Just us 2014 issue 3

Stories Inspired by the Dreaming 2‐3

Tribal Masks 9

Free Trade and Fairtrade 14‐15

Year 6 Drama 16

Sustainable Houses 18

Deten on for Deten on 22‐23

Inside this issue: St. Patrick’s College

is a Save the Children Global Peace School.

We have proudly flown the UN flag since September 2012.

NOVEMBER 2014

ISSUE

11

Students and staff in Timor Leste outside the building they constructed during the September Immersion

St. Patrick’s College JustUs | 2

Year 7

Stories inspired by the dreaming AT

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The Dragon by Jackson Bishop and Jack Clements In the land before time, long long ago, there was a dragon who often flew through the universe at great speed. One day, the creature was flying through the blue cloudy sky when out of nowhere Zeus, the God of light, sent a lightning bolt straight at the dragon. It hit its wing and the dragon plummeted towards the hard land below. When it landed it created a river like shape on the surface. In excruciating pain it let out a burst of fire which then travelled down the river like shape. In the distance some children from the near Aboriginal tribe heard the landing and the roar and so were already on their way towards the dragon. The scene upset them so they ran back to their tribal healer and told him about the dragon. When they got to the dragon the healer set to work but sadly they were too late. The tribe all sat around the river and began to cry till the whole river was full of water from their tears and these ran over the rocks that had been formed from the dragon’s bones, scales and teeth. This is how the Brisbane River was formed.

The War of the Gods by Kevin Jackson One day there was a dispute between the Gods Neptune and Mars, which meant that all the Roman Gods and Goddesses had to pick a side and fight for that side. So half chose to join the God Neptune and the other half chose the God Mars. They decided they had to find a spot to fight against each other and it happened to be in Australia. Mars was smart in the action of war and had a lot of experience, so he decided to dig a trench to protect the Gods from getting hurt, what they didn’t remember was that their opponent Neptune, was the God of water.

Neptune saw their plan and decided that he would use his powers to his advantage, he summoned water to fill up the trench to get them out, or if they didn’t come out they would drown. Many of the Gods that day were killed or injured and this is how both Neptune and Mars created the Brisbane River.

The River by Deane Illingworth In the beginning there was a great gumball machine in the sky, and this gumball machine was the most powerful force around. One day it over-filled and it exploded on the dry land below. Suddenly, the blue gumballs fell and became water, the black gumballs became the tar roads, the rainbow gumballs created the people and the green and brown became the wildlife surrounding this unknown state. This gumball machine had in fact created the Brisbane River and the humans populated the country and lived happily with the gumball machine looking over them and all they did.


How the Brisbane River was Created by Adam Palmer In the beginning there was only the sky and the hot and dehydrated land. All that you could see were sharp, steep valleys of fiery red dirt. Remus heard the legend of the Land Down Under. In this, the God Tiki had run away ,fearful from the storms created by the angry Gods and leaving a land full of precious gold under the red, dusty and barren soil. With that, Remus decided to travel to the Land Down Under. He needed the treasured gold to save his life. His brother Romulus had threatened to capture him and execute him for there could only be one ruler of Rome. Remus sailed to the Land Down Under, helped by the gusty, fierce winds created by the storms. When he reached the Land Down Under he saw wildlife and native people. He knew he didn’t have long so began digging for the gold but before he reached the gold, the water flooded around the area and Remus drowned along with the other natives. And that was how the Brisbane River was created.

The Creation of the River by James Hastie One day long ago two Gods were arguing that the land now known as Earth was too boring and not interesting enough. The Gods name were Janus and Mars. Mars thought that there should be more things on Earth than just dirt and dust, but Janus thought it was perfect the way it was. They argued for centuries and centuries. Eventually Mars the God of war punched Janus in frustration. This further intensified the dispute between the two Gods.

One night Mars snuck out into the open land, he used his spit and the dirt to create mud. He then moulded the mud into a small town and people. The next day the fighting continued and again that night Mars snuck out and used his powers to turn the hardened mud into real objects. The people became real and the huts became real. After the night ended Janus noticed that Mars had created a civilization behind his back, so he went to destroy it but, Mars stopped him. When Janus cried out in frustration his tears fell to the Earth below as rain. This rain seemed to move the earth and an earthquake occurred causing the water to seep into the deep cracks which we now know as the Brisbane River.


Year 12

Health Education Students were tasked with investigating Indigenous

health issues, particularly the prevalence of Tuberculosis

in remote communities. The assessment task encouraged

students to consider solutions to improve health, and

students developed recommendations and potential

strategies to reduce TB. The following is the work of Jack

Cavanagh – appropriately titled ‘The Cavanagh

Strategy’.

Tuberculosis in Indigenous Communities The Cavanagh Strategy

I n the years 2010-2012 the Australian Bureau of Statistics

uncovered a significant difference in mortality rates between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous

people of Australia. Within the Indigenous male population it was estimated that the average life expectancy reached 69.1 years, a considerable gap compared to an average 79.7 years of a non-Indigenous male (A BS, 2013). These figures can be due to lifestyle diseases or other specific health conditions that hinder Indigenous health. One of the most influential causal factors is cardiovascular diseases, i.e. hypertension, coronary heart disease, heart failure and stroke (A ustralian Indigenous Health Info Net, 2013). Primary Health Care Current illnesses surrounding Indigenous communities need the allocation of primary health care to address and treat the demands of poorer health. Thus, the diagnosis and treatment for illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and communicable disease (TB) can be met via the presentation of primary health care (Dwyer, Judith; Silburn Kate; Wilson Gai, 2004). Looking at typical non-Indigenous Australians, it is clearly evident that the access to primary health care reduces the burden of a wide range of diseases and reduces the pain of suffering over extended periods of time (W HO, 2000). If sufficient diagnosis and treatment for TB can be carried out routinely, health professionals will potentially see a decrease in TB numbers amongst Indigenous communities.

Danila Dilba Danila Dilba is an Indigenous Health Service Organisation that is located in Darwin improving the social, spiritual, cultural, mental and physical wellbeing of the Biluru community. The Organization has stated that they bring these values to reality by providing primary health care services, community services and advocacy tactics that follow the guidelines of collaboration and work towards empowerment, equity and access (Danila Dilba Health Service Annual Report, 2012). One of the organisation’s strong points is the fact that their staff consists of not only non-Indigenous people but Indigenous health workers, thus enabling solid communication and treatment between patient and worker. The 2012-2013 annual report has illustrated that 43% of their employed workers are of Indigenous background and is still increasing these numbers (2012). Aboriginal Health Practitioners (AHPs) are Danila Dilba’s first point of diagnosis. On entering clients are appointed to AHP’s to have a health assessment conducted. Overall, Danila Dilba ensures primary health care is a pivotal factor in regard to assisting Indigenous communities. The employment of Aboriginal Health Practitioners enables sufficient and accurate diagnosis, teaches and promotes disease prevention and thus allows positive treatments that lead to a substantially comfortable and healthier life.


Recommendations The aim of the Cavanagh Strategy is to create balanced life expectancy and health rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Australia through five goals: A researching period accessing primary data and statistics, enabling the Cavanagh Strategy to gain access to much needed information about Indigenous people within Brisbane, particularly the Turubul people. The extension of programs that enable proficient and capably trained Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island health staff (AHPs). AHPs play vital roles in providing health services for Indigenous people, particularly in remote communities throughout Australia (Ridoutt; Pillbeam, 2010). The provision of proficient and capably trained staff will enable far better communication between the employee and patient. Quality communication is one of the most important processes in diagnosing and treating patience, and AHPs can effectively break down any communication barriers (Queensland Health, N/A ). AHPs can use their unique technical and sociocultural skills to improve patient care, access to primary health services and deliver culturally acceptable care (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework, 2012). Enabling the Indigenous population of Brisbane

access to professional primary health care delivery, both internally and externally. Primary health care is necessary to obtain and increase higher life expectancy and health rates for the Indigenous population. Advocating and advertising the strategy as well as its values, beliefs and visions. Advertising the campaign and strategy can be done via government funded commercials as well as placing advertisements within the suburbs and CBD. Maintaining and improving the strategy over a four year period, determining any faults or potential barriers for the near future. Identifying and improving negative aspects found throughout the program through the develop of quality assurance activities e.g. survey and data collection will identify and improve the negative aspects within the program as well as create new avenues to increase success and application. The five goals will be assisted by partnering with other Indigenous Health Organizations that have similar visions. Alongside this, the strategy plans to reorient health services, thus, individuals, community groups, health professionals, health service institutions and governments will work together to achieve a common goal of contributing to the pursuit of health (W HO, 2014). These strategic goals will aide in lowering the incidence of TB rates amongst the indigenous population of Brisbane. This could possibly then be implemented Australia-wide to replicate potential future results.

Marlon and Brian from Ngutana-Lui - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Studies Centre, recently visited St. Patrick’s to teach our Indigenous boys a traditional welcome dance called Gari Gynda Narmi. They learnt about the importance of dance and the pride that comes from performing. These cultural activities help sustain a sense of connectedness amongst our Indigenous students who come from a diversity of Indigenous backgrounds. This workshop has inspired the boys to begin their own dance troupe.


Tiwi island immersion

O n 21 September a group of eight Year 11 students and

five teachers set off for an experience that they will never forget. Alex, Michael, Lachlan, Saxon, Connor, Cameron, Nic and I set off to the Northern Territory accompanied by Mr Brown, Mrs O’Sullivan, Miss Bone, Mr Torrisi and Mr Royes, with our aim being to journey on

to the Tiwi Islands to learn about the Tiwi culture, their community and their way of life. While in Tiwi our hosts where none other than Adam Tipungwuti’s parents Lynette Johnson and Bernard Tipiloura. They were great and our trip wouldn’t have been as enjoyable as it was without their knowledge of their community. Something I admired about the Tiwi people was their pride for the land. They were so proud of what they owned. They didn’t need iPhones and fancy gadgets. All they really needed was a few mates and a footy and they were set.

The Tiwi Islands consist of two Islands- Bathurst Island and Melville Island. During the week we spent time on both islands meeting the locals, sightseeing and kicking back. We spent the first two nights on Bathurst checking out the local art museums, fishing and swimming. In Bathurst we learnt to live on island time which really meant there was no hurry to get anywhere. Our time on Melville Island was great. This island was much smaller than Bathurst and seemed less populated but still had a lot to do. While on the island we stayed at Tiwi College and most of our time was taken up by swimming in the beautiful waterfall, art galleries and sitting around the fire having a great time. Both islands where absolutely amazing and I will

cherish the time I spent on them. Some of the

highlights from the trip was going to the local art

museums, hunting and eating turtle eggs, swimming

in the waterhole and just getting to know the people

in the community. The journey that I had in Tiwi

was definitely an experience I’ll never forget.

By Ayden Winsen

Year 11


Toys for Nepal

During Term 3, teachers from St. Patrick’s donated toys to be sent to a day care centre in Kathmandu, Nepal. The day care centre had been in operation for about a year, meaning they had very few resources. The staff and children were very grateful for the 35kg box of toys!


40 hour famine

reflection

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By Kevin Carroll Year 9 How did you feel at the end of the 40 hour famine? When I finished the 40 hour famine I could barely speak knowing that the poor can go with no food or water for much longer and we just take it for granted. I kept thinking to myself ‘what if I didn’t have what I have now’? Why is it important for students in a school to have an opportunity to experience this? Because students need to know what it feels like to have nothing and that the students should appreciate what they’ve got. What are some things that this experience has allowed you to learn? To not be greedy and to not take things for granted. For example, we need to try in school because not everyone in the world gets the education that the developed countries have available.

What do you believe is the reason for this being part of the Yr 9 RE program? To get student to not be greedy when they’re adults—to appreciate what we’ve got. It also helps students learn about homelessness and how to prevent it from happening to them. Did this activity help you learn more about Catholic Social Teaching Principles? Which one? Yes. This activity helped me learn about participation. What are your dreams for the world? That it becomes a global community. What are some things you can do to overcome those obstacles? Work together to make this globe what we all want it to be.


On Thursday 9 October Year 12 Legal Studies students heard from guest speakers from the UQ Pro Bono Centre. They participated in two workshops, the first about International Humanitarian Law, and the second about Refugee and Asylum Seeker Law and Policy in Australia.

Students participated in a range of activities to simulate examples of how the law is applied around the world. They were challenged to consider how they would respond to challenges such as civil war and poverty, and the measures they would take to care for their families.

Tribal masks

Year 8 Visual Art students researched tribal costumes from around the world, and were tasked with creating their own tribal mask. Anticlockwise from left: Tallis Payne, Griffin Paine, Nathan Moran, Cody Teitzel


Anti-bullying

By Marcus Ferguson Year 11

B ullying is unwanted, aggressive behaviour among school aged children that involves a

real or perceived power imbalance (Stop Bullying, 2013). These days social justice is all about the equality and fairness that others give to one another. Social justice is an underlying principle for a peaceful and prosperous coexistence within and among nations (fsg Australia, 2014). “Social injustice won't end until someone stands up for those who don't have the ability to stand up for themselves” (Salvation Army Australia, 2014).

Context analysis

Here at St. Patrick’s College we talk about being Men of Action and standing up for the silent. In the St. Patrick’s College Bullying Policy it states that ‘students are entitled to receive their education free from humiliation, oppression and abuse.’ Here we educate our students upon entry to the College about the College Bullying Policy. This way every student that comes through the gates in the morning feels safe and secure. This is positively reinforced by the College Leadership, parents, staff and students. Everyone at the school is aware of the consequences if they do choose to engage in bullying behaviours.

The St. Patrick’s College Year 6’s are going through a stage where for their birthdays and other special events they are receiving phones. The problem with allowing children to have smart phones particularly, is that they are able to access social media, creating a higher chance for cyber bullying to occur.

Supporting evidence These days 75% of teenagers and 58% of 11 year old boys and girls own a mobile phone (Henley, 2010). Almost 90% of phone owners send and receive texts on a daily basis (Henley, 2010). Plus 73% use their mobile device to access social media like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (Henley, 2010). Additionally, 27% of Year 5 to Year 10 students are bullied every few days or even more during a school term (Simpson, 2014). Most children and young people are quite knowledgeable about bullying and cyber bullying, either from own experiences or because they know other people that have been bullied. Having unfortunate differences like disabilities, or experiencing mental health issues such as depression or anxiety, can also contribute to a young person's vulnerability to bullying (Simpson, 2014). According to Aaron Webb it is likely 95% of teenagers witness or receive cruel behaviour on social networking and have ignored the mean behaviour (Webb, 2013). This is why cyber bullying is assumed to be the most dangerous type of bullying. Cyber bullying looks like hurtful, anonymous messages that can be nasty and threatening (Buckingham, 2010). It is true that cyber bullying poses an increased risk and is a danger for all, particularly for young people. Words are said that people do not usually use in real life. Cyber bullying can quickly spin into a dangerous depression (Mclane, 2013). There have been lots of instances where cyber bullying has

turned into physical violence by the bully or the one being bullied (Mclane, 2013). If nothing is going to happen then it can leave a child vulnerable and defenceless. Bullying in any way can cause a young person to commit self-harm or even suicide (StopBullying, 2011).


Action Plan The purpose of the Anti-Bullying Campaign that we produced for the Year 6 class was to help stop them from misusing social media. Cyber bullying is using technology to deliberately and repeatedly bully someone (Cyber Smart , 2013). We approached the Year 6’s because it is around this time in life that they start receiving mobile phones and therefore need the greatest education about their use. During the Year 6 presentation a number of items were shown to students. One of these items was a Pledge Poster which we produced. This is an item where we had everyone sign a pledge to acknowledge that they will:

Value student differences and treat others with respect.

Not become involved in bullying or cyber bullying incidents or be a bully or cyberbully.

Be aware of the College’s policies and support system with regard to bullying/cyber bullying.

Report honestly and immediately all incidents of bullying/cyber bullying to a staff member.

Support students who have been or are subjected to bullying/cyber bullying.

Talk to teachers and parents about concerns and issues regarding bullying/cyber bullying.

Work with other students and staff, to help the College deal with bullying/cyber bullying effectively.

Encourage teachers to discuss bullying/cyberbullying issues in the classroom.

Provide a good role model for younger students and support them if bullying/cyber bullying occurs.

Acknowledge that whether they are being bullied/cyber bullied or see someone being bullied/cyber bullied, if they don't report or stop the bullying/cyber bullying, they are just as guilty.

We also used a PowerPoint presentation with vital information and statistics to back up what we were saying. This also showed a video on cyber bullying and how it can affect someone of their age. Lastly, we handed out a survey that the students completed to show us how effective our presentation was.


The Rich Young Man-Homily By Nick Delzoppo Year 12

T onight’s homily comes from Matthew 19: 16-30,

which is commonly referred to as the story of the Rich Young Man. In the passage, a young

man approaches Jesus and asks what he must do to achieve eternal life. He tells Jesus that he follows all the commandments and it is his dream to live well in Heaven. Jesus tells the man that he must give away all his possessions and wealth to the poor and follow Jesus. The man, who we are told was very wealthy, struggles to part with his money and as such can’t achieve his dream of eternal life in Heaven. Jesus remarks to his followers that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24).

This passage was written by Matthew and as such, its target audience was the Jews. Matthew remains largely anonymous but it is believed he was a highly educated Jew. Matthew wrote his Gospel to show other Jews that Jesus was indeed the Messiah promised to them in the Old Testament. This is obvious through Matthew’s tracing of Jesus’ lineage back to Abraham and David: “Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah. Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah” (Matthew 1:16-17). Scholars believe that the Gospel was written circa 80AD (Biblica, 2014) in Greek and the references in the passage to needles and camels alludes to the occupation of many Jews at this time as farmers sewing sacks for produce and using camels as pack animals. Throughout his Gospel, Matthew mentions instances where Jesus has fulfilled prophecies from the Old Testament, which Jews follow in the form of the Torah. This passage shows that Jesus is the son of God and that Jesus does not replace the teachings from the Old Testament, but adds to them and fulfills their meaning.

The passage tells us that in order to achieve our dreams we need to make sacrifices. But the passage isn’t just about sacrifice. It’s more than that. It doesn’t literally mean give all your money away, it’s about ridding your life of the things that are holding you back from leading a good life, and seeing life not just as a set of tasks, but as something more. We must live our ideals, not just check the boxes.

So how does this apply to us? St. Patrick’s College is not just Years 5-12. It isn’t just 8 years of education. St. Patrick’s is a community. A boy can go through the school and complete each grade but that’s not what makes them a Paddies Boy. The awareness of the community is what makes St. Patrick’s truly special. Just as Jesus challenged the man to do more than just tick the boxes, this College challenges us to be better people and truly embrace the spirit of the College. We are a community that cares for those less fortunate than ourselves. We have all participated in the Paddies Van program to bring food and friendship to those people living at the margins of society. We have all witnessed the joy that College social justice programs such as the Paddies Van bring to other less fortunate people, not just in and around Brisbane but all over the world with programs such as the India Immersion and the project in Timor Leste to build schools.


But for tonight I’m going to stay focused closer to home. Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday the Paddies Van drives out to parts of the community in need. Throughout the year there is never a shortage of volunteers for any of the services provided by the Paddies Van. The students sacrifice their time to improve the lives of others. A hot meal and a chat can have an amazing effect on someone. And whether serving tea and coffee or cooking sausages or asking the people how their week has been, the College has challenged us and we have stepped up and helped those in Sandgate who often have no one else. It’s not giving up all our worldly goods but it is loving our neighbour as ourselves and seeing the face of Jesus in all members our community. This is how we live Jesus’ message and not just claim to, as the rich young man did. The young man believed he followed the commandments and lived a good life but his interaction with Jesus tells us that in reality he did not. Jesus told the man “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (Matthew 19:21). When the man walks away with sorrow it tells us he couldn’t live the message of Jesus and treat his neighbor as himself. He couldn’t live with love, as St. Patrick’s has taught us to do. I’ve been on Paddies Van multiple times and I can honestly say it is one of the greatest parts of St. Patrick’s. I’m a teenage boy, from a middle class family who goes to a private school. I thought I would have absolutely nothing in common with the homeless in Sandgate or the City. But as soon as we started talkin.g it became clear that this wasn’t the case. They are funny, they are kind, they are wise, they are empathetic and they are just another extension of the St. Patrick’s community. While initially conversation

started with the general chit chat about the weather or basic pleasantries, it quickly shifted into real conversations about each other’s lives and about the world we live in. Whether it was the little boy who has to move every week and doesn’t know where his brother is but managed to still enjoy every aspect of what he did have or the wisecracking man in his fifties who lost his wife and kid in a car accident. While many of them did not have much to give they still were eager to help in any way they could and were incredibly kind to everyone. These are people who have had a profound impact on my life, whose lives we as a community have touched. There is no greater example of how St. Patrick’s has helped us to truly live and not just learn the teachings of Jesus Christ than the Paddies Van. I know that because of this we will not be like the young man in the passage, but young men who continue to truly embrace this message and spirit through the coming years. Let’s not just talk about the good fight. Let’s fight it.

Bibliography Bible Gateway. (2001). Th e Rich Y oung Man. Retrieved from Bible gateway: https://

www.biblegateway.com/passage/?dc=4&utm_expid=13466113-10.DRY5Q0U2TpaXvRe49bTgCA.4&search=Matthew+19%3A16-30&version=ESV&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com.au%2F

Biblica. (2014, January 16). Matthew. Retrieved from Biblica: http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/intro-to-matthew/


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FREE TRADE and FAIRTRADE

By Pearson Locke Year 9

List different products that are produced using fairtrade:

S ix specific products are produced using fairtrade. These products are; coffee, cocoa, tea, sugar, cotton and sporting balls. Each of

these unique products have their own reason for being a fairtrade product. Coffee has Fairtrade Standards that act as a safety net against fluctuating and unpredictable markets. The standards provide security to those who are coffee producers, so that they will obtain a price that adequately pays the average costs of their product and therefore supports more sustainable production. (Fairtrade Australia New Zealand, 2012). Cocoa farmers use tools to enhance the value of their crops. Fairtrade Standards ensure that despite a lack of feedback from buyers or even restricted knowledge, agricultural workers cannot be paying more than what the crop is worth (Fairtrade Australia New Zealand, 2012). Organisations and producers of tea are striving to achieve a Certificate in Fairtrade. This certificate ensures that all growers and workers are given a decent wages (i.e. greater than the legal minimum wage) and are being treated fairly (Fairtrade Australia New Zealand, 2012). Fairtrade Standards for sugar guarantee that producers are democratically organised into associations, the use of agrochemicals is limited, sustainability is encouraged and associations receive up to 60% of a purchase price for pre-harvest lines , if requested (Fairtrade Australia New Zealand, 2012). Cotton producing communities sell products to the Fairtrade Market. This ensures that cotton farmers have security, meaning that they are guaranteed to receive a minimum price, which will pay for the average costs of sustainable production (Fairtrade Australia New Zealand, 2012). Fairtrade Sports Ball Standards requires companies to meet criteria regarding working conditions such as wages and non-discriminatory practices (Fairtrade Australia New Zealand, 2012).

Free Trade = when a product is sold without the interference of the government’s tax or monetary gifts. Fairtrade = a trading partnership that seeks greater equity in international trade. Green Economy = is an organisation that works towards improving human well-being and social equity, whilst trying to reduce environmental risks and ecological scarcities.


The “Green Economy” The Green Economy is one that works towards improving human well-being and social equity, as well as reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. The growth in income and employment of the company is driven by public and private investments. These investments can help reduce carbon emissions and pollution, enhance energy and resource efficiency, as well as preventing the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. If the Green Economy’s investments are successfully accumulated, natural capitals will be rebuilt as a crucial economic asset, favouring those in need (UNEP, 2014).

How Fairtrade helps people in need: Fairtrade’s goal is to help people who are poor or to help people in need. The organisation wants to enable poor and marginalized producers to become economically stable and self-sufficient. This will help the individuals by promoting sustainable development and gender equality, as well as reinforcing environmental protection. If producers successfully qualify/meet Fairtade standards of labour, development and environmental sustainability, they will be certified and receive higher than market prices for their products (Action Institute, 2014). For example, in Papua New Guinea, husband and wife, Deingi and Mayung produce coffee, following a labour-intensive method. Since the introduction of Fairtrade Coffee Standards, Deingi and Mayung’s life has become better not only for them, but for their entire family. It is advertised as a gain, as we get to help poor farmers while sitting in a café for only a slight premium or extra cost on our coffee (Fairtrade Australia New Zealand, 2014).

Why is it better to buy Fairtrade products instead of other products? There are a number of reasons why Fairtrade products are better than non-Fairtrade products. To start with, Fairtrade products are made in safe and healthy working conditions, where farmers and producers receive a fair income and don’t get overworked. Fairtrade organisations support sustainable practices and helps minimize our environmental footprint. Seeing as artisans take pride in their work, and products are often handmade, Fairtrade means higher quality goods. As a result of crops being grown and harvested in small quantities, Fairtrade foods are more often than not fresher and tastier. Another positive is that Fairtrade is safe. Fair trade standards ensure that soil fertility is improved, valuable ecosystems are preserved and that the use of harmful chemicals, such as agrochemicals, doesn’t effect farmers’ health. Finally, Fairtrade supports communities and is a trade that farmers can rely

What would the world be like if all products sold were Fairtrade? If all products sold were Fairtrade the world would be one of less poverty. Life for small producers in developing nations would be improved, if not excelling. Artisans and farmers would be paid a fair price for exporting goods, such as coffee, cocoa and sugar. A Fairtrade product is also helping the environment by not having dirt and disgusting air in slavery buildings. Furthermore, because workers are being treated fairly there is less chance of receiving potentially life threatening diseases or illnesses. With less people receiving life threatening diseases and illnesses the state of developing countries should improve dramatically.


D iscussion of the treatment of asylum seekers and

refugees in the media has been intense for the last ten years, and in particular recent news stories, deaths in custody and the plight of those who seek refuge on our shores has dominated our radios, newspapers and TVs. For a country of immigrants, we are often too ready to ignore or forget the voices behind the real people involved – and as an Edmund Rice school, our students at St. Patrick’s are keen to explore, listen and show solidarity with those on the margins. In Year 6 Drama this semester, boys have engaged in the unit Transitions – a study of the stories of people who have immigrated to Australia for various reasons. We have started with looking at ourselves – for the majority of people at St. Patrick’s we all have ancestors who have migrated from other countries around the world. We traced our families back for several generations, and started to unravel the stories behind our own families that we may have never taken the time to learn before. We explored immigrant stories in texts such as Shaun Tan’s Th e A rrival, and started to imagine what might drive a person to leave their own home and the fears and anxieties they might have upon starting a new life elsewhere.

In week 5, we were extremely privileged to have our resident Work and Welcome guest, Pouyan Habibi, share his own refugee story. Boys in all classes were fascinated with his story – fleeing the geographically and culturally rich, yet war-torn, country of Iran for the safety of Australia, where he has been recognised as a refugee for two years. From here, boys started work on their Creating task: shaping a moving, sincere monologue on the basis of his story. To finish off the year, our Year 6 students are preparing scenes from Boy Overboard – a play based on Morris Gleitzmann’s novel about two young Afghani children whose dreams of playing in the FIFA World Cup are put on hold when they are forced from their home due to their parents’ political beliefs. This has dovetailed nicely with the boys reading the Boy Overboard novel in their English classes. Despite the recent review of the Australian Curriculum

suggesting that there is an over-emphasis on creativity

and cross-curricular priorities such as our engagement

with Asia, it is vital for young people to have an

opportunity to participate in the Arts in their primary

years. In Year 10 English, our boys encountered the

concept of “walking a mile in another man’s shoes”

through their unit on To Kill a Mockingbird. Drama

in general and this unit does exactly that – it gives

students an opportunity to adopt other roles to learn

empathy, patience, welcoming and acceptance for

others around the world. As the lyrics go in our

national anthem, fo r those who ’ve c ome ac ro ss the

seas, we’ve boundless plains to share – and at St. Patrick’s

College we are proud to put this front and centre in

our curriculum.

Ms Rebecca Hewitt

Year 6 drama


House Charity Updates

O n Wednesday 15 October, Kerwin Tandiado came to St. Patrick’s to speak to Rice House men about his home country—the Philippines.

Kerwin has a long association with the Christian Brothers who are based in Kabankalan in the Philippines. He is currently a teacher at Kabankalan Community College (KCC) and he supports the Christian Brothers’ ministries. Kerwin spoke to the young men about the living conditions of the poor in the Philippines, and highlighted the impact that our financial support can have.

To raise money for the Rice House Philippines’ charities, Mr Will organised for the profits from a weekend concert to be given to the House for its charity. On Sunday 12th October, the New Groove Jazz Ensemble performed at Sandgate, and all profits made were donated to the Rice House charity. A few Rice House senior students attended to talk about where the money would be used, and about the sponsorship programs currently in place with students in the Philippines. The boys spoke really well, and gave the visitors a good idea of the impact that the money will have. Rice House are truly grateful for the donation, and for the effort put into raising this money for us. Thank you New Groove Jazz Ensemble!


Sust

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sustainable housing

Year 8 Science students are currently learning about eco-friendly houses. In pairs, they are

building their own carbon neutral houses, incorporating ideas such as recycled water, rain

water, solar panels, eco-friendly insulation, and positioning and frontage.


PROJECT1600

Year 9 Science students participated in Project1600

throughout Term 3. Project1600 aims to develop awareness

of the global impact of our treatment of waterways – such as

pollution in Moreton Bay and the health of the mangroves in

Cabbage Tree Creek.

Students learned about the health of waterways in India, and

were able to compare the types of species found in both sites,

and surprisingly, there were many similarities! Students

investigated the health of mangroves and water in the local

area, and then provided recommendations to council for how

to improve the local area.

By

Kieran Williamson

O ne of the main problems and causes of pollution in

the wetland and mangrove ecosystem is the runoff.

This runoff comes from a number of different nearby

facilities and will come from future construction and

development. For example Curlew Park is a nearby

facility to the wetland ecosystem and it is also currently

the main source of runoff that’s polluting the wetland

ecosystem. However the runoff from Curlew Park it

more dangerous to the wetland and mangrove ecosystem

than it appears. This is because Curlew Park currently

maintains sporting fields which means they are often

treated with fertilisers. These fertilisers are then taken by

the runoff and pollute the wetland and mangrove

ecosystems which can exceed the wetlands natural ability

to absorb such pollutants and degradation.

My recommendation is that the fertilisers used to

maintain the sporting fields be organic fertilisers to

minimise harm to the mangrove and wetlands ecosystem.

This way the sporting files still are maintained and the

ecosystems harm is minimised. Another form of

pollution that will contaminate the Cabbage Tree Creek

ecosystem is any construction which provides sediment,

road salts and heavy metals that would contaminate the

Cabbage Tree Creek. This will also exceed the wetland’s

natural ability to absorb pollutants and could destroy the

mangroves and wetlands.

A recommendation for future construction would be a

better filtration system to remove construction waste and

pollutants from the creek in future events. This results in

a way that future construction can still happen and the

wetlands can be contaminant free. Dredging is a serious

risk when it comes to the safety of the wetlands – it often

ends in the water table being lowered and results in the

wetlands drying out. To prevent the dredging from

destroying the wetlands it should be dredge slower for

better sedimentation and it doesn’t’ harm the wetlands.

Activity Potential affect: Mangroves Potential affect: Wetlands

Land reclamation Destroys habitat and soil compaction

Destroys wetland and fills it with sand and stones

Dumping of garden waste

Introduction of weeds Competition of new weeks for food sources

Establishment of a dog park

Massive increase in runoff from dog faeces and construc-tion of establishing dog park

Massive increase in runoff from dog faeces and construction of establishing dog park. Also contaminates the water.

Dredging Destroys mangroves and dries out the mangroves so they die

Destroys the wetland ecosystem and dries out the wetland and kills all the aquatic life

Damming flow No more wetlands results in decrease in resources and death of mangroves

Ponds and reservations are developed onto wetlands


Aust

ralia

’s En

gage

men

t with

Asi

a Timor Leste immersion

By Ben Rooney, Year 11

T he intention of the Year 11 Time Leste Immersion was to finish building a mechanical workshop for the

T.A.F.E. in Gleno, a small city 30km from Dili, and to experience some of the culture and everyday life in Timor. As soon as we got there we were met at the airport by plenty of welcoming village children, as well as our drivers Br Peter and Br Frank.

Our typical day in the mountains involved waking at 6am, having a quick breakfast and climbing into the troupes for the one and half hour drive down to the worksite. When we arrived on the building site, all of the perimeter footings and the portals had been completed by the work group of 2013 along with local workers who were employed by the Christian Brothers for $6 a day. Our task was to make everything meet Australian standards and finish off the construction At the building site we worked for 9 hours a day, for seven days straight. The dust and heat was borderline unbearable but the end result was incredibly rewarding. We had a chance to learn some new skills in construction and we had the chance to teach some of the local Timorese basic skills in hand tools.

The most amazing and rewarding part of the trip were the children. A simple wave or smile brightens up their day. A simple thing like a balloon, practically worthless over here, over there was priceless. On our return trip each day we would stop at different locations to chat with the children and give out small gifts from tennis balls to glow sticks. The East Timorese are some of the happiest people you could ever meet.

On the completion of the project, we were honored with a scarfing ceremony. We felt very humbled by the generosity and care shown by the staff and students at the TAFE after the construction had finished. The following day we visited Samalete 3, the first school we built in Timor. This school now caters for 160 primary school students. Whilst visiting we presented small gifts to the children there and we were able to give them all a photo of themselves thanks to Polaroid cameras bought over by Jaydon Mielekamp. One of the things that struck me the most on this trip was the sense of community amongst the Timorese. Family is the most important aspect of their life. They may not have many possessions; however, they believe that if they have their family everything will be alright. Also the children were so happy with what they had even though it was so little. Aussie children are spoilt with so many belongings but they don’t appear anywhere near as happy as the children in Timor.


Bhutanese picnic day

On Saturday 6 September, we hosted a gamesday and BBQ for members of Bhutanese community. Many Bhutanese refugees live quite close to St. Patrick’s, and are looking for ways to engage with our community and meet new people.

It was lovely to see our young people, parents and teachers welcome our visitors to the school, and engage in a fun game of football and cricket. There were many great skills on display and everyone enjoyed the BBQ lunch, particularly some

of the Bhutanese food that was brought along to share. Yet again, another great example of how welcoming our community is.


ERA

for C

hang

e Detention

for

detention

ERA for Change

S t. Patrick’s College took part in Detention for Detention – an

opportunity for students to voluntarily stand in solidarity with those currently held in immigration detention centres in Australia. Students took a morning tea ‘detention’ and some chose to tape hands and mouths to symbolise the oppression and lack of power and voicelessness experienced by people currently in detention. Students held signs to

show the staggering statistics of the cost of detention and the numbers of people, particularly children currently being held in Australia. Our students were part of students in 30

EREA schools nation-wide that took part in

the event. Follow ERA for Change on

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up

with their latest activities.



A s a sign of our commitment to sustainability, this magazine has been printed recycled

paper. This paper was sourced from the Australian company, Ecocern. If you are interested in using Ecocern for your publica ons, please visit www.ecocern.com or email [email protected]

Congratula ons to Josh Willmo who won the $50 gi voucher to Mu’ooz at West End for being the first person to correctly answer the ques ons in the last edi on of Just Us. The prize on offer this edi on is a $50 voucher for the E ko online shop. The first person to email the correct answers to [email protected] will win the prize. Q1. What does the Deten on for Deten on event aim to achieve? Q2. Which was your favourite dreaming story and why? Q3. List three things that students experienced when they visited Tiwi Islands? Q4. Where is Bhutan? (you might need to research this!) Q5. What are some products sold as Fairtrade? Q6. What does the UQ Pro Bono Centre do? (you might need to research this!) Q7. Give another way a house could be made eco‐friendly, OTHER than those men oned in the ar cle. Q8. Have you par cipated in the 40 hour famine? Yes/no and why/why not? Is it something you’d consider doing in the fu‐ture? Q9. Explain the importance of ac vi es like having Pouyan speak to Year 6 Drama students? Q10. What part of the year 6 an ‐bullying pledge do you think is the most powerful, and why?

In our final edi on of Just Us for 2013, we named 3 staff and student ‘Jus ce Stars’ who had excelled in their engagement with Jus ce and Peace themes throughout 2013. This year, I am pleased to announce the following students and staff have been awarded the 2014 Jus ce Stars prize.

They will all receive a recycled paper star wall hanging from the Oxfam Shop.

Students: Ryan Hollyman Isaac Wilkinson Sam Huth Staff: Mr Tim Hoysted Ms Rebecca Hewi Ms Kate Mulvihill

Documents

Just us 2014 issue 3