our childhood. We each brought in a nostalgic or significant dish to share and gave a small presentation to the class on the fond memories that were associated with the dishes. We shared a variety of delicious snacks from all over the globe, namely France, Australia, Japan, Ukraine, China and India. We really enjoyed the experience of making and sharing some of our favourite snacks with each other."
