Class 9 Ecology - Sustainability Unit

Alex McLeod
HS Maths & Science Teacher

Class 10 Science - Biology Unit

Sean Connolly
HS Science Teacher

CLASS 12 PROJECTS

Louisa Pimm

My name is Lulu and for my Year 12 Project I have chosen to look into the psychology of the comfort zone and key psychological theories that can help with and relate to pushing the boundaries of the comfort zone. I have contemplated what my Project topic would centre around since I was in primary school, never being quite sure about how I would be able to focus my interest into one specific field for the duration of an entire year. Towards the end of Year 11, I found myself struggling to connect with a topic that I could truly be invested in. One afternoon in German class, amidst one of many off-topic conversations, came about the questioning of why we struggle to push our comfort zones. This led me to think about my own experiences and perception of the comfort zone and what might be inside or outside of those boundaries.

Something that has always been prevalent in my life, is the overwhelming fear of public speaking—something that is considerably far outside of my comfort zone, so much so, some might call it the “panic zone,” a term drawn from the “comfort-stretch-panic” zone model which describes the point at which anxiety overrides learning and growth. This fear around presenting myself through public speaking drove me to this topic in hopes to better understand why myself and others struggle to push the threshold around our comfort zones.

Through my research I have come across a handful of psychological theories which can be used as strategies to safely push your comfort zone. I have decided to focus on one key theory in my report, which is the Growth Mindset. This is a concept coined by psychologist Carol Dweck, which is essentially an idea where individuals should believe that their intelligence and abilities are not fixed, and they can be progressed through learning and resilience. Looking into this theory has brought me to my Project question: 

“What is the psychology of the comfort zone and how can we push these thresholds utilising a growth mindset?”

My ideas for the practical component of this project have taken on many forms. One of the more obvious ones was to join a public speaking group, with the end goal of getting up to perform a speech. But honestly, the thought of that is incredibly daunting and absolutely terrifies me. At this point, the anxiety I feel about it seems to completely drown out any potential for growth or learning

Right now, though, my plan has shifted. I’m seriously considering doing a 3 or 4 day solo hike along the Bibbulmun Track during the upcoming school holidays. Even before starting this whole project, I knew that whatever I chose for my practical, it had to be something I was genuinely engaged in—and more importantly, something that challenged me. It had to push me outside my comfort zone.

Apart from a few school camps over the years at PWS, I’ve never truly experienced what it’s like to be completely alone and self-reliant for more than a few hours—let alone in a setting where those skills are absolutely essential. This hike wouldn’t just challenge me physically; it would be a real mental test as well. I’d have to stay motivated during long walking days and face the reality of being alone in the middle of nowhere each night.

In some way, I plan to bring this experience back to the community—most likely through a presentation where I’ll share what I went through on the track, the challenges I faced, what I learned, and, most importantly, how it helped me grow by stepping outside my comfort zone.

I hope that through my Project, or just by reading this, it will spark an idea in people's minds to develop a drive to push their comfort zone more often and to encourage others in doing so.

Rupert Williamson Wong

Hi everyone, this year for my project I decided to ask the question

 “Why do people use counter-cultural visual arts?”

Counter-cultural art forms are movements made with the intention of challenging social norms, and what society defines as ‘acceptable’. These art movements are quite interesting to me as I am curious about art and also the effect art can have. I was initially led to the topic because of my interest in the art I noticed around all of Perth, graffiti. Everywhere I would go would have pieces, such as the skateparks in Freo and along the train line on the way to the city. Graffiti is a very interesting concept to me as artists risk the law to artistically express themselves in a way that is socially unacceptable.

Many people do not appreciate graffiti, as much of the art form depends on vandalism to exist and not all graffiti is necessarily artistic expression, for instance tagging. But much of graffiti’s historical context, aesthetics and messages seem to be overlooked as these negative connotations seem to outweigh people’s perceptions of the art. Since ancient times humans have felt the urge to leave their marks on walls, in caves or temples and now in modern times graffiti acts as the current replication of these instincts. Personally, the idea that someone is willing to risk themselves to create artworks that can’t be sold feels very true to the action of self-expression. With no incentive apart from a wanting to create, graffiti is in my opinion fascinating in many ways. I do not condone vandalism, but the complex relationship between the art form and the law is something that I have explored in my research.

This year I have researched historical examples of art movements similar to graffiti in the aspect of counter-culturalism. These movements come and go as their challenging messages follow a pattern of redefining social norms and the status quo. For example, the pop art movement challenged the social norms of mass consumption and the disconnect between art and mainstream society of the time by creating works of art that both highlighted consumer culture and were accessible for the majority. An obvious example would be Andy Warhol’s Campbell soup cans. Once pop art had challenged the art world, the disconnect between art and mainstream society ended and new social norms were set in place.

This kind of pattern of social change has been seen throughout history so for my practical I aim to follow this pattern by making graffiti more accessible and appreciated through an exhibition showcasing Perth graffiti writers’ works. This exhibition will be held at seekers place on the 16^th of August, and it will aim to highlight the artistic value that is often overlooked about graffiti pieces. If you are interested, or if you really don’t appreciate graffiti please come along as I hope to change a few people’s perceptions around graffiti so that you can appreciate such an abundant form of public art. More information will be forwarded closer to the date.

Thank you!

There will be more details surrounding the exhibition to come!