Humanities

ROBERT RITCHIE

Head of Humanities

2015 has been a good year for the Humanities Faculty – one in which we progressed our curriculum significantly, produced a large number of very highachieving students, and most of all, continued to deliver courses the boys found enjoyably challenging. However, it has also been a year of sadness because we lost our friend and valued faculty member Mr Steve Roberts to cancer. In this report I will describe the good things that happened, but first I wish to say some words about Steve.

STEVE ROBERTS JOINED THE 2014 GREECE TOUR

Mr Roberts is sadly missed by staff and students. He taught all the Year 9 Geography classes, and the boys greatly enjoyed his stories and extensive knowledge of Gold Coast beach management and weather forecasting, especially for the way he was able to weave his love of yachting into the lessons. For me, one of the highlights of our shared time was our Faculty’s 2014 History Tour to Greece. Steve took his daughter, Amy, on this tour, and the special memories that were created abroad have taken on extra significance since.

REMEMBERING STEVE ROBERTS

Steve was also a much loved Housemaster of Walker House. Housemaster Emeritus and Ancient History teacher Mr John Wallace paid tribute to Steve at this year’s House Supper with these words: “For 31 years, I worked alongside Steve Roberts and I must say his dominant strength as Housemaster was his knowledge and understanding of his boys. Steve knew his boys well and if they deserved recognition he fought for it on their behalf. If boys fell off the rails he worked tirelessly to put them on the right track again so that they could believe in the philosophy of TSS. At Housemaster meetings when prefects were being voted on Steve would meticulously present detailed information on the achievements of his chosen candidates, always presenting a holistic overview of the young man, emphasising in particular good character and integrity above all other characteristics as being essential for the position. Steve loved his boys and the School. During his illness he would often email wanting to know the progress of the boys in Walker House in the various House activities. We will miss his presence in the boundaries of this school; his warm smile and genuine concern for all, but can be thankful for having known him and of having the pleasure to have worked alongside him.”

At The Southport School, the Humanities Faculty offers three subjects at Senior level. These are Modern History, Geography and Ancient History. This year, among our Year 12s, we are pleased to report that 16 Ancient History students graduated, with special mention to top student Thomas Ross, who also received a Certificate of Academic Excellence for his research and assignment work in both Modern and Ancient History. Remarkably, in Modern History a record 15 of 42 graduates exited with Very High Achievement, with another 18 achieving High Achievement. Congratulations to top students Khurshed Mehta, Stephen Sandeman, Johayer (Lazim) Abtahi, Thomas Ross and Jack Scaysbrook, all of

whom achieved VHA 8 or better. Of the Geography students, 10 of 18 graduates exited with High Achievement or better. Congratulations to the VHA students, Dylan Nunn and Nick Watt.

The Humanities subjects are especially important for students as they provide an avenue for boys to perfect their research and writing skills in particular. In both Ancient and Modern History the boys formulate hypotheses and research questions, then undertake deep research into primary and secondary sources for evidence to validate or reject a hypothesis. The analytical essays and multimodal presentations completed in these subjects are solid grounding for similar tasks at university.

This is very important for all boys to recognise. While History is a natural fit for highly literate students, we strongly advocate that Maths/Science-oriented students also consider adding a History subject to their subject selections to take the opportunity to learn to master research and extended writing tasks. In writing reports in Geography, the emphasis is on primary research conducted in the field. Students must gather the data while on field excursions that they will need to draw conclusions and make decisions. In 2015, Senior geographers, for example, gathered observational and survey data to help them evaluate three strategies to improve the management of the Natural Bridge section of Springbrook National Park. Through response to stimulus exercises, geographers engage in the analysis of a range of sources, similarly leading to evaluation of options and recommendations, for example, about which is the best strategy to implement or the preferred location for a particular project. The higher order thinking skills of analysis and decision-making are explicitly taught. All Humanities subjects demand a high level of written expression, but Geography balances this skill with the development of students’ graphical and numerical skills through its practical work component. The Histories, in comparison, give students opportunity to develop their oral communication skills through multimodal presentations.

At The Southport School, it is pleasing to be able to report that enrolments continue to be healthy in the Senior subjects offered by the Humanities Department, and I have no doubt this is because our students recognise the real benefits of the generic skills taught in these subjects for their tertiary success, regardless of their chosen pathway. I take this opportunity to congratulate the Senior History teachers, Mr Virgoe Buckland and Mr John Wallace, on another successful year.

Curriculum innovation occurring in 2015 saw the full implementation of the Australian Curriculum Geography syllabus in Years 7 and 8. Geography was taught in Semester Two. The Year 7 course added the Geography unit ‘Place and Liveability’ to the previously trialled unit ‘Water in the World’. The boys presented a multimodal, applying criteria to evaluate the liveability of a city of their choice. They also enjoyed a field excursion to Hinze Dam, hosted by the SEQWater educational team. In Year 8 HaSS, the boys studied the new Geography unit ‘Changing Nations’, in Term Four, with a research project examining the changing architecture of a colonial port city. In their History studies, Year 7 boys camped on Stradbroke Island and participated in activities designed to test their survival skills and grow their respect for the skills of ancient peoples. My thanks to the dedicated and passionate HaSS teaching team of Mr Lindsay Close, Mr John Wallace, Mr John Gayton and Mr Denzel Wilson.

In Year 9, students completed one semester of Geography and one of History. In 2015, Year 9 Geography course was taught by Mr Colin Webb in Semester One and Mr Bryce Goldburg in Semester Two. Year 9 History was taught by Mr John Gayton and Mr Denzel Wilson, who also delivered the popular Year 10 Modern History course. The one-semester elective Year 10 Geography course in geomorphology and biogeography, taught by myself, Mr Robert Ritchie, added the study of coral reefs to its content in 2015.

To deliver the Year 10 Australian curriculum in History a unitised approach was again used, with classes rotating between teachers. Mr Conan Bland, Mr Denzel Wilson, Mr John Wallace and I each presented a unit that made best use of our expertise, covering topics as diverse as human rights and reconciliation in Australia; the Kokoda campaign and the ANZAC spirit; waves of migration to Australia since 1945; and historical skills development for success in Senior.

The Honours program was again offered by the Humanities Faculty this year, with Mason Harris worthy of special mention for his Year 9 project on the Kokoda Track, which was displayed in the Innovation Corridor.

I would also like to acknowledge in this report the excellent efforts of our team of teachers to ‘decorate’ their classrooms to improve the quality of the physical learning environment. In Nimmo Block, classrooms are genuinely engaging spaces, with wall mural world maps on each back wall, complemented by posters related to the School’s strategic priorities, specifically Habits of Mind, Habits of Wellbeing, Thinking Skills, Learning Styles and Habits of Heart. As well, photos taken on our History tours take pride of place in some rooms.

The Humanities Faculty continues to provide an academically challenging set of courses tailored to meet the interests of the boys and develop the skills they will need for tertiary success. This is possible only because of the collaborative spirit and professionalism of the teachers in the Faculty, and I would like to commend all the teachers on another highly successful year. It is very rewarding to work with such passionate educators willing to embrace change and consistently seeking to improve outcomes for the boys. I particularly this year want to acknowledge the passion, effort and expertise of Mr Bryce Goldburg for his work with the Year 9 Geographers.

In conclusion, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all the Valedictorians of 2015 the very best for the future, and trust they will find meaning and fulfilment in their chosen fields.