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.