ISSUE 2 • JUNE 2020
TOURMONT TIMES FINTONA'S MIDDLE SCHOOL FORTNIGHTLY NEWSLETTER
Featured articles: isolation experience
Age Quod Agis - Do What You Do Well
Editorial team:
From the editors desk
Hera Thavarasah Tara Dadafarin Arabella Boschetto Sudiksha Dand Linh Duong Amelia Graham Mathangi Sritharan Demi Arvanitis Anna Cronin Katerina Marcus Maggie Little Saskia Pezzin
Message from the Consuls
Design team: Isabella Liu Madi Spano Emma Feng Bernice Kha Elizabeth Pantazis Ally Lewis Divina Mei Sienna Thomas
Mathangi Sritharan and Amelia Graham For the past 2 months, remote learning has brought many new, unfamiliar experiences. We have had the support from the hardworking staff to ensure that learning online can be just as engaging as learning at school. Remote learning can be difficult at times, but with the help of friends, family and the school, we have been able to persevere through an issue that will eventually disappear. Although we have had many positive experiences in remote learning, we look forward to our return to school, to see smiling familiar faces, and our friends and teachers! We can’t wait to be back in the classroom, doing activities as a group. Slowly, things will return to normal, as we see House events, music concerts and GSV sport return, but for now, we need to work together and support each other, as the small things we do, can make a big change; 'Big things come from small packages.’
THE NEW NORMAL BY LINH DUONG AND MATHANGI SRITHARAN
On the 9th of June, students returned to school. A day that we had been looking forward to, for social interaction and classes. To ease this transition, Passion Projects will continue to run until the end of term. Although coming back to school is exciting, we need to take certain measures to maintain good hygiene, for health and safety for yourself and others.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO KEEP SAFE: - wash your hands for 20 seconds, make sure you scrub between your fingers! use alcohol-based hand sanitisers if you don't have access to soap. -try to minimise touching your face - try to get fresh air; go out for walks or open your window. - Don't share your food with others! -minimise use of cash and coins - stay home if your not doing exercise, or education!
Although life at school will be a little different, we have each other to get through this difficult time. Always remember to maintain good hygiene habits! By following these restrictions, we will be able to return to our normal lives.
FINTONA
A BRIEF THANK YOU From Sudiksha Dand and Tara Dadafarin A big thank you to all the people helping under the recent circumstances of COVID 19. Recently we have all been experiencing changes in our lifestyles. Luckily for us, there are many people working behind the scenes both at our beloved school and across Australia. Today, we are going to take the time to thank all these astounding people in our community. Firstly, we would like to thank the marvelous teachers that are assisting us both from home and school. At home, the teachers have been conducting normal lessons without the aid from large whiteboards and other school related items. They make sure that all the classes are entertaining and interactive so that students do not feel bored or uninterested in class. If we are experiencing any difficulties on a topic or simply want a chat, they schedule times so that we can have one-on-one sessions to clarify any doubts. They have overcome all the technological issues and have been patient with the other difficulties that students have had to deal with. Every day they put on their cameras and always have a cheerful smile to welcome the students. These amazing teachers have reassured us that everything will eventually go back to normal after these unusual circumstances have died down. We should take the time to thank these influential people who we are lucky to have in our daily lives. Going through this new experience has truly made us feel inspired by them and has taught us to be even more grateful than we already were for them.
JUNE 2020 - SECOND EDITION
FINTONA
A Brief Thank You As well as our teachers, there is the Fintona General staff that works behind the scenes such as Student Services. They drove all over Melbourne to deliver packages to all the students from different year levels with the required items that they would need for various subjects. For the Middle School, the staff neatly packed paper so that our mothers would not miss out on a creative and beautiful gift for Mother's Day. We are extremely gratified to the General staff for the wonderful deeds that they have done for us. We would also like to take some time to thank some people beyond our Fintona community. In Australia there are many selfless health care workers who have worked and saved lives of people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. They have been giving precautions to everyone so that we can contain this virus. Thank you to these workers that have been working to diminish the virus. Thank you to all these spectacular people that we are lucky to have in our Fintona community. Remember that we can overcome anything as “big things come from small packages” and together we can conquer any troubles. Remember COVID-19 will eventually disappear and as long as we have amazing people by our side, we can get over this small hurdle which has occurred in our lives. So, thank you to everyone in our Fintona community and all health care workers that are toiling away to cure the illness.
JUNE 2020 - SECOND EDITION
FINTONA
THE GIRL, THE DOG AND THE WRITER IN ROME - BOOK REVIEW BY HERA THAVARASAH The Girl, the Dog and the Writer in Rome is written by an award-winning Australian author Katrina Nannestad. For the first ten years of Freja’s life, she and her mother, Clementine had travelled to the Arctic in search of zoological wonders. Everything had changed and Clementine must send Freja away to live with her old friend Tobias. This book is mainly about a young girl named Freja who travels all around Rome with a writer called Tobias Appleby, after her mother falls ill and leaves her in Tobias’s care. In this book, Tobias is a best -selling crime writer and is a very absent minded and forgetful man. Tobias isn’t used to life with a young child, and Freja on the other hand isn’t used to people at all. Together they travel into an amazing Italian adventure that is so special it changes things forever. The Girl, the Dog and the Writer in Rome is filled with messages of hope, courage and love, however it is also a great adventure story! VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2
CODENAMES BOARD GAME REVIEW
ALEXA AND KATIE (G) - NETFLIX REVIEW BY ANNA CRONIN Alexa and Katie is an original Netflix series based on two best friends about to start high school, they have it all planned out, wanting it to be perfect. They have been waiting for this since they were little. Then, Alexa falls sick with cancer just before school starts and together, they battle cancer and navigate their way through the troubles of high school. Although this show does go through some sensitive topics, they make it lighthearted, funny and focus on how strong friendship can be. Alexa and Katie is a show for all ages and these three seasons are available on Netflix with eight new episodes coming out in June.
BY AMELIA GRAHAM On weekends, my brothers and I haven’t been able to participate in any of our usual extra-curricular activities BC (Before Corona) and we are forced to spend more time together, whether we like it or not. Something we discovered as a family was board games. My family have played many different board games during isolation, but our favourite is Codenames. Codenames allow for 2-10 players, so most families will be able to play. The idea of the game is that one of your teammates is a spymaster. There are 25 cards at any time, which have codenames of other agents, a bystander, one of the other team’s agents, or the assassin- all based purely on chance. Your team wins once you recover all of your agents before the other side. However, if at any point you pick the assassin, then the game ends and the other team automatically wins. Once you get the hang of it, it is fun to play. It can be really funny watching what codenames your teammates guess, and you have to think creatively when you’re giving clues. There is also another version Codenames Pictures. This has similar rules, but instead of the agents having words as their codenames, they have random, obscure pictures.P AI Gwould E 5 definitely rate this game a 10/10.
pesto pasta Chef: AMELIA GRAHAM
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
SERVES
25 minutes
15 minutes
3-4 people
INGREDIENTS 1 cup well-packed basil leaves
spaghetti
175ml extra-virgin olive oil
bacon (optional)
35g of pine nuts OR cashews
peas
2 cloves garlic, crushed
asparagus
salt to taste
grated parmesan
60g grated parmesan cheese
INSTRUCTIONS . Whizz the basil, oil, pine nuts, garlic and salt in a blender until well 1
combined. Stir in the grated parmesan. To serve with pasta: 2. Cook pasta and add peas and sliced asparagus spears near the end. Reserve a little pasta water. 3. Cut up and fry bacon in a frying pan. 4. Toss pesto through pasta, peas, asparagus and a little reserved pasta water with two forks until combined. 5. Top with bacon (optional) and serve with a little grated parmesan.
Sustainability with Linh Duong Clean your House to Clean the Planet Note: Please get supervision and permission from a parent/guardian over the age of 18 to sort out items. Sometimes you may think- I have nothing to wear, I have nothing to eat or I have nothing to do while your house is full of bits and bobs lying around all over the place. Well stop throwing them away and buying new things, because 99% of stuff we buy within 6 months is thrown away. School’s back, so let’s do some cleaning to get ready for the new semester. Here is a checklist of things you can do and how they benefit your home and the planet. Here are four questions to ask yourself when going through your belongings. 1. When was the last time I played with/used this item? 2. Does this item benefit me?
3. Is this item an item I really need? 4. Is it in good condition.
1. Sort out your clothes! Did you know that Australians are the world's second largest consumers of fashion? 27kg of new clothing is consumed every year per person. That’s about 54,000 tennis balls! A simple way to reduce the amount of fast fashion is to sort out your clothes. Clothes that are too small or don’t fit your style you can donate to others instead of throwing it out and to try some DIYS and craft using old clothes. To sort clothes out, try sorting them into three piles: keep, donate and throw away.
2. The pantry. Face it - there’s food crammed in your fridge, food crammed in your cupboards and tubs of ice cream unfinished in the freezer. The world has nearly one billion hungry people who could be fed a 3-course meal with just a quarter of the food waste in just the US, UK and Europe alone. Go through the products with a parent/guardian and check the expiry dates. TIP: If an item is one or two days old, it is fine to eat. According to FoodSafety.gov, food like chips can be eaten after 1-2 months (they may become stale). After you’ve sorted out the products you want to keep, try getting storage containers and labelling categories for foods to be placed in. For example, chips and biscuits can be labelled Snacks, while cans of food and quick microwaveable meals can be labelled Canned Food and Instant Meals.
3. Products that you’ve bought for entertainment such as toys, puzzles, books and games can also be reused. 90% of all toys are plastic and go directly to landfill where they get deposited eventually into oceans harming marine life. These types of goods are perfect for donation as they don’t expire! Toys are excellent to donate- rethink if this toy is necessary to keep and if not how happy someone else may be. 4. Reflect. The most important thing is to reflect on what you’ve achieved and what more you can do. 3 simple tasks you can do at home can impact the amount of fashion, food and product waste is happening in the world, which links to bigger ideas like landfill and pollution. Every year 2.12 billion tons of waste is dumped. This would circle the world 24 times. Donating your items could make another child happy. There are plenty of other ways you can organise your living.
Struggling with Loneliness by Linh Duong Most of us probably feel lonely right now. Especially in this crisis, we can feel like we’re the only ones to exist. It’s okay- we all feel like this sometimes, crisis or not. These are a few ways you can cope with loneliness. Activities are listed in bold to help you!
Stay active! Our mental health is intertwined with our physical health. Exercise is a great way to cope mentally. Exercise doesn’t need to be high impact! Practicing Tai Chi or yoga at home is a great way to exercise- and there are many videos online on how to start. Go for walks around your street and relax, taking time for yourself. If you want something more high impact, a great way to do this is by making a circuit for yourself or following Mr Bourke’s videos on inFintona every week. Do something meaningful and stay connected with others. Losing your sense of self is common when you are feeling lonely. Doing something meaningful every day for just a short period will be extremely beneficial to your mental health. Try these five things out and instantly feel a sense of identity. Turn off all your devices for at least 20 minutes and find your parents or siblings. Play a board game, go outside or simply just talk. You’re not alone in your home! Become an early riser- set your alarm 15 minutes before you usually do. Use this time to meditate, clean or relax your mind. A healthy morning routine leads to a positive day. Declutter! Take 30 minutes to declutter your room, the fridge, anything you’d like. An easy idea to do is to make a list of every fun activity you can think of and do it. This is a simple way where you can just have some plain fun!
Staying close to family and friends during this hard time is important. Here are some ideas to stay connected. Send a handwritten letter to them. Yes, there are such things as mailboxes. Handwritten letters make the letter feel personal. Try adding some family photos for a nice touch and be sure to add your address so they can reply! Facetime or Zoom them on days you feel down. Seeing another face is always a way to cheer someone up. Find sources of comfort and distractions. Take a bath instead of a shower and focus on relaxing ignoring any stress. Whenever you feel lonely give your full attention to your pet! Your fluffy companion can be a lifesaver. There are plenty of things you can do to distract yourself from feeling blue. Writing, art and home projects are easy ways to have fun. One writing projects you can try is journaling each day. Write down any troubling thoughts and anything in your brain. This can really benefit you mentally by doing it each day and can be enjoyable too! Take up hand lettering and calligraphy. This popular hobby takes time to learn and once you get the hands of it is very useful for things like cards to family and friends. It’s a fun way to take your mind off everything and focus on that one hobby. Try origami! Origami is another hobby that is popular and will get your mind off studies and loneliness while you make paper butterflies.
When you are feeling lonely, don’t forget that others are too. Offer words of encouragement, be supportive, make a phone call or send a letter! Helping others feel less lonely can make you instantly feel better too. Lastly- it is okay to feel this way. We all do sometimes! We all are here for you and are here to talk if you have any problems or needs- phone a friend, ask your parents or siblings or contact the school. Everyone supports you. You are not alone. Reach out to Ms Laville, a teacher or your Head of School
Co-curricular Interview Chloe Pace, Year 7
By Bella Boschetto, Middle School Co-Curricular Consul
When not in isolation, what co-curricular activities do you participate in? I participate in dance at the Jane Moore Academy. I dance 5 days a week, and I train in jazz, lyrical, contemporary and character, but mainly ballet. I started dancing when I was three, when my Mum put me into dance classes to see if I liked it. As I got older and started doing it more, I started to love it. On my first concert, I was a bit sick and had sore feet. My mum told me that I didn’t have to do it, but I wanted to so badly that I did it anyway. I have been to 3 different dance schools, and I moved to a different dance school to be challenged more and to have more classes. The school I’m at currently is very challenging, which is why I love it. Out of the all the styles of dance you do, which is your favourite and why? My favourite style of dance is ballet, I love how it challenges me and how I can always set new goals. I love being able to perform in groups or a solo, and how I can express myself, and how I can always work so hard.
Co-curricular Interview - continued How has your activity adapted to remote learning? My dance school has been doing online zoom classes, which are a lot harder than doing it in the studio, but I am really happy that I still get to do them. The most challenging thing is the space requirement, as doing dance at home is much more difficult than in the studio. Something that helps with this though, is that a couple of years ago I got a barre for my birthday, and this year for my birthday, I got a dance floor installed instead of carpet.
Who has inspired you in this activity? People who have inspired me in dance are professional dancers in companies all over the world, as well as the Australian company. Also, the older girls at my dance school who do full time ballet. I want to be as good as them one day. My main teacher is also inspiring, she makes us work very hard and pushes us a lot, but she is also always nice and wants us to do our best.
What is your biggest co-curricular achievement? Probably my biggest achievement so far in dance, was getting my pointe shoes at 10 years old. This is a big achievement, as I had to be strong enough. I had to do different exercises in the lead up, and then go to the physio to be assessed, before I was allowed to get them. For me, pointe shoes were a main goal from when I started to realise I really liked dance. Other things I have achieved are placing 1st, 2nd or 3rd in many different competitions, in solos and troupe performances. I haven’t competed in any massive competitions yet, I am still working towards them, but probably the biggest competition I have competed in is the Royal South Street competition in Ballarat. For the future, one of my biggest goals is to get into a professional dance company
School Updates
By Mathangi Sritharan, Maggie Little and Katerina Marcus
GSV CROSS COUNTRYÂ From the 18th to the 22nd of May, Middle School students were offered the opportunity to do a virtual cross country, to represent Fintona. Students had to run 3km for the school, just as we usually would if we were on campus. The focus of cross country was encouraging participation, as it was less competitive. We wanted to congratulate all the girls who participated as it can seem quite daunting. A special mention to Middle School student Victoria Gonsalves in Year 7, for placing 13th with a time of 11:39. From all the students efforts, we came 7th in participation!
GET ACTIVE WITH MR BOURKE During these remote times, it was difficult staying up-to-date with all the upcoming events and activities available. Mr Bourke had the active side covered with fun and thrilling activities which quite literally helped us get a sweat on, before a tough day at the desk. Every Wednesday & Friday morning, he helped us start the morning with a bang. Mr Bourke also hosted a variety of health-based tasks during lunchtime which aimed at educating nutrition and fitness.
SCHOOL UPDATES
TUTOR ACTIVITIES
Tuesday mornings, Ms Laville had wellbeing and mindfulness tips to keep us from going insane during isolation. During Weeks 5-8 she addressed issues such as organisation, having self-love and respect, the importance of sleep, and positive connections. Ms Laville had it all covered. Her sessions were a great way to start Tuesday on the right foot, as healthy minds equal healthy bodies!
While we have been working at home, the construction of the Beyond Science building has made great progress over the past few week. The structure is now established with the steel work, which allows us to see the new beautiful innovative shape of the building. By the beginning of the next school year, we should be able to enjoy taking science, maths and art classes in this spectacular new building.
Also, to stay in the loop make sure to follow Fintona’s Instagram, @fintona.girls.school and our sport page @fintona.sport. Finally, remember to log on and check your emails each night.
Quizes And Riddles- Hera Thavarasah Here is a fun quiz and some riddles to do in your spare time if you’re bored!
MOVIE TRIVIA QUIZ 1. What animated movie features Flik, Hopper and Manny? 2. What do the penguins in "Happy Feet" love to do? 3. What kind of animal is Aslan in “The Chronicles of Narnia?” 4. What are the little people called in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?” 5. True or False, “Manny” in the Ice Age is a mammoth. 6. What was the first feature – length animated movie ever released? 7. In Harry Potter, what object must be caught in order to end a Quidditch match? 8. In Harry Potter, “The Prisoner of Azkaban”, Professor Lupin played music in his class. What did he play the music on?
Answers RIDDLES
Quiz Section
1. What has a face and two hands but no arms or legs? 2. What word begins and ends with an E but only one letter? 3. What has to be broken before you can use it?
8. A record player 7. The Golden Snitch 6. Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs 5. True 4. Oompa – Loompas 3. Lion
4. Mary’s father has five daughters – Nana, Nene, Nini, Nono. What is the fith daughter’s name?
2. Dance 1. A Bugs life
Riddle Section
5. What is next in this sequence? JFMAMJJASON 6. They come out at night without being called, and are lost in the day without being stolen. What are they? 7. What is so delicate that saying its name breaks it? 8. If an electric train is travelling south, which way is the smoke going? 9. What starts with a P, ends with an E and has thousands of letters? 10. Where can you find cities, towns, shops and streets but no people?
10. A map 9. Post Office 8. There’s no smoke, its an electric train 7. Silence 6. Stars 5. D – the pattern is the first letter of each month 4. Mary 3. An Egg 2. An Envelope 1. A Clock
FINTONA
THE MERCY OF THE PERFUME BY TONG TONG ZHOU, YEAR 6
The reek of jasmine and orange hit my nostrils As powerful as a tsunami and as deadly as one. Slowly but surely the odour grows stronger The reign of the perfume has finally begun. I clamp a sturdy wooden peg over my nose. I’ve started carrying one everywhere I go. It’s life and death, existence and extinction, Sadly, I don’t think I’ll survive this one though. I’ve smelt rotten eggs and spoilt milk, The regurgitated sandwich that my dog spat out. But nothing can compare to this monstrous nightmare, It’s my sister’s perfume, without a doubt. She sashays into the living room, Clouding the air with the thick, pungent aroma, A curtain of perfume has wrapped around me. Oh help, I’m going to die, or fall into a coma! So sickly sweet, so deathly sharp, It pricks my eyes, which begin to water. I try not to breathe, or move, or blink, For fear that one move will begin my slaughter. She turns to look at me, A smug, knowing smirk on her face. My sister wears a red ball gown And white gloves that are lined with lace. Oh dear, she’s going to the school prom! I already feel sorry for her poor date, Who would have to smell her perfume, So much for finding a soul mate. Suddenly the doorbell rings, And a moment later my sister leaves. She takes the deadly perfume with her, And peace is what I finally receive. Did I do it? Have I survived? Thank god, the perfume has spared me, I’ve cowered once, I won’t have to do it twice, ‘Cos next time my sister’s bottle will be empty.
SELF-ISOLATION BY HERA THAVARASAH, YEAR 8
Starting a video call, seeing joyful smiling faces Calmly doing all my work, flipping through the textbook pages Thinking that online school isn’t that bad We didn’t get much homework which I was very glad I thought to myself ‘It’s good to have a change’ But not being able to be in a group discussion did feel pretty strange Although, I wasn’t all alone as my loving dog was sitting on the floor beside me. I could concentrate with no distractions; I was free! Out of the blue my dog sees a bird on our table outside, jumping up and down! It was the smallest bird, a chocolate colour, almost a dark brown. I glanced outside and saw a clear blue sky, trees towering over me, and birds chirping and singing. I stood there gazing at the beautiful nature outside my house, appreciating and admiring I feel different, more comfortable and confident while working alone. It’s a slow and smooth process which sets a tranquil tone. I was quite disappointed not being with my best mates at school However, I’m sure you’ll agree that video calling your teacher is pretty cool!
Positive Quote and Challenge Column “Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means that you have decided to look beyond the imperfections” Buy a packet of marshmallows (or a food item of your choice) and do the “Chubby Bunny” challenge!
Have a rap battle, and see who can come up with the best beats.
Grab a skipping rope and see who can do the most skips in one minute. It may be easier said than done…
Set a challenge and see who can get the most steps in 24 hours!
If you are bored and feeling competitive, or just want bragging rights see who can win a staring contest.
Truth or dare (with a twist). If one does not answer the truth or complete the dare they must face a consequence of the opponent’s choosing.
Who can land the best trick shot? Think outside the box for this one!
Use your skills and creativity to see who can come up with the best origami creation. The sky is the limit!
See who the top musician in your household. Set a 20-minute timer! Who can create the best composition? You can use any instruments!!
Who has the best core strength? See who can hold a plank for the longest.
There are plenty of try not to laugh challenges on the internet! See who can keep a straight face for the longest.
Who is the fastest runner in your household? Put yourselves to the test and compete in a running race with your family.
Happiness is an emotion which can range from contentment to intense joy. The truth is, happiness is when you let go, when you accept whatever the situation is, and allow life to unfold on its own without trying to control it.
n i g n i n r a e l e t o Rem n o i act
Remote learning in action