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Curriculum & Learning

STEAM Programme

Take a look at our latest Newsletter HERE

Steam Pathways at Westlake Girls High School

Our vision is: To create a learning culture of curiosity in which students will engage in the world they are living in. 

We have two pathways:

  • STEAM – pathway for Junior School students
  • ESTEAM – pathway for Senior School students

STEAM education creates a learning platform that recognises the importance of creativity and innovation in the future to solve real-world problems, connecting the learning to the real world, giving it a purpose. 
– Susana Tomaz, TIC STEAM

Our programme

Westlake Girls High School has been developing a STEAM programme involving an integrated and innovative approach to the teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics, aligned to the UN Sustainable Goals.

It is widely acknowledged that STEAM programmes are critical in producing well-rounded and well-grounded global citizens for the coming century by providing motivating and engaging real-world contexts in which students can acquire and apply Knowledge and other skills and understanding while becoming true agents of their own learning. Students become more agile, adaptive, and able to learn both collaboratively and independently whilst building capabilities required for their futures.

At Westlake Girls High School we are STEAMing ahead, promoting partnerships with businesses/industries to help bridge the youth skills gap and we have launch ESTEAM into our Senior School this year, extending the STEAM pathway beyond Junior School. ESTEAM has the addition of Entrepreneurship, supported by our STEAM Power-ED initiative to enable us to establish new partnerships between WGHS and Industry and incorporate work experience into the programme.

The report, Preparing tomorrow’s workforce for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. For business: A framework for action calls on the business community to take a more proactive role in preparing today’s youth to ensure they are ready to become the workforce of tomorrow. We are seeking to forge connections and establish mutually beneficial relationships with business and industry leaders to join us on this amazing journey. Together we can transform education and shape our girls to be future ready.

Year 9 and 10 Students

A non-Steam Student:  A Steam Student
  (Integrated)
English English
Social Studies Social Studies
Mathematics Mathematics
Science Science
PE & Health PE & Health
Year 9 options  Year 9 Options
Language options Language options
Art options Art options
Technology options Robotics and Papertronics
Year 10 Options Year 10 Options
3 options    Innovation Lab
  Community Project
  2 further options

 

What our students enjoy about STEAM

Find out how STEAM encouraged Hannah Jones to take risks and try new things. Watch her video HERE

Lily Winchester’s winning interactive story book was created for a STEAM community project. Watch her video HERE

STEAM helped shape Natalija Hayes’ thinking and introduced her to the world of robotics and technology. Watch her video HERE 

 

 

Year 9 Course Description

The STEAM enrichment programme offers Year 9 students an integrated approach to learning. This Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics curriculum provides a pathway to deep learning that strengthens links between subjects providing opportunities through project-based learning, for students to become life-long learners, leaders and change-makers of the future. The STEAM programme aims at developing global competencies such as critical thinking, collaboration, communication, character, creativity and citizenship.

Science and Mathematics will be enriched with projects linking the two disciplines whilst English and Social Studies will strengthen written, oral and digital literacy, global appreciation and critical thinking.

Integrated into STEAM are six-month courses that involve robotics, coding, electronics and design with projects that link into several learning areas. Students will be encouraged to be innovative and creative as they attempt to solve real-world problems.

Students wishing to apply for the STEAM programme are advised to complete the Application Form online, after the Enrolment Evenings. Selection for a limited number of places will be based on a range of data.

The image above is of Brilliant Beetroot Brownies. They were part of project to make food more sustainable and were made using eggs, cricket flour, beetroot, chocoate, blackberries and butter. The idea was to have a snack filled with protein that was also sustainable and innovative.

Year 10 Course Description

The STEAM enrichment programme offers continuity through an integrated approach to learning and for students new to STEAM to try this pedagogical approach.

As in Year 9, the Science and Mathematics courses will be enriched with projects linking the two disciplines whilst English and Social Studies courses will strengthen written, oral and digital literacy, global appreciation and critical thinking. As part of the STEAM programme students work collaboratively in community project and developing an innovative technological solution to a real issue they have identified in their community. The community projects benefit from a mentoring programme and support from experts from the community. Pictured left is our STEM Expo and below is Innovation Award Winner: Epilepz and Regional (Auckland) winners of the Tahi Rua Toru Auckland Regional Challenge 2020 – Bree, Hannah and Paris. You can visit their website HERE

Integrated into Year 10 STEAM option involves two six-month courses. There is a Kinetic Sculpture course incorporating aspects of creativity, design, art, physics and technology to make a movable piece of sculpture, as well as incorporating film making in the process. The other six-month course is FutureTech Design, which provides the opportunity to build on the technology skills developed in Year 9 to create an interactive product which embeds principles of computer programming linked to the use of a microprocessor as well as a short foray into Future technologies such as augmented reality.

Students wishing to apply for the STEAM programme in Year 10 are advised to complete the Application Form online. Selection for a limited number of places will be based on a range of data. A second language is strongly recommended for insight into other cultures as well as increased cognitive and creative benefits.

Students will still access the same standards and number of credits that the core subjects offer in the mainstream.

If you would like to find out more about STEAM programme, please contact Susana on stomaz@westlakegirls.school.nz

Pictured above are Year 10 students at the STEAM Innovation Expo with all five judges. Mahsa Monaghegh- Director of Women in Technology at AUT, Senior Lecturer at AUT, Founder and Director of She Sharp, Recipient of Emerging Leader Award at the NZ Women of Influence

Awards:

Camilla Weinstein- Talent Acquisition at MYOB, Entrepreneur and Director of Straw the Line

Sarah Clearwater- Head of Community, Founder of Customer Xperience Collective, Founder of REFRAMR and Sarah Clearwater International

Janet Van – Director / National Manager at Kiwibots and Westlake Alumna

Zara Jillings- Partner Account Manager at Soul Machines and Westlake Alumna

ESTEAM

Why ESTEAM?

Innovation is significantly shaping our world having a transformative effect on the world -on businesses, societies, economies, cultures and our personal lives. The future of work is becoming increasingly more difficult to accurately predict or even imagine. The speed of change also calls for an updated skillset, calling for workers to quickly adapt, to learn new approaches to challenges, to think more critically, and to collaborate.

Learners need not just knowledge, but also skills, attitudes and values to thrive in and shape their own future for a more empowered global citizenship. This has never been more evident than in the current pandemic.

 

Find out about ESTEAM Power-ed Internships HERE

 

Developing transformative competencies through ESTEAM

To meet the challenges of the 21st century, learners need to feel that they can help shape a world where well-being and sustainability – for themselves, for others, and for the planet – is achievable. The OECD Learning Compass 2030 identifies three “transformative competencies” that students need in order to contribute to our world and shape a better future: creating new value, reconciling tensions and dilemmas, and taking responsibility. It also sets out an aspirational vision for the future of education, emphasising the need for students to learn to navigate by themselves through unfamiliar contexts, and find their direction in a meaningful and responsible way.

Our STEAM programme is well aligned to the OCED Education Learning Compass providing several opportunities for interconnections and interactions across different learning areas which was showcased at our Innovation Expo.

E-STEAM stands for Entrepreneurship, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths. Our E-STEAM programme will help you lead the way and future-proof yourself and stand out from the crowd.

Enterprise STEAM (E-STEAM) provides you with the opportunity to adopt an innovative mindset, develop 21st century skills further including their financial capabilities, business and entrepreneurship skills while having an impact in your community. This option line benefits from a combination of teachers and members of the business community to provide an experience that is both authentic and relevant to the world we live in.  To support your growth and development in the E-STEAM field you will have the opportunity to take part in an internship and learn directly from Businesses and Industries.

You will use principles of design thinking/human centered design to develop innovative solutions for the community while developing finance capabilities for your personal life as in a business/enterprise context and the potential for you to create your own start-up. You will work collaboratively to develop your ideas into a feasible business/social enterprise which will be aligned to the UN sustainable goals.


Course Structure


Term 1 and 2
Unit 1
  • Understanding yourself as an entrepreneur
  • Designing your career pathway, Linked in profile, CV building, interview skills
  • Personal finance as a school leaver
  • Investigate the Application of Motivation Theory in a business (L2, 3 credits)

AS90847 Investigate the application of motivation theory in a business (Level 2 Business Studies, Internal, 3 credits)

Business Internships – April 
Unit 2
  • Biomimicry: Design by Nature
  • Impact of Technology
  • Wearable Sculpture collaborative project 

  AS91890 Conduct an inquiry to propose a digital technologies outcome (Level 2 Digital Technology  Internal, 6 credits)

or
AS91325 Produce a resolved work that demonstrates control of skills appropriate to cultural conventions (Level 2 Visual Arts Internal, 4 credits)

  • Think Global, Act Local

AS91734 Develop a collaborative response that promotes a sustainable future, in relation to a current issue (Level 2 Education for Sustainability, 4 credits)

Term 3
Unit 3: Community Centred Enterprise
  • Design Thinking and Agile 
  • Lean Canvas
  • Apply Business knowledge to a critical problem(s) in a given large business complex

 AS90845 Apply business knowledge to a critical problem(s) in a given large business context (Level 2 Business STudies, External, 4 credits)

Applications

Year 8 applications are invited at the enrolment evening after our Open Evening in July. Year 8 students must complete the STEAM Application Form online after our Enrolment Evenings. Following a selection process, identified Year 8 students will be contacted.

STEAM stuff

Here are a couple of recent news articles about our STEAM programme: 

https://teroto.nz/damla-takes-to-the-skies/

https://teroto.nz/steam-trail-blazers-life-after-high-school/

STEAMing Ahead

Have a read of our newsletters below.