Middle Moments

Camps, Art and Science

By Email this article

Thank you to everyone involved in our festivities on Caritas Day.  Middle School Home Groups organised and conducted a wide variety of stalls, with proceeds going towards Caritas Australia.

Caritas Day

The Gospel stories portray Jesus’ life as one that constantly moved to a rhythm of offering mercy, justice and peace.  Caritas Australia, the international aid and development organisation of the Catholic Church in Australia, continues Jesus’ mission by delivering long-term development programmes, working with the poorest of the poor and helping people help themselves. 

Well done to all the staff, parents and students for the hard work and preparation they put into the event.  The support we provide Caritas Australia contributes to the organisation’s important aid and development works and is greatly appreciated.

---

Year 6 and 7 Camps

Outdoor camps provide students with opportunities to develop in both an intellectual and a physical manner, and this kind of growth enables greater “self” understanding. The Year 6 and 7 Camps have taken place during Weeks 8 and 10 this term, and I would like to congratulate all the staff and students involved in the experiences.

Student Reflection: Year 6

When we were not having food, having a meeting, sleeping or doing activities, we had free time!  My favourite free time activities were the climbing wall and trampolines. The other activities were table tennis, horseshoe puzzles and mini golf.  My favourite activity of the camp was horse riding.  I would love to go back again!

Isabella Drew
6CO

Student Reflection: Year 7

Once we arrived at school, we could not wait to get on to the bus to go to camp, and when we made it to Woodhouse we rocketed off the bus. On arrival we were greeted by our instructors and split off into groups. Group A went to mountain biking, whilst Group B went to the long steep road on the Women’s Pioneer Trail to start their Bushwalking.

From then on we split into tent groups and were told to put up our tents. This was a long, tedious task but after a lot of hard work, the tents were finally up.

At dinner, our lovely catering chef, Sue, prepared a special meal for us consisting of spaghetti bolognaise and mouth-watering ice cream for dessert. Once we had finished washing up, we retreated to our night activities. Group A had a lovely night of solitude, whilst Group B had a wonderful experience of cooking Milo on the trangia stoves. After a long day, all of the tired students retreated to their tents.

On the second and third days, we all woke up early and split into four groups. Each group did a different activity, such as “Wetlands”, where we learnt about the wetland environment, 'Challenge Hill', which consisted of different challenging activities and physical terrain, 'Team Initiatives', where we worked together to overcome challenges, 'Orienteering', where we had to read maps to find different locations, and finally, 'Bridge and Shelter Building', where we learned how to tie different knots.

On the last day, we packed up our things and although we were exhausted, we were sad that our camp was over.  Overall, it was a great experience where we learned new skills, made new friendships and strengthened old ones.  We have grown as a year level from this experience.

Zoe Kroeger and Adrien Hanic
7SW

---

Year 9 Art L.E.A.F. Project

Year 9 Art students have been involved in the Daw House Hospice Foundation Life Cycles – L.E.A.F. Project this term. The L.E.A.F. Project is centred on Life, Education, Art and Feelings, and presents human life as a part of nature. 

The L.E.A.F. Project Art Exhibition was opened on Wednesday 5 April in the Carmel Bourke Library. I would like to acknowledge Luisa Stocco (Visual Arts Coordinator) for her important work in implementing the project.

Click here for more on the L.E.A.F. Project. 

---

Year 9 “A Case of Identity” Forensic Science Workshop

During Week 10, Year 9 students participated in a forensic science workshop where they had the opportunity to take on the role of a forensic scientist and solve real life crimes. The case explored the importance of cyber safety with social networks, the dangers of drink spiking and the consequences of taking risks. I would like to thank Dr Nicholas Head (Science Coordinator) for his coordination of the workshop for our Year 9 students. 

Student Reflection

On Tuesday 4 April, the Year 9 cohort participated in an intriguing workshop to learn about the concepts of forensic science. We were given the task to investigate the murder case of a young girl named Sally, through the use of forensic procedures. 

Through this time, we learnt about various elements to help solve a murder case, and the different methods scientists use to determine how the victim found themselves in their particular situation. The information from this session was very informative and we all had a lot of fun. This experience taught us a lot about forensic science and the processes used to solve crime.

Caitlin Corrigan and Clementine Murton
9SZ

---

Learning Reviews

The College acknowledges the primary role of parents and families in student learning and recognises them as valued partners in the learning process. The upcoming Learning Reviews are an opportunity for parents and families to engage with staff at the College to ensure the best for each individual student.

Our first set of Year 6 - 11 Learning Reviews will take place in Gleeson Hall on Tuesday 9 May from 2:00pm to 7:00pm.  Students will be dismissed at 1:05pm on this day, to allow teaching staff to make appointments with parents from 2:00pm. A follow up evening for students in Years 6-11 will occur on Monday 15 May from 4:00pm to 7:00pm, also in Gleeson Hall.

The Learning Reviews are different from 'interviews', in that they have a greater focus on the role of the student in the discussion. Learning Reviews provide an opportunity for staff, parents and students to discuss a student’s learning journey, and they should identify actions to be undertaken by all parties to support the learning programme.  As such, students should be in attendance and should be prepared to take on an integral part of the discussion about their learning.

---

Winter Uniform

All students are expected to show pride in themselves and the College by meeting requirements relating to uniform and grooming. Such self-respect is the first step towards mutual respect, one of our Mercy Keys and core values.

As Term 1 comes to a close and the weather becomes cooler, it is timely to remind students and parents that the winter uniform is to be worn from the start of Term 2. This includes wearing of the blazer to and from school. 

I ask parents to support the College Uniform Policy by ensuring that their child (children) has the required uniform, and that they wear it neatly and correctly. 

---

ClassAct 50 Task Challenge

The ClassAct 50 Task Challenge revisits essential digital citizenship skills and encourages a culture of respect and positive interaction in both the online and offline world. This week, I would like to challenge all Middle School students to:

• Discuss with parents and research to identify where Australian children under the age of 18 can go to report cyberbullying.
• Research what two-factor authentication is. Enable it on at least one social media account and/or email.

I encourage families to partner with us and promote these tasks at home as well. Further information on the challenge can be located here. 

---

End of Term

It has been a busy term! I would like to thank Middle School Home Group and Subject teachers for their exceptional work with our young people. I would also like to acknowledge all the parents who volunteered their time for school events such as our Swimming and Athletics Carnivals.

I encourage Middle School students to use their Interim Report to reflect on their approach to learning and return from the term break refreshed and ready to continue their learning journey.

I hope all members of our Middle School community enjoy a meaningful Easter and that the hope from Jesus’ resurrection continues to guide us as we work together to support the growth and development of our Middle School students. 

Have a safe and relaxing term break and I look forward to catching up with all of you at the Middle School Mix and Mingle on Friday 12 May, 2017.

Jarrad McCabe
Head of Middle School - Pastoral