Melilas Monitor, Issue 9

Melilas Monit or A st u den t -ow n ed m agazin e, all con t en t w r it t en an d edit ed by M elilas st u den t s.

BEWARE OF Mendaram Project THE MONKEYS!!

Date: 15th March 2019

Issue No. 9

M en dar am Pr oject !

Meeting Mendaram

Once again, Melilas have visited Mendaram. It was thrilling to see all of our young friends over at Nursery and we continued our projects. It was super fun to work with the children of Nursery on the fantastic collages of Bornean wildlife we created together. All groups fulfilled great tasks, were challenged at times, but showed perfect resilience and cooperation. Well done too to those who were gardening and creating a stunning fish sculpture. Your hard work is truly appreciated! We shall continue to enjoy working with Mendaram in the future.

BEWARE OF THE M ONKEYS!!

Panaga, we have a problem, and that problem is monkeys. Those dirty little macaques come into our school and mess with our stuff. However, this isn?t entirely their fault. They are attracted here by the food we leave out! This is the problem I was referring to.

Lunch boxes, snack containers, anything containing food will attract the monkeys. This is especially a problem in P5 and the Melilas area, as the monkeys frequently visit these places, often with food left out.

The food attracting the monkeys into the school isn?t the real problem though, as the monkeys would likely find their way into it on their own. It is that the monkeys often take the lunch boxes containing food, and who likes to tell their parents that they need to head up to KB to buy another lunch box because the first one was stolen by monkeys?

In conclusion, if you don?t want a monkey to steal your lunch box, then you only have to take an extra couple of seconds and put your lunch box inside your classroom.

Eduration Cu t On e Dow n , Plan t Five M or e 70t h An n iver sar y Plan t in g Pr oject At the 70th Anniversary event on Tuesday 19th March, at Melilas, we are hosting a gardening day.

We would like children to bring in some money to buy plants for planting.

When we cut down a tree, it takes 5 trees to replace that tree. We are asking Melilas students to buy 5 small plants to replace the ones that were cut down when building the school.

We hope that in planting these trees we will further develop the ecosystem of our school. As a team, we want to know if planting these trees in our ecosystem will make a difference to the surroundings. We will be researching the difference in Term 3.

Please support us by bringing your money on Tuesday 19th March.

Th e Edu r at ion Sat u Im pian Team

Sh ari ng our Learni ng Last w eek , t h e M elilas st u den t s h ad t h eir Ter m 2 exam in at ion per iod. Th e st u den t s sh ow cased som e f an t ast ic lear n in g acr oss var yin g su bject ar eas. Her e a f ew w e w an t ed t o sh ar e w it h ou r sch ool com m u n it y.

M 2 En glish A eu logy f or Topt h or n Topthorn was a brave horse. He was a tall, shining black stallion who held his head with majestic dignity. When he went to war, Captain Stewart was honoured to have such a fine mount, and said that it was because of Topthorn that he survived. On his first charge, the horse bearing the late Captain Nicholls took off with such speed and didn?t stop but Topthorn ran until the pair could slow the poor horse down. The captain said that it was one of the greatest friendships he?d ever witnessed.

Topthorn and his close friend, Joey, were captured by the German army, having been the only two to leap over the barbed wire. There, they were reduced to pulling guns and ammunition carts. They pulled all day in the cold, merciless ranch, with meagre rations and no place to rest.

It was as they were preparing to go to war once more that he fell. Topthorn was struggling up a hill when he collapsed to his knee and could not stand again. He passed from heart failure but will always be remembered for his courage and resilience in the face of the Great War. Lau r en , M 2S

M 1 En glish - Im agin at ive Fict ion Piece The day was hot. The sun was sunny, and the grass was brown. A lizard stood on the side of the road, looking to all the world with disdain. In his right hand, he held a twig, and in the other, he held the most important artefact of his people, a pebble. However, this was no ordinary pebble, it was magic, it protected the jungle making it impervious to harm. Unfortunately, for our hero, Gratuit of the Lymphalos, the magic had faded, and since none in the Lymphalos tribe had the magic to fix it, they had chosen Gratuit to find someone, who could. This is the story of how a magic lizard got from the jungles of Borneo, to New York.

The ground was cold, and wet and muddy. The canopy was colder and wetter, but not as muddy. On the top of the tree, three Lymphalians (lizards to you uneducated folk) stood in a circle, chanting. Lightning flashed, and two of them disappeared. One was left. This one was shinier than the others, with intricate silver, green, blue and orange scales.

Without warning, a gaping black hole appeared in front of him. Smiling, and holding his breath, he jumped into it. They called him Gratuit.

It was a beautiful day in the small town of Harvard Massachusetts. A boy of 13 was just exiting his house, on his way to school. He was tall, with yellow hair and blue eyes, and a pale complexion. ?Bye Leo!? his mother called after him.

It was a normal day for Leo, school, then more school, then lunch, then more school. It didn?t happen 'til on his way home. He was turning down his street, when suddenly, a gaping black hole appeared, spitting out a gallon of water and a brightly-coloured lizard onto Leo?s blonde hair, then disappearing. Leo looked up and yelled, ?Aaaaah!? ?Shhh,? said the lizard, ?I didn?t mean to startle you.? He spoke in a lilting British accent for some reason. ?Aaaaah,? Leo yelled, a little bit more quietly. ?You can talk!? ?Of course I can talk,? the lizard responded, sounding exasperated. ?I am a Lymphalos, of course!? ?What?s that?? Leo asked in surprise.

?I guess we are a type of immortal magical lizard, we can speak to anything in the world.

However, I am on a mission to save the jungles of Borneo. Our magical stone, has faded, and we need someone to restore it. We have a sleeper agent in New York who can fix it.?

?Why?? Leo began, but the lizard interrupted. ?Enough questions. Is this New York?? ?No,? Leo answered, ?This is Harvard, but I can take you to New York City.? ?Thank you, kind mortal!? the lizard said gratefully. ?But how will we get there?? ?I know a way!? Leo said, smiling mischievously.

Aaaaah!? Gratuit screamed, as Leo drove the rough four lanes without his turn signal. ?I thought you knew how to drive!? ?I never said? ? but his answer was cut short by his scream, as an 18 wheeler almost crushed them flat. ?Aaaaah! Get off the highway!?

One and a half hours later, Leo was parked on the outskirts of New York City, on the side of the road. ?That was terrifying.? Leo said, breathless. ?Agreed.?

Well, thank you for the ride. I needed time to charge up my magic, which can only be charged by spending time with friends. Thank you Leo.? ?And thank you Gratuit.?

But Gratuit was already gone. Just as Leo was wondering how he was going to get home, a gaping black hole swallowed him and the car up, and spat him back out right where he started. ?Well,? he said to himself, ?I?ll miss that guy, but at least I have a good story for my English exam next week!?

William , M 1S

M 1 Hu m an it ies

?Edu cat ion is t h e m ost pow er f u l w eapon w h ich you can u se t o ch an ge t h e w or ld.?

I agree with the quote by Nelson Mandela, education can change the feeble minds of any child or adult and guide them to something they may have dreamt of. Without education, the world would just be a plain wasteland consisting of species that just look like mannequins. No one would?ve built anything or even adapted from birth, or ran for President, maybe even try to become a monarchy. Without education, the world could just be a useless undeveloped planet.

Many brilliant minds have built things in the present or past that are constantly aiding us and fulfil our necessities; all of these items were made by educated people like Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates. All of this would never be there if it wasn?t for education to bolster people?s ability to learn more and try to become someone of importance (not in a bad way).

With education, a student can go all the way to starting a campaign to overrule unjust governments that are hindering people living on the planet, causing mass destruction that will not only harm Earth, but also the human race. Without education, no one would have stepped up to try and clean up the Great Pacific garbage patch or try to bring equality among this planet. There are so many reasons as to why education is more powerful and convincing than all other weapons.

Let?s say that humans, a long time ago, were always in rivalry with each other and no one was educated enough to stand up and bring an end to it: this would soon cause extinction, which we all dread. But, if one educated enough person stood up, she/he could end us following a path to a certain doom. Furthermore, education can help people talk to other people in conflict to keep calm and have peaceful thoughts.

However, education can also lead to plots and heists to kill people or robbing big companies of their money. Education is very powerful and it is your choice on how to use it. Moreover, it isn?t something you can lock up from treacherous hands, it is something free to all.

Overall, concluding all points in this text, education is the most powerful weapon and it is possible to be able to drastically change the world in good or bad way, depending on your personality and how you think of the world, as well as mankind.

Var u n , M 1S

In you r opin ion w as ?Black bir din g?slaver y?

Blackbirding was used to provide intensive work with very little pay. Pacific islanders were kidnapped and brought on big ships to Queensland, Australia. They were then ordered to work in sugar plantations for three years. Once their contract was finished, they would get sent back home. Australians feared immigrants.

Similarities: Slaves during the ?slave trade?and ?workers?during Blackbirding were both forced to do hard, intensive labour. Although both sides practise different types of labour, they both are related to agriculture. This was because economically if you paid workers very little and your products were pleasing to the buyers, you would get more profit. This caused a chain of events because workers were constantly being brought to level out the advantages of slavery.

Blackbirded workers were referred to as kanakas, this was done so that the ?workers? were seen like animals that have no sentimental recognition. This would reassure the employer that what they were doing was fine, when deep down every one knows it is wrong. Slave owners had a similar pseudoscience, it was referred to as ?Scientific Racism?. This was also used to reassure the owner.

Differences: Blackbirded people were actually paid, but it was very little. They also had contracts for three years, once the time was up, they get sent back on the next ship. The issue with this was that workers were taken against their will. Traps of fake money and jewels were set to lure them onto the ship. There, they were captured and brought to Queensland for ?work?.

On the other hand, slaves were sold and owned. In addition, they were not paid. In African culture, as a punishment, they were told to be slaves for a certain amount of time. They didn?t do any form of intensive labour. All they did was help around the house and do small things. However, Americans took this as an opportunity to enslave them.

To conclude, I believe that Blackbirding is a form of slavery. Even though they were paid and had contracts, they still had the same beneficial impact as the Americans. Pacific Islanders and Africans were kidnapped against their will to work in agricultural farms.

Just to improve the profit of a single person in a whole branch.

Zack y, M 1N

M 1 Hu m an it ies Explain w h y t h e ph ot o t ak en in Bali is a global pr oblem .

The photo which has been given is a global problem because the cotton bud has plastic parts, and a seahorse has its tail coiled around it. According to ocean currents, the disposable item could have been dragged from the Great Pacific garbage patch. It could have been following the South Equatorial Wave and lost its direction within the South East Asian islands. The cotton bud could have come from places around India, go down the North Equatorial Current, then continue with the Equatorial Counter Wave, which would lead it to the Indonesian islands.

Moreover, this is a problem globally as our Earth is not able to reduce its amount of plastic. This will cause more marine animals to die which would lead to lower amount of animals.

According to the ocean currents, the seahorse could drift away from Bali. It could drift away from the South Equatorial Wave and followed on to the Agunos Wave and end up around South Africa. This would cause a problem for the seahorse as it wouldn?t be able to find enough food. As with most plastics, it too would end up at the ocean shore.

Most waves close to the surface water are stronger. It could end up in the top 10% of water which would drift it away quite easily. This would cause the seahorse to die as it wouldn?t be able to find food.

If it is not able to stay, it could be drift away through the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave which would take it more slowly. It could end up back into the cycle using the West Australian Wave or end up around New Zealand.

It would take it quite a long time to follow the waves which have been listed. The cotton bud wouldn?t dissolve quickly as plastics take a very long time to disintegrate or break down. It might not follow these waves and could be eaten by another animal.

This may cause this other animal to die, as plastics can?t be digested.

Plastic production is a huge problem globally, worsened by being disposed in the sea.

Kr it t ik a, M 1N

M 2 Hu m an it ies

?War , w h at is it good f or ? Absolu t ely n ot h in g.?

There is always a reason for war. It could be as little as one person dying/being killed or as big as a whole nation not having the efficient goods in order to survive.

From one perspective, war is good for ?Absolutely nothing? while it is the opposite from another perspective.

Japan (the aggressor of the Pacific Theatre in World War 2) joined the war on September 27th 1940. After the Great Depression, Japan (an import based economy) was not receiving as many resources as they needed, due to reluctant sales. A war between China and Japan was dragging on so resources were being used for the war. The USA was one of Japan?s main sources. Since the USA was supporting China, they cut off all of Japan?s supply that came from them. Japan needed to do something.

French Indochina was the first to be invaded. From the Allied Pacific Forces point of view, war may have been good for nothing; there was no past conflict between them and Japan. They may have seen it as foreign soldiers attacking them for no reason.

The Japanese then went on invading more countries in Asia to create their ?South Pacific Prosperity Sphere?. This is why countries like UK, The Netherlands and France got involved; they were invading their colonies. They, without a doubt, saw that there was no reason for them to protect their colonies by going to Asia.

Millions died in the World War 2 and from its effects. The Allied soldiers and the locals had the shorter end of the stick. In Japanese culture, it was ?sweet and fitting to die for one?s country?, so when you were a prisoner of war, you were shown no respect from the Japanese; you were more dishonorable than sand. Prisoners of war were tortured, starved and diseased. From their perspective, they left their homes and families to die without accomplishing anything, so it was futile and good for nothing.

The locals must have felt that war was useless and didn?t bring any good; strangers in uniform appeared, stole their food, forced them to learn new culture and language, and disrespected them even though they were the reason for all of it.

September 1st 1939 - A lot of the Allied forces in the Pacific were already starting in a more western war. It didn?t help that they had to send more people to fight in another part of the world. That may have also influenced them to think Japan just wanted a war because they wanted to join in. It brought no good for them; more people were just dying and more places were being destroyed.

Japan?s resources were now focused on the war so they were losing the little they had. Some Japanese may have thought it was bringing no good. The Allied forces were losing resources (even more than they were losing months or years before).

However, after the war ended on September 2nd 1945, Japan had no army.

Therefore, they could direct their attention towards redeveloping their economy.

Japan became one of the most important countries when it came to importation. Japan still plays a very big part. So good did come from war, for Japan.

After World War 2, many Asian countries rose up and became independent. This was not good for the colonial powers but was good for locals. Although China was left in rubble, they rebuilt and got a new leader. China has a massive industry that is known by almost all. But China struggles with pollution and urbanisation.

Lots of good did come from war: independence, better economies and strong industries. China has affected all our lives today. Downsides were that land was destroyed, people died and colonies were lost. Some countries may still not be stable but the majority are. World War 2 has impacted all our lives greatly.

I don?t believe war is good but without this war, the world would be incredibly different. Overall, war isn?t good for nothing when it?s for the right reason(s).

St eph an ie, M 2

St u den t of t h e Week Ar t icle by: Eva, Han iya & Ar sh a Th is w eek 's St u den t of t h e Week is Ak sh it a f r om M 1N, f or h er u n believable k n ow ledge of t h e per iodic t able!

I m por t an t

Dat es Ter m 2

Poet r y Week 18th -22nd March Pan aga Sch ool's 70t h An n iver sar y: Tuesday 19th March Friday 22nd March Ter m 2 Celebr at ion of Lear n in g Day: Wednesday 20th March

Edit or s: Raymond and Joel

Ph ot ogr aph er : Eva

St u den t of t h e Week Colu m n ist s: Haniya, Eva, Arsha

Design M an ager : Haniya

Jou r n alist s: Aliza, Varun, William and Ayanangshu