Humanities

"Democracy is not just the right to vote, it is the right to live in dignity."

— Dr. Lowitja O'Donoghue, Aboriginal Australian nurse and activist

Years 7-8 Humanities

Junior school students have immersed themselves in the knowledge of what it means to be an Australian citizen. 

Our Year 7 cohort have made meaningful connections to being a citizen. They have successfully learnt about the values that are at the crux of our society, and that Australians hold so dear to their hearts - Respect, Equality, a Fair Go and Compassion. 

Whilst learning about Australian values through example case studies, Year 7 students have also established an understanding of our system of government, the Australian Constitution and referendums that have shaped First Nations history in the 20th century. Students now possess knowledge of the Mabo Case and the 1967 Referendum. They have also had the opportunity to establish their own constitution and nation - an activity designed to make them feel more connected with the political governance of Australia based on their everyday life. 

As you can see below, a group of students in one Year 7 class were determined to establish a firm set of rights and responsibilities in their newly solidified nation, even going to the extent of establishing the type of government they were running - a dictatorship! Evidnetly, the gained knowledge of Australian values was clearly impactful for this group as many of their rights and responsibilities mirror that of our actual freedoms and values. 

The 7 SEAL class were truly tested and challenged on their ability to interpret the Constitution and broadened their understanding of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial government through their Constitution Quest.  

“I learnt that the idea of having a Senate, which has existed for over a thousand years, is still in use today,” remarked SEAL student, Dan Cunningham who clearly drew on his knowledge of the Ancient Roman system of government and therefore made links to our history unit that was concluded in Term 3.

To embrace the spirit of Civics and Citizenship, we celebrated United Nations Day on Friday 24th of October with some students bringing in food items that corresponded to a UN-partnered country.

The Year 8 cohort went beyond the realms of the Constitution, and delved into the court system, examining criminal case studies and applying their knowledge to ascertain reasons for guilty and not guilty rulings. They also explored concepts such as ‘burden of proof’ and ‘beyond reasonable doubt’, building a solid understanding of how the justice system reaches its verdicts and finalises punishments. 

Throughout this unit, our junior school cohort demonstrated compassion, empathy, acceptance and decency in their character when examining cases of human hardship and suffering and where the law is sometimes unjust, proving just how much they uphold all Australian values. From your teachers, well done and thank you! 

The Year 9 cohort continue to showcase their knowledge, skills and understanding in either Geography or Economics. For geography, we are teaching and bringing awareness to students about the issue of food security, which many countries are still facing today. This unit not only focuses on encouraging our 9s to make a difference in the world (now and in the future), but to gain knowledge and understanding of countries they are otherwise unfamiliar with.

In Economics, students are learning about different types of market structures and how this influences, shapes and ultimately impacts on our economy. We are certain this has inspired our students to go forth and build their entrepreneurship dreams and hopefully we will see more participants and winners in the PYOE from this cohort in the nearby future!

Sandy Students Shine at State Business Finals!

We’re thrilled to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our Business Management students who represented Sandringham Secondary College at the “Plan Your Own Enterprise (PYOE)” State Finals on Tuesday 14th October!

What is the PYOE Competition?

The PYOE Competition, run by Business Educators Australasia Inc. in partnership with the Victorian Commercial Teachers Association and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, is a prestigious nation-wide challenge that encourages secondary students to think like entrepreneurs. Participants develop a full business plan, from marketing to finance and operations, using the knowledge they’ve built throughout their studies of Units 1 & 2. This year’s state finals were held at The Vine Room, Bourke Place where students presented their innovative ideas to a panel of industry experts and Sandringham College was the only school to have students invited for both the team category and the individual category. Sandringham was proudly represented by Stella Robertson and Holly Turner, competing in the Team category and Jordan, competing in the Individual category

Out of more than 100 individual and 200 team submissions across Victoria, only a handful made it to the finals, and both our entries placed!

Stella Robertson and Holly Turner – 2nd place in Victoria (Team category)

Jordan Tew – 1st place in Victoria (Individual category)

An incredible achievement for these 3 students, and to top it off, Jordan will now represent Victoria in the National Finals! Congratulations to all our Business Management 1/2 students who submitted thoughtful, creative business ideas.

Exams

To all our VCE 1&2 Legal Studies, Business Management, Accounting, Sociology and History students: we wish you all the best in your upcoming final Year 11 exams and believe that you are more ready than ever, to conquer Year 12 in 2026! 

To the VCE 3&4 Legal Studies, Business Management and Sociology students - we wish you all the best in your upcoming final exams. Go forth and conquer! 

Thank You

A huge thank you to everyone who supported the students on their journey, and a massive well done to Jordan, Stella, and Holly for representing Sandringham College with such confidence and professionalism. Ms Sheehy and Miss Chappell couldn’t be prouder!

Lastly, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Humanities team for their constant support and commitment - your efforts make our Domain such a special and inspiring place to be:

• Monique Sheehy
• Amy Hirth
• Ned Vasey
• Amy Porter (2)
• Georgie Chappell
• Ben Anderson
• Ben Crone
• James Fagan
• Jonathan Sise
• Mia Treacey 
• Selina Wilkinson
• Gabbie Mavridis 
• Lachlan de Graaf