Have a Great Summer!

The final day is now upon us and if you could bottle the excitement that abounds throughout the College you could become very rich.  As we break up for this year I want to wish all of you a safe and happy Christmas, and I hope that 2012 is a year of prosperity and fulfilment for you.

Have a great summer and I look forward to seeing you in 2012.

The Final Straight

Well the final week of the 2011 academic year is upon us - it is amazing to think how quickly this year has gone by.  At this time it is very important to maintain our focus until we cross the finish line.  Just like a runner, we need to give 100% right up until the last second.  If we do this we will ensure a happy and positive finish to what has been an amazing year.

Give 100% right to the very end

Celebration Evening

Last night was our annual Junior Secondary Celebration Evening - an opportunity to acknowledge the great work done by our students in the areas of academics, sports, and arts and cultural.  It was a great night and it was so pleasing to see so many of your students receiving awards for their outstanding work and efforts in so many different areas.

Well done to all the students involved last night and congratulations on all the work you have done during 2011!

Kiva.org

In Year 8 SOSE we have been exploring the issue of poverty and looking at how we as individuals, and as communities, can make a difference to the lives of people living in poverty.  As a group we have decided to use Kiva.org to lend money to someone living in poverty who is trying to change their circumstances.  Often people who are living in poverty just need an opportunity.

Kiva.org - changing lives

The students worked in small groups to look at the profiles of people asking for loans through Kiva.  They then decided on one person who their group believed deserved the money and tried to convince the rest of the class to agree with them.  We then voted as a class to determine who we would lend the money to.

The students of 8A decided to lend the money to Sonia Maribel - a lady who runs a butcher shop in El Salvador.  Sonia will use the money to repair the vehicle she uses to deliver her product.  If there is money left over she will buy a young heifer.

The students of 8J decided to lend the money to Josphina Sabala - a mother of 10 who lives in the Phillipines on less than $1 per day.  Josephina will use the money to expand her florist business and improve the lives of her children.

It has been great working with the students on this project and I have really enjoyed listening to their small group discussions and hearing the reasons why they think different people deserved the money more than others.

If you are stuck for a Christmas gift this year, a Kiva gift card could be a great idea!

Sacred Art

In RaVE this term we have been exploring the last week of Christ's life through various pieces of art work, including Da Vinci's interpretation of The Last Supper, as well as various interpretations of the Stations of the Cross.  In conjunction with the works of art we have been studying the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to increase our understanding of the events leading up to the crucifixion.

The students were asked to create their own piece of sacred art to demonstrate their understanding of a particular event during this last week of Christ's life and explain how it relates to the gospels.  Here is just a sample of the amazing works of art that the students created:

A Lego diorama depicting the parable of the Tenants

3D art showing Jesus riding into Jerusalem

 

A re-creation of The Last Supper

A cake depicting Jesus on the cross

Time Flies - are you keeping up?

I hope the Year 8 students recognise the use of personification in the title of this post.

I can't believe we are halfway through week 4 already!  This term really is going by way too fast.  Yesterday we had our second annual House Choir competition with Lane taking out the honours.  Their rendition of 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' was fantastic!  Complete with drums and a dancing lion, it was hard to beat.

Currently we are going through the process of holding elections for student leaders for 2012.  The Junior Secondary Captain and SRC Representative applicants had the opportunity to address students in years 7-9 at yesterday's assembly.  The House Captain applicants addressed their respective houses during PC this morning, and we will vote for 2012 leaders this afternoon.  All applicants will be interviewed as part of the selection process to ensure we have the right people in leadership positions, not simply the most popular.

With so much happening it is important to take some time to make a plan for managing your time.  Be sure to look at your assessment planner and develop a timeline of when you will work on and complete certain tasks. Although this involves time at the beginning, it will certainly pay off knowing that you are on top things when you get to the 'busy' part of the term - is there any part of the term that isn't busy?  You may want to check out Millie's post from Term 2 for some good ideas on getting organised.

What is Wealth?

During our exploration of the issue of poverty in Year 8 this term we have been discussing what it means to be wealthy.  This discussion was sparked by our study of William Wordsworth's 'I wandered lonely as a cloud' poem in which he describes the sight of the daffodils dancing next to the waves on the lake as bringing him great wealth.  Some very astute students equated this moment in the poem to joy and made the link between joy and wealth.

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

William Wordsworth

I WANDERED lonely as a cloud
          That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
          When all at once I saw a crowd,
          A host, of golden daffodils;
          Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
          Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

          Continuous as the stars that shine
          And twinkle on the milky way,
          They stretched in never-ending line
          Along the margin of a bay:
          Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
          Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

          The waves beside them danced; but they
          Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
          A poet could not but be gay,
          In such a jocund company:
          I gazed--and gazed--but little thought
          What wealth the show to me had brought:

          For oft, when on my couch I lie
          In vacant or in pensive mood, 
          They flash upon that inward eye
          Which is the bliss of solitude;
          And then my heart with pleasure fills,
          And dances with the daffodils.

It's funny how we often equate wealth simply with money.  It has been very refreshing listening to the students explain that there is much wealth to be gained by enjoying the simple things in life.

Mr McMahon sent me the following link: http://www.globalrichlist.com/

As a class we estimated what a reasonable annual income would be for a a family of four.  We came up with $100 000 per annum, which we put into the How Rich Are You Generator.  The students were quite shocked by where this annual income placed us on a rich list compared to the rest of the world.  We then started to look into who owns the website and what might their purpose be in including such a tool.  This was critical literacy in action and I was really impressed by the higher order thinking and evaluative skills that the students demonstrated.

Is being rich the same as being wealthy?  How rich are you? How wealthy are you? Ask your children what they think.

Transitioning

Well Term 4 is now underway and there are a lot of exciting events happening over the next couple of months.  One of these events will take place tomorrow, October 12, when the Year 8 students get to welcome the Year 6 students at a transition lunch.  This will be a time for next year's Year 7 students to get to know next year's Year 9 students and to form some relationships that will help to ease the transition at the beginning of next year.  I am really looking forward to seeing the students mix together tomorrow and to begin forming these valuable relationships.

The festivities from the Crossing the Bridge Ceremony 2010 - just one of the activities for students transitioning from the Primary campus to Junior Secondary.

Have a Happy and Safe Holiday

As Term 3 draws to a close today I wanted to wish all of you a happy and safe holiday.  Take some time to relax, reflect, and rejuvenate to ensure you are ready for what promises to be an action packed and very busy Term 4.

HAVE A GREAT BREAK! 

Using 21st Century Skills to Explore the Past

During Terms 2 and 3 we have been study various periods in world history, starting with the end of the Roman Empire and how this led to the Dark Ages in Medieval Europe.  We then moved into a study of Marco Polo and Medieval China and explored how the adventures of Marco Polo inspired other explorers, like Christopher Columbus, to look for new lands.

Over the past few weeks we have been investigating the Spanish exploration of South America in the 1500s, with partiular emphasis on the conquistadores Cortes and Pizarro and their treatment of the Actecs and  the Incas respectively.

The students are currently utilising the available 21st tools like flip cams, NewsMaker, Movie Maker, and the internet to prepare a current affairs program that reports on the modern day governments of Mexico and Peru and their claim for compensation from the Spanish government for the events of the 1500s.  Students are demonstrating the Habit of Mind "Listening with Understanding and Empathy" as they report on both sides of the story and consider the implications of this case to all involved.

It has been great to work with the students as they have worked together to discuss these issues and plan and prepare their 'programs'.  I hope to share some of their finished results on this Blog in the near future.

Rising to the Occasion

Yesterday 8J had the opportunity to lead the Junior Secondary Worship.  Our theme to focus on was "Unity" and the students did a fantastic job in preparing and presenting the Worship.  I was really impressed by how willing the students were to get involved, and also by the way they went about working together to achieve a common goal.

Please take a look at The Prezi to see what the students came up with.

Well done to all the students in 8J for working together so well.

We Made It!

WOW!  Camp was an awesome experience!  The students had so many wonderful opportunities to challenge themselves and to try things that really got them out of their comfort zone.  It was definitely not a holiday and there were no resort facilities that some of our students may be use to, but most of the students were able to look past these minor inconveniences to see the value in what they were doing.

The camp can be summed up in the following words:

• Challenging
• Fun
• Uncomfortable
• Enjoyable
• Tiring
• Rewarding

Thank you to the excellent staff at Meebun-bia, and to the amazing CAC teachers who supported and helped the students in so many different ways.

coopsjd's photostream

coopsjd's photostream on Flickr.

Pictures of the recent Year 8 camp to Meebun-bia.

Excitement abounds!

Well the day has finally arrived - almost!  Tomorrow we head off on our 3-day adventure camp at Meebun-bia Outdoor Education Centre.  It promises to be a great time and I am really looking forward to seeing the students challenge themselves and realise how much they are really capable of.  I am sure there will be lots of stories when we return on Thursday.  Until then, you can see more about Meebun-bia by watching the video below.

Audit Scores

Students were issued with their Term 3 audit scores last Friday, so I thought this would be a good time to remind everybody how the audit scores are formulated.

Each teacher assigns a whole number audit score using the criteria below - 1 being the lowest score and 5 being the highest.  This means that each individual student receives a whole number score for each class that they take - for most students that means 8 scores.  These 8 scores are then averaged to give the overall audit score.  For example, if a student receives the following individual scores:

4   4   3   5   4   3   4   4   

This gives a total of 31.  When we divide this by 8 to get the average we see that the overall audit score would be 3.88 (rounded up to 2 decimal places).  You can then apply this average score to the criteria to see the description of what this means in relation to the Raise Responsibility system we have at the College.


Audit Criteria:
SCORE Link to Raise Responsibility
1 Student constantly displays Level A behaviour:
They are noisy, out of control, and disrespectful. They require constant and close supervision to keep them
in order.
2 Student constantly displays Level B behaviour: Their actions consistently bother others and they don’t
abide by the courtesies of class procedures and accepted standards. They bully and violate the rights of
others and the teacher has to constantly “boss” them to get them to behave appropriately.
3 Student sometimes displays Level B behaviour:
On occasion, the student’s actions bother others and they sometimes show disregard for the courtesies of class operations and accepted standards. They can at times bully and violate the rights of others and the teacher has occasionally had to remind them how to behave appropriately.
4 Student typically displays Level C behaviour:
The student complies with expected standards. They are co-operative and respectful of others. They can be
relied upon to behave responsibly but they tend to be externally motivated.
5 Student constantly displays Level D behaviour:
The student has integrated the regulation of their own behaviour. They display self-discipline, initiative and
the practical wisdom to recognize and make the right choices. They are internally motivated to behave responsibly.

I am really pleased to see how seriously the students are taking their audit scores and how determined they are to improve and reach their goals.  This shows great character and a winning attitude by always striving to be the best that they can be.

PAFA Fundraiser

The CAC PAFA have initiated a fundraiser to assist with the installation of more air conditioning units in the College in 2012.

You would have (or will be) receiving an email that contains the following:

As a fundraising event PAFA are hosting “the CACaburra Amazing Chase”.  Please find attached a parent information letter with your child’s classroom link.   PAFA’s goal is to raise at least $20,000 to go towards the continuation of air conditioning for the College classrooms. 

Your child’s teacher is managing the website and will be able to answer any questions you may have about their class site.

PAFA thank you for your support and offer the challenge… How much can your class raise?

This is the link for our class page.

KWHLAQ

For a long time teachers have recognised the benefits of having students assess their prior knowledge of topics being studied.  To do this we have often used KWL charts - What do I KNOW? What do I WANT to know? What have I LEARNED?

In 2011 the KWL chart has been updated to incorporate more of a 21st century thinking perspective and now looks like this:

You can see that 3 more columns have been added - two (H and A) place more responsibility on the learner to determine how they can answer their questions and what they will do with their new found knowledge.  The last column (Q) recognises that research and learning does not have an end point - the more you know the more questions you have.

I hope you find this KWL chart on steroids useful in organising your prior knowledge, questions, and new learning.

Credit needs to be given to the Langwitches Blog for this resource - another example of how Blogs can be used for professional development and continuing learning.

Year 8 English Homework

This post is for the students in my Year 8 English classes - please go to this website and watch the "How to Write a News Lead" video clips parts 1-4.

As you watch these clips please write down any questions or discussion points as you think of them - you could even add them as comments to this post.  We will discuss your questions during our English lessons next week.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and finding out what you have learned from these clips.

Have fun!  

Who Was Marco Polo?

Last week's Knight to Remember was a great culminating event and a wonderful way to share our understanding of Medieval Europe.  We are now expanding or study of medieval times by investigating Marco Polo and Imperial China.  China is a truly fascinating place, and looking into life there during the 11th and 12th centuries is so interesting.

You can see some of the topics we have been covering in class by viewing this Prezi.

A Knight to Remember

A Knight to Remember, a set on Flickr.

Here are some photos of our medieval study culmination - A Knight to Remember