Well, the International Committee has had a busy year so far, with two great events already finished. Lantern Day on February 21st was a lot of fun, with some gorgeous lanterns made and decorated by crowds of slightly overexcited girls, and with delicious snack packs, courtesy of the marvellous Kerry. The fun continued on the amazingly successful International Games Day on March 13th, with about four times as many girls as expected turning up to play a variety of children’s games from around the world, overwhelming the shell-shocked captains but having a lunchtime of rambunctious, chaotic fun.

But just because we’ve been quiet on the glitzy posters and dodgy Assembly announcements front this term, doesn’t mean we haven’t got BIG PLANS for the rest of this year. An International Week is on the cards for some time soon, full of activities, games, competitions and heaps of other gimmicks guaranteed to pique the wonderful enthusiasm that you’ve all shown thus far. So keep an eye out for the latest news and watch out for the next International Committee meeting!

By Lauren N, Linda W & Lydia F

When Anna and I left to go to Footscray with Jenny, one of the volunteer workers for the day, she told us in detail what we would be doing and why. Jenny told us we would be working in a hall in Footscray looking after some Sudanese children whose ages ranged from one to five, whilst their mothers would be in the next room learning basic English so that they could find jobs here in Australia.

Anna and I got to work straight away by helping other volunteer women and men set up a few toys for the children. We quickly learnt their names and found who were the cheeky ones and who were the shy ones. We played games with them and tried to learn a few Sudanese words as they struggled to speak English, but they laughed when we tried to speak Sudanese. Anna and I helped bring out their lunches and took a few photos with them, and then went to the next room where the mothers were learning English. We found the Sudanese women were on different levels in their knowledge of the English language but were all enthusiastic and determined. After playing with the children a little more, and talking with a few of the Sudanese women, it was time for Anna and me to help pack up and go home.

Overall, it was a wonderful experience. We would like to thank Reverend Reid for organising the trip, and Jenny for her devotion and bubbly personality.

By Ashleigh A and Anna D.

Tuesday 4 March was a deep learning experience for the Year 10 girls. We learnt to empathise and open our hearts to the poor, suffering refugees of this world and to understand the hardships and struggles they are faced with every day. God has blessed us with such care- free lives, and sometimes we forget how lucky we are. For 34 million other people in the world, it’s a completely different story.

The Year 10s set off with high anticipation to Port Melbourne’s Gasworks and the latest exhibition of Refugee Realities. When we arrived, our classes were split into four different family groups- the Azras, the Brums, the Cazes and the Dengs. Within these families, we were given different positions like mother, father, aunt, uncle etc. so that by being in character , we could empathise more with the refugees.

In our groups, we began the day’s activities in a small room with many objects placed around the room, which was made to resemble a typically poor people’s dwelling - in this case an African home. It was quite small and as we were a large group (about 40) it gave us an idea of the crowded conditions that people have to live in. We were told to pick one object which we thought we would use as our character, something that would be of importance in that role. Children picked objects like school books and cushions, whereas adults chose things such as brooms, kettles or documents like passports. It gave us an idea of how little these people had. The things they value, we take for granted.

Suddenly, a bomb hit and some people were forced to flee for refuge in another country, while others had to stay behind and hide. From the house they had been living in, those who were forced to flee had no choice but to enter the harsh jungle which holds many dangers and perils. For millions of people around the world, this is a very real situation: being separated from the ones you love because of a natural disaster or in many cases, a civil war.

If we made it through the jungle alive, a vast field of dry land hiding numerous landmines lay ahead. To represent the unknown danger of a landmine, we walked through a desert not knowing if the next step we took would be our last. If we stood on a landmine, a badge lying on the ground would flick up, symbolic of an injury, and those who were hit were required to wear one so the others could take special care of them. However, wearing a badge is very insignificant in comparison to the suffering of people actually affected by landmines.

For the next stage of our journey to the refugee camp, we set forth on a night walk. We were blind-folded to make the situation seem more real- we had to rely on each other to make it through the night. With our communication skills, we made it out alive and successfully reached the refugee camp.

Our journey together taught us to appreciate the hardships and sufferings that 34 million refugees are continually faced with. They run, they hide, and they suffer the unthinkable, physically and mentally. Even once they have reached the camp, on average they have another 17 years of waiting and wondering what will happen to them. If you manage to get into the crowded camp, the conditions are often hardly bearable. We prayed to God that the refuge they were seeking would soon come to them and that they will stay strong during such hard times of trial.

During the term holidays, I was one of ten Year 11-12 students from around Australia chosen to participate in a four-week Cultural Experience Program 2007-08, organised by the Australia-China Council in partnership with Youth Development Australia. The purpose of the tour was to integrate us into the Chinese lifestyle and culture, and it included sightseeing tours of four cities, as well as a home-stay in a Chinese family.

The first one-week tour of Beijing was busy and exciting, as we visited many amazing sights: Tian-An Men square, the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall, Ming Tombs, Beihai Park and countless more, as well as watching gong-fu and Chinese acrobatics. We had the opportunity to visit lots of beautiful and culturally significant places, as well as to enjoy the Chinese cuisine, and take advantage of the cheap shopping.

We then spent the next three weeks in the southern city of Hangzhou, famed for its beautiful parks and the stunning West Lake, and professed to be the most beautiful and romantic city in China. We were based in Hangzhou No. 15 Middle School, and taken in by a host sibling from Grade 2. The host families welcomed us into their homes, and we were absorbed into a completely different way of life. In the school, we were able to learn and take part not only in normal school life, but also to participate in special activities including calligraphy, paper-cutting, model-making, cooking dumplings, tai-ji, ping-pong, and Chinese film, music and opera. At our home-stays, we had the opportunity to learn a great deal about modern Chinese culture, as well as to practise and improve our language skills. My host family also showed me around Hangzhou, taking me to West Lake, Leifang pergoda and Tiger Springs; and I was also lucky enough to attend a wedding, a Yoga party, and other various celebrations with my Chinese sister.

The program also included overnight trips to both Shanghai and Suzhou, where we toured around each of the cities, to further broaden our knowledge of China.

Overall, the China Experience program was an absolutely amazing opportunity. We visited many breath-taking sights, took part in lots of interesting traditional Chinese activities, were able to immerse ourselves in the Chinese culture, and had extraordinary fun. I was able to learn a lot about Chinese culture, history and language in order to complement my studies, and it proved to be a truly invaluable experience.

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Last Friday, 21 enthusiastic art students and the staff of the Art Department took off in the school buses bound for Gundawindi Lodge at Mt Evelyn for a weekend of inspired drawing, gallery visits and painting workshops. The theme for the weekend was texture - inferred, suggested and physically added to the canvas. That night we participated in an experimental workshop. We looked at works of art that incorporate texture and use a very wide variety of materials such as, gauze, tissue paper, PVA and sand from the sand pit, just to name a few. We experimented with adhering them to the base paper. These materials could be sculpted into shapes and forms that created the illusion of texture - rocks, fabrics and foliage.
On Saturday morning, armed with sketchbooks, cameras and an adventurous spirit, we headed for Tarawarra Gallery in the beautiful Yarra Valley. It’s the most impressive modern gallery space in an awe-inspiring setting. After an informative talk by the Curator and a good look at a number of works from the Besen Family Collection, which included works by international and Australian artists, we were back at the camp feeling inspired to paint our experimental pieces using a variety of techniques, and getting ready to complete a canvas before we arrived home.
The time flew and by the time we arrived back at School on Sunday afternoon, we had photographed, drawn, experimented, visited a second gallery in Upwey and experienced some amazing Art Installation works. As an Art teacher, I had a wonderful weekend with a fabulous group of girls and a talented Art Department. It was truly inspiring.
Mrs Kim Packham

I recently came across some “rules for older people in relation to younger” written by Karl Barth, one of the twentieth century’s most esteemed Christian theologians. The focus of Barth’s life work was his unfinished Church Dogmatics - 13 thick volumes, about 6 million words in total - which he worked on between 1932 and 1968, the year of his death. The “rules for older people” were not part of his Dogmatics, but some of them made me smile and I felt there was a bit of wisdom in them, so I reproduce them here for your reflection!

1. Realise that younger people of both sexes, whether relatives or close in other ways, have a right to go their own way according to their own (and not your) principles, ideas, and desires, to gain their own experience, and to find happiness in their own (and not your) fashion.

2.Do not force upon them, then, your own example or wisdom or inclinations or favours.

3.Do not bind them in any way to yourself or put them under any obligation.

4.Do not be surprised or annoyed or upset if you necessarily find that they have no time, or little time, for you, that ……. you sometimes inconvenience or bore them, and that they casually ignore you and your counsel.

5.When they act in this way, remember penitently, that in your own youth, you perhaps (or probably) also acted in the same way toward the older authorities of the time.

6.Be grateful for every proof of genuine notice and serious confidence they show you, but do not expect or demand such proofs.

7.Never under any circumstances give them up, but even as you let them go their own way, go with them in a relaxed and cheerful manner, trusting that God will do what is best for them, and always supporting and praying for them.

Instructions on how to vote for School Leaders.

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The Amy Herdman writing prize is an annual writing competition open to all girls in years 10 - 12.
The winning entry will be published in the Marcian, and the winner will receive a prize, which is awarded at Presentation Night.

The conditions for this year’s competition are as follows:

Theme: Water
Style: Personal, reflective or creative
Length: 400 words
Due date: end of Term 3 (14th September)

All entries must be emailed to Mr Denniston (denniss@camgirls.vic.edu.au) as a Word document with the following formatting applied:

Font: Times New Roman
Font Size: 12 point
Line Spacing: 1.5
Alignment: Justified

Thanks girls, and good luck!