1997 School Magazine

@iris @rn1111m1r ~c~ool %lrisl.111ne 1997 ----------

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Activities during the week included: • using a variety of media to plan and model a Greek building and then compare this with a present day home designed on computer, investigating ways in which the lan- guage of today has been influenced by the past and • creating a "tragedy" based on a myth from the past. Hirschfeld and O'Connor were involved in an Antarctic Forum. A week of integrated activities culminated in a World Forum that took place on Friday May 16 in the Gehrmann Theatre. The resolution before the f01um was that Antarctica should be used exclusively by scientists and that anyone having dealings with Antarctica will have to be closely screened. Representatives from the fishing, mining and tourist indus- tries as well as members of the scientific and conservationist communities addressed seven key Antarctic Treaty countries (Argentina, Australia, France, Japan, Norway, United Kingdom and the United States of America). Each of these countries, in turn, presented its vision of Antarctica in the future.

Murphy appeared at the Baths in period costume. An interesting discussion followed about the influ- ence of these facilities on the life of Spring Hill residents and the recrea- tional life of workers in the area. A wealth of under- standing of the issues of the area was demon- strated in the products. The girls created photo- graphs, drawings, imagi- native written responses based on old photo- graphs and buildings

lvlrs lvfwphy appears! seen on their excursions, a newspaper and a GrammarNet site.

Fostering technological skills has been an importanl focus of the Year 8 teams. During the year Griffith and Lilley have used their skills in a variety of forms . After researching famous female mathematicians on the Internet, they prepared Powerpoint presentations which can now be seen on GrammarNet, the school's Intranet. Their new Powerpoint skills were then utilised in English group presenta- tions. Many of the girls are now efficient in Web authoring and have used these skills to document aspects of their journey through Year Eight. Using GrammarNet in their Social Studi es lessons, they have highlighted aspects of the school's heritage as they looked at the stained glass window in the Boarding House and interviewed "old girls" about their impressions of school life. In Science they recorded their first impressions or "getting used to the Science laboratory" and their favourit e experiments. The girls have also completed courses in Typequick and Wordperfect which they are now able to use as tools across the curriculum.

77Je Antarctic Forum

Countries and various inter~st groups debated the issues and proposed resolutions. There was a great deal of lobbying and activities were temporarily delayed when a group of noisy Greenpeace demonstrators disrupted proceedings. Eventually, the following motion which was presented by Australia was agreed upon unanimously by all delegates. We should allow the scientists to do the necessary investigations to inform possible future utilisation of the Antarctic Territory and its resources. Beanland and Gibson participated in a study of the Spring Hill area. An integrated approach emphasising group work and problem-solving skills enriched the girls ' learning experiences. This project involved investigating the local area through its history, conducting traffic, land use , noise and air pollution surveys and doing water quality testing. The histoty and development of the Spring Hill Baths and Centenary Pool took on a special sense of realism when Mrs

Getting used to technology.

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