How is a Bill made into law through Parliament?

Here is a great link for those who want to really understand how a law is made.

http://www.peo.gov.au/kidsview/lawmaking/passthebill.html

http://www.peo.gov.au/multimedia/videos.html

Canberra Excursion



MEDOWIE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

3 DAY CANBERRA EXCURSION

26.10.2011 – 28.10.2011

Day 1:                        6.00am - Depart School – Dress in summer uniform
                                   1.00pm - National Capital Exhibition  
                                   2.30pm - Australian War Memorial – ANZAC Legacy
                                   5.45pm - Dinner   
                                   7.00pm - Questacon – Casual dress out of uniform.

Day 2:                         7.45am - Breakfast
                                    9.00am - Parliament House visit – Sports Uniform
                                    9.00am - House of Representatives

9.30am - Senate

10.00am - PEO

11.00am - Hospitality

                                    12.00pm - Government House (Hospitality)
                                    1.00pm - Lunch

2.30pm - Australian Institute of Sport

                                    6.30pm - Dinner and City Highlights Tour
                                    8.30pm - AIS - Swimming Pool at Night


 Day 3:                        7.45am - Breakfast
                                    Group 1 - 9.00am - Australian Electoral Commission -
                                    Group 2 – 9.30am - Australian Electoral Commission
                                    11.30am-1.00pm - CSIRO Discovery

1.00pm - Lunch

7.30pm - Approx arrival time at school

Virtual Museums and Celebration Day

Well done, Stage 3 on a super day and thank you for the great work you have put in over the last 10 weeks on your virtual museums. You have gone beyond what Mr V and Mr Latimore expected. Enjoy some memories of the last day of school for Term 3.

Stage 3- 2011

Australian Astronaut - Andy Thomas

NRL - Supporters



Football Superstar - Harry Kewell




The Kelly Gang



Albus Dumbledore ...Whoops! Sir Isaac Isaacs

Mary McKillop, Cathy Freeman, Steve Irwin

Fighting for Equal Rights.



All Style. Susana and Gillian



Year 6 girls did a great job.

Matthew you're such a joker.

Well done Mr Cricket.

Enjoying the day!

I've got my eye on this crew!

Mark Richards meets Cardel

Dick Smith

Who is that strange man?



The Lighthouse That Saved My Parents Marriage

We were in class when I got asked the question “Holly what was your best holiday?”, and that’s when it all came back to me.

I’ll start from the beginning for you. One hot and humid October holidays my mum and dad decided to go on holidays near the water because the weather was scorching. The whole family decided to go to a very nice fancy holiday house that is right across the old rocky road to the England Lighthouse.

We were all packed and before we knew it we were on our way to a much cooler dream destination. When we got there we decided which room was ours. I belly flopped on my bed which I wish I hadn’t because it was rock hard. I had a big day, so I had an early night. I was fast asleep having the best dream until I was woken up by the noise of people yelling, wait that’s my parents yelling. Oh no that can’t be good news, I couldn’t believe the words that they were using on each other, I had to get out of here right now! I grabbed my pillow and my blanket and raced out the back screen door wiping the tears off my eyes.

I headed towards the lighthouse I crossed the rocky road and slammed through the door. When I reached the top I dropped my gear down and laid down and started bursting out with tears. I settled myself down and I tried to go to sleep, but I just couldn’t so I started running up and down the old creaky lighthouse stairs to get me all tired to go to sleep, I started and before I knew it I had already done 10 rounds!  When I was on 15 I started to stumble over my own feet and in an immediate second I had tripped over. As soon as I had stopped at the bottom I started bursting out with tears yet again! I had been through this exact pain we I was a great deal younger, I knew what it was, I had broken my ankle! I really wanted to get home so I could get some help but I couldn’t even take two steps on it so I didn’t even bother trying. Now I was stuck in this abandoned lighthouse all by myself helpless. All of a sudden I hear a creak from the cupboard door I quickly turned around like a flash and then I saw it, it was a cat! It walked over to me and purred. In its mouth it was carrying a pencil and paper, it dropped it on my lap and I started writing on it as a note to mum and dad. I gave it back to the cat when I was finished and it ran away! I just sat there waiting and waiting for a while until the door bursts open! It was my parents they ran over and hugged me! They took me home and put me in bed. The next morning I started reading the newspaper and there it was a story of my amazing adventure last night. So now the old light house is now known to people as the light house with the smart cat, but to me I know it as the lighthouse that saved my parents marriage.  

By Sarah

Great Fact Finding & Information Pictures

With Year4 on excursion in Sydney, the guided reading group did some independent work writing information reports, amazing facts and labelled pictures. The results were impressive. Well done Stage 3 students.

How gems are created - Madaline

Sharks -Liam

Sailing craft - Holly

Facts about butterflies and World War 1- Brianna & Brad

Science Pictures - Creating a Circuit

Excellent... it works!

Working together to solve the problem.

Amazed that science actually makes sense.

Sir Donald Bradman

Sir Donald Bradman was born August 27 1908 and died on February 25 2001. Bradman was an Australian cricket player who is universally regarded as the greatest cricket player of all time and one of Australia's greatest popular heroes.

Born in Cootamundra, but raised in Bowral, Bradman noted for his obsessive practice, often hitting a ball repeatedly against a wall using only a cricket stump. After a brief time with tennis he dedicated himself to cricket.

He broke scoring records for both first class and test cricket, his highest international score [334] still standing as the highest ever test score by an Australian.

People that study sports, say thatBradman dominated his sport of cricket more than Wayne Rooney, Travis Pastrana, Chad Reed and Darren Lockyer.

By Joshua

How Does Solar Power Work?

Have you thought about those black panels you see on rooftops across the neighbourhood? What are they and what do they do? What the video below and you can be an expert on solar energy.

Amazing Electricity Challenge

Are you enjoying learning about electricity? If so, then take the challenge. We have 3 P's for students who can make their own electric motor built at home. (That works!)  Watch the video above and enjoy the challenge.

Mary MacKillop - Virtual Museum Report

Saint Mary of the Cross

Mary Helen MacKillop was born in Fitzroy, Melbourne on 15 January 1842. She was educated at private schools and by her father. Mary started work at the age of fourteen as a clerk in Melbourne and later to provide for her needy family.


In 1867 Mary became the first Sister, and Mother Superior, of the newly formed Order of the Sisters of St Joseph. By the end of 1869 more than seventy Sisters were educating children at twenty-one schools in Adelaide and the country. Mary and her Josephites were also involved with an orphanage. By 1877 it operated more than forty schools in and around Adelaide, with many others in Queensland and New South Wales.

On 17 October 2010 Mary MacKillop was declared a saint by Pope Benedict XVIand is now known as Saint Mary of the Cross.

By Olivia

Virtual Museum Highlighted Great Australian - Fred Hollows

 

Fred Hollows

Fred Hollows was an Australian eye surgeon he was born in 1929 and died in 1993. He  was however, born in New Zealand.

 

Fred  had thoughts about becoming a missionary, but didn’t and became an eye surgeon. Five years after he became an eye doctor, he was promoted to head of the of eye department at Sydney Hospital.

 

Fred believed that everyone had a right to see the world they where living in. He also discovered that many aboriginal community’s diseases were due to their living conditions. One of the greatest things he ever did was launch a national attack on eye diseases.

Fred inspired many doctors to join his cause and many others volunteered.

In the year 1980 he was going all around the world helping people regain there eye sight.

 

In his campaign to help indigenous Australians reclaim thier eyesight, he used up 10,000 pairs of glasses, cured 30,000 people and four hundred and fifty six communities were visited. He was given the nickname ‘wild colonial boy’. He has cured 62,000 aboriginals.

By Daniel

Stage 3 Goes Nutbush Crazy!

Over the next few weeks you might notice Stage 3 doing some strange movements. That is because we are doing dance as part of our sport this term. Check out this video and watch hip and groovy style of the kids.

Stage 3 Girls Win Zone Relay Race!

Well done girls on a great race. Best of luck as you travel to Sydney in a few weeks time to represent our region.

The Winning Team - We are proud of you.

Renewable Energy

Hi Stage 3.
I came across this great website and it has lots of interactive information about renewable energy.
Watch each part and then try the quiz.
See if you can can get a perfect score.


http://www.forteachersforstudents.com.au/Origin/interactive-fun.php


Mr V.

Web Links For Edmund Barton

• Here are weblinks for the first famous Australian for our virtual museum. Enjoy!
• http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/ed/Edmund_Barton
• http://www.nla.gov.au/barton/pages/biography-01.html
• http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A070202b.htm

You can also download your virtual museum from this website.
http://christykeeler.com/EducationalVirtualMuseums.html

Maps Ahoy!

3L have been working on position. They had to design their own maps. Here are a few examples of what we have done.

Welcome Back to Term 3

Hey guys! Hope you had a fantastic holiday. As you can see our blog has had a holiday too. if you have done anything great on your holidays and would like to email your photos and tell us a bit about what you've been up to, just follow the link to Mr. Latimore's email address.

A Trip to Luna Park

On Monday June 6^th, the whole of stage 3 went to Luna Park for an excursion. When we all arrived at school, Mr Van De Mortel was checking that all students had brought their pencil case and clipboard. Soon we were all getting our stuff together to get ready to go on the bus. While on the bus, the teachers put on a movie. I wrote some stuff about our trip and some people were singing bus songs. It was a long trip, but finally we were in Sydney.

Just as we were driving down towards the harbour we all spotted the Sydney Harbour Bridge, then the Sydney Opera House. We then turned around the corner when we spotted the Big Mouth of Luna Park.  We were all very excited. When we got off the bus, we went and sat down to have morning tea. After eating our morning tea, we then went to our group leaders to put wristbands on so our teachers know that it’s us and so we can have an unlimited pass. Mr Van De Mortel started handing out booklets to each parent helper. I soon found out that I was in Mr McGrath’s group with Charnice, Olivia, Madaline, Julia, Megan, Sami, and Tahlia.

Mr Van De Mortel then told us that every group had to meet at Coney Island, but before that we had to get our picture taken in front of the big mouth. Then, we were off to Coney Island. Madaline and I linked arms on the way up. When we got there, we had to scan our wristbands to get in, then we had to go up the stairs to the treadmill (which is split into two parts then connected again which makes it harder as it moves differently).  When we all went across it, we made it to the other side which led to four giant slides, more two-part treadmills, car games, house of mirrors, barrel of fun and lots more. We must have spent at least 30 minutes inside Coney Island, but it was time to move on.

 After we left Coney Island, we went to the Rotor which only Olivia, Julia and Mr Mc Grath went on.  The rest just watched and Charnice video taped it.

Everyone went on The Spider and we all had a blast! Then, The Ranger was next.  Only Olivia, Julia, Sami and Tahlia went on that. Next on our list was The Tumble bug, everybody went on that except for me.  Instead, I just looked after the bags for everyone. Which is an incredibly import job.

Next, it was Dodgem City.  When we got there, we put our bags down and hopped in line.  There was a huge line up and there was even more people coming in. So Mr Mc Grath thought that we shouldn’t go on it because it would waste time.

We went on The Wild Mouse which only Megan, Julia, Sami, Tahlia, Olivia and Mr Mc Grath went on.  While they were on that, Madaline, Charnice and I had our lunch and tried to do more questions in our booklet. When they came out, Mr Mc Grath told us to wait where we were while he went and got his photo from when he had his picture taken on The Wild Mouse. When he got back, we were off to the Tango Train.  Everyone went on that except me. Instead, Mr Mc Grath got me to take photos of them on the Tango Train.  And on and the way out, there was a camera so you could get a group picture.

The last ride was the Flying Saucer which only Olivia, Sami, Julia and Tahlia went on. Charnice, Megan, Madaline and I were too afraid to get on it. We were supposed to go on the Carousel, but unfortunately it was closed, so we couldn’t go on.

Finally we went on the Ferris Wheel.  Halfway up, I freaked out and crouched on the floor of the carriage and wouldn’t get up.  I was hugging onto Madaline and Charnice’s legs. They were all laughing. After we got off, we were told to meet at the Ice-Cream Parlor. Soon after, we went to the souvenir shop but there wasn’t much that was of interest to me, so I didn’t get anything.

It was a long day at Luna Park, but we all had a blast! We then left the entrance and we were off to the bus. When we were all on the bus, we were all very tired after a long day and we arrived back at school around 5:30 pm.  Our parents were all there waiting for us.  

By Brianna R

Luna Park Trip





Write On 2011

Entries are due on Monday. Please have your story published and ready to hand in to Mr. Latimore and Mr. V. so it can be considered. Remember that the top 3 stories in Year 5 and top 3 in Year 6 will earn an "in school" prize and the best one will be submitted to the Sydney Morning Herald as our MCS Stage 3 entry. No entries will be considered after Monday.

Catapults



Laura's Great Design

Stage 3 have been completing personal tasks. 

Some of the best were catapults. Here is what Jacob discovered.

What is a catapult?

A catapult is a large military machine that was used to hurl objects such as rocks and spears. These catapults could generate tremendous force and hurl large objects over long distances.




Talicia Went for the Medieval Look

How does a catapult work?

A catapult is a machine that stores energy and quickly

releases this energy to fire a projectile.



How have catapults been used by mankind?

Catapults were used for wars and battles to destroy their enemies from a distance, by knocking away the city walls.



Jacob's Catapult Worked Well

 Today catapults are used to propel aircraft from aircraft  carrier decks and for dropping bombs from boats and submarines. They are also used for fun.

Jacob M.

Bark Needed

Don't forget to bring in some bark for Art this week. Bring some to share too!

And the Winner is.......

Congratulations to the Laughing Clowns - winners of the first science open learning challenge with 1405 points. Runners up were the Dodgem cars on 1289 points and the Ferris Wheels on 1233.

A Passion For Compassion

A heart for Compassion

On Wednesday the 1st June, our guided reading group went to the head office of Compassion Australia.

Firstly, we gathered together at school to get our names marked off. We were quickly on the bus and our journey began. When we were on the road we started to play the game sweet and sour. We passed lots of trucks and cars and most of them were sour. We had lots of fun.

After all our fun and games we arrived at the Compassion Head Office at 9:30am. We gathered our equipment and started to head into the main building. We waited at the bottom of the stairs and soon our guide Matt came out of the office. He introduced himself to us and then we followed him inside. When we entered the office we saw some paintings done by indigenous Australians and lots of other amusing things. Next we went into a room and the presentation began.

We all sat down in chairs and took our equipment out. Matt started the presentation by talking about what Compassion Australia does. He said it was a company who supports all the less fortunate children and communities in the world. He also stated that there is Compassion offices in 26 different countries all around the world. He showed us a PowerPoint of what Compassion does and how they help the less fortunate. After that he showed us who is responsible for beginning Compassion. Compassion was started by a man named Everet Swan. Compassion started in 1953 and by 2009 over 1 million were released from poverty.

Next, we went for a tour of the office and split into 2 groups. I went with Matt and our wonderful guided reading teacher Mrs Witenden. When we were taking the tour we were allowed to take photos of anything and I took lots! We went up the stairs were everything of significant value is kept. Some of the staff took pictures of us holding up some pictures of children from countries less fortunate than ours. After they took our pictures our journey was just about over.

When we retuned to the foyer, Laura and I went outside and took some pictures of the front office. Soon we were back on the bus and I was thinking that with Compassion the world is a better place. It would nice to think that we can stop world poverty and people from every country can live a life that we take for granted in Australia.

By Georgia C

Preparing an exemlpary piece on Contact and Non-Contact Forces.

Exemplary Pieces.

Congratulations to all those people who acheived 100 ponits which we call 'exemplary pieces' for the Thrills and Spills open learning challenge.

Everyone wants to do their best and sometimes it takes a bit longer to produce a quality piece to be proud of. An exemplary piece is one that we could show to others and say, "This is what we were aiming for." But how do you make it happen?

Here are five easy steps.

Step 1: Read carefully and get it clear.
Make sure you read the whole task and know what you are aiming for.

Step 2: Learn about it.

Research it well and try to understand the facts that can be used. Then decide how to explain them in your own words and include them. (Don't just copy and paste - that is plagiarism)

Step 3: Choose a way to present it.
Will it be presented as a model, a brochure or a poster? Will you use a physical medium such as paper, cardboard or transparency or a digital medium such as word, publisher or powerpoint presentation?

Step 4: Write it.
Plan, draft, edit and publish your work creatively. Try to make it express your own unique personality.

Step 5: Evaluate it. 
Does it meet the requirements? Is everything included?

God has made you special and given you amazing gifts. 
Mr. Latimore and Mr. Van de Mortel hope that you show everything you are capable of and enjoy the rewards for all your efforts.

Luna Park Excursion

Hope you had a great day and if you took any great photos email them to the school office.

We will post your recounts - just write about the best part of your day and we will post it on this blog.

Newton's Laws of Motion

Do you want to understand what Sir Isaac Newtons laws of motion are? Check out this short clip. If you want to find out more about Sir Isaac Newton click on the link below.

http://teachertech.rice.edu/Participants/louviere/Newton/

Here is a look at some cool clips on the science of roller coasters.

Science Tasks Completed

Project Completed!

 Today we finish our independent science tasks. Some students completed tasks on catapults, roller coasters, and different naturally occurring forces. The standard of the projects was excellent and all students should be congratulated for their efforts. Well done to all!

Mr. V. and Aiden Test Gravity.

On Saturday the 14th of May, Mr. V and his fearless son jumped out of a tiny Cessna over Branxton and hurtled towards planet Earth.

Thankfully the force of gravity was balanced with a parachute and they floated gracefully down to the ground. 

Quotes: 

"Woo Hoo" Mr. V.

"Awesome" Aiden

It was the best four minutes ever!

I suggest you don't try this at home. 

Gravity can be painful!