Welcome to Term 3!

The HSIE team has had a great start to the term, with some exciting and enriching learning activities being delivered across all Years 8-12.

Year 8 students are currently learning about Geography and learning about Interconnections. While this is largely a human geography topic, students are learning to apply geography skills to this topic, with specific focus on our interconnections locally, nationally and globally. Students are learning about the role of technology facilitating these interconnections, global business partnerships, trade links, as well as travel. When students switch over to the Water in the World topic in Term 4, we will be offering a cross-topic excursion with Region X Adventures where students will apply their learning to geographical fieldwork and evidence-based future environmental planning. More information to be shared with families shortly.

Year 9 students have begun their study of Sustainable Biomes. They are investigating different global, national and local biomes, with particular focus on the interconnected role climate and location play in biome sustainability and species adaptation. Students are learning about the diverse nature of Biomes and how humans can impact these, as well as developing sustainable management practices for these Biomes. Mrs Dell recently conducted fieldwork around the college grounds, so that students could identify the biome in which the college is built, as well as identifying the variety of fauna and flora surrounding us. Students conducted field sketches and collected examples of individual plants and trees.

Year 10 students have begun their study of The Holocaust. We have been focusing on the rise of Naziism in the lead up to World War 2, the increased persecution of Jewish and minority citizens within Germany, as well as the dismantling of civil liberties, rights and freedoms. The Year 10 team was able to arrange a virtual tour of Auschwitz, conducted by Dr Jerzy Wójcik.

Jerzy Wójcik works as a guide and educator at Auschwitz-Birkenau and runs the Holocaust Memorial Partnership. For a number of years, Jerzy has worked with several organisations and institutions in Poland, including the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, the Center for Holocaust Studies in Krakow, the Centre for International Relations in Warsaw, and the European Association of Israel Studies. In 2020, he created the Auschwitz Virtual Tour, an independent project supported by the IZROPA Foundation. This was an exceptional learning experience for our students. They were able to access aspects of Auschwitz-Birkenau not available to the public and benefited from Dr Jerzy’s detailed knowledge of the site. He combined historical footage, individual stories of survivors, contemporary graphics technology, aerial and drone recordings. Our students were engaged and asked thoughtful and mature questions throughout. I have attached a link to the free tour if parents are interested:

https://www.auschwitz.memorialpartnership.pl/index.php/en/

During Week 6, Year 10 students will complete a workshop with the Sydney Jewish Museum. This will also be facilitated via Microsoft Teams. The seminar will examine:

• How Nazi ideology operated as a driving force behind the decision to destroy European Jewry.
• Key historical events that culminated in the mass shootings of Jews and the establishment of extermination camps.
• An explanation of how the persecution and murder of Jews was central to the aim of the Nazi regime to establish an empire in Europe.

The program includes interactive sessions with a museum educator (including artefact analysis), first-hand testimony from a Holocaust survivor.

Year 11 students have begun their final preliminary topic for their respective HSIE courses and are preparing for their preliminary exams in Week 8. I encourage all Year 11 students to begin their revision and work with their teachers in preparation for their exams.

Year 12 students are currently sitting their trial HSC examinations. During the exam period, I encourage Year 12 students to contact their teachers if they have any questions or are struggling with course concepts. Our team is very happy to assist them. In preparation for their Trial HSC exams, students should use the syllabus for their respective subjects as a guide for what to focus on, revise, complete practice responses and submit these for feedback. The trial HSC is a really good opportunity for students to gauge their progress and to also use this as a time to direct their focus on areas of improvement. At the conclusion of the trial exam period, all HSIE classes will be focusing on course content, so it is very important that attendance patterns are maintained.

I look forward to sharing more HSIE news with you all in the coming weeks.

Kind Regards

Ms Linda Dwyer
HSIE Coordinator