From the Year 9 Leader
The last two weeks have flown by with a whirlwind of activity as our Year 9 cohort have made their way to Canberra to build their capacity in Growth, Resilience and Self Discovery, as part of the Nourish program. Each day was action packed with early starts that enabled the group of 76 to visit Parliament House for an Education Program. We also visited the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) where Australia’s top athletes train on scholarship programs. The Electoral Commission Office was pivotal in the students' understanding of how votes are counted, with some of them keen to become involved in counting votes down the track. The Australian War Memorial was very moving and encouraged reflection. Interestingly, each day the life of a lost soldier is celebrated and the family is invited to a ceremony.
This week we also saw the students take the plunge in the Oak Park Pool for the Swimming Carnival. A huge shout to Emerson from Fallon house for competing in eight events. It is wonderful to see so many of the students greet the Lunar New Year with tenacity and enthusiasm by moving themselves out of their comfort zone and stretching their mental and physical ‘edge.’
Wishing all those families who celebrate the Lunar New Year a prosperous and successful season.
Louise Prentice
Year 9 Leader
Camp Reflections
Today we started our journey to Canberra by bus, leaving very early in the morning. We've made many stops, watched many movies, and learnt about the history of the town Gundagai, which is just next to the Murrumbidgee River, which means big water. Before leaving, we took a photo with the famous Dog on the Tuckerbox statue. The Year 9 cohort is excited and eager for our stay in Canberra.
Annie-Rose
On the 7th February, we went to Parliament House, we had a tour around the building and learnt about the three sections of parliament, the Crown, the Senate and the House of Representatives. We witnessed a voting in the Senate and the House of Representatives, we also saw the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. After the tour, we did a role play of how the House of Representatives passes a bill. Our bill was on free legislation. After debating and amending the bill, it passed with the majority. While we were having our afternoon tea, we had the opportunity to ask questions to Adam Bandt, the federal member for Melbourne. We ended our day at the Australian War Memorial, where we learned about the sacrifice of average Australian men and women to support our freedom and democracy.
Seone and Olivia
Today in Canberra, the Year 9 cohort visited the National Gallery. We took a guided tour, stopping at a few specific artworks with a rich history. First, we went through the Aboriginal memorial, which was filled with many memorial poles from artists in tribes in Arnhem Land. We then viewed the infamous “Blue Poles” by Jackson Pollock, where the class had mixed opinions on whether it was abstract or just absurd. The NGA was a fun and educational experience, and we would definitely go again.
Olivia and Sara