Our World Term 2

Year 7 Our World

In Year 7 Our World this term, students have been studying Kate Constable’s novel Crow Country as part of the ‘Stewardship - Looking After Our World’ unit. This novel explores the cultural values of our First Nations peoples and the tensions that arise from these misunderstandings. Year 7s are coupling essay writing skills with knowledge about water cycles and management in Australia with respect to our First Nations custodians. Students have written and completed a class liturgy with our Catholic Social Teaching Principle of ‘Stewardship’ as their overarching theme the liturgy reflects upon.

Report from Neave H, 7 Baker Ignatian Leader

On Friday the 12th of June, Miss Baker’s class hosted a liturgy on the topic of Stewardship and Care for Our Common Home. Stewardship and Care for Our Common Home is all about joining together to care for our Earth, our “Common Home”, and to be one under Jesus, caring for God’s creation. We were split up into four groups: We Gather, We Listen, We Respond and We Go Forth, and using these topics we created slides including an acknowledgement of country, a prayer and multiple hymns (my personal favourite being “Let It Grow” from The Lorax). We had a small altar at the front of the classroom with purple themed decorations. We used purple because purple was traditionally an expensive dye used only for royalty and those of high status, like the Lord himself, Jesus. All of the students loved this activity because of how hands on and interactive it was and how we had full reign. This task also taught us teamwork and how to work cooperatively with a team in a healthy, productive manner.

Here are some pictures from 7 Rees’ liturgy on the same theme:

Year 8 Our World

This term the Year 8s have embarked upon a voyage back in time to explore Polynesian culture, customs and history in their text study of Witi Ihimaera’s groundbreaking The Whale Rider. Students have closely analysed passages of this text with key themes related to Māori culture underpinning the growth of their essay writing skills. Students have been exploring voyage vessels, early Polynesian history and analysing cultural artefacts and sources in Humanities, culminating in the design and floating of their very own waka houruas. Enriching this knowledge, students were learning about Jesus’ early life and teachings in relation to the pivotal Catholic Social Teaching Principle of ‘Preferential Option for the Poor’ and how this principle is being applied in real time through different Catholic Missions undertaken in Polynesian islands to support the area.

Here are some pictures from various Mentor Groups of the waka hourua making and floating completed in the last few weeks of this term.