HUMANITIES

UNIT 1 LEGAL STUDIES

Ms Jane Patrick, retired County Court judge, travelled from Melbourne to speak to Legal Studies students in Mildura. She visited the Unit 1 Legal Studies class on Thursday May 5 and provided an informative and inspiring talk to the students in this class. We had a great question and answer session with her as well. 

Mrs Amanda  Morrison

Legal Studies, History Teacher

On Thursday May 5, our Year 11 Legal Studies class got the amazing opportunity to meet and talk to retired County Court Judge Jane Patrick. She gave our class great insight into what working in the law involves and shared her personal experiences as a Judge and Barrister. 

Ms Patrick was originally a Barrister before she applied to be a Magistrate. After a few years of being a Magistrate, she was honourably asked to become a County Court Judge. It was truly an experience to be able to meet someone as successful and inspiring as Ms Patrick. 

We believe a lot of knowledge and guidance was learned from this talk, such as gaining a better understanding of the different occupations of law and experiences one might get from working in law. She also told us about some of the cases she was involved with and touched base on how courts operated, which was intriguing—overall, a great experience and very informative. Thanks to Ms Patrick for coming and Mrs Morrison for organising. 

Mylee Mansley and Richard Anketell

VO GEOGRAPHY ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE: SURVIVING THE BIOME

In Term 1, the VO Geography students learned about the different biomes on Earth. A biome is a large area characterised by its vegetation, soil, climate and wildlife. The task description was that the world has descended to chaos, and the zombies have risen. Survivors are scattered across the world, and you need to survive in your designated biome for five days before help arrives. Accompanied by a report, the students either created a diorama or a sketch of their biome and shelter. Below are some of the incredible dioramas, including one created with Minecraft. 

Mrs Michelle Winderlich, Mr Marcus Parker and Mrs Jodie Noblet

VO Geography Teachers

NATIONAL SCHOOLS CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

Lily Bruhn attended this week's National Schools Constitutional Convention. It has been an amazing experience. This is the first time that a student from Mildura has been successful in gaining a place at the Convention, so it is especially wonderful that Lily's application was accepted.

On our first evening, we met with former college student Morgan Vadjela for dinner in Chinatown. 

Mrs Amanda Morrison

Legal Studies, History Teacher

I attended the 27th National Schools Constitutional Convention on May 10 and 11. It was held at the Windsor Hotel in Melbourne, where the Australian Constitution was drafted in 1898. Over 100 students attended the Convention from schools all over Australia. Due to uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, students and their supervisors gathered in their states and territories in 11 hubs across Australia. In our Victorian hub, 20 students attended, me being one of only three rural students and the first to have ever represented Mildura.  

Through a program of pre-reading, working groups and expert opinions on the topic, the national delegates discussed the issue of whether a bill of rights would be beneficial to Australia. Australia is the only democratic country that doesn’t have explicit human rights laws. There were excellent opportunities for each student to voice their opinion on the topic with the soapbox section, ask questions, challenge the guest speakers, and have active discussions with other students from around Victoria. We discussed whether or not current laws are upholding rights to an appropriate extent and, thus, the strengths and weaknesses of these systems. Furthermore, we considered if a bill of rights is to be introduced, what rights should be protected and moreover, and the consequences a bill of rights could potentially bring about in the Australian federal system. I was also lucky enough to have the chance to voice my own opinion to all students from the different hubs around Australia on why I believed a bill of rights would be beneficial to our nation! 

Not only was this an excellent educational experience, but it was also a fantastic way to meet new people and hear differing opinions on such an important topic. Being such a far away from home, the organisers of the convention organised for me to stay at the Hotel Windsor, the same place the convention was being held. It was the most beautiful hotel; both the staff and the included breakfast were a highlight! I also got to share a room with two other kids from the country, which at first made me a little anxious, but as it turns out, I’ve actually made a lasting friendship with one of the girls I was staying with! 

Overall, this is definitely an experience that I will remember and only continue to benefit from. The information I learned will help with my further studies, but it has also taught me a lot I didn’t know about our nation and parliamentary system. If you are interested, I could not recommend highly enough to when the time comes to apply for next year’s National School’s Constitutional Convention! Lastly, I would like to thank Mrs Morrison for supervising and accompanying me on the trip. 

Lily Bruhn

EXCURSION TO WENTWORTH MILITARY MUSEUM

At the end of Term 1, the VO Modern History classes went on an excursion to the Wentworth Military Museum. This helped to further our knowledge of Australia's participation and involvement in the wars that have occurred in the past. There was an extensive collection of displays, such as the soldiers' hats from different countries lined up. There were also mannequins dressed in their unique uniforms, including the gas masks they used and their basic war uniforms for fighting.  

We were handed some devices which were some of the highest technology for self-guided tours in the world, one model above the systems used in the Louvre Museum in Paris. These were so we could scan the checkpoints throughout the building, which told us information about the display we were looking at through our headphones, providing us with a self-guided tour. 

While we were there, we got the opportunity to participate in the Marching Matilda Quest that they have set up. This entailed a scavenger hunt consisting of 20 questions about the different wars, connecting to the displays inside the museum. 

Some conflicts that this museum covered were World War One, World War two in Europe, Asia and the Pacific, the Vietnam War, and the Korean War. It also covered what was happening in Australia throughout each of the wars and on the homefront.

Taylor Gregg and Giorgia Zappia, Year 9