Art, Design and Applied Technologies

The Design and Technology course includes the study of design theory and practice, design processes, environmental and social issues, communication and research. It involves handson practical activities which develop knowledge and skills in designing and producing whilst learning how to present your work graphically in a digital portfolio.

Design and Technology has grown exponentially from when it was launched in 2018 with just two Year 9 classes to nine classes in the Secondary School in 2020. This subject gives students the incredible opportunity to use hightech machinery including the laser cutter and the 3D printer to develop design skills.

Year 7 students started the year with an engineering unit ‘All Systems Go’ where the girls learned about aerodynamics and speed considerations when designing race cars. The experimental process was involved in this unit, teaching students how to re-evaluate and make improvements to their designs based on dynamic testing. Students also familiarised themselves with coding through the Micro-Olympic unit where the girls learned how to code and create an Olympic game.

In Year 8 Mandatory Technology, girls built on their design and technology skills through the Material Technologies unit. They learned how to create graphic designs, which were printed onto fabric using an industrial sublimation printer. The Year 8 students also coded their own functional app to communicate nutritional information during the ‘You Grow Girl’ unit, expanding their graphic design and typography skills.

Design and Technology is an elective subject that can be selected during Year 9 where girls are introduced to the design process and learn how to display and document their work in a digital portfolio and a video portfolio. Girls participated in the Jewellery unit which focused on how to transfer a design idea into a physical product through experimentation. Coupled with a Packaging unit, students could extend their marketing and designing skill set. They also created an Animal Clock which built on soldering and coding skills.

Elizabeth Gan, Year 11

The Year 10 girls had the opportunity for more freedom in interpreting the brief and worked on their designs more independently with their growing knowledge of the machinery and equipment in the workshop. The Year 10 students participated in the Lighting Design unit which focused on interior or exterior industrial design. They also created a functional pair of wooden headphones which heavily focused on the practical side of design.

The Year 11 girls completed an Architectural unit where they designed and created a 3D model of a modern house based on a given clientbased criteria. This unit was more complex in the design and practical components due to the formulation of new ideas by using innovative and design-focused thinking. They also completed a Biomimicry unit where inspiration was drawn from nature to create an innovative design.

Phoebe Bucknell, Ms Katharine Hassett (Visual Arts Teacher) and Elizabeth Lockhart, Year 7

The class of 2020 included the first Year 12 girls to complete this subject in the HSC at Pymble. Girls created varying innovative Major Works along with a digital portfolio to graphically display their hard work and all the design processes completed throughout the school year. • Brooke Laurie created a motion sensing bedside light for people who have mobility issues • Jennifer Zhou designed and produced solar tracking sun flowers to charge portable batteries to then charge devices without the use of mains power • Clarissa Reed produced an

Ocean Buoy gimbal style lighting product • Jessica Saunders created a first aid station for unpatrolled beaches.

Thank you all for a great year of Design and Technology and I look forward to an innovative year in 2021.

Mia De Riz, Captain of Design and Technology

Tessa Newitt, Phoebe Bucknell and Elizabeth Lockhart, Year 7

Like many other departments, this year was ‘a year like no other’ for Pymble Food Technology students. With the sudden transition to online learning, our teachers had to adapt lessons, both theoretical and practical, to fit the new circumstances. Nonetheless, this year was still filled with great experiences for everyone.

Year 9 is the first year in which you are able to select Food Technology as an elective subject. The Year 9 course is broken into four topics: ‘Food selection in health’, ‘Food equity’, ‘Food in Australia’ and ‘Food for special occasions’. Each section of theory is accompanied by a practical component, allowing the students to put their newfound knowledge into practical work. Each topic allows the girls to develop the basic skills they need to further progress their study of Food Technology.

Year 10 students had the opportunity to pick up Food Technology as a 100-hour course or continue their 200-hour course that they started in Year 9. The 100-hour course is the same as the Year 9 course, allowing the girls to get a head start on understanding the subject and to develop the necessary skills if they wish to continue. The Year 10 200-hour course consists of several topics, including ‘Food equity’, ‘Food service and catering’ and ‘Food trends both historic and current’. The girls had the opportunity to create and design a chocolate mud cake with icing and decorations. This expanded the students’ understanding of the topic while developing skills with hands-on experience.

Emily Horne, Cassandra Graham and Mehreen Khan, Year 10

Victoria Brash, Lara Davis, Chloe Tedesco, Year 10

Year 11 students explored Food Technology through three topics: ‘Food selection and availability’, ‘Food quality’ and ‘Food nutrition’. These topics allowed the girls to engage with the development of the Australian cuisine and to explore how to keep food safe for consumption. Similar to both Years 9 and 10, the Year 11 course is accompanied by one practical session a week. These practicals relate to the specific theory work currently being studied. For example, while learning about the multicultural impacts on the Australian cuisine, students prepared kangaroo dumplings.

The Year 12 course is divided into four topics and is built off the Year 11 coursework. This course has a deep focus on the Australian food industry, exploring the sectors of the food industry, the manufacturing process, the production/ packaging processes and nutrition. As a part of their first topic, students did a case study of an Australian food company and its impact within the food industry. Year 12 students used theory to accompany their practical work, understanding how their current section of work applied in real situations. For example, as students were learning about food retail they prepared fried chicken burgers, helping them to understand how the fast food sector works.

Thank you to all the teachers who put in so much time and effort to help make this year such a success despite the circumstances. Elizabeth Glenn, Captain of Food Technology

Hospitality is a fantastic subject composed of a great variety of theory and practical components. Girls learn the essential skills that are required to work in the hospitality industry, with a particular focus on commercial cookery. Students enjoy the opportunity to work in a fully equipped commercial kitchen and prepare complex food products to industry standards. At the completion of the Hospitality course, students receive a Certificate II in Kitchen Operations as well as the subject contributing to their ATAR. This qualification enables students to work in the hospitality industry, with some choosing to further their studies in commercial cookery, event management or hospitality management.

At the beginning of each year, the Year 12 students have the rewarding experience of showcasing their talent at the Hospitality Dinner. Parents of the Year 12 students are the honoured guests and enjoy canapés on arrival followed by a two-course menu consisting of a main and a dessert. Students worked in conjunction with Head Chef Mr Jeff Turnbull of Dunes restaurant, Palm Beach. Food preparation and catering skills that had been learned throughout the course were applied to the evening to create an enjoyable event for both the special guests and the girls.

Hospitality students were unable to do a work placement this year due to COVID-19, but are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to participate in this exciting industry experience next year in a COVID-19 free environment! Dimity-Maree Xenos, Captain of Hospitality

Mrs Susan McCorquodale (Technology and Applied Studies Teacher), Mr Jeff Turnbull and Mrs Heather Cusiter (Food Technology and Hospitality Co-ordinator)

Julia Parkinson, Year 12

It was a great year for Software Design and Development students. Year 11 started the course by learning to code on App Lab, designing highly creative and interesting games. We then moved on to learning about Artificial Intelligence and how we could ethically incorporate this into our own code, having the opportunity to produce this later in the year. Year 12 started their Major Work journey and continued through the theoretical content, producing some amazing content. There were multiple opportunities for both year groups to get together and learn from each other. Year 12 got to teach new concepts to help solidify their own knowledge, and Year 11 benefited from their expertise and mentoring. Congratulations to the class of 2020 – we had so much fun working with and learning from you. Your Major Works were creative and inspiring, and we are excited to see what you do with your new skills in the future. Claudia Braysich, Captain of Software Design and Development Year 12 got to teach new concepts to help solidify their own knowledge, and Year 11 benefited from their expertise and mentoring.

Isabel Dean, Year 10

This year, Pymble’s annual Textiles on Parade was presented in a different way. Due to the circumstances, we were fortunate to create a virtual experience for our students, staff and parents. On 29 July, the Gillian Moore Centre for Performing Arts (GMCPA) shone with excitement as the Textiles students from Years 10 and 11 were eager to present the projects that they had been so dedicated to creating over the course of the semester. Pymble’s Textiles on Parade is always a very significant event for our College, and the 2020 cohort did not disappoint. Even with no audience, the students shone like stars in their unique interpretations of their briefs. For the Year 10 100-hour course, the students were given the brief of ‘Free Spirit’. By using their creative minds, they chose fabrics which were their interpretation of the brief. The Year 10 200-hour course students perfected their skills and techniques through the costume unit of ‘Eurovision’. They chose fabrics and patterns which reflected the experience of their chosen song. The inspiration of ‘Mesmerised by the Met’ was given to our wonderful Year 11 Textiles students. This allowed them to develop their fabric and pattern manipulation techniques and the final product demonstrated all of their hard work.

Year 8 enjoyed developing their sketching skills, creating look books for their designs that were printed onto fabric using Pymble’s new technology of sublimation printing. Students were able to print their designs and make individually designed skirts.

The Year 9 Textiles students mastered techniques which allowed them to express their individuality through the brief, ‘Blank Canvas’. The students were supplied with a pattern to construct a dress or jumpsuit. They used the sublimation printer to assist with producing their artwork onto fabric.

The Year 10 students created textile art projects using only recycled materials. The students were inspired by the world of fast fashion and its effect on the environment. The students showed off their incredible work in a Library exhibition titled ‘Climate Crisis’.

This year the Year 10 100-hour course created a wall hanging with the theme ‘Threads of Life’. The students’ ancestry connections were reflected in their pieces. The students then created a costume for a collaboration between a celebrity and an activewear company, the title of this design brief was ‘Co-Active’.

Mia Smal, Year 11 Imogen Powell, Year 11

In February, the Year 11 girls had the amazing opportunity of attending a workshop run by the Whitehouse School of Design. During these workshops, the students developed their fashion drawing and rendering skills even further.

For their second semester of 2020, the Year 11 students created containers inspired by the designer Gaudi. The students had to come up with innovative ways for designing a container and interpreting the inspiration.

The GMCPA foyer was the stage for the exhibition of the Year 12 Major Textiles Projects. Even with COVID-19, there was a chance for parents and staff to view the outstanding works of the Year 12 Textiles students, which exceeded all viewers’ expectations. The exhibition was a place that inspired students, teachers and families to be more creative. Ella Atkins, Captain of Textiles