TIM'S toasties definitely had the right ingredients to capture the attention and imagination of Sebastopol primary's senior pupils.
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MasterChef contender Tim Bone visited the school to serve up some aspirational food for thought under children education charity Ardoch's Learning Through Lunch, a new program for regional Victoria.
Traditionally this program offers a class a two-course fine-dining lunch experience at a TAFE or hospitality venue. Due to ongoing pandemic restrictions, Mr Bone brought lunch and conversation to the pupils.
This was a chance for pupils to grill him on his career, pausing his time as a teacher to pursue cooking and his toasties in Ballarat. Mr Bone could also share what it means to set and achieve goals to realise your potential.
Lunch also included a healthy salad and foodie talk about healthy options.
Sebastopol principal Michelle Wilson said while no-one could be certain what careers might be possible by the time these pupils entered the workforce, this was a great chance to get them thinking. Ms Wilson said Mr Bone was also a good example of someone who had changed career paths too.
"These kids have done it tough for a few months. This program supported their well-being and was delicious," Ms Wilson said. "There were great videos about other careers as well."
Sebastopol primary has participated in Ardoch's literacy buddies program the past four years. Pupils have partnered up with pen-pals at Sovereign Hill with buddy visits at the school and Sovereign Hill.
The program moved to a virtual platform this year, but Ms Wilson said it was still a vital program.
"We're connecting with a significant element of the community," Ms Wilson said. "Reading and writing is connected with positive expression and this raises the standard in students' work when there is an authentic hook."
Linton and Mount Pleasant primary schools also take part in the learning through lunch program, with meals from Ballarat's Tim Bone, this week.
Videos for a "speed careers" element in the session show career pathways from a café operations manager, a 3D printer engineer, sports statistician and a paramedic.
Ardoch will be scale-up these new education support programs into seven regional Victorian communities the next three years, partnering with 35 primary schools and supporting 3300 students.
