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.