History, Society & Ethics

This year was unusual to say the least – one to go down in history! Despite the challenges posed by quarantine, this year was a testament to the resilience, versatility and passion of students and teachers alike. From online commemoration services to competitions, History at Pymble embraced the opportunities and challenges of 2020.

We began with the online commemoration of Anzac Day on 25 April, as we made the unprecedented transition to Pymble Online. Our Pymble cadets paid tribute to the service of fallen soldiers with the Dawn Service, lighting candles and paying their respects from their driveways across Sydney. Reconciliation Week coincided with our return to campus at the start of Term 2, with a week of reflective activities to acknowledge the hardships of the First Nations peoples of Australia and the road to acceptance ahead. With this year marking the 20th anniversary of the 2000 Bridge Walk, the week’s commemorations recognised the progress made and the steps needed to achieve true reconciliation. Remembrance Day acknowledged the men and women who have served in conflicts throughout Australia’s history. Coinciding with the Pymble tradition of Jacaranda Day, this year’s commemoration highlighted service beyond the battlefield, particularly for returned soldiers who continued to give back to their communities.

Year 9 Pymble students had the privilege of hearing from Jasmine Hanley (2015), a Pymble ex-student and descendant of a Holocaust survivor, who shared the incredible story of her grandfather’s survival. Year 9 also had the opportunity to meet Heather Morris, author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, who spoke about her creative process in composing historical fiction. As Year 9 student Ava Olsen commented on Morris’ visit, “having the opportunity to speak to someone who knew, studied and had the honour of telling the story of Holocaust survivors was invaluable”.

Sophie Corcoran, Year 10 Lara Davis, Year 10

Congratulations to Sophie Lee (2019), who was named Runner-up by the History Teachers’ Association of NSW for her History Extension Major Work. Special mention to the girls who, undeterred by online learning, pursued their passion for history by competing in the National History Challenge (NHC). An external competition, the NHC encourages students to research world history and examine Australia’s ‘Contested hiSTORIES’. A number of Pymble students competed, with Year 10 student Joy Ye progressing to a state-level judging with her essay on Gough Whitlam’s historical visit to China in 1973. When asked about her interest in history, Joy said that this competition gave her the freedom to explore her own areas of interest and allowed her to stretch her limits. Well done, Joy!

Emma Peters, Year 11, Jasmine Li, Year 8, Aliya Yang, Year 8, Mulan Xu, Year 8 and Alison Cook, Year 11

Term 4 brought the adventure of history to the Secondary School with the launch of History Week. Students participated in trivia and escape rooms in the Conde Library, with the Ancient Roman ‘Slave to Consul’ themed escape room for Years 7 and 8, and a French Revolution themed ‘Save Marie-Antoinette’ room for Years 9, 10 and 11. Across five lunchtimes, students engaged with these activities, solving puzzles while learning more about history.

Danielle Cheung and Priya Mehra, Captains of History

2020 was a very exciting year for Legal Studies students. The global climate saw girls engaging with legal considerations in many new ways, focusing on issues such as crime, international law, domestic violence and human rights. Even amidst coronavirus barriers, Legal Studies girls consistently engaged with contemporary legal concepts both inside and outside the classroom.

The course unit on police powers saw girls discussing the ethics of protest and use of police powers domestically and overseas in discussions linked to the Black Lives Matters movement. The 2020 US presidential election and Coronavirus pandemic also saw students discussing applications of rights and responsibilities on issues like voting and wearing a mask.

This year saw Legal Studies students engaging with the law in many practical ways. Girls from Years 10 and 11 participated in the Kirby Cup competition, producing a creative submission on the topic of ‘Rule of Law in Times of Crisis’. June Kim, Jessica Lin, Danielle Cheung, Year 11, and Claire Li, Year 10, won the highly competitive cup with their piece which chronologically tracked the use of Rule of Law during different crisis points in history. Additionally, girls were able to participate in the Future Young Lawyers program, run by the NSW Law Society to encourage students to be engaged with the law even when learning from home. The course covered an introduction to Australian legal systems, advocacy, law reform, policy and ethics, as well as a mock trial, with quizzes throughout. Congratulations to June Kim who came fourth, Danielle Cheung who came third and Alison Cook, Year 11, who came second in the course.

Lauren Geddes and Tara Narayan, Captains of Legal Studies

On Friday 28 August, the two Year 11 Studies of Religion classes had the opportunity to engage with three guest speakers from the Islamic Sciences and Research Academy (ISRA) Australia. It provided a fantastic opportunity to find instruction on the Islamic belief outside of just a syllabus understanding. Students asked questions associated with Islamic belief such as predestination and fate and heard firsthand accounts that were authentic and genuine. Students could also question ethical teachings such as organ donation and stem cell research, providing relevant and current context to the curriculum.

We also had a project for the Year 9 girls to create Pymble’s Culture in a Box. The hope was to generate a physical representation of Pymble’s massively diverse and accepting culture. With students from all cultural, spiritual and religious backgrounds, it seemed poignant to celebrate that with a physical memento!

Years 7 and 10 embarked on Project Based Learning this year. In Year 10 the focus was on the detailed exploration of a religious, legal or philosophical issue that piqued their interest. Some examples included bioethics, war and even stem cell research. This method of learning allowed the girls to focus on developing their skills in project management and communication and students were able to produce a variety of projects as their final submission. Every student engaged in a learning walk to admire the efforts of their peers and the focus and commitment was admired by all. Meanwhile Year 7 students’ projects were focused on the study of world religions. Students worked independently to research both Christianity and one other world religion of their choosing. Some students created children’s story books contrasting the origin of their two world religions, whilst other students created Lonely Planet style travel guides or even interactive websites. Overall, this produced some extraordinary pieces of work which speaks to the dedication and engagement of students.

In Term 4, Year 7 was introduced to Aboriginal spirituality and belief systems. In order to encourage the girls to consider the history with respect and empathy, Pymble’s Year 9 Indigenous students were recruited to educate the girls with their clear background of knowledge and firsthand experiences. So, a video was made celebrating each girl’s background, family life, culture and spirituality. The students included Georgia Stuart, Amarley Bron, Mika Tyson and Elise Djerrkura. This was an incredible learning opportunity for the students to expand their world view and develop respect for the ongoing culture of Australia’s First Nations people. Australia is a culturally diverse, multi-faith nation and it is more important than ever, in this moment of global uncertainty, that the next generation is taught to love learning about the cultures of others. Religion and Ethics aims to teach students tolerance and understanding, and Pymble students exited the year with a broader understanding of the world and their peers across the globe.

Amy Jarvis, Captain of Religion and Ethics