Around the Senior School
Immersion days for Year 7 and Year 10 History
Year 7 History incursion
On Monday 26 August, our Year 7 History students had a day immersing themselves in the Ancient societies of China and Egypt. They were able to explore the mysteries and evidence surrounding the Terracotta Warriors of Ancient China and were able to produce their own warrior. Students were able to sample Ancient Egyptian delicacies like dates, hummus and honey. They also experimented with hieroglyphics carving them into soap. The students also had a chance to explore the History Mystery of Tutankhamun and WHY he actually died.
The day was enhanced by a Chinese feast for lunch which the students loved!
Thank you to Ms Terrey, Mr Kerridge and Mr Perrin for their coordination of the day.
Year 10 History Incursion
NESA mandates the study of Rights and Freedoms from 1945 to the present with a focus on the struggles of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the US Civil Rights movement. The Year 10 History day commenced with a Film Study of Mississippi Burning which explores the issues of racism and segregation the Mississippi during the 1960s. Students then spent time unpacking the Closing the Gap recommendations. The afternoon was a panel discussion followed by Q&A with Gerald Power (Deputy Mayor, Orange City Council, Alivya Powell (Wambinya Enterprise), Adam Gollan (Manager Shared Services, Closing the Gap and Partnerships), Casey Naden (Care and Recovery Lead, social/emotional Wellbeing Team, OAMS) and Corey Mclean (KWS staff member). Our students gained insight into the lived experiences and challenges facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their hopes for the future.
Thank you to Mr Paine for his chairing of the Panel discussion and his coordination of the day.
Thanks also to both our Year 7 and Year 10 students for their excellent behaviour and participation in the days.
Mrs Dianne Chappel, Head os History/RE
Geography Field Trips
Year 7 Geography at Gaanha Bula - Mt Canobolas
The Year 7 Geographers travelled to Gaanha Bula - Mt Canobolas to investigate the geological formation as part of their landscapes and landforms topic. Students completed a bushwalk and some fieldwork methodologies for the day. They were great ambassadors for the school.
Year 10 Explore Mountain Bikes
The Year 10 Geographers travelled to the mountain bike park at Lidster and were greeted by Jack Rahilly who is the president of the Orange Mountain Bike Club. He has also been heavily involved in the design and build of the trails at Lidster. Students investigated the social, economic and environmental impacts of mountain bike riding on the community. This involved a short ride of the Galinbundinya trail and some collection of primary data for their assessment task.
Year 12 Viticulture
The Year 12 Geographers completed their final fieldwork experience at Philip Shaw Wines and part of the Viticulture topic of study. Students investigated the whole winemaking process from soil to bottle and the marketing of the product. It was a great day out for the students to see first hand the complexities of the vertically integrated enterprise.
Mr Liam Callaghan, Head of Social Science
Daffodils Putting Smiles on Dials
Unfortunately the bulbs Gordon House planted earlier in the year for use on Daffodil Day for the Cancer Council did not quite flower in time - we were off by about 10 days.
The decision was made to harvest the daffodils and, through the Round Square program, have students deliver them to Wontama Aged Care, to bring a smile to members of their community, which was a huge success.
Well done to all the students involved, through both Gordon and Round Square. A huge thank you to Mr Callaghan for all the support in arranging the bulbs and the planting, to Mr Doyle for suggesting a plan 'B', and particularly to Mr Youll, who arranged the visit to Wontama, and the students, on short notice. An excellent team effort and one which I hope continues to bring a smile to members of the community, as you will see in the photos below.
Mr Henry Adams, Head Mentor of Gordon House
Wordsworth Inspires Year 9 English Scholars
Our Year 9 English Scholars class has been getting out and about on the grounds of our beautiful Wolaroi campus to immerse themselves in the first throes of Spring. They were inspired by William Wordsworth’s famous Romantic poem, ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’ amongst a ‘host of golden daffodils’. Students used their inspiration from this poem and the world around them with the first bursts of Spring to create their own compositions.
Mrs Kate Callaghan, English Faculty
Year 7 English
Year 7 have been hard at work this term creating dioramas for their unit ‘An Introduction to Shakespeare’. Students needed to choose a section from one of Shakespeare’s plays and construct a stage model incorporating key design features such as blocking, costuming, props, lighting and sound. Students then came into class to compose a written report discussing and justifying their staging choices.
Congratulations Year 7 on producing some excellent work!
Mrs Kate Callaghan, English Faculty
