DYNAMIC EARTH

MELBOURNE MUSEUM: http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/discoverycentre/dynamic-earth/    

The Dynamic Earth experience really added to our learning about disasters.....

• I enjoyed The 3D Volcanic Eruption movie a lot. It was great seeing a disaster occur from a different perspective because we are normally used just seeing pictures but this was more intriguing and taught us more information.
• The rocks were interesting-the tiny details blew me away-patterns, colours, shapes-formed in so many different ways.
• Seeing the revolving earth models was fascinating.... to see the changes over time and how the earth was formed
• We could see what the earth looked like over 4 million years ago
• The rocks and crystals were amazing, to think that something so bright and colourful can come from underground
• Seeing the 3D movie helped me to visualise the power of the disaster
• The crystals are formed naturally and have such incredible beauty and shapes
• The Melbourne Museum exhibit was a great experience and it introduced a new perspective to the meaning of natural disasters
• Going to watch the 3D video, was really engaging. It made you feel like you were actually right there at that very moment. It makes me realise how dangerous volcanic eruptions can be.

Collaborative Groups

THE CHANGE TWO PROCESS IN OUR SCHOOL LED TO COLLABORATION BEING SELECTED AS A MAJOR FOCUS AND INITIATIVE IN OUR SCHOOL. ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE DID WAS TO CREATE COLLABORATIVE GROUPS ACROSS THE SEVEN LEVELS AND TO MEET IN THESE GROUPS ON A FORTNIGHTLY BASIS.

I love collaborative groups because it is a great chance get to know others and find out a bit about them and what they like to do...  Tessa

I love collaborative groups because  they are fun and you meet new friends and people and my teacher is good fun.... Molly

I love collaborative groups because we get the opportunity to meet others and get to know them well....Ashling.

I love collaborative groups because we play fun games together (with our friends from other levels).... Samuel

I love collaborative groups because we can collaborate with students from higher and lower levels...Will

I love collaborative groups because I see how cross-age learning and working together brings out the best in our students,

 in the way they relate tenderly to one another, in the surprised faces of the "big 'uns" when they hear the wisdom of the 'little 'un's"

 in the strong desire of the older students to care for and nurture the younger students

and in the way I come to know other students in depth.

Mrs Yore

CRICKET VICTORIA MILO T20 BLAST SCHOOL CUP

...no winners today but a great day was had by all. Thanks to Cricket Victoria and SEDA for running the day. Congratulations to those who won.

LONE PINE

THE LONE PINE

From Tia:

“At last the sky clears.The years pass.The tree weathers many storms…but the Lone Pine still stands proud and strong.”
Lone Pine is a captivating book, which conquered my heart. It really makes me feel a connection to the families now and then. I now truly understand what feels like to have family involved in a war.Susie Brown and Margaret Warner used powerful language to create a heart-stopping story. The strong, sharp sentences make a lovely story.  

From Daniel:
The Lone Pine is a story about WW1 in Gallipoli, Turkey. Three brothers go to war for what they think is going to be an amazing adventure. But the soldiers of Turkey are ready for them and the the fight is short and fierce. Two of the brothers survive but one falls in battle.

The oldest brother finds a pine cone while searching for his younger sibling and posts it to his mother who is back home in Australia. She puts them in a pot and grows three small saplings from the seeds of the pine. two survive and are green and healthy but the last one weathers away and dies. She sends the first one to a place called Inverell. The second went to Canberra to the memorial for the war where it still is today.

From Tom:

You can feel the pain in the story of a lost brother, a lost child, possibly a lost father or husband. You don’t want to take things for granted after  reading this story, knowing that this happens every day, receiving the dreadful news of a loved one, gone forever....a truly beautiful sight for such a horrible battle!

The beauty, although, keeps us remembering them, thanking them, knowing our lives would not be the same because of them.~Lest We Forget~

From Will:

The lone pine is a sad but heart warming true story. The emotions it brings to mind move from the sad moments to the moments that fill your heart with joy. It's a story of remembrance that proves that a mother’s love is very, very strong...a family's bond will never break.

From Gemma: I love the amazing vibrant images and the way the illustrator Sebastian Ciaffaglone captured the story was incredible. This book was stunning. “Lest We Forget.”

From Ava:I feel terrified. Bullets are speeding toward us as we are running to war. Many have fallen in the time that has gone past, but I have survived till the end of the war. Now I am looking for my little brother who I still can not find.  I come across a pine branch that has a one last cone on it. I hold  it  tightly and smell the aroma of it. It reminds me of my mother's garden so very much.

DISASTER GAME

Playing the Disaster Game made me be aware of what I can do to save myself and others if a natural disaster happens. I can react quickly and carefully - Madison H.

When I played the disaster game I realised that many tsunamis occur in poorer countries in which many people live in huts that can easily be washed away - Natalia B.

Playing this disaster game showed us what can be provided and how we can use resources to our advantage. It also showed the effects of a disaster. -Jonathan

Playing this game made me think what resources I should have so if a disaster did happen I can use them to save lives. I also learnt about how I can protect myself. Cooper M.

I think that playing this game was really good because it taught us how to prepare if there was a disaster. I did bushfires and I didn't realise how important it was to improve your evacuation plans - Nick

It was a big shock to realise  the large impact that the disaster makes- Corinne B

A GOOGLE A DAY!

A Google a day makes us shout, "Hooray!"(Words courtesy of Nick!)  Today we explored a website new to us which we found an interesting way to learn.

WE DISCOVERED....

• it helps us to practise using Google
• it causes us to explore Google to a greater extent
• we learn new general knowledge
• it covers a wide range of areas eg history,geography, science etc

• it encourages us to discover new strategies for using a search engine

• it's fun and a challenge because there's a timer
• we discover new websites-moving away from the "wikipedia"dependence
• we are required to read and decipher the questions wisely
• requires us to use skimming and scanning skills

MORE SOON ABOUT THE DOT POINT WE HAVE HIGHLIGHTED!

The Piano: student response to animation

A beautiful animation inspires the students to experiment with some lovely creative writing!

The brief: a creative commentary experimenting with two new words - excerpt and juxtapose

Natalia: Do you ever wonder about the saddest and happiest moments of your life? In this touching excerpt, we see an old man playing the piano juxtaposed with some of his most memorable moments. I felt immensely sad when the man's wife appears as a ghost and kisses him on the cheek. When the man is a little boy, and receives a gift which he was clearly longing for, I felt his joy.

Madison: "The Piano" is a living music piece that takes us back to our own memories as the old man remembers his. ..The feeling is magical and sensitive, therefore my reaction is sadness and to be patient.

Madeline: Looking back at one's life, we see joyful and painful moments juxtaposed...The short excerpt from this old man's life was guided by the mesmerising piano song.

Tessa: Many moments in your life can be touching, from youth to old age...watching this clip makes me wonder what life will be like for me at that age.

Isabella: The old man thinks of the past, remembering things with the help of his piano. Playing the piano is bringing the passion and emotion into his memory.

Mia: Today we watched a short excerpt from an old man's life and saw how the piano made him remember and brought the tears down....all he has left is his grandson who plays the piano with him as they remember. The clip today was very sad and brought memories to my mind, too.