Year 11 Design & Technology and Visual Arts

A group of Year 11 Design & Technology and Visual Arts students travelled to Sydney by train on Sunday, ready to begin an exciting week of learning!

On Monday, we visited the Art Gallery of New South Wales to view this year's Archibald Prize. Students also enjoyed a BBQ lunch amongst Mike Hewson's immersive installation, The Key is Under the Mat.

Our Design & Technology students then visited the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) for a behind-the-scenes look at the future of design and manufacturing, beginning in UTS ProtoSpace, where students explored Australia's largest collection of additive manufacturing technologies, including filament, resin and metal 3D printers ranging from desktop machines to large-scale industrial equipment.

Students then stepped into the Data Arena – the Southern Hemisphere's highest-resolution 360-degree immersive visualisation facility. They experienced interactive 3D environments, learned how the technology is used in fields such as architecture, design, scientific modelling and even criminal investigations, and had the opportunity to connect with the system and interact with digital objects in real time.

The visit concluded with a tour of the Design and Society Faculty, where students learned about creative pathways in textiles, photography, architecture and digital design, while gaining valuable insight into studying design at a tertiary level. A huge thank you to the staff at UTS for sharing their knowledge and providing such an engaging tour.

Meanwhile, our Visual Arts students visited the National Art School, exploring the historic campus and gaining an insight into tertiary art education and studio practice.

To finish a busy day, everyone met up for dinner at Spice Alley!

Day 3 of our Year 11 Visual Arts and Design & Technology excursion was another action-packed day, full of exciting opportunities and inspiring experiences.

Our Design & Technology students travelled to the University of New South Wales (UNSW), where they explored the Design Futures Lab within the School of Built Environment. Students toured a range of practical design spaces, learning about architectural, computational and industrial design while seeing traditional woodworking, metalworking and model-making alongside cutting-edge technologies such as injection moulding, large-scale 3D printing and robotics in manufacturing.

The group also visited the Michael Crouch Innovation Centre makerspace, where entrepreneurs and start-ups design, prototype and manufacture new products using university facilities. Their final stop was the James N. Kirby Makerspace, which showcased student-led projects across woodworking, metalworking, electronics and 3D printing. It was another incredible opportunity for students to see firsthand how innovation and manufacturing are evolving. A huge thank you to the staff at UNSW for providing such an informative and engaging tour.

Meanwhile, our Visual Arts students travelled to Artspace at The Gunnery in Woolloomooloo to view the NSW Visual Arts Fellowship (Emerging) exhibition. The exhibition showcased an exciting range of immersive installations by emerging artists from diverse backgrounds, highlighting the creativity and innovation of contemporary art practice in New South Wales.

Students then completed the ARTpark Sculpture Walk, exploring a range of thought-provoking public artworks before everyone came together in the evening to visit the Banksy Exhibition at The Rocks. The day concluded with a walk around Sydney Harbour, where students photographed the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House as the city lights came to life.

Another unforgettable day filled with creativity, inspiration and plenty of new experiences!

Ms Squires & Mr Carrig

Year 7 Geography

Hands-on learning in Geography as students investigate landscapes and landforms.

Year 7 students have begun their new Geography unit by designing and constructing their own landscape models. Using sand, rocks, trees and other materials, students created unique landscapes featuring mountains, rivers, valleys, coastlines and human features.

These models will be used throughout the term as students investigate how processes such as plate tectonics, weathering, erosion and deposition continually shape our environment.

Learning through hands-on activities encourages students to think like geographers while developing observation, inquiry and problem-solving skills.

Marissa Kurtz

Dates to Remember