Strong Hearts Strong Minds

‘Parliament Experts’ Incursion

On Thursday 27 July, SP students attended a ‘Parliament Experts’ incursion, where Linked Education teachers took them through our democratic process, with a focus on passing a Bill through the Senate. Students learned about Question Time, the various roles within the Cabinet, how referendums work, and the voting system. Please enjoy some reflections from the day. 

SP Teaching Team

The voices gradually rise until they are shouts. Once they die down, the president (the person in charge of the Senate), calls the few words that cue me to stand, and I begin! “President, both sides make valid points…” I can feel my cheeks growing hot, as all eyes turn to me, I can hear my own voice, loud and strong, and I feel proud as I sit back on my hard, red, plastic chair. ‘This is one cool incursion!’ I think to myself.

Quin SPG

‘Senate, please stand up’, as I rang the bell for the Senate to share their opinions to try to convince the Minor Parties and Independents to cross sides. Before you know it, there was a Division called, and the Parties had to separate and think for 4 minutes. Later, there was a vote where sides had to call, ‘aye, aye’ or ‘nay’. After all the debating, the Government won – the legal age for voting would be 16 instead of 18.

Ben SPG

I was just buzzing around minding my own fly wax when two men walked into the pump room, they seemed to be setting up an incursion on parliament house or something like that. Suddenly like 30 human children barge in and my aunt marge flew over to investigate, then this dashing young man swats her out of the sky “NO AUNT MARGE!” I screamed but no one heard and my aunt just died then and there, so I hid behind some waterfall machines. I stood there listening.

I found out that apparently before a law is made legal it must go through three stages, the senate, a parliament and a governor general or something like that. Then the kids stand up and do a thingy called a referendum on whether Australia should become a republic. It turns out people don’t want that but who asked the fly? No one, that’s the answer, no one. After that a bunch of people sat at a T shaped table and there were people on the left side of the table and the right. Someone pretending to be the Prime Minister was at the top of the table and a bunch of other people were at the opposing end. They were debating if 16 year olds should be allowed to vote. Then this guy walked in with the Prime Minister. The guy was holding a black rod and was wearing something fancy. Everyone kept saying “hear hear”, it was so annoying. Then the dashing young man from earlier said something super funny and everyone laughed, that guy was so handsome. At the end the people at the end of the table joined the dashing young man’s side and then they won or something. I don’t know, then they left all of them and I got to work on planning a funeral.

Milo SPR

Red red red... I see red everywhere. I wonder why? I soon find out that it is because we have our very own senate in the pump room. I enjoyed debating if we should change the voting age to 16. Senator Milo said the opposition party only wanted to keep the age at 18 because they are all old people. I reminded him that 18 is still young. My side lost the vote because Milo said something funny, so they all voted for his side, and they won the vote. Maybe young people shouldn’t vote.

Levi SPR

Last week we had a man called Dan come to our school to talk to us about Parliament and Government. I learned so much about the Parliament and Government, I learned about what happens in court and how you debate and argue correctly. We all voted and had a debate on whether people under sixteen should be able to vote. Most of the people voted no.

We also did a Referendum to decide if the people wanted Australia to become a Republic. The Referendum decided that Australia wouldn’t become a Republic, for that to change the vote needed to be double the other choice. We also learned about what type of people are in court such as: The Senate, Clerk, The independent parties and minor parties and many more that I don’t remember. I learned so much from Dan, it was a really fun and great experience. 

Hamish SPB

Last Thursday we had a Parliament incursion that was really interesting. I learnt a lot about parliament and the process of a referendum and we did a role play of a referendum and the topic was ‘should age 16 and over vote?’ I was for 16 and over to vote but I actually wanted to be on the opposite side.

We also learnt about whether Australia should become a republic and for Australia to become a republic we had to get more than half of the votes from all of Australia and more than half of the votes from the states. 

Kirsten SPB

“Hear! Hear!” We all say agreeing with Senator Youth. The room fell silent.

President Faith starts to speak. “All those in favour of 16 year olds voting say ‘aye’”.

The whole of the opposition yelled ‘aye’.

“I believe the opposition side has more than half of the people, however, whips, would you like to count your votes?”

“Yes we would! 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,,,,”

Chloe SPY

The whole of time seemed to stop as people sat anxiously waiting for the announcement. People whispered and drummed their feet on the floor nervously. My heart sped up as I tried to swallow my saliva and realised my mouth was dry. This announcement could change our future…

If the president voted ‘yes’, 16 year olds would be able to vote for any referendum. If not… well, my whole team and I will be humiliated for life.

The whispering died down as President Faith Deakin cleared her throat. “I have come to a decision,” she announced. “The answer to the bill presented in front of me,” she holds up the bill. “Is…”

I prepare to stand to say my acknowledgements. Surely, we won. We had the most votes. Right?

Faith opened an envelope containing the one word that would change my life forever.

“No.”

Amelie SPY

SP write persuasively about Free Range Eggs

Senior Primary students are currently learning techniques to write persuasively. By moving away from traditional teaching that uses older styles, such as ‘I believe that...’ or ‘The reason for...’, and especially moving away from paragraphs that begin with, ‘Firstly’, ‘Secondly’, ‘Lastly’… and ‘In conclusion…’, students engage with rich, expressive, emotive, or factual language that creates an image for the reader to ponder their point of view. Through parables, Jesus invited listeners to thoughtfully consider what He had to say and to examine their own opinions and behaviours. Indigenous people use story to convey ideas or lessons in a way that is relevant and easy to understand. When writing persuasively, students ‘paint a picture’ for their reader and offer ideas or opinions for consideration and extend an invitation to see a different point of view. Cage-laid, barn-laid and free-range laid eggs have been topical of late. Please enjoy the following persuasive texts.

SP Team

Heat succumbs me, as I lay gleefully in the distant summer sun. I peck the ground beside me searching hastily for a delectable morning snack. One of my friends strides towards me and lies on the moist ground scattered in dew and begins searching for her own morning snack. As we look, we peacefully drift off for a late morning nap. My last thought, as I fall into oblivion is, ‘I love my life as a free-range hen’.

I wait for my turn to take a glorious bath to get these horrendous mites off me, so that I can be fresh, healthy, and clean. But why do we even need dust baths? Well, hens are more than just egg laying machines, they can get sick and have feelings, and can get dust mites. Dust mites are ghastly creatures who feast on poor chickens’ skin, so they need to get them off in a procedure called a dust bath! This consists of moving their bodies into abstract positions in dry dirt, sawdust, or sand, then flapping their wings to get the excess dust off of their newly cleaned bodies.

One third less cholesterol, one fourth less saturated fat, one third more vitamin A, two times more omega 3, three times more vitamin A, and seven times more beta carotene! These are all important qualities that you need to consider when buying eggs. Free range eggs are more expensive than those horrendous caged laid eggs, however, you also need to think about the quality. What will you decide to put first? Expense, quality, or many many free lives? 

There is a quote that states, ’when the last drop is drunk, when the last tree is cut down, when the last plant is eaten, money will mean nothing’.

So, you will need to make a decision, but make sure that you make the right one. Please for the sake of all chickens, choose us free range girls!

Has your opinion changed or altered even in the slightest? I really hope so, because if you do change your mind, you are keeping us chooks from having torturous things that people would not do to themselves, such as, having their beaks partly removed, or, hens that have had to suffer by being kept in wire cages and catching diseases. Or even having their feathers plucked out by other chickens. It would be like being kept in a stuffy room with your siblings forever with small knives! Trust me, by making this slight alteration to your shopping list, you will make Australia a more humane country and healthier as well for eating free range eggs!

For more information please contact:

Bye Bye Battery Cages

https://www.rspca.org.au/take-action/layer-hens

Cage Free and Proud

https://www.rspca.org.au/take-action/layer-hen-welfare/cage-free-proud

Gabi

Walking around, the sun shining down on my beautiful, brown feathers. I strut over the weeds and long grass towards the water bowl. My legs are relaxed, my comb red and straight, bright, and healthy. The wind ruffles my tail, I’m alert, waiting for my prey - the worm. My eyes glisten in the light, my beak comes down, gotcha! Dinner served.

Dust baths - They get rid of mites, dirt and all the built-up oils that collect on the chickens’ feathers and skin. Dust baths are shallow ditches such as soil, mulch, and sand. Dust baths help cool the chickens down in hot weather, because they rest in the cold soil. Dust baths are denied to cage-kept hens.

Walking freely - Being cooped up means chickens can  start picking on one another, the weakest goes first and the strongest is the last one standing. Walking freely not only means that all chickens are cared for, the exercise keeps them from becoming overweight. It keeps them healthy and busy throughout the day. Walking freely lets them interact with the world around them, which is a natural behaviour for this animal.

Next time you buy your next dozen eggs, think about the difference you could make in a chicken's life. Think about the image of hens roaming freely in a field, having dust baths, and able to peck and scratch. Free range eggs may be more expensive, but together we can create a better future for our hens.

Olivia

Imagine being able to roam freely as well as being able to jump as much as you like? That's the life every chicken wants… cluckily for me, that is the life I have.

Unlike barn-laid and cage-laid chickens, I have access to roam in well-fenced areas outside. It keeps me busy and healthy. If I was kept in small areas all the time, I could get bored and begin to peck at the others. Being free-range, means I can eat a natural diet, such as worm-eggs, various types of insects, and grass, as well as grain. I can exhibit behaviours that cage-laid and barn-laid hens cannot, such as nesting, rooting, and foraging. 

Being able to roam is better because I am able to stretch my wings and move in a more natural way. This might not mean much to you, but this can improve the quality of my eggs. My eggs will become healthier and so will you! Did you know, it has now been proven that free range eggs have two-thirds more vitamin A, and 3 times more vitamin E. This is better for you because vitamin A can produce growth and development. Vitamin A is also important for normal vision! Vitamin E will help your body protect itself from substances in the air such as cigarette smoke and radiation! 

When you next go to the supermarket, you have a choice between cage-laid, barn-laid and free-range laid eggs. The decision is yours, however, even though it may be more expensive, it is a sacrifice you could make knowing that my friends and I are living a good life!

Jehu