Year 7 students at Cornerstone have been given the chance to expand their knowledge of friction and gravity by one of the staff responsible for this year group.

Mr Howes has created a contraption which gives his students the opportunity to explore the difference that certain substances have on the movement of objects.  He has made an 8 track course which is lined with a variety of products, and the students have been able to test the effect that they have on a falling marble.

Silicon, vegemite, honey, detergent, aqium solution, cooking oil and margarine were the products tested, and a selection of marbles of varying sizes were put through their paces late last week.

Students excitedly set up the track, and recorded the speed that the marbles took to reach the bottom of the downhill slope.  Factors, such as the size of the marble, the time they took to reach the end and the substance within the track were all noted, and used to scientifically determine which substances acted as a lubricant, and which inhibited the progress of the marbles.

What was the result?  It appears that silicon is the prefered lining when you are seeking the least resistance - and the larger the marble, the less likely it is to be affected by the products within their track.  Honey and vegemite were by far the worst, with many of the smaller marbles getting stuck short of the finishing line.

So, according to Mr Howes and his Year 7s……..if you wish to reduce the friction and resistance experienced by a falling marble, reach for the silicon – and leave the honey and vegemite for the breakfast table.

The Year 7 students at Cornerstone have completed a semester of Egyptian studies with a final big event – an Egyptian feast.

During the course of the year, staff have been providing opportunities for students to learn a number of facts about Egyptian life, history, culture and even food.  Students have been given a range of experiences where they were able to research the different facets of Egyptian culture, which all came together with the end of term meal.

An impressive display of costumes and food were on display at Cornerstone.  Pharaoh reclined at the table with common Egyptians and ate Egyptian breads, fruits and meats.  Each Year 7 student was responsible for coming dressed appropriately, and with a plate of Egyptian food on hand.  To finish the event, a Mummy wrapping competition was held, which saw three student’s calm manner and clear thinking seeing them through as the winners.

Mr Dijkstra and Mrs Wright were thrilled with the success of the day, and believe that the students enjoyed the process of exploring an ancient culture.  Along the way, they have learnt a great deal.

A sensational way to complete the term for everyone involved.

The annual Middle School (Year 7 & 8) Bathtub Derby was battled out earlier today, with an amazing flotilla of crafts vying for the honour of winning the event.

This year, new rules were applied, which meant that no material greater than a 3L bottle was allowed, and all construction had to be completed on the beach on the day of the event.

A number of parents came along to offer some guidance on construction, and some teams showed that they could have done with some parental assistance!

Amongst the watercraft, names such as ”SS Duct Tape” and ”SS Heap-O-Rubbish” delivered more than just a name, but an indication of construction techniques.

Mr Andrew Dijkstra was the organising teacher, who along with his team of teachers and parent helpers, delivered a wonderful day of fun and creativity for all involved.

A sensational day for everyone. 

In 2009, our Year 7 students became the Junior State Winners of the Cows Create Careers Project. 

A further honour has now been bestowed upon our winning team.   They have been chosen to represent all of Western Australia in the National ”Mooin Transfer” challenge.  The National Managers of Cows Create Careers have chosen our students to participate in this Australia wide competition because of their outstanding achievements in the project previously.

As such, the students, who are now in Year 8, will begin working hard in representing the mighty state of WA.  It will be a case of  Lights! Camera! Action!  as this phase of the competition involves the students designing a short advertisement that promotes dairy careers.  What they produce will be aired at the Australian Dairy Conference in Wollongong, NSW, February 23-25, 2010. 

Mrs Jill Wright, the Year 7 teacher who supervised the winning  team during 2009,  will select a team of students who will design and prepare the advertisement.  Secondary specialist teacher, Mr David van der Tang will then take another group of students and produce the film.

According to Mrs Wright, it is a huge privilege to have been chosen. 

‘This is really a very big honour as Cornerstone was picked from the all the schools that participated in the Cows Create Careers 2009 for WA.  Myself and a student will head to NSW to present our work to the National Conference.’

According to the accompanying flyer that came with the announcement of Cornerstone’s honour, the Australian Dairy Conference is the premier event on the national dairy calendar. ”It’s the Who’s Who of everything that goes MOOOO’.   

We can’t wait to see the finished product that comes from this amazing group of students.  Well done team, we are very proud of you!

The Year 7 class at Cornerstone Christian College has successfully investigated the ‘theft’ of cheese from the College fridge as part of their Forensic Science Studies.  As a result, an ‘arrest’ was made earlier today.

The aforementioned crime has been previously reported, and it is now, with great satisfaction, that Mr Howes and his class of detectives-in-training can put the matter to rest.

According to students, three forms of evidence confirmed that their suspect was responsible for this heinous crime.  Dental evidence, footprints left at the scene and fingerprinting technologies all led to today’s successful apprehension.

Police Psychologists believed that Mrs Penny Ravenscroft may have been guilty, as her behaviour had been deeply suspicious during questioning; however, no further evidence corroborated this belief.  She was therefore dropped from the list of suspects.

The defendant, who cannot be named until he is officially charged (we will call him Mr VDT, or Tang), has also added  ’Resisting Arrest’ and ‘Assaulting a Police Officer’ to his list of crimes.

When police arrived at the College today, the suspect made an attempt at escape, but Constable Sam was quick to throw on the cuffs and lead him away.  A throng of waiting media and interested parties gathered to watch him be placed in the police vehicle.  Gemma -who is a journalist for the Year 7 Times - repeatedly called out to the suspect for a comment but he declined to answer.  

Whilst investigative skills in this case have been exemplary, police neglected to lock the doors of the car and the suspect made another brief escape before being finally apprehended.

Well done Year 7 class for solving the crime.  Hopefully Mr Howes’ lunch is now safe from thieving hands!

Forensic Science was on the agenda for Year 7 students at Cornerstone Christian College this week.

College teacher, Mr Geoff Howes enlisted the services of local police to aid students in solving a ‘Crime’ committed on the campus.

According to College insiders, a piece of cheese was stolen from a College fridge, but evidence had been left at the scene which enabled students to put their investigative skills into action.  Senior Constable Trevor Dolan aided students in the correct use of fingerprint technology, examining and identifying footprints, timelines, and even dental records to help solve the crime.

Many of the Year 7 students were certain that Mr Howes was guilty, but SC Dolan advised the students of the need to gather all necessary evidence before making any accusations or arrests.

A glass was left at the scene, and during the course of the day, a fingerprint kit was utilised to lift prints from this vital piece of evidence.  Footprints will be also compared to those at the crime scene.

College teachers have been asked to participate in the process of elimination, with dental impressions being made.  These will then be compared to the teeth marks left in the remaining cheese within the fridge.

According to Mr Howes, it may be another week before an arrest is made.  However, he assured the waiting media that as soon as information comes to light, the College community will be advised of who really stole the cheese!

The state winners of the Cows Create Careers competition elected to put their winning money into further enhancing their education.

The Year 7 class, under the guidance of Mrs Jill Wright, Mr Geoff Howes and student teacher, Mr Graham Dixon recently participated in a two day Forest Discovery Camp.

The students camped overnight at the Wharncliffe Mill Site and were treated to two excursions with the Department of Environment and Conservation.  The Year 7′s were given expert insight into matters relating to plants with Mr Dixon sharing his knowledge of Forestry.

According to Mrs Wright the experience was a terrific one for the students and teachers.  ”The first day we were involved in an Eco Education excursion where we learnt about endangered animals in the South West of WA. The program is called ‘Back from the Brink.” We had the opportunity to set traps and learn how animals are tagged and the records kept to establish if the animals are increasing in numbers. We learnt about the damage foxes do and the 1080 program that helps to reduce their numbers.”

Mrs Wright was particularly impressed by one event.  ”After a wonderful barbecue tea we went out with torches to search the forest and then experienced a walk along a roped path – blindfolded!  This was quite challenging but great fun!”

On the final day of the event, the students participated in yet another walk through the majestic Boranup Forest and tested their identification skills on plant matter they found.  A stop at Chapman’s Pool on the Blackwood River was another opportunity to explore.

The event, whilst finding the participants very wet at times, was a success for the enthusiastic Year 7′s.

The Year 7 class at Cornerstone Christian College came away with a terrific win at the Cows Create Careers program wind-up.  

The winning team from Cornerstone won the Junior section for the Southwest area, and the standard of work they produced was equivalent to winning teams across Australia.  To sweeten the victory even more, the team participants were each presented with a $50 prize, as well as coming away with a plaque and $500 to be used at school.  

Class teacher, Mrs Jill Wright was also presented with a gift of thanks from the coordinators of the project.   ”I was given a beautiful Ken Duncan book of diary farmers, their families and farms for co-coordinating the project. I will give the book to the school so it can be enjoyed by many. ”

A quiz amongst participating schools found Cornerstone also coming out on top – with a tie-breaker between our students and Margaret River High School to determine the outcome.  This is particularly impressive, given that the participants from Cornerstone were the youngest year-group to participate.

The Cows Create Careers Project was run by Western Dairy and Dairy Australia in conjunction with the staff at Cornerstone to increase the profile of dairy as a career and education opportunity.   The project ran last term and saw two small calves loaned to the College to provide students with a rare hands-on experience which provided a number of unique learning opportunities.  The assessment of their experience was the basis for the award.

Well done Year 7′s!  We are so very proud of you all.