A highlight of the week for many students at BRSC are their Studio lessons, where they have the opportunity to explore their interests and gain real-life experiences.
From volunteering and sports coaching to Japanese and jujitsu, students in Years 7-9 spend Friday mornings immersing themselves in hands-on learning opportunities called Studios.
Studios are contextualised learning opportunities, which is an educational approach that connects classroom lessons with real-life experiences.
They are taught to students from Years 7-9 on Friday mornings and allow students to follow interest areas, choosing a different Studio each term.
Japanese Studio
In Japanese Studio last term, students explored the country’s language, culture and foods.
They also reached out to their Japanese counterparts to share letters about themselves and send a food hamper with novel and iconic Australian snacks.
Student Emma said she loved Japanese Studio, which has included practising hiragana (Japanese phonetic alphabet), cooking Japanese foods and writing letters about themselves.
“We made a fried chicken sushi and Japanese savoury pancakes,” Emma said, adding that she wanted to travel to the country one day.
“I think it would be a great place to visit because of their snacks and wide variety of flavours and their culture.”
Teachers explore their own passion projects
Studios are also an opportunity for teachers to follow their own passion and skills outside of the subjects they regularly teach.
For Japanese Studio teacher Tahlia Woodgate, it has been a chance to share her own experiences and learning.
She studied Japanese in both primary and secondary school and visited the country in 2014.
“When I went over there, I realised how important it is to know the language because there’s no English anywhere, shops and signs have writing rather than pictures.
“When I came back, I thought I would love to go there again but I would need to know more.”
A special project for the Japanese Studio class has been creating a gift box to send to a school in Osaka that contains favourite Australian foods chosen by students including Jumpy’s, caramello koalas, 100s and 1000s sprinkles and vegemite.
And don’t worry, they also included a picture of vegemite toast to show how much to spread on toast.
Volunteering Studio
The Volunteering Studio involved visits to aged care residents and designing a foyer display at the Bonney Theatre for the Young Riverland Musical Production of Alice in Wonderland Jr.
Volunteering Studio teacher Irene Lyu said that during fortnightly visits to Calvery St Catherine’s students discovered how small acts of service and connection can make a meaningful difference in their community.
She said the regular visits allowed students to build relationships with the residents.
“They showed growing confidence in building relationships and organising activities,” Ms Lyu said.
“They expanded on their previous visit by bringing a wider range of interactive activities into the room, including portrait painting, bracelet making, trivia games, UNO, and other shared games.”
These activities created opportunities for conversation, laughter, and meaningful interaction between students and residents.
By spending time listening, playing, and creating together, students developed empathy, communication skills, and a stronger understanding of how they can contribute positively to the wellbeing of others in their community.
