Middle Moments

Canberra Trip

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Our Year 7 students spent Week 2 away in Canberra, with a week packed full of visits to Old and New Parliament House, Government House, the National Portrait Gallery, Questacon, the Australian Institute of Sport, the High Court of Australia, the Canberra Space Centre, the National Dinosaur Museum, the National Film and Sound Archives, the National Mint and the Australian War Memorial.

The trip has many connections to the Year 7 Curriculum, particularly in the areas of Civics and Citizenship, Science and Physical Education and Health. I would like to thank all of the staff who attended and particularly would like to congratulate Mr Stuart Wuttke (Year 7 Coordinator) for his wonderful organisation and implementation of the programme.

Student Reflection

Year 7 students take a trip to Canberra as part of their Humanities subject every year. The point of going to Canberra is to learn and get information for our Civics and Citizenship Exhibition night, which is on Wednesday 16 November, 2016 (Week 5). 

On Monday 24 October, the Year 7 cohort from Mercedes College set off to Canberra. Some students woke at 3:30am in the morning and others at 6:00am.  Although the early birds were not impressed, the Crows fans bumped into someone that lit up their day at the airport: Crows midfielder Rory Sloane!

The next five days were no different and included waking up early and going to sleep really late, so we could see as much of Canberra as possible!  We visited many places, both educational and fun!  We were engaged by several guest speakers from different locations around Canberra, who shared information with us, which benefited our learning and supported us with a stronger knowledge of Civics and Citizenship.

Most students thoroughly enjoyed the visit to the Australian War Memorial and Parliament House, as these two venues definitely provided us with a large variety of information for our upcoming exhibition. Some other enjoyable activities and locations included Questacon and the Australian Institute of Sport.

Canberra was definitely a great learning experience for all students in the Year 7 cohort, and was a cherished experience for all.

Annabel Wyman and Elise Varley

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Food Forest

On Monday 31 October, Year 9 students visited the Food Forest in Gawler as part of their current work in Humanities. The Food Forest is a property where over 160 varieties of fruits, nuts, grains, vegetables and timber are grown.

Student Reflection

The Food Forest was a very inspiring and educational experience. We were taught about permaculture and the development of agricultural systems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient. Graham taught us all about the farm and all of the clever systems installed to create the least amount of damage to the environment. He had installed a long drop toilet that took the waste into a container used for plant fertiliser. Also, there were plenty of rainwater tanks on the farm, and Graham taught us about the importance of solar panels and how they are essential for almost every home.

We also learnt about how the positioning of your home is important, because if you build a house that is facing the sun, and has many windows facing the sun, then this will give you natural sunlight year round and will keep you warmer in winter. Also, if you extend your roof by a couple of centimetres, then the sun will still reach your home, but will not be too overwhelming in summer.

Graham taught us that there are three major ethics to follow:

• Care for the Planet;
• Care for the Community and
• Take some Action.

Overall, this means that there are plenty of positive things that we can do to care for our planet and community, but now that we know what to do, we must actually take action and try at least one of these changes.

The farm is certified organic and even though it is not very large, it has a large variety of fruits and vegetables growing. We were able to try some naturally dried fruits from the farm and I must say it was way more delicious than the dried fruit bought from stores. 

We also tried some fresh mulberries from the tree and they tasted very fresh. I benefited from this experience because I was able to learn so much about sustainable and environmentally friendly living and food production, as well as just small things that I can do at home to save energy and be kind to the environment. Because every positive change that we do to help the environment, no matter how small, does make a difference.

Veronica Pena Negrette 

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2017 Induction Day

Induction Day for 2017 will take place next Friday 18 November, 2016.  We will welcome many new students to the College, particularly at Year 6 and Year 8, with the day providing new and current students the opportunity to meet one another, experience some of the curriculum and get to know their new Home Group teachers. 

I would like to acknowledge and thank the Year Level Coordinators, Home Group teachers, College Psychologist and Administration Staff who have all contributed greatly to the organisation, preparation and coordination of Induction Day.

I would also like to thank, in anticipation, the members of the MPFA who will help make our new parents welcome with a wonderful morning tea.

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New Parent Information Evening

A reminder to parents of 2017 Year 6 and 8 students that the Middle School New Parent Information Evening will be held on Tuesday 22 November, starting 7:00pm in the Mercy Lecture Theatre. The evening will provide parents with information about Middle School policies and procedures, and will give parents an opportunity to meet one another and the Year Level Home Group teachers. 

All Middle School parents for 2017 are welcome; however, as this evening is aimed at introducing new parents to the structures and curriculum of the Middle School, those who have students currently in the Middle School do not need to attend.

I look forward to seeing our new Middle School parents at this upcoming event.

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Sun Protection Policy

We are continuing to implement our policy of students wearing a College approved hat when they are not under cover, regardless of weather conditions, at Recess and Lunch.  Many of our students have embraced this policy, reflecting good sun protection behaviours, however some are resisting. 

Staff will continue to remind and encourage students to be sun smart, and it would be helpful if parents could also reinforce this message at home. Students who are not wearing a hat when required will be issued with red uniform cards.

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Year 8 Musical

Our Year 8 students and teachers are continuing to prepare for the upcoming Year 8 Musical.  All of the Year 8 students are working on different aspects of the production through their Arts electives, and I would like to congratulate them all on their contributions so far. 

The production is an enormous undertaking involving countless numbers of rehearsals for actors and musicians, costume fits, make-up trials, designing and making of sets, posters and tickets. The final production is a celebration of this work and I am sure that it will be a worthwhile and memorable experience for the entire Year 8 cohort. 

The Musical will be performed on Wednesday 23 November and Thursday 24 November and I encourage you all to come along and support the students and staff with your presence.

Once again, if you need to contact me at any stage, feel free.

Jarrad McCabe
Head of Middle School - Pastoral