HSIE Faculty News
Year 10 Vietnam Veterans Incursion
As a part of the Stage Five History Syllabus, Year 10 have been studying the Vietnam War and, in particular, Australia’s involvement.
We had the privilege and honour of welcoming Vin and his wife Nancy (Cosgrove) into our school in Week 6. Vin is a Vietnam Veteran and served for our country in the Vietnam War. When he returned from Vietnam, he studied teaching and was a Principal for over thirty years. Now in their retirement, Vin and Nancy run an Outreach Program whereby they volunteer their time and knowledge to come to schools in rural areas and share their first-hand experiences of the war.
Having learnt about the Battle of Long Tan, it was pertinent for the students to hear from a soldier who was there, only a few days after the 51st anniversary of Long Tan. Vin and Nancy were a part of the 50 years anniversary celebrations in Canberra, last year.
Vin spoke to the students for 3.5 hours, detailing aspects such as what war was like, his and Nancy’s personal journey with Agent Orange and how this has affected not only them, but even their grandchildren to this day, the day-to-day life of a soldier and much more.
When Vin was asked; "What was the scariest thing you had to do at war?" he answered, “We were in battle; my commanding officer at the time yelled out to us; get down, get down! Gun shots fired over my head and all I could think and wish for was that the ground would swallow me up. I couldn’t get down any further if I tried, and I thought my time was up’’. The students sat in silence and in awe. We have watched many interviews in class, and studied many sources, however, nothing hit home like a first-hand account from someone who was there.
Vin and Nancy consider themselves to be very lucky. Vin came home, married Nancy and together they have had a wonderful life. One of their children is an acclaimed children’s author and illustrator; you may even know some of his books such as 'Macca the Alpaca' and 'Dharma the Llama'.
Year 10 were so lucky to meet Vin and Nancy and I am sure it has enriched their learning experiences in History this term.
Australian History Competition
Students from across Years 8 and 10 participated in a nationwide Australian History Competition, earlier in the year.
The Australian History Competition is a significant educational event that engages students across the nation in exploring and understanding Australia's rich historical heritage. Participating in this competition allows students to deepen their knowledge of Australian history, develop critical thinking and research skills, and gain a greater appreciation for the diverse narratives that have shaped the country. It encourages a deeper connection to national identity and promotes historical awareness, which is essential for informed citizenship.
St Joseph’s entered 55 students in the competition and all students achieved pleasing results, achieving overall either at or above the state average.
Three of our students are to be congratulated on achieving a Distinction in this competition, which is a grade of 75% or higher.
Congratulaions to Chase D (8B), Kate M (10B) and Henri T (10B) on their distinctions.
We also awarded 9 Credits and 20 Merits.
I would like to say how proud I am of each of the students who participated in this competition.
Year 9 Mining Tours
Recently, Year 9 students have just completed a series of Mine Tours as a part of the mandatory field work component in the Stage 5 Geography Syllabus. We were fortunate enough to have the Upper Hunter Mining Dialogue organise and sponsor these tours for our students. The year group was split into three groups and visited Mt Arthur, Mangoola and Mt Pleasant.
These trips were extremely beneficial for the students in learning about the sustainability of our environment and how important it is to renew the land once we have mined it.
Wendy Thomas
HSIE Leader of Learning
Archie C, 9R has written an account below from the student's perspective:
Mining Tour
On Wednesday 19 June 2024, 9Red alongside 9Yellow departed school by bus and made their way to Mt Arthur BHP. It was a fun experience being able to go inside the mine and have a closer look around. The teachers did an amazing job organising the tours and our tour guides were magnificent. Once we arrived, we had a quick briefing with the tour guides and other staff before setting off on the tour with our safety gear on.
We headed off to the lookout where we got an amazing view of the pit seeing the machinery do their work below. We had to make sure to rug up as some parts of the mine were really cold. After having a look at the mine from the lookout, we headed off to the rehab which is what they used as a dump site but have refurbished it all. From there we had a view of Denman Rd and the town of Muswellbrook, alongside the stretch of valley going past Aberdeen and Scone.
After the Rehab, it was time for lunch where we had pizza supplied to us by the mine. The tour guides put on videos for us to watch of incidents and how they blasted the mine which was interesting to watch. After our lunch break, 9Red set off to the workshop and 9Yellow went to the simulators where we eventually swapped over. In the workshop, there was plenty of machinery to see and did you know that the tyres for a dump truck cost about $45, 000 each?
After a quick visit to the workshop, we made our way over to the simulators whilst the other class made their way to the workshop. In the Simulators, students were allowed to sit in the chair and take control over a dump truck via a simulation. Students took turns being behind the wheel where multiple accidents occurred including a teacher that was driving where the truck caught on fire.
We then headed back to the meeting point where we started the tour. We asked our final questions and the company gifted us all with a goodie bag before making our way back to school.
