These are exciting times at Rosny College as we continually adapt to our changed circumstances in order to review and develop innovative approaches to industry aligned vocational training, university aligned curriculum pathways, individual online learning management systems and customised educational administration systems.

At this time of year we are actively engaging a range of strategies to support our current and prospective future students with their transition into years 11 & 12 at Rosny College. Our current COVID 19 related restrictions, have prompted us to review our traditional approaches and to consider innovative ways to communicate and administer this significant opportunity to all.

Over recent weeks, we have amplified our use of digital media technologies to facilitate the introductory phase of our overall transition strategy. Our transition video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H-WG2UiMDk&t=65s) and virtual tour (http://rosnycollegetour.education.tas.edu.au/) have facilitated tremendous access through our social media and internet platforms. They have also attracted diverse professional interest from other schools and colleges who are considering their approaches to facilitating transition under the current circumstances.

When we reflect upon the important transition into years 11 & 12, our ultimate goal is to support all students to develop a meaningful, relevant and engaging two years program of study that will enrich their lives and provide the skills and qualifications that will enable future opportunity.

Students should be encouraged to select TASC ad VET courses that interest them and that also have the potential to provide them with access to their chosen future learning and /or career pathways. It is sometimes difficult for students to navigate the vast array of TASC and VET courses when they are developing their study program. In recognising this challenge, we have recently been consulting with a range of Industry and UTAS representatives to develop a more contextually relevant approach to supporting students with their course selection process.

Our new Rosny College Course Guide (https://online.fliphtml5.com/urmxj/zglk/) provides students with some examples of how they can use their TASC and VET course selections to align with their prospective future Industry and/or UTAS pathways. We are hoping that the “UTAS Study Themes” and “Industry Packages” sections of our new course guide bring greater relevance and excitement to the course selection process for our students. We would be very interested in your feedback on this approach.

On the 25^th of August we are excited to be offering our first online course information evening. This event will provide all students, parents and carers with the opportunity to access course information through a suite of online “Microsoft Teams” meetings. All details and information on how to access this online event can be found here:

Online Course Information Evening ACCESS GUIDE:

https://tinyurl.com/y5hv89bv

Online Course Information Evening REGISTRATION LINK:

https://tinyurl.com/y25wyr76

As we pursue an ongoing college improvement agenda, we are always very keen to seek and receive feedback from our community. Next week we will be participating in an “External School Review PROCESS” and we would like to invite any interested members of our school community to participate. A brief interview by phone at a nominated time would be the process. Should you wish to provide some feedback to the “External School Review Process”, please register your interest here: https://tinyurl.com/y6osxkyy

Please always be encouraged to contact me at any time with any general questions, concerns and or suggestions.

Regards

Sandy Menadue

Rosny College is very proud to share the news that Rohan Torok, a student in Rosny’s LEAP program, has been awarded the Australian National University All-Rounder Scholarship. Australian National University (ANU) is the number one ranked university in the country and is based in Canberra. Rohan has been accepted to study a double Bachelor of Philosophy and Science with Honours. Given Rohan’s completion of his year 12 studies he will receive $32, 000 from the ANU All-Rounder Scholarship due to his exceptional academic achievement, leadership, and active participation in the community. The ANU All-Rounder Scholarship has a rigorous application which required Rohan to win across three rounds involving written applications, video interviews, phone calls, and supporting references from several teachers, and the college’s Principal Sandy Menadue.

Rohan has led the way this year in the college’s student scholarship applications for university. He represents the high academic calibre and commitment of Rosny’s students to education for the sake of knowledge. We are excited about the next round of applicants who are now working on their scholarship applications for UTAS and other universities across the country. We look forward to sharing further successes with the community.

In term 2, Rosny student Sky was awarded the Young Tasmanian Aboriginal Women and Girls Leaders Scholarship for 2020. The award was presented by the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Roger Jaensch.  What a fantastic achievement.  Congratulations Sky!

Are you interested in enrolling at Rosny in 2021?

Year 10 into 11

The transition from Year 10 into Year 11 is now underway.  Students in our teggana Collective associate schools will be visited by our transition team regularly over the coming weeks to distribute our newly updated and innovative Course Guide and start discussions around learning pathways for the next 2 years of education and beyond.  Our Course Guide is available on our college website:

www.rosnycollege.education.tas.edu.au.

If you are intending to enrol at Rosny and do not currently attend one of the teggana Collective Schools (Rose Bay, Clarence, Bayview, Sorell, Campania, Tasman or Triabunna) you can join our mailing list on the website or our social media channels or by phoning the school office.  This will keep you up to date with information and important dates.

There will be an online Course Information Evening for parents and students on the 25^th August from 5.30pm – 8.00pm. Details on how to access this evening will be available on our website and social media channels. This evening will be an opportunity to hear about the range of courses on offer and ask questions of our speciality teachers.

Please see the table below for upcoming dates and feel free to contact the College on 62449200 if you have any questions.

Year 11 into 12 Transition - 2021

The transition from Year 11 into Year 12 for students at Rosny College will begin from the 24^th August. This presents an opportunity for students and parents to engage with our newly updated and innovative Course Guide for 2021. The Course Guide is available on our college website: www.rosnycollege.education.tas.edu.au

The Course Guide provides parents and students with information on our wide range of subjects as well as an opportunity to explore University of Tasmania study themes, Industry Learning Packages, Online College options and teggana Extension School offerings. This new approach is aimed at providing clear links between student’s courses and their future pathways.

In 2021 the Education Act requires young people to stay in education and training for longer – until they finish Year 12 or achieve a Certificate III, or they turn 18 – unless they have an exemption. It is essential, therefore, that students entering into year 12 are engaged in an appropriate learning pathway. For more information see www.anything.tas.gov.au/#colleges

Students will work with Support Group Teachers and our transition team throughout Term 3 to complete their course selections for 2021. There will be an online Course Information Evening for parents and students on the 25^th August from 5.30pm – 8.00pm. Details on how to access this evening will be available on our website and social media channels. This evening will be an opportunity to hear about the range of courses on offer and ask questions of our speciality teachers.

Important Dates

All parents/carers and students should have now received the August report, distributed to students on the 12^th August. This is the final formal report for students for 2020. If parents/carers would like a copy of their child’s report please be encouraged to contact the college office and an electronic copy can be emailed to you. Email rosny.college@education.tas.gov.au

Our Parent Teacher Interviews on the 19^th August provide a great opportunity to engage with teachers to work in partnership to support students learning. Due to COVID-19 the parent teacher interviews will take place as phone interviews. Rosny College teachers will be calling parents/carers as per their booked time slot via the School Interviews website. Information on this has been sent home with student reports. Again, please contact the college office if you do not have access to this information.

With 10 weeks of formal classes remaining there is time for students to consolidate their learning ahead of the end of year final assessments and external exams. COVID-19 has proven a challenge for many students but teachers are working diligently to ensure that every opportunity for success is provided.

After formal classes end in Term 4 there will be opportunity in the following week and a half to complete outstanding work and assessments for a number of classes. This is known as the Rosny Attainment Program and is also where students can finalise short courses and participate in the safety net tests for ICT, Literacy and Numeracy for TCE attainment.

There have been a number of course considerations made by TASC across a variety of courses on offer at Rosny College. Alongside of this, changes to some external exam specifications have been made to assist students and teachers in these unprecedented times with the end of year exams. For updates on curriculum matters please see https://www.tasc.tas.gov.au/

Back on the stage at Time Like These - After a period of Isolation in Term 2 it was wonderful to have our students return to face to face classes. The return to school allowed for the Drama 3C class to create and perform their mid-year production in the last week.

This year the class used the global events of the Covid-19 pandemic as well as their own feelings of their time in isolation to devise a production rather than using an established published script. Times Like These incorporated a range of dramatic styles and techniques to represent and capture this time in our lives.

Drama students worked on scenes of the production through a combination of online learning and in person classes throughout the term, which then culminated as a major production in the Dwight brown Auditorium on the 1^st and 2^nd of July 2020. A small audience of Rosny staff and students were able to view the production, while with help from our VET Screen and Media and VET Creative Industries students we were able to stream the production to families and friends at home so they didn’t miss out.

It was a challenge to create a production in such an unknown environment, work online and get the performance on stage ready for an audience but the students collaborative effort across a range of Performing Arts areas made it a fantastic and worthwhile learning opportunity for all involved.

Students and staff in Certificate II Hospitality and Certificate II Kitchen Operations have welcomed the addition of a Food Truck to the teaching and learning program. Food trucks have grown in popularity in recent times and are now an integral part of the expanding hospitality industry. This makes a food truck an exciting addition to any food and beverage service training environment.  The College already operates a student run café and offers opportunities for them to learn through serving in the community at school fairs and sporting events. However the addition of the food truck means students will get realistic opportunities to make coffee and serve customers in different environments whilst honing their skills to complete their VET units.  Rosny College received funding for the new venture from a VET in Schools grant provided by the VELCI unit.

Due to COVID 19 restrictions on large gatherings our annual mid-year Art Exhibition has been deferred and in it’s place we have a rolling exhibition of student work displayed in the corridor leading to the cafeteria. Our first show kicked off with The Creative Phone Challenge displaying theme based series of images that students had taken with mobile phones during the online learning phase in Term 2.  Digital Art and Media is currently showing and this will be followed by Graphic Design, Mixed-Media, Ceramics and Printmaking. Congratulations to all students whose work has been selected for exhibition. WATCH this SPACE!!

Rosny College VET Construction students have returned to tackle a new and exciting project of not so tiny proportions.  The project will see the students build a modern, 4.8m x 3.6m, timber framed building with a variety of possible uses.

Teacher Tim Johns explained that the project was created through the impact of Covid-19 closing off site learning experiences for students.

“We needed a major project we could do at the college, which had enough complexity and scope to challenge the students and let them experience real construction work, allowing them to build their skills and knowledge” Johns says. 

The students will be involved in every aspect of the project from quoting materials and planning time schedules right through to dealing with a client post sale, carrying out ground work and installation. Throughout the build they will use a wide range of hand and power tools as well as a variety of modern building materials.

Tim said that “there is a great deal of enthusiasm from the students around this project and if it rolls out successfully this year then the possibilities going forward are quite exciting”.

After the project is complete, the building will be sold and able to go into just about any backyard without council approval or sign off due to its ‘tiny’ size.  Watch this space!

For the last few weeks we have been very fortunate to have Tasmanian award winning theatre designer Roz Wren work with our Technical Theatre class.  She has shared her knowledge and techniques of set painting and it has been an excellent opportunity for our students to participate in real life experiences with an industry expert. The class have had a great time transforming a large set piece with white undercoat, to a coloured base coat and adding specialist finishes with glazes and gold.  They have learnt techniques such as stippling, sponging and ragging. We are looking forward to seeing the final finished product!  

On two Mondays in August, Rosny mob (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students) and VET Screen and Media students attended two days of cultural immersion as part of Science Week. 

Held at Bangor (near Dunalley) and Lewisham (near Campbelltown), the focus was on showing how Aboriginal science and STEM relate.  In collaboration with Greening Australia, UTas, and Aboriginal Education, students from Tasman District School, Sorell School and Dunalley Primary, worked with Aboriginal Educator Dave mangenner Gough to build huts and identify food plants and country. At Lewisham, Campbelltown School students worked with Rosny mob and the Greening Australia crew to plant over 200 threatened species trees.

Rosny mob danced Welcome to Country on both days and assisted with mentoring younger students, cooking wallaby over an open fire and building structures.  The VET Screen and Media students, under the direction of Rosny mob and Rosny VET Media alumni Georgia Stone, took footage and interviews of the entire event and are now tasked with editing two five minute narratives showcasing the two experiences, to be screened by Greening Australia and Aboriginal Education.

Cultural events like these, pending time on country with experienced Aboriginal educators, are invaluable and offered to Rosny mob students as they become available. 

We have already had a busy start to preparation for Term 3 at Rosny.

The Costume class have spent a number of days in at school during the holidays preparing costumes for our in- house presentation of songs from WICKED.

 By the end we had added a very green flavour to everything! 

And talking of green we are examining green issues in Design and Production Textiles.

We had a wonderful session with Jane beaming into us from Brisbane with all her knowledge and information on how to be more informed dressers and makers.

Next week we are booked to go on a virtual tour of the exhibition of “Collecting Comme” on at the National Gallery of Victoria. The designer Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons has much to inspire us in our recycling of clothing. This will be a very exciting opportunity we haven’t tried before.

We are also looking forward to a visit from contemporary embroiderer Nicole O’Loughlin for those of us who want to upcycle our clothes with embroidery.

We are also very busy in Object Design as this is the term TRANSMOGRAFYING materials and ideas into for our designed objects culminating in an exhibition in the last week of term.

We have had more online visits from our university mentors and a flurry of making and journal work in the Design Studio.

Emma is 3d printing moulds to make LEGO like bricks from recycled paper:

And Nahhar is transforming fabric with bleach and patchwork:

And testing her pattern:

 We look forward to welcoming Ashley from Launceston physically into our classroom on his next mentor visit but it has been great to stay in touch online and an opportunity we hope to continue here in the Design Studio!

Josh and Ella are working in the field of Computer Graphics and will have an online visit from Beale next week.

During this term we will be having a drop in day for students to come and work on their projects – Costume, Textile or Object!