Year 6 Camp
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Preparations are all in place for this year's Meadow Springs Primary School Year Six tour to Canberra. Mr King and Mrs Armstrong have been working hard for many months to coordinate a week full of learning and enjoyment.
Mrs Armstrong, Mr King, and Mr Lawrie had such a great time last year that they will be attending again. New to the MSPS Canberra Camp are Year Six teachers, Mrs Smith and Miss Curtis, who are both very much looking forward to all the activities. All staff are looking forward to working together to make it a safe and informative camp! Tip of the Day: Pack warm clothes and comfortable shoes. The mornings will be very chilly in Canberra and there is a lot of walking to be done.
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We're currently sitting down to a delicious pancake breakfast before we leave for Parliament house.
Yesterday was another exciting day. The Australian Institute of Sport was our first stop. We toured through the Gymnastics Hall, watching some incredible moves during Men's training. We learnt about Volleyball, visited the high tech training pool, the auditorium and then were able to get physical in the activity centre. We took soccer penalties, shot some basketball hoops and rode bikes on a virtual velodrome. Next stop was an amazing and informative visit to the Australian National Musuem. What a great collection of items from old Holden cars to enormous wool fleeces. The Garden of Australian Dreams was a highlight. Here we learned that every piece of the garden has some meaning related to our country, Australia. We had time to venture up Mt Pleasant through the Grounds of Royal Military College, Duntroon where our driver, Ray, had previously worked. This meant he was able to give us some insites into the workings of a fascinating place. At the top of Mt Pleasant itself, we were able to see why Canberra is called The Bush Capital. Our final stop was the National Archive where we were taken through three short activities explaining the purpose of this institution. We heard about the English language test from the early 1900s, a test that nobody passed for 40 plus years. We looked at the documents that were signed by Queen Victoria to allow our states to join together at Federation. More photos to come... when we get a few moments to sit down! Bowling last night was great fun. We'd all like to thank the person who invented Gutter Guards! This morning started with a sleep in until 7:00am. With an extra spring in our step, our adventure began at The National Film and Sound Archives. Did you know that the first film ever made was produced and filmed in Australia, inspired by the infamous Kelly gang?! The adventure continued to Government House where we toured through the heritage listed estate. We also had a surprise visit from His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove our Governor General. Sir Peter made time to answer our questions and we were able to have a photo with him. After refuelling with lunch we started our scenic journey by bike around the magnificent Lake Burley-Griffin. Distance travelled = 8 ks in 45 minutes. Not bad Year Sixes! Our last adventure was a stop at the Electoral Education Centre. We learnt about Australia's Representative Democracy and how our Parliamentarians are elected. We even had a mock election and saw the preferential voting system in action. Congratulations go to Apple ! Another packed itinerary for tomorrow. Talk soon. We've just arrived back at our accommodation for a quick breather before dinner. Then we'll head off again for an evening of ten pin bowling.
Today our visit to the Australian War Memorial was as moving and thought provoking as you'd expect from such a wonderful place. Students took part in a very special Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and listened to some of the heart wrenching stories associated with Australia's military campaigns. Mr Ray Walker, an Air Force veteran, told us about his family's military service history and shared his experiences of a visit to the relevant sites of Australia's World War II involvement in South East Asia. After a healthy salad wrap for lunch, we travelled down ANZAC Parade, past Old Parliament House and on to Questacon. Like Scitech in Perth, Questacon has lots of opportunities to engage with science through hands on activities and interactive displays. The Giant Drop, Maker Space and Space and Beyond exhibits were very popular... as was the gift shop! Children were able to put out the fire where the day's money was burning a hole in their pockets. |