Torquay College P-9 Weaving Asian understandings into our curriculum

Introduction School Audit of staff knowledge and skills Formation of Asian Studies committee Audit of school curriculum Audit of school resources Curriculum planning and new initiatives Applications for grants and travel by teachers Documentation of our initiatives and programs Celebration and sharing of our achievements

Environmental studies In Art and Science units students link their research on Endangered species and the ocean. Students are currently working on the 2010 Quiksilver Science Challenge recording the impact of urban growth on the ocean and marine life in the region.

Science Year 8 research projects focused on environmental and social issues from our region i.e. Orang Flores/ komodo dragons/ turtles/ volcanoes/ palm oil/ orang-utans

Humanities Year 7 students attended workshops at Ceres on fair trade and sustainable practices focusing on Australia’s relationship with its trading partners. The knowledge acquired in these talks is applied to the café program and the ethos of the school.

Café project Students at all levels are introduced to the tastes of the world through their studies of the traditions and rituals linked to the production of food. Each year level researches a country in depth and presents the results of their investigations at a sit down banquet for their peers. A highlight for all involved.

Year 8 Japanese lunch

Year 7 Indonesian lunch

Garden & Cafe Year 7 & 8 students have established garden beds of Asian vegetables and planted fruit trees to supply the ingredients required for the café program.

Indigenous studies Year 7 students explored the historical links between Australia and her neighbours and looked for ways to establishing new connections. Students are currently developing work for a print exchange first with top end Indigenous communities and then with Timor.

Drama The 2010 Year 7 play is The Churning of the Oceans, an ancient Hindu story depicted on the walls of Angkor Wat. Students will create music, story and props.

History To support the Japanese café project and the ancient civilization project in English. Students visited the National Gallery of Victoria to research ancient Chinese ceramics and Japanese art .

Year 8 Technology Year 8 students have acquired new skills in wood, metal and textiles. these were used in the creation of Batik and the building traditional Indonesian houses.

Film Club At the weekly film club students share their favourite foreign language films with their peers. This is a student initiative and a popular lunch time event.

Cross age tutoring Throughout the year visiting experts mentor the secondary students, who in turn share skills and knowledge with junior students.

Intercultural understanding We are currently working to establish a sister school in Indonesia and plan to host exchange students in the coming year. Four of the staff have recently returned from a study tour in Indonesia. The shared experiences and knowledge are now being presented across the curriculum.

School partnership with East Timor Torquay College is a member of the Geelong-Viqueque Friendship Schools Project and actively supports a buddy school in East Timor. So far, students in grades 5/6 have developed an increasing awareness of living conditions in their neighbouring country through regular events such as the Student Forum on East Timor or the flag-raising Ceremony commemorating East Timor’s independence.

Asia Week A whole school celebration once a year encourages students of all ages to immerse themselves in the food, games and culture of the many diverse countries across Asia. This year for the first time, each year level spent a whole week on integrated activities on a particular Asian country. The Prep grades travelled to India, grades 1/2 explored Asian scientists, grades 3/4 learned about Japan, grades 5/6 broadened their knowledge on East Timor, and years 7 and 8 had a taste of Indonesia. The week culminated in a dress-up day to raise funds for our East Timorese buddy school.

NALSSP ICT Grant Improving LOTE learning outcomes through technology The LOTE Department has received a A$ 5000 grant to participate in an action research program to enhance Indonesian learning outcomes through the use of ICT and Web 2.0 tools. So far, 9 Flip Cams have been purchased to involve grade 5/6 students in an Indonesian language project on presenting their school life to students at our potential sister school in Indonesia.