Consumer Education and Food Technology

Consumer Education provides students with the essential skills to be able to make informed decisions when it comes to purchasing products and or services. Students have the opportunity to learn about retail stores and service providers e.g. supermarket, chemist, post office, department store, online shopping. This program covers the following areas: consumer goods and services, pricing and budgeting, what the consumer can expect, and consumer rights and responsibilities. Students also learn how to use public transport to visit different stores and service providers in the local community.

Food Technology covers all aspects of cooking.  These sessions include shopping, learning to read a recipe (using pictures if needed), measuring out ingredients, using tools and utensils safely in the kitchen, working in a group, and following instructions. This program enables students to make real-life connections to the area of Literacy and Mathematics. It also engages students in preparing and sharing delicious and healthy food to foster the belief that such skills are essential to the development of life-long joyful and healthy eating habits.

We, at Ascot Vale Heights School, view Travel Training as the first step in connecting Ascot Vale Heights School to the outside world. This year, we have had a particular emphasis to educate all secondary students with the skills and practice to become independent travellers. We teach students the skills they will need to plan, organise, and carry out a journey using public transport. For example, key aspects of this are; what to do if students get lost or feel unsafe, using money, learning about which route and tram are best for them, behaviour on public transport, communicating their needs to drivers and members of the public, and information finding.