Step Inside FCJ College: Big Ideas, Bold Learning

It’s been a busy and productive week at FCJ College as Headstart kicked off. Students have settled into their new classes with focus, ready to tackle fresh subjects and challenges. Innovation is thriving across classrooms, workshops, and studios alike.

‍VET Engineering students have been busy working through a range of set tasks as they work towards their Certificate II in Engineering. Using hand tools, lathes and mills, students are fabricating items to exact specifications, including drill bit holders, toolboxes, trammels and more. These foundational projects build the precision and discipline essential to the trade.

Year 12 students in Systems Engineering are well underway in designing their major projects for the year. Each project is entirely student-led—researched, designed, developed, and built from the ground up. Students have sourced components, created custom 3D-printed parts, written their own code, and assembled their systems. Now, they move into the testing and troubleshooting phase. Kane is building a high-powered torch with an integrated USB power source, while Luke is developing an automatic gate opener with built-in security features. Other projects include an automated herb garden, a self-watering plant system, a climate-controlled electric blind, and an electronic basketball game. This is hands-on, future-focused learning that fosters real-world problem-solving, creativity, and technical skill. What an impressive group of students!

In Science, Year 8 students have been thinking big—by starting small. As part of their unit on energy, they’ve designed and built their own Rube Goldberg machines. These clever contraptions use chain reactions to demonstrate how energy transfers and transforms through different objects and motions. From brainstorming and prototyping to troubleshooting and testing, students have followed the engineering process to bring their ideas to life. It’s messy, hands-on learning at its best—and the results were both creative and effective.

This week, our Year 10 Barista & Café students took part in expert barista training. While half the class learned the art of crafting quality coffee, the other half were busy baking delicious Monte Carlos to serve alongside their café-style drinks.

Hat’s off—it was all a real treat for the staff lucky enough to sample their creations!

Lunchtime Sports kicked off with a bang—thanks to student input, Dodgeball came out on top as the clear favourite! Students from all year levels jumped in to have fun and earn House points. It was all about getting involved, showing school spirit, and enjoying some friendly competition.

A big thank you to our awesome Sports Captains, Barney and Irish, for organising such a great activity—we can’t wait to see what’s next!

Headstart will continue into next week before the holiday break. It’s been a fantastic start to the new term—students are settling into their classes and engaging with their goals, and there’s a real buzz across the college. As we approach the holidays, we’re proud of all the progress so far and excited for what ‘s to come.

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