Monthly Archives: September 2009

The Story of the Dugongs

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Dugongs are animals that look like mermaids so that means that they have often been mistaken for mermaids. Dugongs look like mermaids because of their tail, and also they swim just like mermaids and they also roam on the top of the water just like a mermaid.

Dugongs are herbivors. Herbivors are animals that only eat grass and seaweed, well basically anything that doesn’t involve meat. Herbivors are kind of like vegetarians. The reason why herbivors don’t eat meat is because they can’t digest is properly. They also probably don’t like to kill other animals.

Dugongs are mostly found in the upper part of Australia in the shallow waters. Dugongs are one of those animals that breathe air so they mostly hang around the top of the water which is why they are nearing extinction. Another reason why dugongs don’t go down too far is because Dugongs aren’t very fast swimmers even if they take a big breath and go down really far they might not be able to come back up in time and they sadly could die.

Dugongs are becoming extinct because hunters want to kill them and sell their meat and also, the seaweed is dying so they can’t eat very much. In addition to this, sharks and whales want a good meal so they go for the big fat Dugongs.

Aboriginals are tagging Dugongs and turtles so they can trace their movements. They what to know what makes people want to kill these wonderful animals. If they find out what they are doing then they can put a net where they’re catching them and put a stop to it.

What people want to get out of this reserch is to know what to do to keep Dugongs from extintion so they can live a long life like you and me.

refugee Tennis Program

Posted on by • Posted in 6C, Tory • 1 Comment

Every Sunday kids from all over the world that have come to Australia as refugees. They are having tennis lessons so they can meet new friends and have a great time in Australia after they have had a horrible life like they did in their old country.

A refugee is not someone who has come for a holiday its someone who has imported to another country after something bad has happened in their old country and they have decided they want to move to another country.

The tennis program what the refugees are doing has offered them a great experience to have and the children are very happy that men have been giving up their time to help the children.

Aruf one of the tennis coaches for the program has helped the kids a lot,Aruf came to Australia after living in Afghanistan,his family moved to Australia when he was just 14.Aruf has become the best junior tennis player for his club and his still trying to become a famous tennis player.

Meketh and Achok who are doing the program said its very fun,and they will never stop fighting about who’s a better tennis player.

The story has made me feel that not just people who have the equipment and the money to do it,that anyone can do it I mean everyone one.

Smoking Danger

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People around Australia are have too many cigarettes. What shall we do? Here are some ways not to have cigarettes.

Smoking cigarettes has a huge effect to the human body. Mainly, the lungs because the smoke can go your throat and effect your lungs, struggerling for you to breathe. You can also get cancer around the body such as the lungs, mouth and so on.

Overseas countries such as Indonesia might not have the equipment and medication to help you, and you could be lucky to be alive. But it has taken away many lives. Smoking can effect many children more likely for them to die because their lungs are developing and are getting stronger and if something happens to them it will be tough for them if they continually smoke over and over.

Most people don’t enjoy the smell of other people smoking and if the smoke get into your lungs and might make them worse.

It’s not a good idea to buy cigarettes because they are quite expensive at $10 or more a packet and there unhealthy.

If I were you I wouldn’t smoke because in a few years time you will be in a mess!

Super Market Giants

Posted on by • Posted in 6C, Bonnie • 1 Comment

Before super markets were invented there where general stores. In general stores you don’t get the freedom to shop around, you come with a list and you ask for what you want the shop keeper will weigh it and put it into paper bags. The small super are getting less and lea business because  big companies like Woolworths and Coles are getting bigger and bigger and small super markets are getting less business. The big super markets have got the entire thing the small super markets have and more.

            Coles are very big company and are buying heaps of other companies so there out to the media. Coles own companies so like Bunning’s warehouse, Target and Kmart. Woolworths are the same the same but they own Big W and coltex. Woolworths want to buy  in too Bunning’s warehouse.

          People concerns about Woolworths and Coles dominating the market. The concern is that small super market owners are going run out of business because Coles and Woolworths would already have the product

           ACCC are debating about stopping Big companies buying out other peoples companies because people are going broke. I don’t think companies should be allowed to buy out other companies because Woolworths and Coles are meant to be super markets not retailers.

Supermarket Giants

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There used to be little independent grocery stores that people used before supermarkets begun. You would go into the store with a list of what you would like to purchase, then you would tell the store clerk and tell them your list. They then measured and weighed the products and gave you your groceries.

Eighty years ago, supermarkets were born. You could collect your items and then pay at the cash register. By this being created, less and less people went to the independent and locally owned stores. These shops are said that they will soon become a thing of the past because not many people are purchasing groceries from them so owners are giving up. These little stores are getting pushed out and cannot compete with other bigger companies.

Apart from owning supermarkets, Coles and Woolworths own other things. For example Coles own Bunnings, Target and Kmart and Woolworths  own BIGW. They both own other things like hotels, petrol stations and casinos. Little stores are quickly becoming unpopular. But Woolworths are wanting to buy into Bunnings. Some people prefer the locally owned shops to the big supermarkets because they are much quieter. They don’t like the big companies controlling all the other shops.

I think that companies should only be allowed to own a certain number of other shops. It is not very fair to the customers and owners of the locally owned stores because they could soon be out of business and some people may not like this.

By Michaela

Moon Landing

Posted on by • Posted in Elise, Uncategorized • 1 Comment

40 years, a month and a few months ago, three men from the USA landed safely on the moon after the eleventh attempt which didn’t work like all the other ones before it. It was stunning for people to see this bonza event as it had never been accomplished before. Over 600 million people from all over the world sat at their televisions to see just what would happen next. Would it work? There was only one way to find out.

“Tranquility base, the eagle has landed.”

FINALLY! The day had come. The breaths were let out. The jaws were dropped.

Then out came Neil Armstrong.

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Buzz Aldrin followed. Maybe Michael Collins was either happy to have just landed or he might have felt, “I wish I was out there.”

Australia played an important role in this even if it was the americans landing on the moon. We were in charge of receiving the signals to the tracking station at Honeysuckle creek outside Canberra.

The Americans want to send more people to the moon to practise for longer missions to Mars.  But some people steam is blowing out of their ears. They think that the problems on earth should be fixed first and then they can do the moon and mars jobs. It doesn’t matter so long as we always remember the famous moon landing 40 years ago.

By Elise     :)

Refugee Tennis Lessons!

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The story on BtN today was Aruf Ahmadi from Afghanistan. When  Aruf was 14 he was walking on the beach when he noticed some boys playing tennis. So he walked over and started playing the game… but what was the game, well it was tennis.

But this was hard to get really involved in tennis because Aruf and his family are refugees. Refugees are people who have come from a country that has come from a country that is in a war, something bad has happened there, like an earthquake. It would be hard. You would have to learn a different language, different laws and different schools.

So one day when Aruf got home and the strings were broken on his racquet and when he put it down and walked off his mum picked it up and thought  it couldn’t be repaired so she picked it up and threw it in the bin. But she didn’t know that it was a tennis racquet and the strings could be replaced.

Now Aruf is 18 and has started multicultural tennis lessons for refugee kids. The lessons are not just for learning the basics of tennis but make new friends and start to rebuild the kid’s lives.

There are two kids that go to the lessons and their names are Achok and Maketh. They are very competitive and they come from Sudan. There are many competitive kids there and they all have stared to become good at tennis 

This story makes me feel happy in a way because the kids will get to make new friends and a better life.

Oliver 6C

Junk Food Ads

Posted on by • Posted in Callum • 1 Comment

BTN this week is about kids television being invaded by junk food ad’s. The main point of the story is about how Hungry Jack’s, Mcdonalds and KFC are showing to much ad’s on kids television.
Some health authorities want to ban junk food ad’s because little kids who watch cartoons, see the ad’s and want to buy their because it has a toy in it or somekind of gimmic in the product. Unfortunatally there is a down side to all that yummy food, people who eat to much junk food can get obese and when you are fat you can get heart diasese, cancer and diabetes. The Australian Communication & Media Authority are a group of people that manage the amount of junk food ad’s there are on t.v. ACMA have recomended to show no junk food ad’s during “C” rated programs because little kids will get a taste of Mcdonalds and eventually thay will have it everyday untill they can’t eat anymore. Personally i don’t think they should ban junk food ad’s because it’s perants faults when the drive them there

callum

Tips for a better world

Posted on by • Posted in 6C, Blake • 2 Comments

WATER

Ask Mum or Dad if they are planning for a water tank (you dont have to drink the water, just use it for the plants)

double checking for water leaks ( if you let a tap leak put a bucket under it and see how much water is wast and then give it to the plants)

ELECTRICTY

a obvious tip DONT FORGET to turn switchs off when they are not in use (if its been on fo day and days its jst a waste of fosil fuel and its bad how it was made for that waste of power)

think on what you are really going to use e.g you turn on the computer to go to a chat room then you hear the t.v has your footy team on so you leave the room wih the light computer screen and computer base on to go watcht the footy a big waste for us

OTHER

plastic bags That IS A BIG problem the reusable bags are around $2-5 and it will last you for years instead of buying a plastic bag that willill a animal or end up on the streets or even your drive way (i know guys that is scary!) if you want to see how bad it is search plastic bag waste on a search eginne and veiw pictures (thats for the see first before beilievers)

I hope i have conviced you to think twice before you waste a important source of the human beans life

Juvenile detention

Posted on by • Posted in 6C, Olivia • 1 Comment

Have you ever wondered what happens to teens that break the law? Well they either do something called mediation, which is where you have a talk with the victim, police and your parents to work out a suitable punishment like a written apology or a public apology. But if it is more serious they can be sent to youth court. In youth court a judge or magistrate will decide your punishment. Usually youth court give a child as many chances as possible but if it is more serious like murder, assault or stealing a car a couple of times you can be sent to juvenile detention.

Juvenile detention centres are all around Australia they are for children that have broken the law more than once or have committed serious crimes. The kids must do what they are told; they don’t exactly have a choice in what they do. There are not many things to do in juvenile detention some children can be in there for up to 3 years sometimes more sometimes less because they are in the detention centre for a long time they miss out on quite a lot one thing they do not miss out on is school. School is seen as a way to help these kids stay out of trouble once they leave. Most kids inside get the chance to do classes, as well as practice other job skills. The whole point of the juvenile justice system is to stop kids turning into lifelong criminals but unfortunately that’s not always the result. For example, in NSW, over half of the boys in detention will get in trouble again within a year. Some people say that there are a few problems with the system for example they say putting criminals together is bad because the children could plan to meet when they get out and they could put their thoughts together which would be terrible.

So there are problems with the system but they do their job most of the time and it keeps kids out of jail I think that is the main reason for these centres. They try to keep children out of jail cause jail is dangerous, disgusting and so much more. And I think they will improve over the years and they are a great place to send kids that have broken the law much better then jail!!