Secondary Sports Day 2022
Some say that only the roughest and toughest would be prepared to brave mud pits, downpours, and generally wintry conditions. And that true elite athleticism is only discovered when you’re ankle-deep in sludge. All we know is, we had quite a memorable Secondary House Sports Day!
Our team-based novelty events were especially well-received, and Flynn set the tone early with some incredibly enthusiastic cheering of their victorious teams and slipping and sliding through games. The other Houses quickly responded, however, with some close-run relay races and hotly contested (and vocal disagreements of) results. The slowly falling rain didn’t do much to dampen (aha!) enthusiasm for the Inefficient Fireman; flying sponges and fast-filling buckets provided a lot of fun for audiences and participants alike. And, of course, no Sports Day is complete without the old heave-ho of a good, old-fashioned Tug-o-War! Made especially challenging by the soggy and greasy conditions. And after some early Flynn dominance, the other Houses began to claw back the deficit, one swampy heave at a time.
Athletic events and the Quoit Game really tested competitors’ resolve, as the muddy patches continued to grow, drizzle continued to fall (with every tiny break in the weather providing overly optimistic discussions about how “That was it”), and enthusiasm starting to sink into the cloying muck. Our intrepid athletes, however, continued to struggle, slide, and strive for the glory of raising the Ruffini Shield.
Finally, the weather began to calm a little, and rubber chickens were flying around in clear(ish) skies, whilst soccer-playing crabs scuttled across the grass, all players in search of victory. For those who couldn’t make it, this write suggests that you haven’t lived until you’ve seen a crowd of rowdy teenagers cheering for friend and foe in a crab soccer penalty shootout!
Relays brought the day to a wonderful, competitive close, as our waterlogged speedsters sloshed rapidly up and down the track, enthusiastic calls from onlookers ringing in their ears.
Whilst it would be lovely to suggest that results were close, and that it came down to the final race, in reality, the day’s outcome was never really in doubt. Despite brave performances from all involved, one House was runaway winner by a record margin. The Secondary Sports Day photo gallery is available to view here.
Final placings: Flynn 1st, Ridley 2nd, Taplin 3rd, Sturt 4th
Craig Davidson, Sports Coordinator
Seven Steps Writing
As quick as a flash the Year 3 pencils hit the page. So much so, the teacher could have sworn she saw puffs of smoke. Not a whisper, just the sound of etching pencils crafting stories of wonder, with imaginations beyond our world. And there the Year 3 students were, working happily. Until one day, a giant woosh of wind blew into the room and lifted the words from their pages. Around and around words swirled, until all the stories joined together and became one...
Thanks to the Year 3 Morphett Vale class for helping to craft this Sizzling Start! And thanks to all our classes for engaging so well in Seven Steps Writing. Since implementing Seven Steps four years ago, we have seen the quality of our student's writing exceed all our expectations.
What is Seven Steps Writing? Seven Steps approaches writing from an author's perspective. It empowers students with the tools to make writing engaging, complex and interesting for the audience. Students learn how to write Narratives, Persuasive text and Information texts that make you want to read them!
What are the students doing? Students learn to craft writing through a series of steps. Each step involves specific strategies to master.
Step 1: Plan for Success Students learn to map their writing carefully.
Step 2: Sizzling Starts Students learn to grab the reader's attention using various techniques.
Step 3: Tightening Tension Students learn how to craft necessary detail. What are the pebble, rock, boulder problems?
Step 4: Dynamic Dialogue Students learn how to include speech to move the plot.
Step 5: Show, Don't Tell What senses express the action in the story? What do we see, hear, taste, touch etc?
Step 6: Ban the Boring: Edit out what hinders the story.
Step 7: Exciting Endings/Ending with Impact: Students learn powerful ways to end their writing.
Want more information? Click here!
Seven Steps and NAPLAN: We have seen a marked improvement in NAPLAN Writing results since implementing Seven Steps. The course carefully addresses what is assessed in writing.
Year 1 Examples: The Year 1 students produced information reports about animals. After researching the needs of the animals, the students then had to make a habitat that would meet the animal's needs. These three examples demonstrate excellent sizzling starts and an exciting ending.
Year 2 Examples: The Year 2 class at Aldinga has worked in teams to produce persuasive texts and presented these as speeches. The students had to argue for or against for 'Are dogs better than cats?' and 'Are books better than movies?' Each team had a leader who wrote a sizzling start and ending with impact. Their team members argued about a certain point each. The teams had to brainstorm and present together to be successful. Here is an example from one of the groups:
Would you rather watch Peter Rabbit in 90 mins in movie form or take three weeks to read the book? I say movies are better because you finish the story so much quicker.
When watching movies you don't have to worry about getting sore hands and arms by holding the book up. You can just sit back and relax, and take it easy. There's nothing hard about watching a movie.
Movies are great because you can pause the screen whenever you need to get a drink or go to the toilet, and you don't lose your place. Books fall to the ground or bookmarks fall out and then you lose where you were up to. It's also great because you can't lose a tv but you sure can lose a book. That's why movies are better.
Movies have bright colours and even though books do too sometimes, movie scenes move but book pictures don't they are just frozen. Movies are so entertaining and keep your attention the whole way through.
Year 4 Examples:
Sizzling Start - Narrative: The Day my Dog Started Talking by Harriet
"Hurry up! I'm staarrrvviingg! You didn't give me my breakfast and now you're late giving me my dinner!" My dog Mini said in a barkish way. I stared at her as I realised what she just did."Did you just t...talk?" I asked stuttering. "What do you thi...whoops!".
Sizzling Start - Narrative: Alien Invasion by Reya
BANG! Gasp! I woke with a start. My night light wasn't glowing anymore, which scared me. You're probably thinking who's scared of the dark? Well, I am and it's a BIG deal. Back to the story. CREAK! 'What's that?' I wondered out loud. It sounded like the front door opening! All of a sudden, my windows opened and a spine chilling gust of wind came in. I quickly hid underneath my covers. The sound of footsteps were coming my way. I see a bright green light shining outside, it's coming closer, so are the footsteps. I feel my body lifting up and away from the Earth. 'What's happening?' I scream. That was the moment everything changed.
Endings with Impact - Informative: Koalas by Melody
How do you feel about koalas losing their homes? If you would like to help then start planting eucalyptus trees. Check out savethekoalas.com see how you can help not just koalas wildlife be planting just one tree you can help the environment. You don’t have to plant just eucalyptus trees. You can plant any type of trees. What did you learn today about koalas?
Jacqui Lovett, Head of Primary, Morphett Vale
Haiku Poetry
This term, the Year 5 students at Morphett Vale have been investigating poetry. The class started by studying narrative poems, using the Seven Steps Narrative Story Graph to plot A.B. Paterson’s well known poem, Mulga Bill’s Bicycle. The students then learned the techniques for how to write a Haiku poem by using some of the Seven Steps to assist their writing style.
Using the Seven Steps to create a Haiku poem:
Step 1 - When planning your haiku, brainstorm personal experiences (memories are okay) to produce haiku poems that are authentic and believable.
Step 3 - Create a division somewhere in the poem, by focusing first on one thing, then on another to build tension.
Step 5 - Create an emotional response in the reader by ‘showing’ them what caused your emotion, rather than ‘telling’ them about the emotion itself.
Step 6 - Avoid rhymes, metaphors and similes – they are too abstract for a haiku.
Step 7 - Create contrast and an Exciting Ending by focusing on something completely different in the third line and surprising the reader.
Here are a few of the Year 5 Haiku poems:
Trampoline is fun. I kicked my brother ouch! Now I can not walk. - Joshua
The waves are peaceful. Until sharks arise from deep. Surfers don’t return. - Ashleigh
Clean Apple laptop. I dropped it straight on my foot. Now swollen and red. - Bonnie
Suzanne Harvey, Year 5 Teacher
Stage 1 and 2 English
In Term 3, the Year 11 and 12 students undertook interesting Understanding by Design (UbD) topics for Stage 1 English and Stage 2 English Literacy Studies. The Year 11 students investigated 'Creating texts - narratives' and the Year 12 students studied 'Transformative Texts'.
Stage 1 English Essential Questions:
What stylistic and structural conventions make a narrative engaging?
What constitutes ‘difference’ and what are the societal implications of being ‘different’ to the overwhelming majority of people?
In response to a novel of the student's individual choosing that they read, students wrote a short-story narrative inspired by the character of difference/otherness represented in their chosen text. An example of ‘difference’ is an underdog, a victim of harassment, someone from a marginalised section of society or simply someone who is societally perceived as ‘different’ to mainstream society due to their identity or mental or physical limits.
In this task, students gave a voice to these characters of 'difference' and constructed a narrative from their perspective. To do this well, students had to demonstrate deep empathy and compassion for these characters through devising an entirely new situation the protagonist found themselves in. To make these stories extra immersive, students then had to produce a delicate--and difficult--balance of action, dialogue, imagery, internal monologue and various other literary devices. Many found it to be a deeply enlightening, fun and challenging exercise in creativity and emotional reflection.
Stage 2 English Literary Studies: Essential Questions
How does one transpose an original text into another genre, form and context while still paying homage to its original elements?
What stylistic features makes a written text immersive?
The English Literary Studies students in Year 12 have conducted a thorough study into Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, Hitchcock’s Psycho, various poems by Romantic and modern poets, and Shakespeare’s Macbeth. In response to one of these texts, students had to grasp and develop a layered and complex understanding of genre by considering how the author’s, or the director’s, work may be transformed into other forms of the same text type or into text types different from the original. In short, they had to convert one of the aforementioned texts into an entirely new text type (i.e. turn a movie into a short story, a poem into a narrative, etc.). It was challenging and rewarding as an experience for the Year 12 students.
The aim of transforming texts is for students to explore the complex ways that the form and conventions of a text are significant in the making of meaning, both for original and transformed texts. That is to say, how we might convert a psychological-thriller film like Hitchcock's into a Romantic era poem while still capturing the original characters, themes, style and motifs of the original text. At the same time, the Year 12 students still had to create a good quality text outcome rich with imagery, symbolism and plenty of other literary devices. This required a lot of trial, error and persistence as well as careful proofreading over the course of many weeks.
Overall, the Year 12 students produced highly creative, poignant and intriguing outcomes whereby they had to grapple with higher order thinking skills, stretch their creativity and unpack how to not only create gripping and realistic creative texts but also make intertextual references to other authors' works.
Leeza von Alpen, English Coordinator
Year 10 Work Experience
This term, the Year 10 students participated in work experience in a variety of interesting fields. The opportunity to complete work experience is invaluable to help students decide on a career pathway. Thank you to the teachers who visited the students at their various work placements.
"As a teacher it is always a joy to see students excel when trying new things. Seeing Sarah work was one of those moments. She removed and was in the process of repairing a vender. Thank you to Langley Motor Body Repairs for being an excellent host to Sarah." Mr Hugh Serfontein
"I completed my work experience at Royal Copenhagen. Indeed, within my role I had to adapt to change and understand their processes and procedures to allow me to work efficiently and accordance with their standards. I chose a café environment because I wanted to be exposed to part time job role. I had to complete a variety of tasks that were assigned to me, such as: handling machinery, creating cones, crepe and waffle mix, making ice-creams, restocking Uber cups, serving to customers and much more! Within these tasks, I developed numerous skills relating to the seven capabilities discussed in PLP lessons, such as literacy, social and personal skills, critical and creative thinking. The most enjoyable aspect of my work experience journey was when I had the opportunity to create ice cream. I was able to make a variety of different flavours so I found that really fun. I was surprised by how many lovely comments received from my boss. As a result of my work ethic, I was blessed to be offered a part time summer job with them!" Bethany, Year 10
"This past week, I have undertaken work experience at Southern Montessori School in which I assisted the PE teacher. I have learned about Primary school teaching and how much more difficult it is compared to middle and high school teaching. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience as it gave me much insight into the career path I was interested in and it has narrowed down my career choices as I believe teaching PE for younger students is not for me. With this experience I believe teaching older students or being a personal trainer is a more appealing career option for my future career. I was surprised by the difference between Montessori schools and more traditional schools, as Montessori education is based on self-driven learning at everyone’s pace compared to traditional schools where everyone is taught the same thing at the same pace." Austin, Year 10
Instrumental Music Night
On Monday 19 September, the instrumental students from both campuses performed in our Instrumental Music Night. It was a fantastic event with students of all year levels able to showcase what they have learnt in their individual music and voice lessons. Thank you to Mrs Rex and Mrs Mayne for putting together a great evening and thank you to the instrumental teachers for helping the students in their preparation and performances. Thank you also to the families who attended and supported the students.
Passion Projects
EXTENDED LEARNING
As part of our Extended Learning program at Southern Vales, we offer the opportunity for individual students to participate in a research opportunity called a "Passion Project".
A Passion Project is an individual project in which a student develops an interesting question to research. The question is based on the student’s interests and areas of passion. The student spends several weeks researching, exploring, experimenting, questioning and developing a project based on this question. Students decide how they would like to present their project findings. Some students choose to present a PowerPoint, poster, clay animation, model, experiment or teach a lesson. We have enjoyed seeing several creative and interesting Passion Projects over both campuses this term.
At Aldinga, Madelyn, Joshua and Eliana from Year 4 created interesting projects. Madelyn researched poisonous frogs and how they are used in medicine. Joshua’s Passion Project was based on earthquakes and avalanches. He investigated how they affect humans and our environment. Eliana was interested in human behaviour and what leads a person to hurt others. She researched how a person’s upbringing affects the way they treat others and how the cycle of behaviour in family units can be continued or changed for the better. They presented their projects to their class and the students enjoyed learning from them and seeing Madelyn’s clay frog model, Joshua’s earthquake simulator and Eliana’s posters and clay animation.
The Morphett Vale students who completed a Passion Project this term were Amity, Year 4 and Annabelle, Year 3. Amity is passionate and talented in art. She decided to research the various painting techniques that artists use to create different effects in their art. Amity presented a variety of painting techniques to her class, showed some examples of her own art and ran a wonderful lesson with her class on paint blending. The Year 4 class were shown how to use the painting technique of gradient blending where you blend two colours to create a transition between colours. They then used this technique to create their own paintings.
Annabelle is a very talented aerobic gymnast and trains for many hours a week. She has had some great success and wanted to find out how professional gymnasts prepare for competitions and achieve their best results in the sport. Annabelle surveyed some high-level aerobic gymnasts to find out firsthand how they look after their bodies and prepare to compete. She completed an excellent research project and shared some very interesting information with her class. Annabelle also learnt more about how she can personally prepare to be the best athlete.
The Passion Projects are a wonderful way to extend students' learning and give them the opportunity to research a question based on their own interests. Students are supported by their teachers, parents and Mrs Smith who is working as the Extended Learning Coach this semester. Thank you to everyone who supported these students in researching, exploring and completing their Passion Project. Each student did a fantastic job and learnt more about their area of interest.
Donna Smith, Extended Learning Coach