Yearbook 2021
2021
HENNESSY CATHOLIC COLLEGE
Y E A R BOOK
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Principal's Report Teaching and Learnig Wellbeing Report Religious Education English Matters Mathematics Report HISE TAS/VET Report AG CAFS PDHPE Report Art Report Photography Report Music Chess Gallagher House Report Nagle House Report McAuley House Report
Rice House Report Swimming Carnival Athletics Carnival Cross Country Careers Report Peer Support Presentation Day League Tag Touch Football Melbourne Cup Hennessy Day Year 12 Graduation
Principal's Report
‘Inspiring futures of hope’ has been the theme for 2021. This is a very appropriate theme in the times we are living in at the moment. COVID has certainly turned our worlds upside down but has also helped us to focus on the things that really matter - our family, our friends and our faith. This year we welcomed many new students, particularly in Years 7 and 11. It has been wonderful to see the way that Hennessy students make new students feel welcome and part of the Hennessy community. Our students also deserve recognition for the way they have adapted to online learning and the various restrictions put in place due to Covid. Special recognition should go to our student leadership team led by Joy Cass and Liam Jewitt. The student leadership team have worked tirelessly to be a student voice and to bring new initiatives to the school such as the Year 12 kitchen area and the quote of the day board as well as many activities and social justice initiatives. The Hennessy staff also deserve a big thank you. They are caring professionals, who no matter what their role, go above and beyond to make each student feel known and cared for. The quality of teaching at Hennessy continues to be outstanding which was clearly shown in our 2020 HSC results and the strong growth evident in NAPLAN results. This year the teachers have worked on the archdiocesan Catalyst initiative to look for ways to further improve their teaching. Thank you to the Community Council who so generously give their time to be a voice for parents and to give advice on school matters. A big achievement this year has been the construction of the Music Room which was made possible with Community Council fundraising contributions. All the best for the next chapter in your lives to those students who are leaving Hennessy to pursue a new career, go to university, go to TAFE or on to a new school. Finally I would like to extend gratitude to those staff who will be leaving us at the end of the year - Mr Chifley, Miss Doherty, Mr Fouracre, Mrs Keith and Mrs Tyrrell. We will miss you and wish you all the best at your new schools. I would also like to thank Father Jiss and Father Joe for their support of the College and to wish Father Joe all the best for his new appointment. Best wishes also to Gary Harton, our Business Manager, who has announced his retirement from the start of 2022. Gary has been a significant person in overseeing and supporting change and growth in the college for nearly two decades. Hennessy is a great school where students can achieve their dreams. It is certainly a place where we ry to live out our Vision to: ‘Live Spiritually, Learn Dynamically, Act Justly … inspiring futures of hope.’
God bless Kathy Holding
Teaching and Learning
“Learning Dynamically...inspiring futures of hope” 2021 started out full of fresh beginnings with the hope that COVID and lockdowns would be a ‘thing of the past’. Unfortunately this wasn’t the case but we were extremely fortunate to only have 1 lockdown which did not impact on either Year 12 Trial or Year 11 end of Year examinations (which were able to be postponed to the start of Term 4). Therefore a great deal of foundational work was achieved before the interruption. Again staff and students went above and beyond what was expected of them, including shifting to MS Teams as our remote platform. Our capacity to utilise the many platforms at our disposal was again extremely useful and kept learning innovative and productive, not just while in lockdown but throughout the year. Staff continue to discover and develop new skills with these platforms to enhance pedagogical processes in the classroom which allows us the opportunity to ensure quality learning is occurring. This year 5 staff members commenced their Catalyst journey. Catalyst is a professional learning program and is a focus area for teacher development within Catholic education in the Canberra- Goulburn Diocese. Miss Buchanan, Mr Conor Quinn, Mr Mergard, Ms Keith and myself took part in a number of in person and online sessions that showcased different strategies to assist with a direct instructional approach. We then had to develop and use these with our classes to see if it impacted on student outcomes. While lockdown did interrupt both the course delivery and the opportunity to develop all the skills in the course, it’s clear that we all found some common areas to target next year across the College. These include full participation tactics and use daily review practices. Next year more staff will undertake the training as we continue to embed these High Impact Teaching Practices Strategies (HITPS) into the College. Congratulations to the class of 2021 who achieved excellent results in the Higher School Certificate. The College Dux was Bridie Minehan who gained an ATAR of 96.30.
Other outstanding results include: Shannon O’Brien - 93.60 Jayda Hall - 92.70 Ellie Silk - 89.95 Georgina Everdell - 86.60
Furthermore 16 students were placed first in their subject across the Canberra-Goulburn Diocese in 14 subjects and almost 30% of results were in the top 2 performance bands - an amazing achievement. The post school destination survey has shown that most Hennessy students received offers to university, TAFE or employment very soon after finishing their HSC exams (if not before). Mrs Parkman again is to be thanked for all her work in preparing students for their life beyond school.
Our NAPLAN results show consistent growth in Year 9 students in every domain and our scaled growth is higher than the State and similar schools. The diagrams below reflect our results (our school is green; similar schools are black and the state is red).
YEAR 9
Our Year 9 students have made incredible grounds in writing (see diagram below) - no doubt the impact of having a consistent and comprehensive writing strategy (PEEL) which was introduced school wide in 2019 when these students were in Year 7.
2019 Year 7 2021 Year 9
Year 7
Year 7 results continue to reflect results from their last 18 months of primary school and the first term of high school. It is often difficult to gauge where students are at in their literacy and numeracy skills when they arrive at Hennessy and the data is very helpful in understanding areas to target to assist their learning.
However what is evident is that quality teaching continues to challenge students' and develop their skills in these fundamental areas. This year we welcomed Miss Beth Doherty (RE Leader/Music), Mr Peter Igoe-Taylor (RE/TAS) and Miss Emily Coffee (PDHPE) to our wonderful teaching staff. Their experience and expertise has continued to enhance our ever changing pedagogical approach. We also welcomed Miss McLachlan and Mrs Igoe-Taylor who took on various classes for 6 months. With new beginnings comes endings as well and sadly, we also farewelled Mr Andrew Fouracre and Ms Rayleigh Keith from the KLA Leadership Team at the end of Term 3. They have made an immense contribution to the College in the various roles they have had over numerous years. Miss Doherty will also be returning to Canberra and I thank her for her passion for Religion and Liturgy demonstrated daily. I wish them every success in their new positions. I am grateful that Mr Conor Quinn and Mr Ian Mergard were willing to step into leadership roles for Term 4. Mr Mark Schmidt will also be stepping down as TAS/VET leader, we thank Mark for his invaluable contribution to the department over the years. Congratulations to Miss Meghan Worner who will be TAS/VET coordinator 2022. Our KLA leadership team continues to be innovative and flexible to meet student needs - your child’s education is in excellent hands. Our classrooms are welcoming places where our students continue to develop as confident and agile learners.
Mrs Sharon Hibbert Assistant Principal - Teaching and Learning
Miss Doherty Religion
Ms Stadtmiller English/LOTE
Mrs Hibbert Assistant Principal
Mr Fouracre Director of Studies
Mrs Keith Science
Ms Jasprizza HSIE
Ms Carberry Mathematics
Mr Schmidt TAS/VET
Ms McLachlan HSIE
Mrs Cullen Diverse Learning Needs
Mrs McCann PDHPE
Mrs Dunjk PDHPE
Wellbeing
It has been another busy year for Wellbeing at Hennessy this year. We welcomed Mr Peter Igo- Taylor to the Wellbeing Team as the Rice House Leader. We temporarally farewelled Mrs Jorja McGrath as she left to have baby number 2. Her position was filled by Mr Andrew Bigwood who did an outstanding job.
Some of the Wellbeing activities included.
Year 11 retreat: Year 11 were lucky enough to participate in their retreat before Covid brought all other camps and retreats to a standstill. On the 9th and 10th of February Year 11 attended their retreat at Galong. This retreat builds on the theme of the Year 10 Leadership Retreat, welcomes new Year 11’s and also prepares the students for the final two years as leaders of the College. The students enjoyed the musical talents and storytelling of Chris Doyle. On the first day, Chris challenged the students to make challenging choices and lead a good life. The second day focused on their upcoming two years of schooling. Shrove Tuesday – Following the Year 11 retreat and their election success the newly elected House Vice Captains were quick to start work by cooking pancakes for all the students on the morning of Shrove Tuesday. Student Voice and Future Leaders -The College’s four Vice Captains attended a Mass at the Cathedral in Canberra celebrating 200 Years of Catholic Education in Australia. They then travelled to Parliament House where then Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Michael McCormack was very generous with his time and met with the four captains and shared some of his insights into leadership. The students also had a behind the scenes tour of Parliament House which allowed them to pass through the security that is normally more tightly sealed than Tupperware. They were outside the Prime Minister’s office and courtyard, visited the Parliamentary Library and the ministerial wing. They were lucky enough to have a tour of the Channel 9 news studio. A tour highlight was the portraits of former Prime Ministers. She Leads conference - Mrs. Hibbert and Mrs. Holding accompanied some of our Year 11's to the She Leads conference in Canberra at the ANU. The girls listened to inspirational guest speakers and participated in workshops that challenged the girls to follow their dreams whilst giving them some practical ideas. The students readily identified goals they want to implement at the College. Community service program - Hennessy continued to be proactive with themes based on Catholic Social Teachings that reflect the needs of the community. Students are active in community service programs including feeding the community through the Young North Food Van and Dine and Donate, these programs promote respect, service and responsibility. We hope to expand this program in 2022 with the involvement of Years 9 and 10 working at the St. Vincent de Paul store during their religion lessons A big thank you to Mrs. Brooke McCann who organised, inspired and accompanied the year 7 Dancing Troupe to the Cowra Eisteddfod. The girls had a fantastic time and were just beaten into 2nd place by 2 points. A big thank you also to Elisabeth Hall and Hayley Grotegoed who gave up numerous lunchtimes to instruct the girls. All the girls involved were a credit to the College and we look forward to going one better in 2022.
Awards Program - The College strives to challenge students to be their best selves and rewards positive student behaviour through the College Awards System. The Awards system was overhauled this year and focused on the College’s vision statement. This allowed many students to be acknowledged for the fantastic work they do both inside and outside the classroom. Thank you to Mrs. Dunk for all her efforts in putting together the College awards system, she tracked and recorded each student and every activity they did in 2021. Lockdown Part 2 - The Hennessy community is much more than the bricks that make up the school, it is the people. Again this year’s lockdown highlighted the strength of our community. As part of continuing to build community, the House Leaders contacted every family to touch base and offer support. Lock down also saw students move online for Year Assemblies –via Teams and as part of SWS. These meetings included quizzes, scavenger hunts and dressing up. These were also an important part of staying connected as a community. Cyber Safety – A focus for the College this year was ensuring that students were safe online. As part of this focus we engaged the services of the Cyber Safety group. They surveyed every year level, reported back to each year level concerns raised on a year level basis. They also spoke to staff and parents to ensure that the entire Hennessy community was supported. Working with the Cyber safety Program, we had Senior Constable Shanelle Lockett present to years 8, 9 and 10. She spoke about a variety of topics that were targeted each particular year group. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in the Hennessy community who has made my time here so enjoyable and enriching. As I have often said to the students the greatest part of Hennessy is the students and this continues to be the case, but the students are a reflection of their parents and the guidance of the College staff. Hennessy is a great community and I say that as a teacher and a parent of a past student. My Tom on his first day at Hennessy stated that "Dad, I walked across the playground and 3 teachers knew my name and who I was. I spent 4 years at my old school and nobody knew me”. That has stuck with Tom and myself and we have been truly privileged to be part of this wonderful community and will greatly miss it. Movember - Year 12 again supported Movember this year. As always the focus was on raising awareness of issues in men’s mental health. All the boys added to their good looks!
Goodbye, Good Luck and God Bless
Mark Chifley Assistant Principal - Mission and Wellbeing
Religious Education
This year at Hennessy Catholic College has been filled with memorable moments. The Religious Education team has worked hard to make our Catholic faith come to life through interesting inquiry- based learning, participation in ministry and social justice activities and much more. The Religious Education teaching team at the College this year has been bigger than ever, giving us a unique opportunity to implement some wonderful initiatives to make Jesus known and loved in our community. Led by Ms. Beth Doherty, the team was made up of Jessica Buchanan (who will take up the role of Religious Education Leader in 2022), Alice Riley, Luke Miller, Peter Igoe-Taylor, Elizabeth Igoe-Taylor, Simon Quinn, Leonie Hill, Sharon Hibbert, Damien Foley, Mark Chifley, Paul McAlister, Catherine Riordan and Ian Mergard. The year began with Year 11 Retreat in which students attended St Clement’s Monastery in Galong for an overnight stay. Chris Doyle from Sydney spent the day with the Year 11 students engaging in a range of activities. The evening session was more reflective, and students wrote letters to their future selves, which were given back to them at their October leadership Mass. Our Opening Mass was celebrated by Parish Priest Fr. Jiss Sunny, and featured a new song 'I can see a future composed by Religious Education Leader Beth Doherty to reflect the year’s theme Inspiring futures of hope. So many students were involved in the liturgy doing readings, carrying signs and symbols, and the result was a beautiful and moving ceremony. Hennessy’s commitment to social justice was at the fore this year with a visit in March from Lulu Mitshabu, Caritas Australia’s Congolese-born Africa Programs Coordinator and Diocesan Director.
Lulu spoke to our Year 7-10 Religious Education classes, and then in the afternoon, the school and Parish hosted a joint wine and cheese gathering served by the senior leadership team. Lulu also ran a Professional Development session on Catholic Social Teaching for staff.
R.E
We marked the start of the Lenten season with a short but poignant Ash Wednesday ceremony with lots of student involvement. Six weeks later, our Easter Liturgy had a 20- piece choir, and Year 8 art students made lino cuts of the stations of the cross, each of which were projected onto the screens, stark images marking Jesus’ journey to Calvary. Archbishop Christopher Prowse visited us during March also, and he enjoyed speaking with the senior leaders and staff. Two of our Year 9 students Anna Harden and Majella McGrath showed him their PowerPoint presentations on Catholic Social Teaching with which he was very impressed. Harmony Day in March was a wonderful opportunity for interfaith dialogue, led by senior student Jannat Bakri. We held an assembly where we raised money for refugees (through Caritas) and welcomed both Muslim and Christian speakers to articulate what it means to be a multicultural society. Hennessy Day is a huge event for our college, and our Hennessy Day Mass in Term 2 took on the theme of 'I was hungry and you fed me', a theme from Matthew’s Gospel that reminds us that how we treat the least of our brothers and sisters really matters. Our readings all centered around this theme and funds were directed to St Vincent de Paul’s winter appeal. Fr Joe Neonbasu (Assistant Priest at St Mary’s) celebrated the Mass, which had some lovely surprises, including 30 students in the choir, and the appearance at the Gospel Acclamation of Joe Dirt the sheep, a little lamb being raised by Year 8 student Clancy Douglas. Religious Education teachers made a special effort to create unique activities for their classes, and some warrant particular mention. Elizabeth Igoe-Taylor got her Year 8 students making recycled soccer balls for Catholic Mission’s initiative Socktober, and although we were unable to do a whole-school fundraiser due to COVID, the Year 8s did their own radio advertisements advertising the initiative. Year 9 Youth Ministry Classes created their own Homilies, learning about how to make the Gospel relevant to their current day. Other classes wrote letters to Pope Francis, or made online profiles for medieval saints. Ultimately, much effort has been made by our dedicated team to present Religious Education as an engaging, challenging, and relevant subject. Some students have even remarked that this year, for the first time, they have looked forward to attending religion classes. Sincere thanks and blessings to all who have supported these important initiatives throughout the year. God bless you all and may Christ be born in your hearts this Christmas and into the New Year.
Religious Education Leader Beth Doherty
English Matters Our Year 7 IHI students began the year focusing on key literacy and comprehension skills, studying poetry, narratives and persuasive text types. They developed their understanding of visual literacy through our study of Jeannie Baker’s picture book ‘Mirror’. Students engaged in a close study of text throughout Term 3 regarding Adeline Yen Mah’s autobiographical text ‘Chinese Cinderella’, emphasising the importance of resilience and perseverance during times of hardship. The students are commended on the way they responded to the challenges of remote learning, honing their skills in composing a persuasive speech regarding an Ancient Chinese heritage site. During Term 4, students shifted their focus to the world of film, considering the decisions made behind the camera and how this impacts and engages the audience. The Year 8 students have distinguished themselves as aspirational learners who have enjoyed the opportunities provided in English to engage with a diverse range of texts and modalities that encourage them to think critically and inclusively of the 21st century world in which they live. When given the chance to self-select their texts, their choices were inspirational as they gravitated towards quality literature that resonated for them such as Keats “To Autumn”, Shelley’s “Ozymandias”, Kipling’s “If”, Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” and Angelou’s “Still I Rise”. You might like to take the time to read some of these texts and be similarly delighted by what our Year 8s see as being important to them. Year 9 students began the year developing their writing skills with the “Language, Literacy and Learning Toolkit” unit, enabling them to extend their conscious use of a range of stylistic features. This is the springboard into a study of the dystopian novel ‘The Hunger Games’. Working with Shakespeare occurred during our online lessons, allowing for theatrical recitals of the Bard's famous sonnets to take place behind screens. This allowed students to optimise their use of technology in their presentations. Original and entertaining sonnets, using iambic pentameter, were written and enjoyed by our students. Year 10 English students have engaged in learning activities designed to ensure that they have well-developed functional literacy and to prepare them for Stage 6 English. Our Year 10 students have been focused on developing core critical literacy knowledge and skills to support their effective transition into Stage 6 English. They have crafted discursive texts through the conscious use of macro and micro thesis statements in their “Power of Words” unit and their “Journeys” Area of Study. The study of culturally relevant films has provided them with opportunities to develop enhanced understanding of themselves and of diverse human experiences and cultures. In engaging with the role of advertising in our modern lives, they have learnt to become critical consumers of information with a heightened appreciation of how we are often manipulated by a range of multimodal strategies. It will be a pleasure to welcome them into Senior English in 2022. Year 11 English Studies started the year with the module “Achieving Through English” which aligned well with the Work Studies course that most of the students also studied this year. During this module students were able to think deeply about their future aspirations and practice their interview skills. The consistent feedback from the class was that they were grateful for the opportunity to develop their interview skills as well as their resumes and cover letters.
English Matters
In Year 11 Standard English our students applied themselves to developing their creative and critical faculties and broadening their capacity for cultural understanding. The common module “Reading to Write” supported their transition to Stage 6 English through providing them with many opportunities to engage with a range of texts to enhance their analytical and creative writing skills and knowledge. Through their study of the multimodal “Sherlock” series, students developed understandings of how contemporary digital texts make meaning. We look forward to working with these students as they continue to develop into flexible and critical thinkers, capable of appreciating the variety and complexity of the world in which they live. The Year 11 Advanced English class started the year with an exploration of “Narratives that Shape Our World”. Class discussions, about the important role of storytelling in helping us to understand the complex and challenging nature of the world we live in, were lively and engaging. Contemporary Australian authors featured this year with students studying novels by Markus Zusak and Sofie Laguna as students honed their skills in multimodal communication, creative writing and literary analysis. The commitment and enthusiasm of this group was obvious as they readily engaged with the challenges of deconstructing William Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’ during lockdown. It was an interesting start to the English Extension 1 course for the Year 11 students where they studied the unit ‘Encounters with the Other’. Working with increasingly complex literature such as Cooper’s ‘Last of the Mohicans’ and Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’ allowed the class to delve into the concepts of what makes us who we are and how that concept has been reflected through literary works across time. There were robust discussions both in class and via our online conferences during lockdown as students were given opportunities to theorise about how to respond to and compose significant texts. Year 12 English Studies students started the year with the module “Text and Human Experience” where they analysed the documentary series 'Go Back To Where You Came From. The class engaged with the module enthusiastically. This ongoing dedication to the subject was evident with students being able to demonstrate their understanding of the various modules studied, effectively engaging with the content and class discussions. The Year 12 Standard English students have undertaken their study of text-based human experiences with characteristic commonsense and perseverance. They have analysed and crafted texts about the importance of human connection, empathy, family and friends as well as the restorative power of the natural world and the importance of environmental stewardship. Their Stage 6 English studies has provided a foundation for them - as they move into the next phase of their lives - to give expression to their ideals and dreams, to become increasingly innovative, independent learners who are able to use language to effectively collaborate and to reflect on their life experiences. Mr Bigwood, the Year 12 Advanced English teacher, has emphasised how proud he is of the resilience and effort displayed by the cohort this year. They have weathered the storm of disturbances caused by Covid and produced some outstanding work. The quality of the academic writing produced by these students has continued to develop and their Trial results reflect their work ethic, strength of character and dedication. The irony of studying Orwell’s 1984 during this era of upheaval was not lost on them either! We wish them all the best as they move forward in their future endeavours.
Ms Trisha Stadtmiller English Coordinator
Mathematics Report
2021 is rather special: it is the concatenation of two consecutive integers (20 and 21) and also the product of two consecutive primes (43 and 47). https://www.numbersaplenty.com/2021
This year, students have developed their skills in mathematics by accessing a mixture of textbooks, worksheets, hands-on activities, Google Classroom, Education Perfect and Mathspace. Well done to all staff and students on showing their resilience during online learning again this year. Congratulations to the 18 students who participated in the ICAS Mathematics Competition this year to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in a wider setting. Also to Jorja O’Brien for her award from Mathspace for continuing to strive to improve. A big thank you to the wonderful Mathematics staff in 2021 for all their efforts this year: Mr Smith, Mrs Nowlan, Mr Fouracre, Miss Chen, Mr Cullen, Mr Krakue and Miss Woods. A special thanks to Mr Fouracre who leaves us to explore new adventures up the coast next year.
On behalf of the Mathematics staff I would like to wish everyone a happy, restful and holy Christmas holiday and to continue to “learn dynamically” in 2022.
Camille Carberry Mathematics Leader
HSIE 2021
TAS/VET Report
Well, what a year! Another Covid interrupted time for us all. I would like to thank and congratulate the teachers and students for the way they have handled some of our time during online learning in our practical subjects. Despite missing some time in our workshops and kitchens, students have produced some fantastic projects/dishes and have been presented with many new experiences. The classes, teachers and units have been listed below along with many pictures to display our students in action. Year 7 - Technology Mandatory Mrs Duff - Food (Fantastic Food) Mr Igoe-Taylor - IT (Programming and drones) Mr Hem - Skylap (Balsa wood planes) Mrs Schiller - Agriculture (Chicken & Egg) Year 8 - Technology Mandatory Mrs Hill - Photography Mrs Schiller - Agriculture (Australian Hamburgers) Mr Igoe-Taylor - Metal (Candelabra) Mr Hem - GoogleSketchup Mr Cullen - Timber (CO2 Dragster) Year 9/10 Food Mrs Duff - Food in Australia, Food Selection & Health, Food Production, Service and Catering
Year 9/10 Timber Mr Hem - Coffee Table and Bedside Table
Year 9/10 Metal Mr Schmidt - G-Clamp, Motorbike Lift Stand, Stool, Tack Hammer
Year 11 Timber Mr Hem - Serving Tray, Wine Table
Year 12 Timber Mr Hem - Major Projects
VET Hospitality (Yr 10, 11 & 12) Miss Worner
VET Construction (Yr 11 & 12) Mr Schmidt
VET Sports Coaching Mr Croese
Mr Mark Schmidt TAS/VET Coordinator
YEAR 7 AG
Written by Chloe Laybutt & Sarah Miller
This year at the agriculture plot, we've learned a variety of things. We learned how to care for poultry, plant seeds to create beautiful gardens, and so much more. We have expanded our knowledge on topics like garden nutrients and keeping chickens disease-free.
At the start of the year, we became designers and ensured the chickens had a safe and enclosed environment.
The Gardens/Chickens We have been learning a lot about plants and poultry at the Ag plot this year/term. Beginning in the classroom with informational booklets about the parts of the chicken, diseases they can catch, the reproductive system, and the food they require. Also, knowing how to properly care for plants, including what fertilizer to use, what chemicals to avoid, and which ones will aid in the plant's growth. We'd then proceed to the Ag Plot, where all the action takes place! We'd start by weeding, planting small seeds, watching them grow big and healthy, and getting stung by stinging nettles. The Chickens The Ag plot received 30 baby chickens each term. As they grew, we weighed them on a regular basis and replenished their water, food, and bedding. In addition to lots of cuddles. Eventually, we moved them into a larger enclosure with green mesh over the top to keep them from flying out once they reached a certain size. Given their size, they were given wood shavings as bedding, large feeders, and large water containers. We continued to weigh them as they grew, and we were astounded at how big, fast, and ugly they were getting. The Gardens We had set groups at the Ag plot as well. Each group got its own garden bed, as there were a total of six garden beds. There were peas, corn, broccoli, tomatoes, and pumpkin in everyone's garden bed, as well as a few poppies. Our gardens also have plenty of hay to fertilize due to one particular student being very caring! A Big Thank You LPC is to be commended for providing day old chickens to the college chickens each term. The chickens have been a delight. Their specialised breeding and unique genetics has ensure the pullets grow and produce top quality egg laying. The chickens have been weighed every lesson and we were amazed how quickly they have grown. The chickens have found beautiful homes with students and teachers of the college. Thank you also to Ambos Stock Feeds for ensuring our chickens are happy and healthy. A consistent supply of top-quality feed has ensured the chickens grown to optimum growth and laying plenty of eggs.. The feed has ensured Providing us with Chicken Starter Crumble, Layer Mash C, and Scratch Mix on a regular basis! Starting with Light Sussex, French Marans, Australorp, Rhode Island Red, Gold Laced Bantam, and Isa Browns, and ending with Light Sussex, French Marans, Australorp, Rhode Island Red, Gold Laced Bantam, and Isa Browns! We adore our chickens, particularly our lovely black Australorp, who is sly and devious. Always fiddling with your shoelaces to keep you distracted, then sprinting out the gate as you kneel down to re-tie your laces! Duck Duck, our small Indian Runner, and the crazy Guinea Fowl that look a lot like mini penguins at the moment, are also on our list of special ones! Our Breeds of Chickens! The variety of chicken breeds we have is something we are really pleased with.
Year 8 Agriculture
During Technology Agriculture in Year 8, we studied the Australian Hamburger. Learning, growing and developing skills in the Agricultural enterprises needed to produce a Hamburger. We have learnt how to grow vegetables. This started off with us having to learn the garden tools that we may be using down at the Ag plot and animal safety for when we handle the chickens, duck and Guinea Fowls. As a team, we planted corn, in rows, with recycled paper buried in the soil to feed the worms. As our learning teams chose our own garden bed, we started to weed around the beds, dig trenches to then bury old paper/booklet for the worms, we could not find the paper other classes in the past had buried. From seeds, we planted a wide variety of vegetable seeds and sunflowers. In the classroom, we learnt about Australian export industries and trade around the world and the importance and impact Australia Agriculture has on these countries. We also learnt the different breeds of sheep and the consumption of sheep meat throughout the world. As the world of farming advances, drones and Autonomous tractors are becoming more and more common, especially for herding sheep and cattle and cropping. On the school grounds garden beds, we harvested beetroot, leeks, parsnips and a lot of herbs that have been grown throughout the year by all year 8 classes in Tech- Ag. In the Glasshouse we used plant cuttings from a variety of plants to recreate new plants. This process is called propagation, we removed the bottom leaves, and dipped the stems into root hormone or honey to promote root growth. There are many ways to germinate seeds which we did in the classroom. That consisted of placing a moist paper towel into a plastic container and pushing seeds into the paper towel. We then placed the containers in a plastic bag up in BD2 where the plastic bag acted as a mini-greenhouse. Within a week the seed had germinated. At the end of the term, we made delicious hamburgers that included local meat and produce including lettuce, cheese, tomato, beetroot, beef, eggs and bacon supplied by IGA. In agriculture, there are many different opportunities and careers that are available all year round near Young that could be your occupation in the future. Fun Fact: In 2020 alone, it was the biggest harvest on record with 31 million tonnes of grain.
Izabelle Cartwright & Reagan Griffin
CAFS Report
This year we have seen the growth of the Community and Family Studies (CAFS) course, with two Year 11 classes and one Year 12 class. We welcomed Miss Lucy Woods to the Community and Family Studies team as a teacher, we have really enjoyed her energy and passion for the course. In CAFS we learn about resource management and its role in ensuring individual, group, family and community wellbeing, the contribution of positive relationships of families and communities, the influence of a range of societal factors on individuals, and the nature of groups, families and communities, research methodologies and skills in researching, analysing and communicating skills in the application of management processes to meet the needs of individuals and groups. The students learn skills in critical thinking and the ability to take responsible action to promote wellbeing. Finally, an appreciation of the diversity and interdependence of individuals, groups, families and communities. CAFS is a well-rounded course that allows the students to gain an understanding of the contemporary challenges in our community. Some of the highlights this year were our Kinder Surprise challenge, students had to use communication skills to build the toy whilst blindfolded, the remote learning dress-up challenges, the teamwork when designing wedding dresses and of course our guest speaker from The Big Issue who was a homeless woman who shared her story with us.
We wish our Year 12 CAFS students all the best with their future endeavours.
Mrs McInerney & Miss Woods
CAFS
PDHPE Report
Year 7 PDH - Personal identity, challenges, seeking help, relationships, rights and responsibilities, communication, bullying, health, fitness, nutrition, puberty and health products and services. PE - Initiative games, gymnastics, creative dance, fitness, lifelong physical activity, hockey, softball and lacrosse. Year 8 PDH - Wellbeing, mental health, body image, sexual health, cybersafety, drug use, road safety, first aid, belonging, equality, inclusion and family. PE - Netball, basketball, cricket, volleyball, touch, softball, soccer, league tag, viva 7’s, indigenous games and international games. Year 9 PDH - Support networks, mental health, risks, decision making, safe partying, alcohol, illicit drugs, relationships, power and diversity. PE - Yoga, relaxation, Rock and Water, gymnastics, dance, AFL, Gaelic football, futsal, European handball and target games. Year 10 PDH - Life challenges, careers, resumes, leadership, road safety, fitness, nutrition and Australia’s health. PE - Coaching, invasion games, fitness testing and summer games. PASS Water safety, lifesaving principles, issues in sport (drug use in sport, ethics), coaching, ultimate games, bocce, frisbee and belly flop baseball.
Mrs Brooke McCann PDHPE Coordinator
Art Report - YEARS 7&8
Throughout 2021 years 7 and 8 have a semester rotation between music and art.
Within the visual arts element, the Year 7 classes look at the units of Perspective and Indigenous art. Perspective is looking at the different points of view of images, sculptures and objects. The students are encouraged to participate in interactive drawing experiences following the instructions of an instructional video to create an artwork of both one and two point perspectives. For the second half of Term Three remote learning took place and the students were encouraged to be creative in their thoughts, producing art out of the resources that existed in the environment around them, making houses from anything that they were able to get their hands on both inside and outside the house. They shared their creations in the classroom. For the Indigenous unit, the students were required to complete a survey that would, in turn, give them a totem animal that they were required to develop a scratch art form and then write a story that reflected some facts and fiction related to the indigenous culture, sharing a moral or message for guidance of life. Once they had completed these tasks the students were required to create a double-sided coin or placemat. They implemented the techniques of the previous task and dot painting to produce an indigenous art piece that shared information about Australian flora and fauna.
Mrs Leonie Hill
Art Report - YEARS 7&8
Year 8 classes looked at the units of Pop Art and Printing.
The development of a Pop Art piece used the implementation of knowledge and techniques of the impressionism movement for the background, and having the foreground share a message for the audience today through the techniques of Pop Art artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Litchenstein. During lockdown the students were challenged to complete pop art related to the artists of Bansky and Richard Hamilton. They were encouraged to utilise the resources around them using the techniques of these artists. For printing, the students have been asked to create a double sided coin or Olympic medal focusing on Australian fauna and flora. Their assigned tasks were to produce several relief prints in black and colour in order to produce 3 final prints; 1 black and white, one watercolor and the other layered with various colours of monoprints. Once complete the students are required to complete a reduction print where they remove each printed layer of lino to create a textured image of their choice.
Mrs Leonie Hill
Art Report - YEARS 7&8
I have had the privilege of working with two groups of Year 8 for Art. Semester One and Two. We have worked on Lino Printing and the history of Lino Printing, including a Peel Paragraph on the process of creating a linocut and then printing from it. Both groups rose to the challenge of these activities and obviously enjoyed the process and created some very interesting images. This semester’s group pushed through Lino Cutting and then Pop Art and Expressionism, creating excellent drawings then paintings using a combination of Pop Art and Expressionism. Some of this group then painted on old canvases creating another version of their Pop Art Expressionist Image. Now they are working on small wire sculptures of animals ( Australia Native animals is the theme) Although some students are focusing on their pets ( dogs or cats).
Mr Peter Igoe-Taylor
Art Report - YEAR 12 Another fantastic year where our students' talent and skills has once again catapulted the level to an all time high. Student works encapsulate the world around us in new, innovative ways, instigating thought and reflection.
Amy Knapman
This artwork is a paradoxical subversion of the aphorism, Till Death Us Do Part. Informed by the increase in domestic violence figures during the global Covid-19 pandemic, this piece manifests the deterioration of the ontological self as a result of abuse. The imagery of the Babushka dolls in a diminishing progression encapsulates the fragility of the psyche in the face of coercion and control. Each of the five dolls represent the five women killed globally every hour at the hands of a partner or family member. The symbolic wilting of flowers references the degradation of the self, progressing from the blossoming of a relationship to the eventual withering of an individual.
The work was accompanied by a short film created with stock images that reflects upon the destruction of domestic violence.
FILM
Charlotte Hudson
TITLE: "Insanity Reigns" Insanity Rules builds a narrative of unhinged political leaders within an insane asylum. This body of work is fused with references that symbolise the problematic leadership of today’s world leaders. Through this symbolism, these egotistical political personalities are exposed for their biased decisions that often fail to account for the public's best interest. The resultant body of work questions why we still tolerate this patriarchal system of politics today.
Art Report - YEAR 12
Alexis Moran My artwork is inspired by the changing landscapes that have dominated this ancient culture for thousands upon thousands of years. I have created a transparent sandbox so the audience too can capture the passage of time as the colours, shape and richness of the landscape changes. The frame of the sandbox depicts Aboriginal symbols representing culturally important matters including family, community, coming together and country. These same representations are evident in my own family and culture. My work has been heavily inspired by Aunty Enid, a proud Wiradjuri woman who sat with me, taught me and shared with me some of her ancient and precious culture. As I release the sand and capture the changing landscape my work will also sadly but importantly demonstrate colonisation’s attempts to denigrate this ancient culture and separate Aboriginal people from their country. This changing landscape also represents our treatment of Mother Earth and our lack of respect for all she represents, a respect, however, that Aboriginal people have always known and maintained.
The work is accompanied by the sandbox which has been painted with the guidance of Aunty Enid, a proud Wiradjuri woman. The work is captured on film.
FILM
Claire Jiang A terrible burden
The work reflects upon the practice of Abdul Abdullah with the outlined figures and the cultural blend of Indigenous, Chinese and European influences from the flags, the figures the gold earrings and the Australian Gold Rush to the red envelopes and the Chinese messages. The cultural blending with this work presents a subtlety and exploration into the ideas and concepts presented. The title of the work and the representation of objects are relevant and contemporary.
Art Report - YEAR 12
Chloe Norris
“Between the Horns” is directly influenced by the representation of motherhood, Mother Gaia, and the Mother Goddesses. As a sacred reminder of fertility, birth, nurturing, patience, nourishment, female power, and potential, by highlighting each detail of the cow, the work is symbolic of the meaning of life. Additionally, the cow has been a symbol of fertility, growth, and nurturing in many cultures around the world for thousands of years. For me, cows are emotional and social animals who make the best of friends once they form that bond and are deeply curious about other creatures and the world around them.
Art Report - YEAR 12
Kyle Price The work “Terra Stellar” is about how “beings” can be “unique” . The work is lit by changing shades of light and moves in a circular motion.
Emily Dillon Threading The Needle: All Roads Lead Home specifically references the lives of Sue, Ian, Margaret and George, and encapsulates the exploration of heritage and ancestry, symbolising the weaving together of time for grandparent and granddaughter.
Tess Barnes “Relentless unpredictability ”,
The work presents the events of 2020 in a unique sculptural form, which is highlighted by the lights that capture the impacting and lasting events of 2020. The work can be viewed from multiple angles and entices the audience visually from its dimensions to the lights and small figurines placed within each constructed number.
Art Report - YEAR 12
Olivia McLennan The Art of Gender Through featuring appropriations of Yasumasa Morimura’s “Portrait” (1998) and Donatello’s bronze ‘David’ (c. 1440), the photo series “The Art of Gender” showcases ‘two sides of the coin’ exploring gender, female subjectivity, and culture while simultaneously opposing phallocentric ideologies and depictions of the feminine. Transforming the subject’s physical appearance with makeup, costume and digital display the subjective experience of performing for the camera as these aforementioned subjects. Through reversing the portrayal of femininity and masculinity of the woman and statue, the artwork challenges typical notions associated with power, authority, submission, and independence. manipulation creates a performative relationship between the mediums that representations and expectations of women both throughout history and in contemporary society, suggesting that these ideas condition women’s perceptions in a patriarchal culture. Furthermore, the subjective agency generated through a performance artwork places the subject’s identity as a woman at the forefront, a radical postmodern position that creates a multi-layered, allegorical and inferential experience for both the artist and the audience Moreover, by extension, the artwork criticises traditional
Art Report - YEAR 12
Rory O’Brien Let Justice be Done though the Heavens Fall
“Let Justice be Done though the Heavens Fall”, through references to the High Art of Antiquity and the mythology of the Roman Goddess Justitia, demonstrates the flaws in her motifs of equality, impartiality and justice and the consequent fall of the modern Justice System from a perfect form of ‘grace’. The gilded lines of the traditional Japanese art technique of Kintsugi stand in stark contrast to the subjective gaze of the Goddess as her veil of impartiality slips, a promise for the rectification of a system that has the potential to once more be “without corruption, favour, greed, or prejudice”.
Mrs Marianne McLachlan Art Coordinator
Photography What a great and talented cohort of photographers I have had the pleasure of working with in 2021. With the assistance of Mrs Mergard we tackled photoshop with a focus on image manipulation and gifs. Students worked through movements in photography through the creation of their own images, worked on capturing the historic township of Young, created their own masks and looked at the figure in the landscape and put together their own calendars for 2022.
Mrs Hill
Music
2021 was a creative time as music teachers and students navigated learning while watching the new Music Centre appear. The junior classes had a mix of online learning and practical time using guitars. The generosity of the Art department in sharing their space was very much appreciated. The elective Music class took ownership of the move and were spotted on the grounds carrying all the gear for safekeeping in E Block until the building was ready. When it was time to move in, again the elective class took the reins and systematically retrieved all packed away music equipment. They then worked from the ground up, ensuring each of the three practice rooms contained drums, piano keyboards and amplification, leaving the premium equipment for the senior performance space in the extra large teaching room. In Week 3 of Term 4 all music students returned to the Music Centre and have been enjoying the bigger space. The HSC students showed resilience, patience, and an ability to approach independent study with a lot of their course delivered via video conferencing during lockdown. All current music students and of course the 2022 HSC class are the beneficiaries of a tremendous space and have been waiting keenly at the door for every class this term. While COVID restricted a big aspect of performing this year, the junior and senior academic assemblies at the end of the year had extra reason to celebrate as the students were allowed to perform. We look forward to 2022 in the new Music Centre.
Mrs Catherine Riordan
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