Perth Waldorf School

🎓 Class 12 Project - Student Feature: Thomas Anthoni

Hi, my name is Thomas Anthoni. As a child, I often asked my parents why things are the way they are, with questions like “Why do birds fly?”, “Why is it cold in the morning?”, and “What is water made of?”.

These questions were typically met with simplified explanations of evolution or basic natural processes. At about five years old, I asked my mother “Why do we live if we’re just going to die?” to which she said, “I wonder...”. As I’ve grown older, I started questioning things in a similar way, which has led me to my project question;

❓ Is living justified if meaning does not exist objectively?

At an objective level, nothing exists with any predisposed meaning independent of human interpretation. People live and die, stars explode, birds sing. However, none of these things occur for any inherent reason.

If meaning doesn’t exist in an objective sense, then it would logically follow that there is no meaning behind existence, and thus, if there is no inherent meaning behind existence, then an objective justification for existence does not exist either.

By this reasoning, in an objective sense, nothing exists for a reason, nothing is justified and everything simply just is.

So far, I have come to the conclusion that living, even when meaning does not exist objectively, is the only answer. Not because it is logical or justified, but because nothing else holds any greater justification.

I would like to engage with the wider community for the Practical aspect of my Project, however I am still exploring ideas in regard to what exactly I would like to do.

I already have a mentor, but I would greatly appreciate any further discussion from the community regarding my topic.

You can contact me at [email protected]

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More room to explore.
More connection to their learning.

That doesn’t mean compromising on education.

At Perth Waldorf School, students still develop strong foundations in maths, science and literacy, just in a way that truly engages them.

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🎓Class 12 Project - Student Feature: Matilda Edwards

My Class 12 Project explores the impacts of the Stolen Generations on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, specifically focusing on how forced child removal has affected culture, health, and family life across generations. My current working question is:

❓ How has the forced separation of Aboriginal children during the Stolen Generations impacted their descendants’ culture, health, and family life, and what
measures are being taken today to promote healing and support?

I have been told my grandmother& #39;s story of being a part of the Stolen Generation from a young age, however this topic was always very vague and hushed. Even throughout school I was never educated on this topic, leading me to find that very little people understand the impacts First Nations children and their descendants have faced due to forced removal from their families.

One thing that surprised me during my research was learning that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are still highly overrepresented in child protection systems today. I did not realise how strongly the effects of past government policies continue across Generations.

This topic connects closely to my Practical, writing and recording 2-3 songs based on my grandmother’s story and themes around the Stolen Generations. Through music, I hope to express emotions and experiences that statistics and reports alone cannot fully communicate.

If anyone in the community has suggestions for performance spaces, events, or opportunities relevant to where I could share my song and connect with audiences interested in truth-telling and reconciliation, I would really appreciate hearing from you.

You can get in touch with me at [email protected]

🎓Class 12 Project - Student Feature: Angelina Dias

Hi my name is Angelina and for my Class 12 Project I decided on the question:

❓ What is the relevant legislation governing asylum seekers coming to Australia, and what allowances/aids are they afforded to assist their integration into society?

I chose to research refugees and asylum seekers in Australia because it is something I have thought deeply about during my overseas trips. Travelling made me reflect on migration and what it must feel like for people to leave behind homes, families, culture and everything familiar in order to begin a completely new life. Even more confronting is thinking about people forced to flee persecution, war, violence and suffering.

I have been studying Australian migration and refugee policies, including the Migration Act 1958 and Australia’s obligations under the Refugee Convention. I have also focused on the Tampa Affair, offshore processing centres in Nauru and Papua New Guinea, and the impacts these policies have on mental health and emotional wellbeing, particularly for children and families in long-term detention.

The Practical component of my Project will include interviews that I will use to create a collection of artworks symbolising the struggles and experiences of refugees in Australia. I have also explored the support systems available to help refugees integrate into society, including housing, English language programs, education, healthcare and employment support.

I believe Australia can do more to support vulnerable people seeking safety, particularly where current policies may conflict with humanitarian values and human rights principles. I would value guidance from anyone with lived experience or expertise in refugee support, humanitarian aid, mental health, or related fields. If you would be willing to mentor me, share insights, or recommend useful resources, I would love to hear from you.

You can contact me at [email protected]

🎓Class 12 Project - Student Feature: Aaron Grace

Hello to all, my name is Aaron Grace, and for my Project this year I will be looking at the question:

❓ In a changing Western Australian timber industry: what are the main policies and environmental factors that have led the Western Australian timber industry to its current position, and what can be done to maintain a sustainable and viable industry for the future?

I have, since childhood, had a connection to trees and timber in some form or another; from the woodlands and forestries of Ireland, living in a cedar log home from Canada and helping in the family timber mill, to current day, where I walk and live among the unique and mighty eucalypt forests of Western Australia and enjoy making hand crafted items from the local timbers.

With this in mind, when I heard about the new Government policy to ban all native hardwood logging in Western Australia back in 2021, I wondered what was going to become of the industry that relied so heavily on native timber species.

So, for my Class 12 Project I will be looking at the Government Policies and their impacts and the changes in the environmental landscape which have shaped the timber industry within Western Australia.

I will also be exploring how the Western Australian timber industry can become more sustainable, while also remaining a viable industry.

For my Practical, I will be crafting sculptural and functional pieces from a range of the hardwood species that are native to Western Australia and from the two species of plantation timber that are found in the state. This will be to show the beauty of these timbers, how the hardwoods were historically used and how the newer plantation timbers can be sustainably sourced and used as an alternative, as we move to a more sustainable future.

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