Year 6 Camp
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Second last day in Canberra. Mr King entertained the kids with a clap rap (they were blown away :) ) Pancakes, fruit and cereal for breakfast and off we went with an 8am start on the bus. A 45 minute windy drive through the scenic ACT country side to arrive at Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex. Canberra Deep Space Complex involved students learning about the amazing work being done by Australians, and the incredible missions they are revealing about the secrets of the universe.
After a satisfying morning tea, the students learnt how to vote at the National Electoral Education Centre. Watch out parents! All students had an opportunity to search for their parents to see if they are registered to vote in their electorate. A very quick lunch and then it was off to Parliament House. We had a tour around the enormous buildings looking at portraits of past Prime Ministers, visited the House of Representatives and House of Senate. Did you know that Parliament House cost $1.1 billion and took over 7 years to build. Students then took part in a mock parliamentary debate. The two topics they discussed were 'there should be no homework' and 'all students should do 3 hours of sport a week' (students topics of course!). Back to Bush Capital Lodge for Fish and Chips and custard and fruit for dessert. Well it's time for teachers to sign off and help your kids pack their bags ready for our fun filled last day in Canberra tomorrow. See you at the airport :) Another glorious morning, unfortunately Mrs Armstrong was way too tired to sing today so a gentle wakeup call, breakfast and on the bus by 8.30am. We drove up the hill to Mt Ainslie to view the amazing sites of Canberra. There was not a cloud in sight, so the view went for miles! We hopped back on the bus and toured around the Embassies. Did you know there are nearly 80 embassies and high commissions in Canberra? The traditional and modern architecture of the buildings are unique!
There was some great interactive activities and role play at the Old Parliament House. We had a Sir Issac Issacs (first Australian born Governor General) and Quentin Bryce (The first female Governor General of Australia) impersonators (Dallas and Summah) who did a fantastic role play (see pictures below). After a snappy morning tea, we headed in the National Museum of Australia were we enjoyed a guided tour and learnt about Nova Peris (gold medal champion and the first Indigenous female Australian senator). The kids were amazed at the size of Phar Lap's heart (see pic below). After a lunch under a shady tree on the bank of Lake Burley Griffin, we embarked on a journey to the National Art Gallery of Australia to encounter some exceptional pieces of artwork portraying a variety of stories and messages. The children were encouraged to analyse and interpret different sources of art from international artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Jeffrey Pollack and also some famous Australian artists. Back to Bush Capital Lodge for tea (burger and chips followed by ice-cream) and showers. After briefly leaving Mr King behind, he was seen madly chasing after the bus before we turned around, picked him up and yelled "Trick or Treat!" We then travelled to Mount Stromlo for some hands on telescope viewing of Saturn, Venus, Jupiter and the moon. AMAZING!! Our guides were extremely informative to the kids. The kids had many questions ranging from where did we come from and how far does space go? Back home to BED!!!! Half way and the best day yet! After some breaky, we boarded the bus and headed off for an incredible morning exploring the Australian War Memorial. We all enjoyed a tour followed by a hands-on experience at the Discovery Zone. It was here we were able to see and experience what it would have been like during Australia's participation in different wars. After a delicious morning tea and a run around the park, we enjoyed a scenic drive on our way to the Government House. Although we didn't get to meet His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley, it was amazing to learn about the role he plays and where he resides. Did you know the Government House in Canberra was originally a farm house built in 1830 and farmed 40,000 sheep ? After lunch we visited the Telstra Tower, giving us an amazing view of Canberra. Thankfully the weather was kind to us and nobody was blown away! After a quick shower and an Indian inspired dinner, we headed off to Ten Pin Bowling. With 14 teams all competing, our lucky and talented winners were Ane, Lauren, Leilah, Remy, Cody, Brock, Annabelle , Sofie, Lachlan, Joel, Indi.S, Mr King and two ties with Matthew & Uly and Kayden & Jake.W . Followed by a slice of pizza (courtesy to Mrs Armstrong) it was PJS on and time for bed. Day 3 has been amazing and we can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store for us! Wow...We finally have time to sit down and write our first Canberra blog... We started the day with a traditional wake up call from Mrs Armstrong singing, 'Oh What a Beautiful Morning' at 6am! With minimal sleep and a thirst for Canberra adventures we ate a delicious breakfast consisting of toast, scrambled egg, hash browns, baked beans, fresh fruit, cereal and yoghurt. After some quick showers we leaped onto the bus and went to the CSIRO to discover science hands on programs. Congratulations to Jake, Vann and Jessie for winning the science discovery challenge. A quick refreshing morning tea, then we ventured off to ride around Lake Burley Griffin (everyone stayed on their seats! Well done.) Lunchtime came quickly, then it was off to National Film and Sound Archive to explore the advertising history of Australia. Did you know when you can't get a jingle out of your head, that is called an earworm... Congratulations to Ethan Givens who was the first child ever at National Sound Archives to know what a wax cylinder is (the earliest form of record player). We then moved onto the Australian Institute of Sport to tour around the sport facilities and watch professional sports athletes practise their chosen sport. We then spent time in the Sportex for some hands on fitness fun. A short drive back to Bush Capital Lodge for a tummy-satisfying dinner. Wow what a day....nearly time for bed ..... we hope! |