ORGAN PIPES EXCURSION

Rocktastic Experience Organ Pipes. Photo Credit: Moab Sao / Amos Ilaoa

Dear CSC Families, Students and School Community, I would once again like to acknowledge and honour the achievements of our cohort, courtesy of the Middle School, whilst participating in the Year 8 Science Organ Pipes experience during Term 4, 2022.

Keilor silence~

soon creek bed awakening

to Organ Pipes

Morning briefing at the top of the Cinder Cone Peak amid the Scoria (red rock fragments)

On behalf of the Junior School (and not forgetting the efforts of Mr. Kajla and Mr. Godwin, our dedicated Science teachers!) I write this in reference to the Experience during Week 6 (incidentally in conjunction with the CBD Experience for the Year 9s) which gave the Year 8s a chance on experiencing an excursion, especially in Science.

Members of 8H stand proud and ready to study the rocks amid the volcanic hill

Amid tiny holes (vesicles) amid the scoria fragments

Following the 30-40 minute bus ride, the groups gathered at the Scoria Cone hill; this was a small volcano that ejected molten volcanic rock called scoria. Scoria is reddish-brown and light in weight; it has many airholes because it was full of steam and gas.

Students Shania Knight and Ruby Eales of 8F smile confidently before the day of work at Organ Pipes.

Students Moab, Hayden, Amos and Nvrtare bravely pose before the long hike to Rosette Rock and Tessellated Pavements.

The students were given the opportunity to visit the ancient Organ Pipes Nation Park at Keilor, in which a day of hiking and rockface viewing was arranged, not only for more student collaboration as a community with peers in their classes, but also peers and schoolmates who they may not have regularly worked with or talked to at school. We would study the ancient basalts and hike along the pathways towards the Rosette and the Tessellated Pavement. In particular, Mr. Godwin’s amazing expertise on geology and the formation of the Organ Pipes basalt was just absolutely fascinating. It was wonderful to see students have a good time as an alternative to science classes during the week. We had three groups visit each of the various sites before lunchtime and then there was a final trek to Organ Pipes. Students in particular marvelled at the great rockface outcrop.

Who knew millions of years ago this this area did not look like this at all

Resting before the hour of lunch at Organ Pipes picnic.

In particular it was personal amusement for Mr. Wu when he had a small group of helpers (Fadi Ghareeb, Mahir Yusuf, Moab Sao, Amos Ilaoa, Cooper Blake and Hayden Semmens) who accompanied him to all the sites visited and credit goes to students Moab and Amos in particular in taking photos of the excursion.

Following the 1-2 km hikes, the groups would walk down the stream for 200m, past well-established trees and across the creek on yellowish rocks. These are sandstones and mudstones, sedimentary rocks laid down under the sea; to think that Organ Pipes over 400 million years ago (yes, older than even dinosaurs) was once part of an ancient sea.

Lunchtime Roll Call! Mr. Kajla and Mrs. Kumari smile with students of 8H

Student Moab Sao dutifully studies ancient columns of Basalt and Sandstone off the Tessellated Pavement off the Jackson Creek

Mr. Wu consults about the local geology whilst his helper students Fadi and Mahir stand dutifully listening and studying Organ Pipes. Student Amos too is here dutifully helping to take photos.

Thus, with the final stop at Organ Pipes, the 20-meter-high formations that formed about a million years ago when molten lava flowed over the Keilor Plains from Mount Holden and other nearby volcanic hills. The valleys filled the surface areas then cooled and solidified into basalt, eventually cooling at right angles at Jacksons Creek. The lava slowly cooled and cracked into stacks of columns, eventually exposed in the million years by the Jacksons Creek.

Marvel at the sight of the rockface at Organ Pipes. Photo Credit: Moab Sao

Mr. Godwin lends his expertise before the great formation of the ancient Organ Pipes

Just look at the scene captured before the great Organ Pipes. Photo Credit: Amos Ilaoa

Likewise, I would like to commemorate the students on the excursion. They were, for the most part, stellar ambassadors of our school. Some particularly outstanding ambassadors were our student monitors who helped throughout the excursion - Aisosa, Noah, Cris, Mustafa, Dylan, Mahdi, Frank, and with a SPECIAL HONOR to FRANS BAHINA for the PHOTO CREDITS!

But who could or would forget the work and arrangements made by the science teachers (Mr. Kajla, Mr. Godwin, Ms. Korkoneas, Ms. Elif, Mrs. Kumari, Mr. Liber and Ms. Hawtin who took the time to assist as well with First Aid) who coordinated the excursion, ensured that students and staff were safe and went out of their way to accompany the groups on the given days! Likewise, we also pay our respects and our appreciation to Mr. Michael Fowles, Ms. Hannah Atkinson, and Ms. Karen Gibson and the cooperation of the families of the students of the Year 8 Cohort who were able to make the excursion possible 🙂 Fingers crossed & stay tuned for 2023!!! 🙂

Here is to the rest of Semester 2022!

Mr. Justin Wu. Middle School Coordinator. Science / Math Teaching Staff.