Class 12 Cosmology Main Lesson

Across the first six weeks of this term, the two Class 12 groups have completed their Cosmology Main Lessons. During these three weeks together, we have explored how humanity views the cosmos, and how these views have evolved over time, alongside the emerging human consciousness.

Each class has engaged in conversations with specialised presenters on their unique perspectives of the cosmos. This has enabled them to examine more deeply the views of First Nations culture, Christianity and practitioners of therapeutic astrology, complementing lessons covering Ancient Egyptian and modern scientific perspectives. Through studying the lens with which people view the cosmos, we are able to get a deeper understanding of why they interact with the people and space around them in the way they do.

Through looking at the elements that shape the cosmology of a society or culture, students can start to acknowledge what has shaped their view of the Universe, and share this openly with their class. As a result of this process the class was inspired to ask more questions of themselves, their classmates, and the cosmos, in a way that is authentic to their journey. For the 12B group, this Main Lesson marks the end of their Main Lesson journey in the High School.

Brett Kranz-Little
Physics/Maths & Science Teacher

High School NAIDOC Afternoon - Part 2

In High School, on the Thursday afternoon of Week 3, each subject area put aside its standard curriculumn and brought content that was developed to celebrate our First Nations peoples, relevant to the different subject areas as well as the various age groups of each class.  Here's a little more of what was explored:

Class 8 Ecology yarned with Aunty Marie’s daughter, learning about the properties, importance and connection of native bushtucker plants found around our school.

Class 9 English watched Language and Me and had discussions about what language means for each of them.  From there, they went outside and took turns telling stories about how we use language in our own lives, and what other languages there are beyond just the spoken words - nature, in particular.

Class 11 Japanese compared Japanese and Noongar languages, which coincidentally are quite similar.

11/12 Outdoor Ed students looked at the different practices in Acknowledging Country.

11//12 Sculpture students made small plaques of sculptured faces of First Nations people who have fought for justice.

11/12 Creative Writing students looked at Sharon Roebourne’s poem ‘Elders’, re-writing the poem in their words.

11/12 Specialist Mathematics class looked at the Mathematics of Bushfire, an Indigenous Knowledge activity from the University of Melbourne

Class 12 Projects

Ivy Wolff-Boenisch

15-Minute City Survey.

My name is Ivy, and in this survey, I invite you to envision and shape a community's future by adopting the "15-Minute City." While this survey is hypothetical, your insights and preferences will support my process of designing a plan for a city that is a sustainable, dynamic, and people centered. The 15-Minute City revolves around the idea of creating neighbourhoods where all essential services and amenities are within a 15-minute walking or biking distance from every home. This will reduce car traffic and thus the suburban carbon footprint.

https://forms.gle/kCZLYAr2CkufmWYB9

Shadows of Humanity  

A Group performance event by Lily Willow, Lux Rothenbury-Adams, Ella-Grace Parry, Ajuni Kaur.
Thursday, 31^st  of August  6pm – 8pm
PWS Hall 

Come and experience an exploration of the Shadows that exist within humanity. Four PWS class 12 students will be presenting, through various mediums their individual perspectives in relation to their Class 12 Projects. 

Salve (Hello & Goodbye)  

A play performed by: Tooi Ng
Fri 1^st  of September   4pm and 6:30pm
PWS Hall   

Lily Willow

Hi, my name is Lily Willow, and for my year 12 project, I am exploring the question: “What is dependent alcohol abuse and what are the effects on a family?“

I’ve noticed that living in Australia, alcohol use is normalised and seems to be a big part of our culture. I remember alcohol being everywhere around me when I was growing up. Alcohol is found at almost every event or thing we do, from sporting events to live music, weddings, work drinks and birthdays. People even take it on picnics! These early observations sparked the inspiration for my year 12 project.

I’ve often wondered why alcohol seems to be a necessary part of the way we celebrate together, and this led me to explore some of the factors behind the drinking culture and why for some people, it becomes something they depend on.

It is interesting to me how accepted it is in our culture, even though most of us are aware of the damage it can do and how it can affect both physical and mental health as well as impact relationships in negative ways.

Earlier this year, I watched a film by Dr Gabor Mate called The Wisdom of Trauma. This film delves into complex issues about addiction and is told from the perspective of those suffering from addiction. Gabor Mate’s compassion and deep understanding gave me a different perspective and I found myself deeply invested in discovering more about addiction and, in particular: dependence on alcohol.

I’ve learned that alcohol dependency and addiction aren’t quite the same thing. Dependency is a chronic medical condition that causes a person to drink alcohol excessively or have major

cravings towards alcohol. People suffering from alcohol addiction can’t stop drinking despite the psychological or physical harm it causes.

This year, I discovered the depth of the influence and power of the alcohol industry. It’s not only something we do at almost everything in life, it is also something we give others and use in many ways. For example, many people give a bottle of wine as a gift. Alcohol is also seen as a way to unwind after a hard day at work. In fact, many workplaces encourage their workers to do “Friday drinks” as a local bar and maintain that it is good for bonding with colleagues and building workplace morale. Taverns are at all of our university campuses in Perth, and ‘pub crawls’ are advertised on posters and in classrooms by social clubs at universities.

I feel a lot of empathy towards those that suffer with dependence as well as the families and communities around them. I learned the significant impacts alcohol abuse has on the user’s family members are not often acknowledged.

Dependence doesn’t just affect the person suffering from it, it affects everyone connected with that person. The negative impacts can be very damaging, and I’ve learned that overcoming this is challenging. Kids who grow up in a household involved in alcohol misuse will often live in an atmosphere of dysfunction, secrecy, denial, and distrust. Alcohol dependency overrides day-to-day functioning, and sometimes children’s basic needs are sometimes neglected. Nutrition, safety, education, consistency, affection, and healthcare are essential for establishing safety and security in a child’s life. Without these elements, children are left feeling insecure, uncertain and confused.

For my practical, I wrote a soliloquy from the perspective of the dependent alcohol user and the perspective of alcohol as if alcohol is a being. I will be bringing this soliloquy to the world through a performance. The performance will be in Williams Hall, on Thursday August 31st 6pm to 8pm. Please also see my poster in this edition and online. It would be great to see you there.

Caitlyn Boyle

Hi my name is Caitlyn, and for my year 12 project, I chose to delve into the topic of creativity. Initially, this was a vast, expansive topic, and it took time to narrow it down to a specific set of topics I chose to look into. It took me a while to settle on this topic as I had many other ideas about what I wanted to do. I initially thought I was going to look into how emotions are portrayed in film or how film affects an actor's physical and mental health. While these ideas were interesting, I was influenced by my brother's class 12 project on imagination, and I wanted to do something similar to it as I loved what he did. I was also very influenced by the way my grandmother would speak about creativity and inspiration, which is what led me to my question:

“What can block creativity, how can we deal with these blocks, and what are some techniques that can enhance our creativity?”

Throughout my life, creativity has been very present and a big part of who I am. My creativity thrived through art, music and drama, bringing me so much joy through colours, sound and experiences. As I got into high school, I noticed a decline in my creative process.  It became harder and harder to produce any creative ideas. I found that whenever I wanted to use my creative thinking, I felt blocked and disengaged, unable to produce any creative thoughts or ideas. My world became very black and white, and I let myself be very basic in ideas and not think outside of the box. This is one of the reasons I chose creativity as my topic and why I wanted to learn more about creative blocks and why they happen. Creativity is a human skill that every single person possesses, whether they think so or not. In this day and age, creativity is not as used as it should be.  This may be due to people's inability to tap into their creativity or being blocked. My aim with my project was to not only inform myself about this topic but also to help other creative individuals identify common blocks and then identify strategies to aid with the creative process. Creativity is a universal skill that we all possess, it’s not just artists or musicians that can create; it’s a human ability that all of us can access if we know how.

At the end of my research, I concluded that the most common blocks were psychological and stem from the mind. I chose to look closely into writer's block, perfectionism, fear of failure, stress, and burnout, which are all blocks I struggle with a lot. The ways to combat these blocks are very similar to one another. All we need to do is to take a break, rest and recuperate our creative minds when they are too overworked and tired. If we hide away from our problems and don’t do anything about them, they will only continue to grow bigger when we have to face them. It is very therapeutic to face your creative demons and fight them.

Along with educating myself about common blocks, I also investigated techniques and strategies that support and enhance the process of creative thinking. In the beginning, one strategy that intrigued me was the Morning Pages created by Julia Cameron. This process is used to help clear an individual's mind of any thought or worry swirling around their mind.

Writing down your stream of consciousness can help clear the mind and promote creative space for individuals. This is done in the morning, as the name suggests, and while this works for many people, it was something that didn’t work for me because I’m yet to master the art of being a morning person!

Over the course of this project, I have learnt why I can be creatively stumped at times and what to do about it, which has helped me immensely when it came to my practical. For my practical, I am choosing to write a song. Songwriting has always been a way I express myself creatively and emotionally. It is also where I experience most of my creative blocks, like writer's block, perfectionism, and fear of failure. I intend on using the techniques that help combat any blocks I am experiencing and dealing with them, as well as trying to enhance my creative thinking throughout the process. I will be performing my practical at Open Day on the 26^th of August and at Music Night next term. I am still writing my song, but it is remarkably close to being complete. I look forward to sharing it with you at Open Day and Music Night.

Ethan Wuan

I’m Ethan, and for my Class 12 Project, I originally wanted to look at the technology used in the design of cars and investigate why cars aren’t necessarily designed with the best technologies available. I soon discovered the main reason behind this was legal reasons and the greed of car manufacturers, which didn’t interest me much. What I really wanted to engage with was the technology and design processes related to the car industry. So, I started to look at cars that were designed with the pinnacle of automotive technology: race cars. I found that most technologies found in consumer vehicles started out in performance vehicles, which is a passion of mine. This led me to look at the transfer of technologies from performance vehicles to consumer vehicles and, ultimately, my question. 

“How have advancements in the performance vehicle industry impacted everyday consumer vehicles?”

Through my research, my understanding of these impacts on everyday cars has developed and I’ve started to learn about the rationale behind why some advancements are deemed as viable for consumer vehicles. For example, some advancements don’t transfer because consumer vehicles typically do not experience the same conditions or requirements that performance vehicles do. Often advancements that do transfer to the consumer market have to be altered to serve a slightly different purpose. For example, Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) is used in Formula 1 (F1) cars and is something that has been used in consumer vehicles.

KERS is used to harness the energy produced from breaking and movement in the suspension, storing that energy to allow the F1 drivers to get 100hp of boost for up to 7 seconds per lap which can be utilized by the driver at any time during the race. This has been adapted for consumer cars to give some Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (EV) better range. This is similar to the technology used in F1 but serves a different purpose, storing energy for extended range rather than for a short boost of power. This has shown me how vehicles that are designed for completely different purposes, with completely different requirements, can still be beneficial in the development and improvement of other vehicles.

An interesting thing I learned while researching was that some car manufacturers are still dedicated to improving their vehicles rather than primarily motivated by profits. A good example of this is Koenigsegg who improved their car the Gemera between the first unveiling of this car to the first sale of the vehicle which was an already revolutionary Megacar. In this instance they fast tracked the development of new technology to improve the vehicle.

My practical has been through some changes this year, and this has been mostly due to affordability and time.  My aim was to see if there was a difference in the efficiency of different fuels. To do this I needed a car – the fun bit!

I started out with the idea of hooking up an auxiliary fuel tank to a car that had a set capacity, drive a designated route and then measure how much fuel was left after to determine the fuel consumption. My Grandad and I found what we thought was the perfect car for the project and it was in my budget but unfortunately, it wasn’t running. We thought it would be straightforward to fix and use it for my practical. This is where it stopped being fun.

I came across so many issues and it became a lot more challenging to manage in the time frame and budget I had left. My practical had to adapt a bit to meet these constraints.  One option we looked at with the guidance of my mentor was to hook up and test the difference between 91, 95, and 98 octane fuel with the car tuned to its original factory setting and driving the designated route twice. Then I would tune the car to each of the fuels for completing another 2 runs of each However, I came across so many problems and spent so much time just getting my car to start that once again, my practical required a reframe.

In the end, my practical will now be discussing the processes I went through to get the car running and I will write an article about what I would have expected to be the outcome of the testing with evidence to back it up.

Over this project, I have gained a large amount of mechanical knowledge and knowledge of what goes into designing cars. This is something I’m passionate about and, hopefully, something that will open further opportunities for my career in the future.

Adriana Jarrett

Hi, my name is Adriana Jarrett, and my love of horses has inspired my Class 12 Project journey.

A few years ago, I was blessed enough to build a bond with a very special horse named Ross. Unfortunately, I lost my boy in an accident in 2022. Ross and my ongoing journey in the equine world have inspired the course of my year 12 project.

Another reason I chose a project theme is that I knew it would keep me engaged throughout the year and that the knowledge and skills I learned, could be directly applied to helping my work with our family horses at home.

Throughout the year, I have explored the question;

“How do laminitis, hoof structure and associated conditions impact the horse's biomechanics, as well as its function, performance and well-being?”

As part of my research, I have learned about the equine hoof anatomy and its associated conditions. I focused on understanding each unique hoof's makeup and structure and what is required to obtain this optimal condition. As well as how essential it is to understand hoof anatomy to maintain proper hoof care and preserve the horse's overall health and performance.

I chose to look at laminitis because one of the ponies I care for is Milo, who is highly prone to laminitis. Laminitis is the second biggest killer of horses. This is because there is no successful treatment that works for all horses yet. The damage that laminitis can cause includes extreme pain, lameness, and permanent damage to the hooves, with many animals having to be euthanised. This usually happens when the horse does not receive proper hoof care and signs of laminitis are overlooked. Laminitis can be extremely common because the disease spreads quickly and can take effect within 48 hours.

My practical contains many components, with the main element being a children's book. This book aims to inspire and spread knowledge and awareness of laminitis and a Farrier's role in caring for a horse in a child-friendly way. The book is written from a horse's perspective and tells how the Farrier cares for the horses' hooves when they visit. The story teaches children about the importance of caring for the horse's hooves and the work of the Farrier in doing so.

Throughout this year, I have also had the opportunity to work with a Farrier myself. Every six weeks, I accompany her in her work for a whole day and experience and learn about all the Farrier's role entails. It is like a mini apprenticeship, enabling me to understand better the importance of what I have researched and how to apply it practically. I have also created a couple of side art pieces that display my project in an alternative way.

A farrier cares for the hooves by trimming and cutting them when needed. Renee is our family Farrier and cares for our horses, and she is my mentor for the Project. Through my time working with horses and Renee, I have learned that the hoof is one of the most important parts of the horse's body. I’ve asked Renee many questions, and my interest and knowledge of the anatomy of the hoof and farriering has grown.

Since Ross's passing, I have been working, training and caring for some ponies that live on our land, Milo and Jenny. The knowledge I have gathered from my project has enabled me to better care for the horses in my life and inspired me to share my knowledge and love of horses with others.