From the Humanities & Cultural Studies Department
Crossing the Divide
On Thursday, June 12th (Week 7) , students in Years 7, 8, and 10, along with Year 11 Drama, will be viewing a performance by Shock Therapy Arts called 'Crossing the Divide'.
From the Shock Therapy Arts website: "A high school history class, sets out on a two-day trek across the Great Dividing Range, learning about the expedition by Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson. As the group travel through the Blue Mountains, their guide Lionel draws their attention to what is often left out of the history books. They learn about some of the earliest interactions between Indigenous people and the colonial explorers, revealing some of this nation's difficult truths." https://shocktherapyarts.com/crossing-the-divide
This powerful performance promises to challenge students’ understanding of Australian history and encourage critical reflection on the stories we tell - and those we often leave untold. Set in the very landscape of the Blue Mountains, where our school is located, Crossing the Divide brings local history to life. The production blends drama and education to create a meaningful learning experience that supports our school’s ongoing commitment to truth-telling and cultural understanding.
Tristan Forsyth
Head of Humanities
Year 11 Legal Studies Court House visit
On Wednesday 21st May, our Year 11 Legal Studies class had the amazing opportunity to spend the day out at Penrith Courthouse. We split into small groups to go between courtrooms - ensuring to show our respect to the legal system by bowing our heads at the Coat of Arms when entering and exiting! Between us, we saw cases involving AVO (Apprehensive Violence Order) breaches, hearings, sentences, defendants video-calling into the courtrooms, bail reviews and ADVO (Apprehensive Domestic Violence Order) applications, a very varied, engaging and informative display of the many types of cases a local court can hear. We were very excited to have the opportunity to speak to one of the magistrates, who also had plenty of stories and wisdom to share.
Our class was shown through the cell area of the courthouse by Corrective Service Officers who explained to us the various procedures of the custodies and the cells, answering our many questions and sharing some of the wild stories from their jobs. We saw the tunnels used to transport custodies between the cells, courtrooms and visiting boxes, as well as going into cells and trying on different handcuffs for ourselves!
A big thanks to Ms Wade for organising such a fabulous excursion, we all had a very enjoyable and informative day out - and highly recommend Legal Studies to anyone considering!
Elizabeth Isbister and Audrey Clark (Year 11 Legal)
