Junior School Activities
Year 8 Graffiti Incursion
On Tuesday 12th February the Year 8s had an incursion on graffiti and its consequences. Xavier from the Glen Eira City Council came in and talked with us about peer pressure, choices and the effects of graffiti on not just the property, but on the neighbourhood and on ourselves. We learnt that when a property has been vandalised, its value goes down and so does the value of properties around it. The council has to spend lots of money each year cleaning graffiti, which instead could be spent on parks and open spaces, or sports equipment for schools.
"In the incursion, Xavier informed us in a funny, engaging way about how peer pressure plays a big role in teenage criminal activity. He mentioned the ripple effect of illegal graffiti and how people’s homes, their business and their neighbourhoods are affected by it. Xavier also told us about the direct consequences to the offenders, including fines, criminal records and possible juvenile detention time. He also gave us valuable advice on what to do in situations you’re not comfortable with. The classes learnt about the difference between legal and illegal graffiti. It was a great, interesting presentation and all the Year 8’s learnt a lot."
Gus and Freya 8C
"Year 8 had an incursion on graffiti where we learnt about how graffiti affects people, residents, the government, shop owners and the general population of Melbourne in a negative way. We learnt mainly about the impacts on mental health and the habits graffiti can get you into. We also had a quick look at the good side of graffiti, where artists make pieces of real art on a wall with legal permission."
Lee 8G
"In week 2 Year 8s had an incursion on graffiti where we learnt that graffiti and the environment don't mix together. If you do graffiti you will get into trouble and you can get a massive fine."
Charlee 8G
"In week 2, Year 8 had an incursion on graffiti where we learnt about how graffiti is bad for the environment, not to do it, and what amount of trouble you could get into. We learnt that the police can find people who have done graffiti even if you only leave spray cans by using your finger prints. We all had fun and the speaker was kind of funny which was nice. We all learnt at least one thing on that day, the show gave me even more reason why not to do graffiti. I really hoped that it also persuaded other students not to do any graffiti. All in all it was an extraordinary experience for us. There is one way you can graffiti - by getting paid for it."
Edison 8G
The Back of Our Hands
It was an ordinary Thursday at GEC, and class 7C were in the library taking Ms Cordingley’s English lesson. It was period 5, and everybody was very apprehensive because in period 6 we were going to have a history test.
Class 7C does Immersion French and even though we have really good teachers and some people have French as a second language, it was still very daunting.
Normally in the library, we work on our grammar books and if people have finished that we normally read, or in this case we were offered a third option: to practice our French words. A group of students who were enthusiastic and motivated jumped up on the whiteboard in the library and organised extra revision for the next lesson.
I sat down and started to review all the words that my mum tested me on 65 times at home. As I was reviewing my words that I was going to be tested on, I remembered what Hugh, a boy in my class, said, “Apparently if you situate your hands into fists and put them together then that is how big your brain is.” In my head, I was repeating, ‘Come on Peri, the more you write the bigger your hands will get which then equals a big brain.’ Somehow that chant started to escort me out of my head and into trying to memorise these words like the back of my hand.
I looked up and saw the group of girls directing their own learning on one whiteboard by testing themselves on all the 10 words that we have to know like the back of our hands.
Peri Su Ceyhan
Year 7C