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  • John Curtin College of the Arts Teacher Wins Prime Minister’s Prize for Science Teaching 

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Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

Winner of Governor’s School STEM Award Leadership Excellence Award

The Governor’s School STEM Awards recognise and celebrate Western Australian schools that demonstrate excellence in leadership, advocacy, engagement and achievements in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.

These awards acknowledge our collaborative approach to science, technology, engineering and mathematics education programs and how they are integrated and supported throughout learning areas across the college.

“A STEM education is critical to being employable and a part of the digital age. An exemplary STEM education has innovation, creative and critical thinking at its core. Students from John Curtin develop their STEM skills in collaboration with their arts program so they are on the cutting edge of arts innovation.  These students will be the future leaders in ‘the ideas boom’.”

Donna Buckley, Mathematics teacher

Our college is a Teacher Development School for STEM, which involves facilitating professional development for other teachers in more than 400 schools throughout Western Australia.

Mathematics

Creative and innovative thinking, intellectual curiosity and academic rigour underpin our mathematics teaching and learning strategies. Our students are encouraged to engage in analytical, investigative and problem solving strategies.

Students participate in competitions and enrichment tasks and are consistently awarded prizes in recognition of outstanding results in, for example, the Have Sum Fun Mathematics Competition, Australian Informatics Competition and Australian Mathematics Challenge Competitions.

In Years 7 and 8 all students follow a general program for the whole year (those selected for the Academic Excellence Program (AEP) follow a different stream) and in Year 9 students are placed into specialised pathways to prepare them for upper school courses.  To find out more about the programs click here.

Mathematics is also offered as part of our Academic Excellence Program.

Science

Our science teachers believe it is vital that all students receive grounding in current scientific processes, knowledge, values and skills for them to function in our complex, changing society. Science at the college also provides students with the opportunity to gain a level of understanding sufficient to pursue tertiary studies in any major scientific discipline.

Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 are placed in non-streamed classes (those selected for AEP follow a different stream) where they are offered a generalised course designed to give them an overview of the major scientific disciplines and a solid foundation in scientific problem solving methods and scientific communication. In Year 10 students are streamed into pathways leading to particular combinations of upper school subjects.

Year 11 and 12 ATAR courses are on offer include Biology, Chemistry, Human Biology and Physics, and Integrated Science is offered as a non ATAR course. To find out more about the programs click here.

Science is also offered in our Academic Excellence Program.

Technologies

This dynamic learning area comprises Design and Technologies and Digital Technologies. Students across all years are immersed in the technology process, and undertake design projects, which are either information or materials based, and are encouraged to be enterprising by using innovative strategies and develop their organisational, operational and manipulative skills.

The learning pathways delivered are directed towards diverse careers including engineering, information technology, accounting, hospitality, marine and maritime technology, materials design and technology and aviation.

Exciting Vocational Education and Training (VET)  course options are offered, providing life skills to take students confidently into the future. Students have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with advanced CNC millers, routers, plasma and laser cutters- a rare opportunity that can assist them with future projects, employability and training in this space.