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