Farwell

Today is not only the last day of Semester One, but also my final day teaching here at CAC.  My time has been very personally and professionally rewarding, and I have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with some amazing people, including colleagues, students, and parents.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank the CAC community for the amazing support and encouragement I have received and to wish you all the very best for the future.

With much heartfelt gratitude and appreciation.

Athletics Carnival

In 44 days the world's best athletes will be in London trying to achieve their life long goal of winning a gold medal.  Their participation in the Olympics is the result of countless hours of hard work, dedication, and sacrifice.

Today, CAC's finest athletes will gather on the oval for their chance at glory as they compete in the CAC annual athletics carnival.  Good luck to all participants today!  Remember that participation and spirit are just as important as winning.  Have a great day today!

Driverless Cars - Fact of Science Fiction?

I am always intrigued by what the future may hold - particularly when it comes to technology.  I have seen an enormous amount of new technology be introduced into our daily lives during my short lifespan.  It seems that Volvo is pushing the envelope in its quest to have autonomous vehicles driving on everyday roads.  Check out the article below to find out more:

Self-driving Cars Head Down Spanish Motorway 

Persuasive Speaking Help - Yr 8 English

Here is the video that we watched in class - don't forget that this is one video in the series.  There may be others in the series that you want to check out when writing your speech.

Niger's Food Crisis

As part of our study of developing countries we have been exploring issues related to poverty and access to basic human needs like food and water.  Last week the ABC's 7:30 report aired a short report on the food crisis currently happening in Niger.  You can view this report by clicking HERE.

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud - for Yr 8 English

Here is the information that we were discussing in class relating to William Wordsworth's poem.  This will be helpful when you are writing the 'Craftsmanship' paragraph for your analysis.

Structure - 4 stanzas of 6 lines each

Language - traditional old English as it was written in the early 1800s

Imagery - extensive use of personification and the title itself is a simile

Movement - the rhythm is flowing in a calm and steady manner

Sounds - No real use of alliteration or assonance.  Very deliberate use of rhyme with a ababcc pattern

Have fun writing your analysis.

Cloud Storage - Dropbox and Google Drive

If you have ever lost your USB you know how frustrating it can be to lose all of your work.  If you are interested in using cloud storage to keep your files safe and to enable you to access them anytime anywhere, then maybe Dropbox could be a good solution for you.  Keep in mind that Dropbox only offers a small amount of space (2GB) for free, so this should be used for files, not as a place to store your music and videos.  Check out the link below to see if this is a tool that could help you in keeping your work files safe and accessible:

Click here to go to Dropbox

If you sign up using this link and then install Dropbox on your home computer you will get an extra 500mb of storage space for your account.

If you have a Gmail account then you now have access to Google Drive – Google’s cloud storage option that provides you with 5GB of free storage space.  Keep in mind that sometimes you cannot access Gmail from school, so this may limit the access to your school files.

I encourage you to begin looking into cloud storage as a way to ensure your files are safe and always accessible.

ANZAC Day

Tomorrow, April 25th, is ANZAC Day - a day where we pause to remember and show our respects to all those who have fought in war to protect the freedoms that we enjoy today.  This day is not a celebration of war, but rather a time for us to express our thanks and gratitude for all that we enjoy in our lives.

The Ode of Remembrance is the fourth verse from Laurence Binyon's poem, For the Fallen.  This ode is particularly significant on ANZAC day and you will hear it and see it throughout the day.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

The Last Post is also very significant on ANZAC Day as it signals the end of the day and time to retire for the evening.  In terms of ANZAC Day it acts as a final farwell to fallen soldiers.

Whatever you are doing tomorrow I hope you take a minute to pause and reflect on the brutality of war and those who gave the supreme sacrifice for our freedoms.

Lest We Forget

Exciting News

This morning Dr Sly announced to the Secondary Faculty that I will be leaving CAC at the end of this term.  I have been appointed as the Primary Assistant Principal at Bangkok Patana School.  This is a wonderful opportunity for me professionally and a chance for my family and I to continue exploring the many and varied countries of the world.  While it will be sad for us to leave CAC, we will take with us many fond memories and some great experiences.  I am really looking forward to making the most of the time I have left with the students, parents, and colleagues and ensuring that we say our farewells positively and happily.

The Miniature Earth - for 8J Homework

Here is the link to The Miniature Earth website we used today in SOSE - Click Here

Here is the video:

The information you need to complete your homework is below:

Nationalities:

• 61 would be Asian
• 13 would be African
• 12 would be European
• 8 would be from the USA
• 5 would be South American
• 1 would be from Oceania

50 would be female and 50 would be male

47 would live in urban areas

20 would own 75% of the entire wealth of the village

18 do not have access to clean drinking water

21 live on less than US$1.25 per day

12 would be disabled

14 would be hungry or malnourished

12 can't read

12 have a computer

8 have an internet connection

Religions:

• 33 Christian
• 21 Muslim
• 13 Hindu
• 11 other religions
• 11 non-religious
• 6 Buddhist
• 3 atheist
• 1 Jew
• 1 Sikh

Please remember to have your visual ready for Monday.

Student Blogs

Towards the end of last term the students from 8J and 8A started their Year 8 Blogs.  These blogs are a place where the students can reflect on what's happening with their studies and in their school life in general.  They are in their very early stages at the moment, but we will be working on them regularly to make them interesting and fun to read.  You will find links to the student blogs on the left hand side of this blog - please stop by and take a look at the student blogs.

Welcome to Term 2

I hope you have all had an enjoyable and relaxing holiday and I trust you are now ready to continue on our learning journey.  All the teachers are back at work today and have been very busy pulling apart some of the latest research on teaching and learning as well as ensuring that everything is prepared and organised to welcome you all back tomorrow.

So what did you get up to on the holidays?  I love the first day back after a break as I get to hear about the exciting and adventurous things that you have been doing.  I had a great holiday and got to spend lots of time with my family.  The highlight of my holiday was hiking from O'Rielly's to Binna Burra with my son - a 22km, 7hr hike that took us through some truly amazing parts of the Gold Coast Hinterland.  We were both very tired by the end, but we were also very pleased that we had made the physical and mental effort to get out and see this amazing part of the world.

Walking through the Arctic Beech Forest made us feel like we were in another world

Enjoy the last day of your holidays and see you tomorrow.

Inter House Cross Country

This Friday, March 30, we will hold our annual Inter House Cross Country.  Students will have the opportunity to put their physical endurance and intestinal fortitude to the test as they compete against each other to complete the cross country course.  Should be a lot of fun!

Festival of Gifts

Yesterday was the opening ceremony of our Festival of Gifts - a week where we celebrate our gifts and talents and reflect on what it means to be a member of the CAC community.  There are lots of different events planned this week and I am really looking forward to the students extending their comfort zones and participating in these events.  It promises to be a great week!

Parent Teacher Interviews

Next Tuesday and Wednesday, March 27 and 28, we will be holding Parent/Teacher interviews in the IGC.  These meetings are a very important opportunity for parents to meet with their child's teachers and to discuss more of the holistic aspects of the education experience, going beyond just the grades for achievements, effort, and study habits.

I look forward to meeting with you next week so we can celebrate some of the great things that have been happening during Term 1 and devise strategies on how we can help your children achieve their goals during Term 2.

Putting the student at the centre will ultimately help them achieve their goals

  

Kony 2012

You would have had to have been living out in the wilderness during the past couple of days not to have heard of the Kony 2012 phenomenon.  The Invisible Children organisation have created a social media frenzy by releasing its latest documentary on You Tube and using social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to help it go viral in record time.

The popularity of the video has brought with it many detractors - people who are questioning the integrity of the Invisible Children organisation and how they allocate the funds that they raise.  Whether you believe this is a credible organisation or not, you cannot ignore the message of what they are trying to do.  You also can't ignore how cleverly they have leveraged social media to promote awareness of their cause.

 It will be interesting to see how long this issue remains in the headlines.

You are likely to see a lot more of this image over the next couple of months

International Women's Day

March 8th is International Women's Day - a day where we pause to reflect on the amazing contributions that women make to all areas of life and how positively women impact the world.  It is also a time for us to pause and reflect on the fact that not all women around the world enjoy the freedoms, safety, and respect that others in some countries do.

Take some time today to show your appreciation to the women (Mothers, sisters, wives, friends, daughters, colleagues) who have made a positive impact in your life. 

How Do You Read?

2012 is the National Year of Reading - an initiative designed to promote the joy, value, and importance of regular reading.  As a result we have a number of initiatives under way to help our students become immersed in good books/stories.

I am quite fortunate that both of my children are avid readers.  I am also very aware that as they approach their teenage years the challenge of maintaining their love of reading will arise.  Recently I have been using the Kindle Touch to re-ignite my son's passion for reading.

I know that many people like the feel of a book in their hands when they are reading.  I also know many people who felt that way until they tried an e-reader - my son being one of them.  The reasons I like e-readers are:

• no more trips to the book store looking through a limited range - when using a Kindle you have access to Amazon's huge selection of e-books
• no more waiting for books to arrive in the mail - e-books are downloaded to your e-reader in seconds
• the built in dictionary - when you come across a word that is unfamiliar you can simply put your finger on the word and it will bring up the dictionary meaning for you (great for increasing the vocabulary of young readers)
• you can take an entire collection of books with you wherever you go

If you are lucky enough to have an avid teenage reader you might find an e-reader is a helpful tool for feeding their voracious reading appetite.  If you have a reluctant teenage reader, you may find that an e-reader can help them to rediscover their love of the written word.  Whatever you use, take every opportunity to help your children enjoy reading and engage with good stories.

Passmarc II

We now have 57 out of 58 students from 8J and 8A enrolled in Passmarc II.  I will be using this Moodle course for Year 8 English this year - in particular I will be communicating assessment grades through this portal.  I encourage parents to sit down with their children and ask them to show you their English Passmarc II course.  I hope you find it useful in keeping you informed about what is happening in our English classes, and a great way to keep up with the progress of your child.

Passmarc II Link

A Snapshot in Time

Today we had our annual photo day - an opportunity to take a snapshot of the students and staff at the College in 2012.

It was great to see the students taking such pride in their appearance and wanting to look their best for both the class photo and their individual portraits.  I am sure that these photos will be a wonderful reminder of Year 8, and I hope that parents and students will look back on these photos with happy and positive memories.

Ahhh - the coolness of the rainforest.

We have just left Joala National Park and Curtis Falls - a beautiful example of a rainforest environment right on our doorstep.  We really noticed the difference in temperature when we entered the micro climate of the rainforest - welcome relief after the high humidity of the wetlands. We are now on our way back to school.

Wetland Wonderland

We have just left Phil Hill Environmental Park on Jabiru Island - a wonderful example of a mangrove wetland area right in the heart of Hope Island and Paradise Point.

Coastal Landforms

We have just left the Southport Spit where we had the opportunity to learn all about the vegetation that is vital to the health of the dune system. We also had the opportunity to plant some Beachbean and Pig Face - two plants that do a great job of holding our dunes together.  We are now on our way to explore the wetlands on Jabiru Island.

Year 8 Excursion

We all made it onto the bus and we are now on our way to the Southport Spit. The weather looks great and it promises to be a fantastic day! More posts to come as the day progresses.

Where is the Term Going?

I can't believe nearly two weeks have passed since the swimming carnival and we are now beginning week 6!  We have a couple of important things happening this week that I would like to draw your attention to:

1. Our SOSE excursion is happening on Wednesday, Feb 29 - during this full day excursion we will be visiting and studying a coastal environment, a wetland environment, and a rainforest environment.  Please make sure your permission notes have been returned to your PC teacher
2. We are in the middle of presenting our debates on environmental issues affecting our local area - these will continue this week
3. Audit scores will be available this week

With so much going on it is very important to be checking the Assessment Planner and to be writing things into your diary.  This should help you to stay organised and on top of things.

Swimming Carnival Photos

Some photos from yesterday's swimming carnival:

Gibbs House Supporters

Mr Cooper on crowd control

Smith House Supporters

Lane House Supporters

Happy faces of the winning team - Morris House!

House Swimming Carnival

It was a great day for our annual inter-house swimming carnival today. The students were in good spirits and it was great to see so many of them getting in the water and having a go. Congratulations to Morris house who won the day.

Safer Internet Day Tip #5

It is easy to get caught up in emotional thoughts and feelings when in the middle of an ‘animated discussion’ or argument. 

Take your Time! Think before acting; remain calm, thoughtful and deliberative.

If you write an email, txt or message to someone that is nasty or deliberately negative, think before your click SEND!  Read what you have written, go away and come back later when you have calmed down a little.  Read it again and think about the ramifications and consequences.  Better still, pick up the phone or go and see the person.  You can’t take back a message, and it can be used against you in the future.  If someone has sent something nasty to you, become more mature than them and decline to respond.  They may in fact apologise to you at a later date.

Today's message is a very good reminder for both students and adults - face to face communication can often resolve or even avoid problems and issues that may result from written electronic communication.

Safer Internet Day Tip #4

Don’t believe everything you see or read on the internet.  Just because it appears on a website doesn’t make it true.  Likewise, just because a few people are circulating gossip about someone you know, it doesn’t mean that information is true.  Don’t perpetuate gossip, innuendo or tales – break the cycle.  Challenge all that you see and read, and don’t rely on one information source when gathering information from the internet.

Safer Internet Day Tip #3

If anyone online says anything inappropriate to you or about you, harasses you, or sends you unwanted messages, tell a trusted adult immediately.  You need to know that you can trust your parents, relatives and teachers to help you.  It is very easy to be nasty online because there is a sense of anonymity. 

A Google Alternative

It is interesting to note that Google has been added to the dictionary as both a noun and a verb.  Googling is something that we do on a regular basis when we are looking for information on the web.  In an education context the search results can be overwhelming and often difficult to find what you are looking for.

Thanks to Mr Jorgensen for sharing this information about Instagrok - an alternative to locating relevant and useful information on the web.

Safer Internet Day Tip #2

It is important to remember that people are often not who they say they are online. Although it is very difficult to know whether someone is an online predator, scammer or bully, there's one simple rule for making sure that friends on the Internet are NOT dangerous: do not talk to people online unless you've met them in person first!  There have been many cases when an online ‘friend’ has said they are a fourteen year old boy or girl when in fact it is an adult man seeking vulnerable children.  Never give away personal information, including your address, DOB, school and when you will and won’t be somewhere.  Protect yourself by protecting your information.

Safer Internet Day

Today is Safer Internet Day - a day to promote safe online activity for our children and students.  Each day this week Mr Jorgensen will be sharing tips on how to make your online experience a little safer and more enjoyable.

Tip #1 - Don’t give you password out to anyone, including your best friends and your siblings.  Only you and/or your parents should know your password.  Try changing your password regularly, like every 6 months or so.  A combination of digits, lower case and upper case letters is desirable.

Have a great day and stay safe on the internet. 

Choosing the Right Tool

This week in RaVE we have been exploring the significance of early Christian symbols.  Over the last two days students have been working collaboratively to prepare a presentation that will enable them to share their knowledge and understanding of a particular symbol from early Christian times.  What has impressed me most about the work that the students have been doing is their ability to choose the right tool for their purpose.  During the past two lessons I have seen students using the following technology:

• Prezi and Prezi Meeting to collaboratively work on their presentation at the same time
• OneNote to collaboratively share information and images
• Power Point
• Movie Maker

We also discussed how "Willyoutypewithme" and Google Docs may be useful tools for collaborative projects in the future.

It has been great to see the students independently choosing the right tool for their skill level and purpose.  I can't wait to see their presentations next week.

Accessing Your Email

As you now know all student email has been moved into the cloud using Microsoft Live edu. From this year all students in years 4-12 will have individual email address.  Sending and receiving of emails has not changed but the platform they log into has changed.

To access your CAC email account you need to do the following:

To login in to email

Open: Your preferred web browser (IE, Firefox, Safari, Chrome)

Type in address: outlook.com (or just click)

To sign in:

In the Windows Live ID: (your student number)@cac.qld.edu.au

Your Password: the generic password that was provided to you today during PC (this password needs to be changed immediately)

Once signed in please change your password and select the time to Brisbane.

If you have any difficulties with this please contact the IT Helpdesk.

Safe Social Networking

During Semester 1 all teachers at CAC will be completing the Connect.ed cybersmart online course.  This course will help teachers to better understand some of the online habits that our students have or are developing, and will give us useful tools and strategies to help us help our students to become more responsible digizens.

When I was completing the first module I came across this resource about safe social networking:

The full document can be read by clicking HERE

The document is worth reading for both parents and students and may help you to better understand the world of social networking.

Staying Safe on the Web

As we begin another year of learning with the wonders of technology, it is important to remember some of the basic things we can do to ensure our web experiences are safe and productive.

Be sure to protect yourself and your identity when surfing the web.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year and welcome to 2012.  After a long summer break I am looking forward to getting back to school and to meeting my new classes for this year.  All of the teachers will be back on deck tomorrow and will be participating in professional development and meetings to ensure we are ready to hit the ground running when the students return next Monday, January 23rd.

You will notice that the links to the student blogs have been removed from this blog - this is in readiness for the new group of Year 8 students.  I will be working with the Year 8s over the first couple of weeks to set up their learning blogs and will provide links to them as soon as they are up and running.

I have had a fantastic holiday and have really enjoyed spending lots of time with family and friends.  Some of the highlights were:

• Completing a 50km run in early December
• A 3-day surfing trip at Noosa with my son
• A family camping trip to Wooyung Beach (NSW)
• Spending Christmas with family
• Catching up on some reading

I hope you (the students) enjoy the last week of your holidays and that you are as excited as me about getting our learning underway for this year.

Image Credit