Faculty Focus: TAS

 Staff

In 2024 we welcomed a new staff member to the TAS faculty, Ms Ella Cossettini. Ms Cossettini relieved for Mrs Black who went on Maternity leave in Term 2. We were thrilled to welcome the safe arrival of Mrs Black’s little girl. Mrs Alice Bright was also a welcome addition to the faculty, job sharing with Mrs Ann Smith for the year. 

Our remaining staff are Mrs Erin Pearce, Ms Angela Maddalena, Mrs Ellis, Mr Prior, Mr Coleman and Mr Willis. Mr Willis also welcomed a little baby girl into this world in August. 

Unfortunately, we farewelled one of our experienced teachers, Mr Skinner who took a transfer to another school to be closer to his home. Genevieve Kenworthy has done an admirable job filling in for Mr Skinner as we awaited his replacement, Mr Bruce O’Donnell who commenced with us in Term 4. 

At the end of the year, we will farewell another of our Industrial Arts teachers, Mr Steve Prior. Steve has been at Newcastle High School for almost 16 years and is an absolute wealth of knowledge in all areas. He is one of those teachers who cares so much for the students and always tries to get the best work possible out of them. Steve will be very much missed from our TAS team, but we wish him all the best as he enters the next phase of his life. 

 Year 7 & 8

In Mandatory Technology for Years 7 and 8, students have been working on a range of outstanding projects. Year 7 has explored Food Technology with a focus on Nutrition and Agriculture. In Engineered Systems, students completed a digital coding component, alongside designing and constructing Skylap planes and CO2 dragsters, showcasing their ability to integrate both theoretical and practical elements into their projects. 

Year 8 Textiles students have completed a Design Folio and demonstrated their skills through the practical creation of a tote bag. They are now advancing to an E-Textiles module, where they are constructing felt monsters embedded with electrical circuits. In Timber, students have crafted wooden trays, while in Metal, they have successfully produced hacksaws.

 Electives

The electives offered within our faculty are particularly beneficial, providing hands-on learning experiences that develop practical skills in areas such as timber, engineering, food technology, and textiles. These electives encourage problem-solving, creativity, and innovation. Participating in Technology and Applied Studies (TAS) electives equips students with valuable skills such as collaboration, project management, adaptability, and research. The electives currently available to our students include:

STAGE 4: Y8

• Food Glorious Food
• World of Weaving
• Make it with Wood

STAGE 5: Y9 & Y10

• Child Studies
• Food Technology
• Textiles Technology
• Industrial Technology: timber, metals, electronics
• Vocational and Educational Training Courses (VET) in Hospitality and Manufacturing Metals and Engineering.

See below for images showcasing students' successfully completed projects.

Year 10 Hospitality

Year 10 Food Technology

Year 11 & 12:

We extend a warm welcome to Year 12 (2025), who have just transitioned from Year 11 at the beginning of Term 4. We also congratulate Year 12 (2024) students currently sitting their Higher School Certificate (HSC) exams. Their dedication and hard work throughout the year has been well noticed. A special thank you to our TAS staff for their outstanding guidance and support of these students.

Courses

• Food Technology
• Textiles & Design
• Community and Family Studies
• Exploring Early Childhood
• VET: Hospitality - Cookery
• Engineering Studies
• Industrial Technology
• VET: Manufacturing - Metals and Engineering
• VET: Construction

Year 12 Food Manufacturing

Highlights

Sydney Good Food and Wine Show 2024 

In June a selection of our finest Year 10 and Year 11 Hospitality students volunteered for 3 days at the Sydney Good Food and Wine Show. Year 10 all worked in front of house positions which involved them ushering guests into the Food Theatres to see shows with some of the celebrity chefs in attendance. A small group were working at the Food and Wine Tasting Theatre and were responsible for setting up the area and serving food to the public. They were keen and enthusiastic, always smiling and provided top-class service to those in attendance. Year 11 volunteered in back of house positions and were working directly with chefs behind the scenes, preparing a huge amount and array of foods for various areas of the show including the Tasting Theatre, VIP room and Good Food Theatre. While behind the scenes, many of the students got to interact with some of the celebrity chefs including Miguel Maestre and Donna Hay. These students showed an exceptional willingness to participate in all activities and were highly regarded by the Executive Chef and his team. At the conclusion of our time at the show, students had a photo opportunity with Miguel Maestre, and it was wonderful to hear him say that based on our performance that “the future is in great hands”.