Year 9 Canberra Trip

By Mrs Dimity Gardner

During Week 10 of Term 4, Year 9 students arrived dark and early on Monday at the College with suitcases full to depart for their Sydney and Canberra tour. We arrived at Brisbane airport to fly to Sydney, where excitement and nerves awaited. Students explored Circular Quay and the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) during their time in Sydney. Students were given the opportunity to go behind-the-scenes of the SCG, learning about the history of the grounds and seeing the field of play where so many sporting greats have played. After Sydney, it was time to travel another 4 hours to Canberra.

On Tuesday, our first stop was the National Capital Exhibition. Here the students learnt about the story of Canberra, the people, events, history and design which contributed to the development of this unique, modern, fully planned city. We then went on a drive-by tour of the Yarralumla Embassies, High Commissions and the Prime Minister’s Lodge. Next stop was Parliament House, where students had the privilege of speaking with our local representative, David Littleproud. The Year 9s also had the opportunity to tour Parliament House and role play an Act to experience what it is like to be a member of parliament. After this, we visited the National Film and Sound Archive where students were presented with some interesting film information. We were given the amazing opportunity at the end of this day to visit the Australian War Memorial and take part in the Last Post ceremony. The ceremony began with the singing of the Australian National Anthem, followed by the poignant strains of a Lament, played by a piper. During the ceremony, the Year 9 students lined the Pool of Reflection, and two students were invited to lay a wreath. To round out a long day of sightseeing, students and teachers enjoyed a fun night of Ten Pin Bowling where lots of strikes, gutter balls and laughs were had.

Wednesday started with an early morning, with our Year 9 students eager and excited to take on the action-packed day ahead. After a fuel packed breakfast, the campers headed to the National arboretum where they experienced scenic views, rolling hills and the amazing collection of fauna Australia has to offer. The cold morning air and picturesque gardens provided great opportunities for plenty of photos and peaceful hikes.

After a walk with the beautiful fauna, our campers headed to the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) to tour their facilities and test their athletic capabilities. With the help of current national volleyball players acting as tour guides, the performance centre provided an inspirational awe for students. Our campers toured the volleyball courts, the strength and conditioning facilities, the gymnastics training centre and the pool where our Olympic and national athletes train day to day. Our tour ended with our Year 9s entering the Sportex to challenge themselves with interactive sport activities. There were many great feats accomplished by our students but none more than our brave basketball athletes giving their best efforts in challenging their AIS tour guides. Following their visit to the AIS, and a quick lunch break, the Year 9 students headed over to the Canberra centre where they had the chance for some leisure and shopping before continuing to the High Court of Australia.

Here, students were able to tour the High Court and be educated on the history of the building as well as the functions of law at the state and national level. Students also had the pleasure of sitting in an empty court room as well as attending a hearing and experiencing the diligence and work that is required by barristers and judges to provide just decisions. Whilst touring the High Court, our campers were able to see the rich history of our justice system and the progression made since federation. Along with their visit to the High Court, students strolled through the Avenue of the Flags display viewing the international presence in the National Capital. Following their visit to the High Court and Avenue of Flags, our campers went for a quick visit to old Parliament where they were able to stand on the entry steps for a photo opportunity and see the Indigenous Australian tent embassy.

To finish an exciting day, our Year 9 campers visited Questacon to challenge their intuition and experiment with a range of interactive and educational activities. At Questacon, students explored the functions of the digital age and the innovation that can be produced at the press of a single button. Experiment with motion and light, seeing how movement can be fluid with the forces at play. Students also had the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of the natural world through weather change and the impact of natural disasters. Though the most exciting time came when students were presented with the challenge of taking on a free-fall slide. Our brave Year 9 campers took the challenge head on with great effort and courage. Questacon served as a playground of inspiration for aspiring scientists and engineers and was a valuable experience of learning and play.

After the exciting events of Day 3, it was another early cold morning for the students as it was time to visit the snow. Following an early morning briefing and a hearty breakfast the Year 9 campers were setting off for Perisher and their tobogganing adventure. Leaving before sunrise, our campers enjoyed a two-hour bus ride with great views of the beautiful mountain ranges and serene valleys. Before making our way up to Perisher Valley, the Year 9 cohort stopped at the Jindabyne ski shed shop where they equipped themselves with snow jackets, pants, and boots. Our campers were all geared up and ready to take to the snowfields with their toboggans. After the quick stock stop, our Year 9 campers were on the road again with the next stop being Perisher Valley. As the cohort went further up the windy road, the white snow became more apparent appearing on more and more of the mountain ranges. We had made it. Although the Perisher ski fields didn’t offer great tobogganing terrain, due to the unexpected weather, we made our way back down to Smiggins for a guaranteed snow adventure. With a small bus ride back down, we stopped at Smiggins to explore and ride the snowy slopes. There were great laughs and rides during the few hours there. Many of our campers testing their nerve going down a ski slope with their toboggans. They even had their teachers participate, with Mrs Gardner, Mr Lene and Miss Webb flying down the slopes. With the snow melting away with, it was time for the Year 9 group to head back to the accommodation. After a snow filled and long travelling day, the campers dropped their snow gear back to the ski shed and headed back to the accommodation. The trip back home was accompanied by a warm hot chocolate and cronut stop at Cooma. The students enjoyed the famous rich hot chocolate and a decadent ice cream filled pastry to end their day. On the way back, the bus ride was filled with joy and entertainment with the campers and teachers sharing stories of the snow filled day. Arriving back to the accommodation, students were welcomed with a warm final dinner. Here, the Assumption College students thanked staff at the Ibis accommodation for the service and support provided. Finally, our Assumption College campers wanted to thank our amazing bus driver, Dave, with an honorary yellow Year 9 Canberra trip bucket hat. Dave was ecstatic and wore it with pride as a compliment to the students and the College. With that, dinner ended and it was time for our campers to pack and clean their rooms before they said good night and prepare for another big travel day home.

Friday was the final travel day, where students and teachers were eager to arrive home after an enjoyable yet tiring week of educational fun. A special thanks goes to the teachers who travelled with the students on this camp; Mrs Gardner, Miss Webb, Mrs Tunstall, Mr Lene and Mr Logan.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing funding of $90 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate Program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.

General Mathematics

by Mr Simon Hamlet

Networks are an important mathematical field. A network is a way of depicting interconnectedness between entities. Networks influence much of modern life, from delivery logistics, the structure of our information grids, to modelling natural phenomena, like weather or food webs. They are even used to manage our response to natural disasters events. Recent conceptualisation of how the brain works as a series of networks has greatly influenced our understanding of mental health and it's effects on life, and during Youth Mental Health week we wanted to give a shout out to the networks that help ensure patient health.

This week the two General Mathematics classes merged to model the movement of energy and nutrients in a relatively simple soil food web.