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ISSUE 4 • SEPTEMBER 2020

TOURMONT TIMES

Age Quod Agis Do what you do well FINTONA'S MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS

Age Quod Agis - Do what you do well

CONTENTS Front Cover 2. Contents page 3. Fourth edition information 4. The best of spring 5. The best of spring 6. Book review 7. Music and netflix review 8. Recipe page 9. Sustainability 10. DIY ideas 11. Bordem busters 12. Co-curricular interview 13. Co-curricular interview 14. Poems 15. Poems 16. Spring word search 17. School updates : Father's day 18. Beyond science building update 19. Board games review 20. Mental health corner 21. Mental health corner 22. Weekly challenges 23. Weekly gallery : Father's day 24. Weekly gallery : Spring special

About Tourmont Times

Welcome to the fourth edition of the Tourmont Times. Our aim with this newspaper is to provide some fun ideas and some inspiration during this time of isolation. Remember we are all in this together! We hope you enjoy the following articles and activities created by the Year 8 Newspaper team, and we would love to receive some feedback! Stay happy and healthy, and do what you do well: Age Quod Agis.

4th Edition Note Message From the Consuls

From the editor's desk

Spring has sprung! You know the old cliché saying. After months or dreary weather, we are so excited to introduce the theme of this edition’s newspaper. And you guessed it; Spring! This edition of the Tourmont Times is focusing on all things Spring. From Spring DIYs, to book and movie recommendations, this newspaper has it all! We can’t wait to share with you some advice for keeping happy, healthy and busy this Spring. So, if you’re looking for some time to kill at home, or if you just want to try out a new recipe, you’ve come to the right place. But before you dive straight into all these exciting things, we just want to say a massive thank you to Ms Tribe and the middle students who contributed to this edition, as well as every member in the newspaper editorial and design team. This newspaper wouldn’t have been possible without you! So, once again, to everyone reading this newspaper, we hope you have an amazing holiday, and try to make the most of this beautiful weather that Spring has given us! Thanks everyone! Amelia and Mathangi

Editorial team:

Design team:

Arabella Boschetto Linh Duong Amelia Graham Mathangi Sritharan Demi Arvanitis Elizabeth Pantazis Hera Thavarasah

Madi Spano Emma Feng Bernice Kha Chanel Chen Justina So

FINTONA

The Best of Spring BY ELIZABETH PANTAZIS AND MATHANGI SRITHARAN As Winter is nearing its end, we begin to see many new beginnings all around us. As flowers begin to bloom and animals are born, this season of rebirth is celebrated all over the world. Though we are one of only 32 countries celebrating spring at this time, each country has different traditions and festivals dedicated to this season. Some of these include:

Europe Cimburijada is a tradition in Zenica, Bosnia, which is when family and friends gather by a river to share a breakfast of scrambled eggs. This tradition has been practised every year by uniting the town to mark the beginning of spring. The highlight of the day is getting scrambled eggs from a giant pot, that is cooked for the whole town!

North America The White House Easter Egg Roll is an Easter tradition held in the US. It involves children using wooden spoons to roll Easter Eggs across the White House Lawn, competing to win easter eggs and other small prizes. This tradition takes place on Easter Monday every year and is believed to have started in 1814.

India

Holi is an ancient Hindu festival in India that celbrates the new season, as well as good harvest. It also celebrates happiness and love through various activities. Lights are lit throughout the day, and streets are filled with vibrant colours, as people throw bright coloured powder into the air. This is why Holi is also known as ‘The Festival of Colours’.

SEPTEMBER 2020 FOURTH EDITION

FINTONA

The Best of Spring Australia In 1998, a grand flower display was showcased in celebration of Canberra’s 75th birthday. The local community loved the display so much that they decided to make it a yearly tradition known as Floriade, a month long annual celebration of spring complete with colour, music and flowers. Around half a million guests attend this festival every year.

South America The spring equniox in Teotihuacá is a celebration of spring where thousands of people dress in white, and gather at the Teotihuacán Pyramid, Mexico. In the morning, people climb up 360 steps to the top of the pyramid. The reasoning behind this, is to get closer to the sky to get more energy for the year.

Africa In South Africa, the arrival of spring is celebrated when the Southern Right Wales return to Walker Bay, a bay near Cape Town. A three day festival known as the Hermanus Whale Festival showcases films, interactive adventures, music, comedy, seafood and parades. Whale watching is also a part of this celebration of marine life.

Overall, spring is celebrated in various ways all over the world, but all show their appreciation to the environment. Whether you decide to make scrambled eggs like in Bosnia, or even go for a walk similar to South America, try to make the most of the beautiful spring weather and changes.

SEPTEMBER 2020 FOURTH EDITION

FINTONA

BOOK REVIEW- WARRIORS: INTO THE WILD, ERIN HUNTER BY DEMI ARVANITIS

Into the Wild, the first of a multipart series written by bestselling author Erin Hunter, is a fantasy series following the journey of an ordinary housecat entering the world of the four clans of wild cats. For generations these four clans have abided by the warrior code, however it has been threatened and the ThunderClan is now in grave danger. Honourable warriors have been dying, some of which seem to be more mysterious than others and the ShadowClan is growing increasingly stronger by the day. In the midst of all this, Rusty the house cat comes along. Whilst he may seem to be no help at first, he will soon have something to prove in the face of something terrible to come. This book is perfect for anyone interested in both fantasy and action novels. It is uniquely told from an ordinary house catâ€™s perspective and the development of the primary character is evident, which ultimately makes you enthralled into this majestic world even more. Additionally, this book is the first of an extremely long and jam-packed series- so once you start, you will have lots more to read! The aspect which I enjoyed the most about this novel is the amount of detail that has been considered to make this hypothetical world seem as if it were a reality. Think along the lines of Harry Potter; there are four houses, and in this book, there are four clans. The relationships between characters, such as that of a professor and a student, in this book there are apprentices and leaders. I can assure you that this is a worthwhile read that will take you on an action-packed adventure that will leave you on the edge of your seat!

FINTONA

NETFLIX REVIEW- A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS

MOVIE REVIEW- THE SOUND OF MUSIC BY AMELIA GRAHAM

My all-time favourite movie is one that I highly recommend; The Sound of Music. Growing up, I watched this movie so many times with my family. This movie has an incredible soundtrack, and has songs which are great for singing along to. The plot of the movie is incredible, about a family living in Vienna as it is entering World War 2. What’s more, is that the movie is based on a true story, making it even more captivating. The main character, Maria, played by the incredible Julie Andrews, is a young woman who becomes a governess for a family of seven children. At first it is a challenge, but she teaches the children that sometimes it is more important to have fun than to follow the wishes of their emotionally distant father. Following this, Maria must then decide if she wants to become a nun, or if she would like to stay with the children. This film is suitable for all ages, and I implore you to watch it. Although it is a family movie, it covers some ageless themes, such as love, family, and commitment. This movie is very special to me, which is why I wanted to share it with everyone. Enjoy!

BY MATHANGI SRITHARAN

A Series of Unfortunate Events is an original Netflix series based on the bestselling books, that have won an array of awards over the 13 books. The show is about the tragic fate of Violet, Klaus and Sunny, who are now orphans, after their parents sudden and mysterious death. They are taken care under an evil, distant relative, Count Olaf (Emmy-winning Neil Patrick Harris), who is interested in nothing more than in the children’s fortune. No matter where the children go, Count Olaf somehow finds his way to them, so Violet, Klaus and Sunny use their wits to create elaborate plans to escape and solve the mystery of their parent’s death. The closer the siblings get to the truth, the more shocking the revelations are. The show tugs on your heart strings and keeps you on the edge of your seat. There are 3 seasons available on Netflix, with around 2 episodes dedicated to each book. A Series of Unfortunate Events also won the Peabody Award. If you love a light-hearted, comedic mystery, this show is definitely for you. I highly recommend you watch it and give it a 10/10. Trigger warning: Death

Pizza pastaFrittata salad Chef:Chef: Elizabeth pantazis ANNA CRONIN

PREP TIME TIME PREP

COOK TIME

SERVES

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INSTRUCTIONS INSTRUCTIONS 1.preheat the oven on high grill.

3. Grill frittata for 3 minutes or

1. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water, following packet directions, until tender. Drain.

Heat oil in an ovenproof frying pan

until top is golden and mixture has

2. Refresh under cold water. Drain.

over medium to high heat. Add 3. Mix the pesto in with the pasta

set. Leave for 2 minutes. Sprinkle

on o n . the pasta, C o o k , s tolives, i r r i n gcapsicum, occasio n a l l y , avocado and tomato 4.i Add spinach, w i t h binto asia l lbowl. eaves. Serve with 5. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper

for 2 minutes or until the onion has

toasted baguette or any chosen

6. Toss gently to combine and serve

softened. Add capsicum and ham.

bread slices

Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or

NOTE FROM COOK

until capsicum is tender. Stir in 2

*When I made this I also tried

Please note that you can use different vegetables and toppings!

tablespoons of pasta sauce.

cooking it in an oiled muffin tin to

2. Whisk eggs and milk together in

make individual ones and just

a large bowl. Pour over mixture in

waited for the cheese to go golden

pan. Lift and tilt pan to distribute

brown (this makes it more lunch

egg mixture evenly. Reduce to low

box friendly).

heat. Cook for 8-10 minutes

SUSTAINABILITY Spring Awakens - Linh Duong

Spring is quickly coming and, for the environment, new plants and animals will be seen. New fruits will be in season, and blue skies will become our average weather. Read on to see the new things heading into Spring! Plants during spring get the environment they needlight, water and soil to grow. The warmth from the sun raises the temperature of the air and soil and the rainfall gives them the required water. Australiaâ€™s national flower is something you should look out for during spring- the wattle. There are over 1000 species of wattles in Australia, making them the most common flowering plants. Australiaâ€™s national flower provides habitat and food for native animals, birds and insects, and can be seen blooming on roadsides, in the parks and in the gardens of Melbourne.

During spring, many fruits begin to be in season. This is due to the warmer climate. It depends on which type of fruit, as different fruits have different requirements regarding the temperature and the weather. Spring fruits include bananas, berries, lemons, limes, mandarins, beetroots, artichokes and spinach. When going shopping, make sure to look out for these fruits as they are ripe and in season! Lastly, animals will wake up from their hibernation to Spring. For nesting birds, birds like owls, tawny frogmouths and kookaburras and parrots such as parakeets and cockatoos will be seen raising their young in tree hollows. A good way to help these birds is by making nesting boxes, as hollows are only found in old trees which are difficult to find. Here is a nesting box plan for a laughing kookaburra: https://www.birdsinbackyards.net/sites/www.birdsinba ckyards.net/files/Laughing%20Kookaburra_0.pdf

In conclusion, we should make the most out of our Spring, even though it may not be the same as ones from past years. Make sure to look out for new fruits, plants and animals in the coming months!

D I Y ideas By Demi Arvanitvis

ORAGAMI CRANES

This edition’s DIY column is origami themedspecifically paper cranes! It is an annual school tradition that Fintona participates in the 1000 Paper Cranes project, dedicated to our fellow year 12’s as they approach their VCE examinations. In many cultures, paper cranes symbolize happiness and longevity. In Japan, a paper crane is deemed to bring good fortune and longevity due to its fabled life span of 1000 years. Therefore, as a symbol of our support and well wishes to our year 12’s, we encourage you all to make a few cranes and share them with our school community. Above is my attempt at making a paper crane, which I heavily enjoyed making- even if I may have had an extra set of hands help me! Whenever you have spare time, get creative and be a part of this amazing Fintona initiative! Happy crafting!

FURTHER INFORMATION FROM THE JAPANESE DEPARTMENT (senbazuru); “1000 cranes” The crane is a very strong, migratory bird, thought to live many years. It is strong and the Japanese people hold it in high regard. Every year for 16 years, under the auspices of the Japanese Department, the students of Japanese, have made ‘1000 cranes’ to present to the Year 12 Students sitting the VCE examinations at the end of the year. 1000 paper cranes are folded and hung in Japan for various reasons but one is for good luck in upcoming challenges. This year is a difficult one for our Year 12 cohort, but it is a special one for us. Special because we want to support and celebrate these wonderful young women embarking on the next important stage of their life at this trying time. We would like all members of our community, students, teachers and parents, to make cranes and feel they are there to help the examinees. And you will be. Every crane you make will fly above the students in Rooms 33 and 34 (R1008 and 7) in November. Your origami and your good wishes will be there to help them. How to begin your crane-making. Years 5-9 If you have origami paper at home or can buy some, please choose any shade of pink or red. This can be a block colour or a pattern that is primarily in the shades of pink and red. Years 10 and 11 · Paper cut to size in a box outside the Japanese Room (B114 or 22) · Students in Years 10 and 11 can take paper home to their younger siblings. · Cranes ready for the hanging can be left in the ‘Finished Crane’ box, also outside B114 The following 2 links have video instructions which are easy to follow if you have not made a crane before. https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=KfnyopxdJXQ https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=Ux1ECrNDZl4 Mrs Hotta and Mrs Kirkman are very grateful for your support in this very important project. We are sure the gods will smile upon our Fintona students under the pink and red cranes. Please contact us with any questions. Please try your best. Mrs Anne Hotta and Mrs Yoko Kirkman

千⽻鶴

がんばってください。

BOREDOM BUSTERS Skyline Painting with Elizabeth Pantazis

Spring isn’t just about flowers. It’s also about the beautiful sceneries we get to see. This painting tutorial is suitable for any age. Just remember to always ask a parent first and make sure you are working in an area where it is easy to stay clean. All you will need is a canvas or paper, white paint, blue paint, black paint and orange paint.

1.Tape your canvas.

2. The first background

3. The first skyline

4. The stars and the moon

5. The second background

6. The second skyline

7. The sun

Taping your canvas will create clean edges on your painting. Tape the border and then a line in the middle. I did a slanted line, but you can do whatever line you like. Start with the bottom half of the painting. Paint black across the top. Then blend in dark blue and slowly get lighter until you reach the bottom of the canvas. Blend in each colour so that you can’t see the streaks. You can use a painting knife to do this, but you can still get a similar affect with a paintbrush. Add a skyline in black. Use a smaller paintbrush to create box shapes that resemble city buildings. You can create whatever shapes you like and be as creative as you want! Dip a dry brush in white paint and firmly flick the bristles so that the paint creates small dots on the canvas. These should resemble stars. Then paint a crescent shape in white to be your moon. The next part of the canvas is going to be a sunset. Start with light blue, then white and finally vermillion orange mixed with white to create a light pink. Blend this just like you did the first time. Mix white with a small amount of black to create light grey. Use this to create a skyline just like you did the first time. Make sure to keep your brushstrokes in the same direction so that it looks neat. Add a white sun above the skyline. You can make it as big as you like. When you are happy with your painting, take off the tape to reveal your masterpiece! Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect. Be proud of all the effort you put in and enjoy your new painting! This is a great activity to do with your family, and you can create any scenery you like! You can easily put mountains or trees on the same backgrounds shown in the steps above. Painting is a way to calm you down and take your mind of the stress of school, and it will only get better the more you practice!

Co-curricular Interview Christelle Kong, Year 7

By Bella Boschetto, Middle School Co-Curricular Consul

When not in isolation, what co-curricular activities do you participate in? I do Piano and violin lessons, and I am currently working towards my grade 8 piano exam. Which activity is your favourite, and why? I like music the best, I like playing piano the most. I really like playing for other people, I just enjoy spreading music and performing in front of others. Even when I was very young, I used to do lots of concerts, and in year 3 I started competitions. So, performing in public is just second nature to me. Who has inspired you in this activity? I think that would be my piano teachers. Every lesson, when I go and I practise my pieces with them, they always give me feedback, and inspire me to do even better. So, do you think that they are good role models, do you aspire to be as good as them when you are older? Yes, when I grow up, I want to be a professional musician, play piano and perform in concerts, competitions, and teach students. I am also inspired by all of my ensemble directors, because they challenge me to perform at my best. They also inspire me to make music with others.

Co-curricular Interview How has your activity adapted to remote learning? Well obviously in lockdown you can’t travel to the lessons, so we do online lessons through Skype. How do you feel about those lessons? They haven’t really changed that much, but sometimes its hard, sometimes the audio glitches a lot, so I have started recording myself playing and sending it to my teacher, because it’s so different to playing in real life. Also, the ensembles that I am part of at school can no longer run (Chamber Orchestra, Senior Strings/ Tourmont Strings, and Fintona Voices/Chamber Choir), because we can’t play music or sing physically together. They can’t run it online because audio always has a bit of lag in calls , so it would be nearly impossible to play or sing in time. do you prefer lessons in real life or online? In real life, definitely, but I don’t really mind which. I really miss making music with others at school and performing at concerts and soirees. I am also disappointed that Music Camp could not be held. But I can't wait for the restrictions to be lifted so that I can play music with others again. I'm just glad that I can continue playing piano despite COVID-19 restrictions.

What is your biggest achievement in playing music? I have gotten first prize in competitions three times. Last year, I did my grade 7 exam, and I got a distinction, which was pretty cool. [and, what was your favourite performance that you have done?] Oh that’s hard. I’ve done so many! I think my favourite piece that I have ever played for a competition would be a Chopin waltz (Opus 64 No. 1, Waltz in D flat). I did feel very proud of myself after performing it. It was difficult, because it had a lot of very fast notes, but with practise it got better and better. I had to practise a lot, three hours a day actually!

Poems ON THE FIELDS OF BATTLE BY ISABELLA MADDEN

Shots ring out in a split second moment The pull of a trigger is oh so swift Giving chance to our fiercest opponent A cavalry of souls is set adrift Innocent men fulfilling their duty A soldier does take a cursory glance Through this horror a spirit seeks beauty Seeing tomorrow or the darkest dance During war there is no time for mourning No moment to let your true feelings show On winterâ€™s mist a new day is dawning In the fields of bloodshed, the poppies grow

SPRING SONNET BY VIDYA SIVAKUMAR

The season of despair that bleeds the heart, That erases happiness of all kinds, That makes the heart and soul drift apart, The time of doom where love itself is blind. Behind all the white a naked tree hangs, Full of hope believing this won't last long, The season of grace is coming it sang, Echoing it quiet clearly loud and strong. Summer approaches full of joy and glee, The season to look up, to look above, Days are endless feeling warmth, mirth, free, Forgetting the real cruelty of love. Happiness will always conquer the sad, Will cast away the evil and the bad.

Now countless in rows of bright white crosses Thousands of souls, and thousands of losses.

BRUMBIES BY ABBY ZHAO

Brumbies, brumbies, galloping wild, Unaware of the hunters, playing mild. Preparing to ambush behind the trees, Ready to strike as soon as three. The brumbies sense the humans near, They scatter and run with rising fear. The gunshots ring in the morning mist, But the aim was off and the hunters miss. The horses escape to the safety of a clearing, While the hunters leave with their pride disappearing. They will return tomorrow and try again, But they all know, they have nothing to gain. On the huntersâ€™ arrival at the parched forest, Their will to kill was not as promised. The brumbies were far, and not in sight, The hunters retreat and walk away in fright. But the next day, the hunters were in luck, The horses were calm, not even a single buck. It is the huntersâ€™ chance to redeem themselves, They take out their rifles, as quiet as elves. The hunters are set for the great attack, But when they see the brumbies, they have a flashback. Wildly the horses neigh with tenderness, These animals should remain and roam the wilderness. With one last look at the beautiful creatures, They pack their weapons and back off into the nature. They walk away with satisfaction, Even when the brumbies are near they have no reaction. The horses now live with no worry or doubt, They thrive even throughout the drought. The horses are free from hunters at last, And the herd of brumbies will soon become vast.

Spring Word Search

BLOOM BLOSSOM BUD CLOUDS

Words to find: FLOURISH FLOWER MEADOWS SEASON

SPRING SUNSHINE WARMTH WEATHER

SCHOOL UPDATES By Mathangi Sritharan

FATHER'S DAY

Middle school students celebrated Father’s Day in a unique way. Students created their very own escape room in their homes, creating an elaborate story along with a variety of clues and puzzles to help their dad/special person escaped the room! Other students decided to go the extra mile and even made a special breakfast/meal! We hope everyone had fun with their family

COVID-CUP

This week in sport, students have been challenged to run 1km as fast as they can. Year levels compete against each other to see which year level will win the COVIDCup. The more girls who participate, the more chances their year level has of winning, so we can’t wait to see the results! Have a good run, and make sure to send it through the MS Forms by Friday!

R U OK? DAY

R U OK day is especially significant this year, as it’s important to check up on yourself and make sure you are doing okay during remote learning. In the theme, you must wear something yellow, whether it be clothes or accessories. This means that school will conclude after 12pm on Wednesday, so you have time to look after your mental health. Some things you could do include journaling, painting, exercise, or something else away from your screens that you might enjoy!

FINTONA WRITERS' FESTIVAL

For this year’s Fintona Writer’s festival, each year level will speak to a different author! The authors will discuss their books and give you a chance to write or engage in activities. The Year 7’s will meet Kate Constable, author of ‘January Stars’ and ‘Crow Country’ and Year 8’s Nicki Greenberg, author of ‘The Great Gatsby’ and ‘Hamlet’ in graphic novel form.

FUNDAY FRIDAY

This week is the final Funday Friday. As we are so close to the holidays, this week’s theme is Holiday destinations! We can’t wait to see the creative costumes everyone comes up with!

TOURMONT TIMES EDITION 4

BEYOND SCIENCE BUILDING UPDATE FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION AND UPDATE FOLLOW FINTONA'S OFFICIAL INSTAGRAM OR VISIT: https://bsc.fintona.vic.edu.au/

@fintona.girls.school

BOARD GAMES V I E W S

EXPLODING KITTENS BY AMELIA GRAHAM

A really fun game that my family and I discovered a while ago, is one called Exploding Kittens. Now, I understand that from the name of the game you may be a little puzzled. However, this is an awesome card game that I love to play with my friends and family. The aim of the game is to not explode. Seems obvious, right? This game allows 2-6 players at a time, and they each take it in turns drawing from a pile of cards, and playing action cards. Each player begins with a hand of four different action cards, and one defuse card. Hidden in the draw pile, are a number of “exploding kitten” cards. If a player draws one of these cards, they immediately must play their defuse card to save themselves. However, if a player draws an exploding kitten card and they do not have a defuse card to save themselves, the player explodes and is out of the game. The winner of the game is the last person standing. A player can end their turn by drawing from the draw pile. Based on chance, they may either draw another action card, an exploding kitten, or, if they are lucky, an additional defuse card. This game is like a version of Russian Roulette, in that with every action or defuse card that is drawn from the deck, the likeliness of an exploding kitten to be drawn grows higher. On their turn, if a player feels unsafe drawing from the discard pile, they can play one of their action cards that allows them to skip their turn. On your turn, it is up to you if you are willing to take a risk and draw another card, or to protect yourself and end your turn. This is a brilliant game, and I really recommend it. It is full of skill and luck, and is great if you are just bored (which I’m sure many of you are, nowadays). Each of the cards are so creative and funny. It’s not like any game I have ever played before, and even after years, I still enjoy playing it any day.

MENTA L H E A L T H C O R N E R

MINDFULNESS WITH HERA THAVARASAH

As flowers bloom in spring, compassion grows in mindfulness. Mindfulness helps to reduce stress, boost creativity, and improve sleep, attention, memory and concentration. It also helps manage depression, anxiety, chronic pain, eating disorders and more. Many people question what mindfulness is. A simple idea to what mindfulness actually is, is when you pay full attention to what you are doing and feeling through every moment- free from distraction or judgement. It means you observe your thoughts, feelings and the sensations of taste, touch, smell, sight and sound. You are also fully aware of your surroundings.

Mindfulness helps to reduce stress, boost creativity, and improve sleep, attention, memory and concentration. It also helps manage depression, anxiety, chronic pain, eating disorders and more. Many people question what mindfulness is. A simple idea to what mindfulness actually is, is when you pay full attention to what you are doing and feeling through every moment- free from distraction or judgement. It means you observe your thoughts, feelings and the sensations of taste, touch, smell, sight and sound. You are also fully aware of your surroundings.

Several people have routines in their daily lives. An example is waking up and going to school or work. If you are doing something familiar all the time, you may not notice every small amount of detail thatâ€™s going on. For instance, you might eat a whole packet of chips in front of the TV without really noticing the actual taste of the chips.

Some people spend a lot of time thinking about their past or worrying about their future. Being held up in these distressing thoughts may make it hard to fall asleep at night.

Mindfulness helps you to manage those negative feelings in a positive way.

Many people don’t actually know the difference between mindfulness and meditation. People think that mindfulness is a temporary state of mind that is present during meditation. However, mindfulness is actually a way of living in which, when we remember, we are able to take a step back and be in the present moment of any situation. Mindfulness doesn’t eliminate stress or other problems; instead it helps us to become aware of unpleasant thoughts and emotions that arise because of challenging situations. Practicing mindfulness doesn’t mean we never get angry. It allows us to be more thoughtful in how we want to respond to a not-so-friendly comment. Mindfulness meditation changes our mindset and perspective, as well as changing the shape of our brains. Generalised neuroimaging meditation studies found that 8 weeks of mindfulness mediation changes our brains, rewiring them towards more positive thoughts. A basic mindfulness meditation is to sit on a straight-backed chair, or cross legged on the floor. Focus on an aspect of your breathing. This could be the sensations of air flowing into your nostrils and out of your mouth. It could also be your belly rising and falling as you inhale and exhale. Smiling Mind is a free app you can download to listen to mindfulness videos to help meditate.

There are 5 different meditation techniques that improve mindfulness. 1. Focused Attention – Focus your attention on your breathing, specifically the rise and fall of the chest. 2. Noting – Make sure to “note” a particular thought or feeling when you become distracted during meditation. The practice of noting can help us learn more about our habits and tendencies. 3. Visualisation – This technique focuses on allowing a person or an object to hold attention. The idea here is that the familiar image will help create and maintain a relaxed focus. 4. Resting Awareness- Rather than focusing on the breathing or a visualisation, this technique involves letting the mind rest. Thoughts will probably enter, but instead of distracting you, they will simply leave. 5. Reflection – For this technique, you need to ask yourself a question. For example, you may ask yourself “what am I most grateful for?” You can then contemplate, and think to yourself carefully about the answer to this question. Make sure to take this into consideration and try mindfulness meditation using apps like Headspace, Smiling Mind or by just doing it yourself in a quiet and relaxing place. Just remember that the mind is like a muscle- the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets and the more it can expand.

WEEKLY CHALLENGES Spring Challenges - Demi Arvanitis

Spring has sprung! Here are a series of ten Spring related challenges to do at home by yourself or with a family member. Remember, the only rule is to have lots of fun! Set a ten-minute timer and see who can create the best spring inspired artwork.

Have a fashion contest and see who can come up with the best spring outfit.

See who the best cupcake decorator is! Find an image of a spring themed cupcake and recreate it. Whoever is the closest to the image wins! Create a scavenger hunt of spring related items to look out for on a walk around your neighbourhood. Some items could include: a pink flower, a feather etc.

If you have a pet, challenge a sibling or parent to see who can teach it the coolest trick. This challenge may take longer than you expect…

Enjoy the fresh air and see who can collect the most flowers/plants in the backyard. Choose a spring colour (pink, yellow, blue etc.) and everything you do/eat/wear must correspond to that colour. See what you can come up with! Photography challenge- look at the scenery around you and photograph it. Get someone to judge who has the better spring picture.

Who is the best chef in your household? See who can cook the best spring related meal.

Play a series of mini games outside in the pristine spring weather such as hopscotch, down ball or Frisbee. Whoever wins the most games is the ultimate champion!

Weekly Gallery FATHER'S DAY

Weekly Gallery SPRING SPECIAL