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

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

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.