In the speech he delivered at the high achiever’s assembly, Gabriel Garcia (College Dux of 2022) talked about how his passion for the subjects he undertook in his senior years of school drove his academic success. He illustrated to students the importance of the Marist pillar of ‘love of work’ - even the stress and rigours of the HSC is manageable if you have a passion for the topics you undertake. Gabriel’s passion for HSIE was evident in his speech and reflected in his outstanding ATAR and state ranking. In his HSC, Gabriel undertook a large range of HSIE subjects: Ancient History, Modern History, Extension History, as well as Business Studies and Legal Studies in year 11.

In HSIE, we aim to help all students find that same passion that Gabriel and many other Mt Carmel alumni hold for the humanities. It is not hard to see why students are drawn to the humanities; they provide insight into the past, understanding of our present and even some clues about the future. These subjects provide real world skills and knowledge to help our students venture into life beyond school, equipped to deal with life’s challenges.

Here are some glimpses of the passion some of our current students are developing for HSIE:

Yr 7 Timelines

Year 7 students worked on creating timelines of some of the major events in history. Selection of works completed by Juliana Musumeci,  Eliana D'Coutho and Adam Mariniak.

 

Yr 12 Ancient History Excursion

Year 12 Ancient History students had the privilege of attending Macquarie University where they participated in lectures, workshops and a visit to the University Museum. This day developed students' knowledge of Pompeii, Herculaneum and archaeology associated with the HSC Ancient History course. Special thanks to Mrs Poulton who organised the excursion, and Mr Barbera who also attended the day. Please see a summary of the day written by Ancient History student Jessica Littlewood.

On Wednesday the 15th of February, the Year 12 Ancient History class attended an excursion at Macquarie University where we partook in valuable workshops and lectures relevant to our HSC course. On arrival, we broke off into groups to experience the life of an archaeologist. We dug for small gems, examined coins, artefacts and bones, reassembled pottery, and deciphered inscriptions. This was an incredibly insightful look into the work of an archaeologist.

Following this, we received a helpful lecture on UNESCO and the preservation of Pompeii. The presenter discussed both the natural and human impacts on the site and the steps taken to rehabilitate, conserve and preserve the sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The last part of our excursion was a visit to the University Museum. Inside were artefacts from First Nations people, the World Wars and ancient civilisations like Egypt, Rome, Greece and Cyprus. All of this was exceptionally useful and enjoyable for the Ancient History class as we enter our Year 12 studies, and I would like to thank Ms Poulton and Mr Barbera for organising this day.