We may be today’s students, but we are tomorrow’s leaders. This was the primary driver for our day on Friday 13 November with the Year 8s who will be attending Westlake as Year 9s in 2021.
The core values of cooperation, innovation, and futuristic thinking are embodied by the STEAM programme at Westlake. With these values in mind, as a team we set a futuristic scene in the year 2050, and the challenge of survival on Mars by designing a human colony.
As strong inquirers and young colonists, the Year 8’s scientific and technological approaches included ways to harness water in the form of vapour through condensation, biodomes to sustain life and grow ample sources of food, and designing clothes that will sustain in the hostile climate of Mars. Our learners were great thinkers and had looked into the society and wellbeing of others within the Martian environment. Seeing the happiness of the Year 8s who entered our workshops gave us hope, hope that women’s power will always be flourishing and an answer to Kate Shepherd’s question Are we there yet? Now I can assure her that we are one step closer.
Shivani Arivuchelvan, Year 9 STEAM
I was a part of helping out with the STEAM part of the Year 8 orientation. We dressed as astronauts and helped the Year 8s with the task. The scenario was that planet Earth was dying and half the human population was moving to Mars to give the planet a chance to recover. The task was to design a specific aspect of the colony. It was a lot of fun dressing up and getting to talk to the Year 8s. It was really strange to think that just last year I was one of them.
Jin-Joo Lee, Year 9 STEAM
