Barrett Adolescent School

To wrap up the term, our Food Tech groups baked delicious Hot Cross Buns from scratch!

Students explored a range of flavours, including traditional fruit, fruit-free, choc chip, and a standout baked custard variety with coconut that caramelised beautifully.

As the saying goes, we eat with our eyes first — and these creations certainly didn’t disappoint!

Wishing our school community a safe, relaxing, and delicious Easter break from the Food Tech kitchen 🐣🍫

📣 MILLENBA GARDEN UPDATE 🌱

This term, we’ve been busy bringing our greenhouse back to life! Our students have been involved every step of the way — planning the space, gathering materials, planting seeds, monitoring growth, and collecting data along the journey.

The zucchini and snow peas have been standout successes and are already planted out and thriving in the garden! 🥒🌿

Students also created clay plant labels. We’re excited to decorate these next term and add them to our greenhouse and garden spaces. 🎨

We’re so proud of the care, curiosity, and teamwork our students have shown throughout this project — we can’t wait to see what grows next!

It’s not every day that our students get to see Venice Biennale Award winning art, but today they did just that! We visited GOMA to see 'kith and kin', an installation by Kamilaroi and Bigambul artist Archie Moore, exploring over 65,000 years of ancestry and shared humanity. The work was first displayed at the 2024 Venice Biennale, where it won the prestigious Golden Lion Award for Best National Participation.

Our group then went to one of the Science Festival exhibits called Bat Night Market. Set in an imagined night market where bat species are extinct, Bat Night Market explores what interspecies resourcefulness and creative food solutions might look like, in the not-so-distant future, highlighting their vital role in our global ecosystem and why their conservation is more crucial than ever.

🥧Pastry perfection in Food Tech!🔥

Our kitchen has been buzzing recently as students rolled up their sleeves and created a delicious range of pies — all from scratch!

From rich caramelised onion & gravy beef, to creamy chicken and leek with béchamel sauce, there was something for everyone. Our veg lovers enjoyed Sri Lankan potato pies, while Darren spiced things up with a chilli veg twist, and John put his own spin on a beef stroganoff pie.

The room was filled with the irresistible smells of golden pastry, warming spices, and the sound of fry pans sizzling away… 👏

Safe to say, there weren’t many leftovers — students were quick to grab a few to take home and share!

Today we had the fantastic opportunity to visit QUT and hear directly from student ambassadors about their journeys to university. 🎓
Many shared how they reached uni through alternative pathways, starting with Certificates and Diplomas before discovering the course that was right for them. They also spoke about the range of support available at uni, including student services, equity scholarships, and the many social groups and clubs you can join.
After the Q&A, we enjoyed a tour of the campus, checking out highlights like the esports facilities and the incredible Cube.
We wrapped up the day with a delicious lunch before heading back to school — a little tired, but full of new ideas and inspiration for the future! ✨

📐 Hands-on Maths in Action!

Our junior students have been exploring 3D shapes by building their own models from shape nets. By folding and assembling the nets, they discovered how flat shapes can transform into fascinating 3D objects!

Activities like this help students understand concepts such as faces, edges, and vertices while developing problem-solving skills and spatial thinking.

Great work to our junior mathematicians for bringing geometry to life! 👏

🌿 A Little Place to Breathe 😮‍💨
Our school gardens are becoming a beautiful space for students to pause, reset and reconnect with nature. Among the flowers, herbs and growing vegetables, students can enjoy a quiet moment, take in the colours, and appreciate the simple joy of things growing.

Spaces like this remind us that learning doesn’t only happen in the classroom — sometimes it happens while tending a garden, noticing a new flower bloom, or watching a capsicum slowly ripen on the plant.

A pocket of calm in a busy school day. 🌱

What happens when students, dumpling wrappers, ginger and garlic come together in the kitchen? Absolute deliciousness🥟

Food Tech is dominating the kitchen this term at Millenba, and throughout week 6, students took on the art of dumpling making.

From mushroom, beef and chicken to the legendary “tofu-da-beast”, the fillings were packed with flavour — and plenty of ginger and garlic. Michelle also whipped up an incredible dipping sauce to bring it all together.

Students experimented with different folding techniques, shapes and even dumpling presses, creating everything from rustic bundles to beautifully crimped parcels.

A special shout-out to John, whose dumplings were actually perfect — hand-formed little beasts of deliciousness!

Friday afternoons at Millenba are all about winding down and connecting.

Our social games session gives students a chance to relax, chat, and reflect on the week together. This week there was plenty happening — from sticker making and Lego building to mini pool and even some crocheting!

It’s a great way to end the week, build friendships, and enjoy some creative downtime together. 🎱🧶🧩

A special moment in our school’s journey as Barrett Adolescent School officially became Millenba - As visitors flowed through the kitchen during our name change ceremony, students proudly shared flavours grounded in place and community.

On the menu: lemon myrtle shortbreads, dipped in rich chocolate and finished with pistachio, alongside a vibrant bunya nut pesto.

Food has a way of bringing people together, and it felt especially meaningful to share native flavours as we step into this new chapter as Millenba.

On Tuesday February 17, we proudly marked an important milestone in our school’s journey — the formal transition from Barrett Adolescent School to Millenba.

The ceremony was a meaningful opportunity to honour the rich history of Barrett, recognising the dedication, care and commitment that have shaped generations of young people. As we acknowledged the past, we also stepped forward into a new chapter — one grounded in inclusion, growth, and opportunity for every student.

We extend our sincere thanks to the many members of our community, Elders and dignitaries who joined us to celebrate this significant occasion. Your presence and support mean so much as we continue to build Millenba’s story together.

Here’s to honouring where we’ve come from and embracing where we’re going.

Over the past two weeks in Food Technology, our students have been busy building their skills from the ground up — quite literally! 🍅

They began by making their own rich tomato passata, learning and practising safe bottling and preserving techniques along the way. It was fantastic to see students developing confidence in traditional food preparation methods and understanding the importance of food safety and sustainability.

Last week, those skills came together beautifully as students prepared creamy béarnaise and cheesy sauces, layering them into delicious homemade lasagnes (both vegetarian and meat lovers options).

The teamwork in the kitchen was outstanding — great communication, shared responsibilities, and plenty of encouragement. Judging by the satisfied smiles (and the very quiet classrooms afterwards!), it’s safe to say we had a few happy food comas! 👏