Junior School Magazine - Edition 5 (June 2018)

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Somerset College

J S

J unior S chool M agazine for S tudent W riters and A rtists

Edition 5

Y ear 3G

T he G reat E scape Arne gripped her spear tightly and scanned the water for any signs of wild salmon. She looked further downstream and caught a glimpse of her fellow hunter, Freya, a girl from the enemy Lynx clan. She had had no luck either. Frustrated, Arne brushed her frizzy, auburn hair out of her eyes and her brow furrowed, deep in concentration. They were deep in the Scandinavian forest, not far from the Thunder Falls, where the rest of the Sea Eagle clan were waiting for their return. The water was eerily still, dozing beneath the heart of the afternoon sun. The playful chippering of the forest wrens, that had previously echoed from the canopy, had come to a deathly silence. They did not have much time. It had been already three moons, since Arne and her clan began this journey. Three moons, since Freya had arrived, having been ordered by her mage to warn the surrounding clans of the impending storm. She was a sorry sight, with raven-black, scruffy hair and a tattered jerkin. Arne got the sense, she, was not a particularly popular member of her clan. At first, the Sea Eagle clan did not believe her, but Arne, who had been taught magecraft by her grandfather remembered an old prophecy of her grandfathers – that she would have to brave a great red storm. The clan’s leader – Balthar, a very virtuous and stoic man, had resolved that the clan would journey from their camp beside the sea to the hills. There the Eagle spirit could protect them. Arne was asked to keep a watchful eye on Freya. After not making much progress, Balthar decided to camp in a cave inside the Thunder Falls, hoping the waterfall would provide an impenetrable wall of protection against the wrath of the storm. Freya insisted that they go hunt for more food. Arne reluctantly agreed, slipping away without telling Balthar. “Why do we have to rush back? The wind is calm,” Freya retorted indignantly. She then darted off, between the towering trees whose branches stood arm in arm in anticipation of what was to come. “Hey! Come back!” She was met with a supervised scream. In that moment, everything shifted. Freya had fallen into the water, which suddenly picked up, and was carrying her further and further away. The sky had turned an ominous crimson colour. The wind howled hauntingly. The trees started shaking vigorously. Arne felt the dust whipping against her skin. She shielded her eyes and spotted Freya, only a few paces away. She had caught onto a tree branch as the currents pushed against her. “Here, take this,” she shouted over the shrieking winds. She reached out with her flint spear. She managed to grab on. With one big heave she pulled Freya out and onto the bank. They both clamoured to an overhanging rock as the storm continued its devastating pillage. They heard the CRACK of trees being uprooted. Desperately. Arne clutched her grandfather’s amber amulet around her neck and prayed to the Eagle spirit to keep them safe. Almost instantaneously, the dust slowed to a halt and settled, as though the earth had resisted the storm. Arne slowly opened her eyes, and saw the amulet glowing under the film of red dust. Freya looked unrecognisable. “I don’t know why you tried to save me, since we’re supposed to be enemies. I’m sorry I ran off,” Freya said remorsefully. “If we were truly enemies, we would not have stood a chance against the storm. You saved our clan.” Arne gave her a tight squeeze, and they inspected the damage done by the storm. Arne knew that somehow the amulet and Eagle spirit had protected them. After washing off the remnants of the storm, they made their way back to the clan.

A nna T homas Y ear 6W

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T he P ower R ock It was a humid, steamy day. The gathering animals, the lizards and chameleons were not included. The gathering crowded around a fire: it’s blistering flames made a dark murderous appearance. Not all was what it seemed. Even though Walar, the gathering’s magic-man, was doing the moonly welcoming of the gathering animals, he sensed a far greater power arising, a power that had slept for a long, long time. This power was far greater than the fire or the trees; only in stories had this power been talked of. “Heb a wuume ze wam aah,” muttered Walar, this was the welcoming for the clan. The Lizard nodded. He accepted the gift of now being invited to the gathering. The next day, Moro returned. Walar knew that he held the power, he had sensed it the day before. “Brother,” welcomed Walar. “Brother, it is good to see you.” Moro gave him a thankful glance, but said nothing. Instead, he jogged directly up to Nen-Hon, the gathering leader. He said only this: “I found this by the Soul-tree.” He brought out a diamond-like stone with an amber-red glow. Walar’s eyes widened, “it cannot be…” his voice fell away. “The stone that brought so much evil to the land, that it had to be buried by good itself – the power-rock.” Whispers ran through the watchers like bats flying. Nev-Hon gasped and demanded to call a Gathering-Leader meeting immediately. It was almost dark by then. But finally, all the Leaders came. “I am sorry for calling you here so late,” announced Nev-Hon. But there is a good reason.” “I hope so,” muttered one of the parrot gathering. Nen-Hon glared at him, his dark flowing locks streamed down his neck. “The reason is this,” said Nev-Hon as he took out a small bark bag, then showed the contents to the speculative party. All of them froze. Walar began to lecture the gathering. This is the Power-rock. It has enough power, to destroy the forest. Suddenly, the parrot Leader jumped up and yelled, “it must be destroyed!” Nen-Hon yelled out, “NO!!!” he had been consumed by the power of the dark stone already, it lay in his hand, glistening with victory. Then all hell broke loose. Arguments between all gatherings flared. The parrot-gathering Leader struck-out and demanded, “if you don’t destroy it, it will be a fight!” The Power-rock had done its job. The parrot Leader brought out a club and bashed the rock out of Nen-Hon’s hand. Then suddenly, Walar sprinted across and grabbed the rock from the ground, disappearing into the night. Walar ran all night. The stars above him beckoned him to carry on. He knew what he had to do. Then he saw it. The Water-Crash of Heim, where evil could be destroyed for good. He lent across the precipice. He could feel the Power-rock urging him not to let it go. His hand began to shake. He could feel the dark energy of the stone. Finally, he mastered the last of his strength to let go. He did it. His body fell back, his body taking-in great heaves of air, but he had done it. He had saved the forest.

D aniel D e V illiers H ossy Y ear 6W

JSM Edition 5

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T he S pirit of the G uardians Embindy stared into the crackling fire, her bone hammer neatly kept beside her. Fiddling with her fingers, Embindy thought of her parents; that warm glow. It was all she remembered of them. Embindy started feeling drowsy, her blue almond-shaped eyes started closing. In the distance, an owl hooted – that was her signal to get her sleeping sack and to have some rest. Embindy did just that. Above her, the jewel box of stars twinkled at her. Embindy closed her eyes and was in complete and utter bliss. Embindy woke up. Her hunting instincts told her to. No! She thought to herself. Embindy had left the fire to burn and she had accidently knocked over some of the rocks that surround it. The fire had covered a patch of the forest like a blanket – it was spreading fast. Embindy clutched her stone necklace. She picked her bone hammer up and ran, pearl drops trickling down her eyes. All her memories were connected to that tenet. The fire roared – Embindy tripped. She was instantly teleported into a world of blackness. Embindy woke up – again. Her dark chestnut coloured hair was spread over her face. Embindy was perplexed. She was in a strange, light brown tent. In one corner; there was an arrow that was gently weeping blood, in another corner there was a bloodied pig. Embindy got up and went outside the tent. An eagle was soaring splendidly. It took one look at her then started charging at her. Embindy’s eyes widened. The eagle abruptly stopped, and in its place; a dark skinny man with matted hair appeared. She was aghast! “Hello Embindy,” the strange man croaked. “I am your Guardian.” Embindy stood there – speechless. The strange man explained that a Guardian was a spirit of an animal disguised as a human. He also explained that her mother was the queen of the Guardians; while her father was a human. “Your parents were killed by a demon – a demon getting stronger every day – the Obolong.” Embindy remembered that strange shadow that she sometimes saw. “The Obolong is a demon in the shape of a horse; It will come after you as you have come of age – you are now eleven.” “What is your name?” Embindy asked. “Yousifor,” replied the strange man. Yousifor then explained that her necklace was powerful and only it could defeat the Obolong. A horse suddenly charged at Yousifor, he fell to the ground. It was the Obolong. Suddenly, Embindy knew what to do, she raised her necklace in the air – her only memory of her mother; and a light spread over the whole forest. The Obolong was defeated. Yousifor heaved himself up and cried. “You are the future queen of the Guardians,” announced Yousifor. Embindy felt herself as if she was a cloud and saw that she had been turned into a falcon. She flew up into the air and flew off into the distance.

A dvika S rivastav Y ear 6Z

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E scape the W ilderness It was almost dawn when Leathe heard the scream of his grandfather. Everything went quiet. Leathe scuttled up the stairs to where Papa was. “Leathe!” Papa murmured. “My time has come.” “No!” blurted Leathe, but it was too late. Then he caught a glimpse of something in Papa’s hand. It was a note with the Royal Queen’s seal on it. He picked up the note and read it clearly. Dear Leathe, I am writing this note to send you on a quest. You are to go to the Rainforest of the Creatures to stop them from taking over the world. Yours sincerely, Your Majesty, the Queen He had to go to the forest to defeat the deadly, catastrophic creatures. Leathe was an apprehensive person. How was he going to fight those creatures? Although, it was for his Papa, and like a flash of the wind, Leathe set off. Leathe was prepared for anything, but not prepared for what he had to face. From out of the bushes Leathe heard a rustle. He staggered back and out popped a little jungle dog. It was chattering away to itself about if she looked better from the front or the back. The jungle dog turned and stared its malicious eyes hard at him. “Who are you?” She said. Leathe didn’t answer. She repeated herself again, her voice raising every time she said it. Leathe opened his mouth but nothing came out, expect for a small, quiet, “Leathe.” “Well, hello Leathe. I’m Pastito,” she blurted in his ear. Leathe stepped away and Pastito followed. She knew what he came here to do. She just had to stop him. After hours and hours of the stupid dog chatting away to itself they came to the end of the forest. Pastito nudged open the leaf canopy. There in front of their eyes were a million miraculous creatures. Not friends – but the enemy. Leathe started to run as the demons chased after him. Leathe curled up in a little ball like a mole in his burrow; It was a catastrophe: every creature was after them as if they were their prey. The lights faded away as the sun closed its humongous eye. He was alone in the Amazon with no food, shelter or safety. All he had was the little cunning determined Pastito. He had to think of a plan, and he had to think of one fast. “Run!” Shouted Leathe. It was a race to the finish line. “Wait, stop!” he said. “How strange - these are just marshmallows.” They miraculously managed to out run the marshmallows and they finally reached a dip in the valley. A big glowing light source was coming out from it. Leathe’s brown eyes stared hard at Pastito. They ran down the hill and hurtled to a big stream, in the middle of the stream there was an island. Pastito splashed and Leathe sploshed to the tropical paradise. There on the island was the creatures source of power. He reached out to disable it, but something stopped him. It was the creatures. What was he thinking? He couldn’t destroy the creatures; they were living things. He knew somewhere inside them there was a heart. As Leathe and Pastito set off he realized something. “Anything worth fighting for can be found within your heart.” And off they went.

M atilda G uthrie Y ear 6Z

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A mazonian T iger Rampaging through the Amazon rainforest, Antonious bolted towards his prey. Crystal blue eyes engaged. Food, food, food. Hair turning red, blonde fading away as he surreptitiously devoured the raw boar meat; like a lion who hasn’t eaten for weeks, Antonious was lean and strong as he headed towards his hut. It was a wet, sticky, humid day in the middle of summer. The Amazon was hot and sweaty. Antonoius covered in hard working sweat continued to build a kennel for his Tiger, Tiges. Along with his pet snake Nakey, Tiges lived with him in his hut. Nakey was a tree snake and Tiges was a Forest Tiger. Both were very good friends. Sneaky Nakey, the snake slithered out of the hut avoiding Antonious’s attention; going to get some food. Without hesitating, “Roar!” retorted Tiges alerting Antonious. Nakey stopped moving, terrified. Slowly he slithered back towards to the hut. Antonious let them out. “Go get food,” he demanded. “Nakey and Tiges, come back at dusk,” he instructed. Tiges took advantage of his freedom and sprinted away faster than a cheetah, he was up to something as usual. “Ra, Ra Roar!” The forest fell silent. Nothing moved. The wind stopped howling, Dark, grey, sinister clouds blocked out the sun. The birds stopped flying. Antonious was in shock. What just happen? Where was Tiges and why is it so dark? Tiges roamed the forest killing all the animals, one after the other. Tiges wasn’t a pet tiger anymore – he was possessed; controlled by an evil power-hungry Mage. Tiges became an unbelievably hungry, slaughterer. He killed everything from the prettiest looking Toucans to the feral and disgusting toads. He was unstoppable. “What do I do?” Antonious asked the clouds absently. “My best friend is a rebellious unstoppable monster,” he cried. “Where’s Nakey?” His heart sank. He had to go after Nakey before Tiges could hurt him and starve the whole forest. “Nakey, Nakey, where are you?” shouted Antonious. Nakey hissed in a tree above and suddenly fell into his arms. In a flash, Tiges was there. He confronted Antonious and Nakey. Antonious grabbed his war hammer, he had to thwart this incomprehensible monster before he destroyed everything. When Antonious wasn’t looking Nakey struck at Tiges. Throwing himself at the Tigers jugular. Caught in midair Tiges strong jaws crushed Nakey in half. Antonious, drowning in a sea of grief had to seek revenge for Nakey. He would miss his friend - no more hisses, slithering and sneaking. Suddenly there was a loud crack! An earthquake had struck the forest, trapping Tiges. It was a blessing in disguise that such a catastrophe could help seal the forest and stop Tiges from escaping. He had nowhere to go. Tiges could starve or he could jump down the ravine caused by the quake. Using his last bit of energy from eating Nakey, he tried and escape. His stomach began to hurt. Bile rising inside him as the snake’s poison pierced his intestines and moved to his heart. Tiges shook, he was slowly bleeding to death. As he lay dying, Tiges regretted all the devastation and havoc he had caused in the forest. He began to realize that when he died all that would all the evil things he had done would be replaced by good karma and peace. The forest was saved by one half eaten snake, Nakey and his brave friend Antonious.

Patrick Liu Year 6Z

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T he A mber O utcast Pienn shook her reed-like, russet coloured hair out of her river coloured eyes. The dark was blinding her. She had to find it. Pienn couldn’t believe she’d lost the amber brooch with the dragonfly inside. It was her only connection to her poor mother, well on her way on the death journey. Pienn was agitated. How could she have lost it? What was she to do? Pienn didn’t know how she could possibly find it, now that the dark had strolled across the sky. What would her father say? Pienn mustered all her courage and set forth towards the River Tribe camp for nightmeal. Pienn arrived at the camp, only to find it deserted. The camp was usually bursting with activity. Women chatting around the fire while they wove grass to make little pouches for food, hunters preparing for their hunt, children setting traps in the river to catch food. None of that was happening now. The forest echoed back. The tribe had moved on. She would have to learn how to survive alone. Pienn signed. Not only had she lost the amber brooch, her tribe had left her too. She wandered back to her shelter to contemplate. When she arrived a surprise met her. Around her small reindeer-hide shelter, lay three other ones. They were bigger shelters, propped up against a few giant sequoias. In the centre lay a steaming fire, surrounded by a group of women. One stood out. She had fiery amber eyes, slate grey hair and wore a bone necklace around her neck. Pienn thought she looked mystical and very wise, and was probably the tribes’ Elder. The woman glanced over, and for a split second, their eyes met. The old woman rose and sauntered towards Pienn. “Hello,” the woman said, acknowledging Pienn. “I am Seubek, Elder of the Far Forest Tribe. I can see something is A young boy, about 13 summers old, interrupted her thoughts. “Seubek, a storm is coming from the south; our camp could be washed away by light!” he cried. Pienn moaned, what hope did she have of finding the brooch now? “Pienn, go grab your sleeping sack, we’re leaving at dawn,” Seubek ordered. “What about the brooch?” cried Pienn painfully. “Floyd will help you find it, don’t worry,” explained Seubek. Floyd and Pienn traipsed out of the camp, hoping to find the lost amber brooch. Floyd had hair of a black bear. He was tall and looked strong; most likely he was an experienced hunter. Pienn observed that he was also very clumsy. So when Floyd tripped over something for the tenth time, Pienn didn’t even bother looking back to see if Floyd was okay. “Pienn!” cried Floyd, observing the thing he had tripped over more carefully, “I think I’ve found your brooch!” Pienn glanced back at the amber that lay beside Floyd’s boot. “Shattered,” she exclaimed. “It’s in a million pieces, what am I to do?” Pienn and Floyd traipsed sorrowfully back to the camp. “So did you find it?” pestered Seubek when they arrived. Pienn unclenched her hand and unveiled the broken pieces of amber. “What can we do?” questioned Pienn. “Pienn, I can enchant the amber and join the souls back together, it won’t be perfect, but you will still have it,” explained Seubek. “You can join the Far Forest Tribe while we find your father.” wrong, what is it?” Pienn sighed, how could Seubek read her mind? “I have lost something,” Pienn said. “An amber brooch, my mother’s.”

Penelope Deacon Year 6G

JSM Edition 5

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M age Many things happen in the morning. The first being that everything wakes up. The clans, animals, the dreams turn to daydreams and the plants. A gentle breeze brushes the trees. Young girls suspend cooking skins over sizzling fires. Others prepare the men for hunting. Birds chatter noisily to each other, discussing what they have planned for the day ahead. The smell of the leaves and crack branches calms you. All of what I have told you, is what my life used to be like. Now, I live in constant fear. At first, I didn’t understand why they wanted me to become a mage. I’m only twelve summers old and usually, you have to be thirteen. “You are talented Lake!” He had told me. Lake is my name. I have blue eyes which makes the name ironic. I’m from the Dolphin Clan which makes it worse. My flowing red hair swayed, as a breeze shook Pi’s hut. Pi is the clan mage. “Don’t doubt yourself!” he urged. I sighed, and tried to have a vision again. I closed my eyes (like he had told me), and ‘called upon the universe to help me see,’ I frowned. As if that could work. Then I was overwhelmed by a flash of light. A vision! “What? What did you see?” Pi exclaimed excitedly. My head burned, like a fire had been ignited inside it. I ached all over. “There, there was a dark figure. A man holding a torch. The, the village was on fire! Everyone was screaming! The man towered over me and then.” I stopped. Tears were streaming down my face now. Pi stared at me. A look of absolute terror consumed his face. “You have to leave the village. Now!” I ran. So fast that I almost fell. A flood of tears streamed down my face. Why was this happening? I stopped and turned around. I heard the crackle of fire. I kept running. I stopped again – completely exhausted – and looked around. “You lost?” I flinched, drew my knife and looked around for the voice. “Who, who’s there!” I shouted. My heart was thumping. A boy, about my age, jumped down from the trees. “I’m Flynn,” he said. “Do you need some help?” He asked. “Yes,” I whispered. I told him what happened. His green eyes glimmered as he listened. “Come with me,” he said. Then we ran. “I know your mother.” “What?” I cried. We stopped at the edge of a large lake. A figure rose out of the water. A tall woman with red hair and blue eyes! “Mother?” I said, doubt evident in my voice. “Lake!” She whispered, tears welling in both of our eyes. “I know why you’re here. They want to capture you so they can get to me. I can’t leave the water. You’ll have to defeat them. I’m a water sprite.

Secret Goetz Year 6G

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T he G em of K indinya Sarafya’s fluorescent red hair danced in the wind as she ran through the forest. She ran faster than a cheetah: she ran for her life! The trees came crashing down behind her, chasing her to her death. It was coming; it was coming for her. It had already devoured Numula-hun. Now it was her turn. The roar of the trees and the demon were getting louder by the second – then – silence. Sarafya’s crystal blue eyes darted from Numula-hun, an ancient old witchcraft Mage to Helious, a tall muscular warrior. They’d been concealing her for about one moon now and Sarafya was trying to get to the bottom of it. She was now eleven summers old, still the youngest in her clan. She was a warrior, but doesn’t know it yet. “Sarafya,” sighed Helious. “Let me explain it,” said Numula-hun sternly to her son, Helious. “Explain what?” questioned Sarafya. “The prophecy!” cried Numula-hun. “It is told that a young, brave girl must journey through the darkest forest to the Valley of Lost Souls, to return the Gem of Kindinya!” As she finished Sarafya noticed that the rest of her clan were whispering and pointing at her. “Numula-hun! You don’t mean me do you?” yelled Sarafya. “Of course I do,” exclaimed Numula-hun calmly. “But there’s not much time it’s coming. You must return the Gem of Kindinya to the Valley of Lost Souls at once!” That’s when Sarafya’s life completely changed. Sarafya looked up at Numula-hun with stinging eyes, Numula- hun handed her the Gem of Kindinya. However, something went horribly wrong. A giant black-hooded figure shot up from the forest and screamed. It came crashing down onto Numula-hun stabbing her with its venomous teeth, killing her at once. Sarafya couldn’t watch, she ran. She ran faster than a cheetah through the forest carrying the Gem of Kindinya, her bow and quiver and her mother’s knife. The trees started to fall down behind her. She knew it was there, the demon, she knew it had come for her to finish killing her family off. First her Dad went missing, then her brother was murdered, then her mum died from the sickness and now it was her turn. Suddenly everything went quiet. The Gem of Kindinya started to drain Sarafya’s energy. She was tired and hungry but had no food. How was she ever going to make it to the Valley of Lost Souls and return the Gem? Then Sarafya felt something on her shoulder. It was cold and fierce. She screamed so loud that it didn’t stop. A piercing scream drowned Sarafya’s ears till she couldn’t hear anything. She felt her legs gave away and she collapsed to the ground. Everything went black!

Summer Edgley Year 6L

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T he B rother Every forty summers the oldest child becomes the new clan leader. The next heir is Astrid but her dream was to be an adventurer. Astrid heard a rumour spread across the whole clan about some type of forbidden brother. Astrid thought about this while she twirled her long, silky blood-red hair. “What brother? My brother?” as questions rose – people failed to answer. Dawn, Astrid’s best friend, had always been there to support her no matter what. “Dawn,” whispered Astrid. “Come, come with me to find my brother.” “No!” retorted Dawn. However, in all the pleading and constant company Dawn finally agreed. That night was the night two heroines went out to find a forbidden brother. In excitement, Astrid snatched her bag and threw it over her shoulder. No one knew about their journey – except one. The first night was lonely and dark. They had some company but the birch trees gossiped about their presence behind their backs. “A fire!” rejoiced Astrid. As they headed towards the light a dark silhouette stood in front of the fire. “So you found me!” bellowed the figure. Astrid and Dawn didn’t reply as they were stunned at the sight beyond him. Stones, stones in the shape of a circle. Astrid crept up to the circle of stones and stood there in complete silence. “You shall not pass!” echoed a voice. In fear, Astrid froze. The figure quickly grasped her by the arm and swiftly put his hand over her mouth. Dawn ran with her fist ready so she could punch him. He ducked and instead of hitting the figure she accidentally punched Astrid into a deep sleep. “Sorry!” cried Dawn in regret. “Let us go!” “No,” replied the figure. “Not now that you know where I am.” “Who are you?” screamed Dawn. “A brother,” hesitantly mumbled the figure. Astrid woke with a jolt. In pain she felt her forehead that was bright purple. She heard someone pleading to another about powers. She turned around and there, standing before her, was the figure in the middle of a Stonehenge. “Please, please, please,” begged the figure. “Take my evil powers away!” “Only for a replacement, someone else must take these powers!” bellowed the stones. “I’ll do it!” exclaimed Astrid. “But only if you tell me who you are,” pointing to the figure in a cape.

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continued - T he B rother

“You can’t. These powers – they are dangerous!” the figure said. “I don’t care, tell me,” demanded Astrid. “I am a brother… a forbidden brother,” he added. “Of who?” Astrid quickly added. “Dawn, now I told you… take my place!” she said looking deep in her friend’s eyes. “I’m a woman of my word…” she whispered. A ball of energy shot up to the sky and went into Astrid’s body. But instead of going evil her pure heart turned it into love and happiness.

N atalie M ai Y ear 6L

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I rish I mmigrants TITLE: Irish immigrants have brought about change to Australian society and as a results they have helped reshape Australian Identity. INTRODUCTION: Australia today is a multicultural society. This means that the nation has accepted many migrants from all over the world and Australia has evolved to respect and appreciate the culture of these immigrants. This report will examine the multiple reasons that influenced Irish immigration from 1788 onwards. It will also investigate the challenges and opportunities Irish migrants faced upon arriving and settling in Australia. This report will also identify the contributions Irish immigrants made to the Australia today. From the push and pull factors that forced these immigrants out of Ireland, to how they contributed to Australia, the Irish had plenty of surprises on their plate. REASONS FOR LEAVING THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Around 1850, Irish immigrants had many reasons to immigrate to Australia. 1845 had seen half the potato crop ruined; this was significant as many relied on it as their main source of food. The next year potato blight struck, leading to complete failure of the crop. Many Irish were forced to survive solely on cabbage leaves or blackberries and some families were relying on work houses for support. IN the coming few years the potato crop didn’t recover. In 1851 alone 1 million Irish died from starvation. It wasn’t just the potato famine that forced immigrants to Australia, there were a few pull factors as well. Many sought gold in Australia and the promises of health, employment, housing and security were fine offerings. The journey though was not a pleasant one. All immigrants had to travel by ship from “The Queen” a ship carrying all Irish convicts in 1791, to the overcrowded ones in 1850. These ships nicknamed “coffin Ships” were responsible for the death of up to half their passengers. ARRIVAL AND SETTLING IN AUSTRALIA: Though Irish immigrants had already faced their fair share of hardship, there was more to come. Most of the “coffin Ships” docked on the east coast of Australia. They settled most prominently in Victoria. Many immigrants moved to small farms in the north-east of Victoria. As these areas known as “Tipperary Gully” areas were mostly inhabited by Irish and therefore very much like Ireland. Most came to this area to develop the Catholic Church. Not all settlers moved to Victoria though. Some moved to New South Wales to develop the colony, some to Queensland to work in the sugar and cotton industries and some women and girls from workhouses in Ireland to South Australia to work as low paid servants to free settles. Many Irish immigrants were not treated well. As many immigrants had come as political prisoners, most saw all immigrants as terrorists. Governor Hunter banned the Irish language in the convict colony. Through all this they pulled through and made many contributions to Australia. RESHAPING THE AUSTRALIAN IDENTITY: Although the Irish are not all prominent in Australia, they have certainly helped to shape the nation. Since they first arrived in the late 16th century the Irish have played a big part developing the Catholic religion in Australia> nearly ¾ of the convicts who brought the catholic religion to Australia were Irish. The first Catholic priest was Irish. It wasn’t just the catholic religion that the Irish brought to Australia though, they also brought St Patrick’s Day. This started out as the celebration only celebrated by Irish convicts, but by the early 1800’s it was celebrated by all convicts and is still a popular celebration today. Among all the Irish in Australia there were a few that stood out. James Scullin was one of them. He was Prime Minister of Australia for around 3 years and passes several bills important to the Great Depression. Peter Lalor was also important. He was elected the President of the rebels during the Eureka Stockade. He fought for miners of all backgrounds starting multiculturalism in Australia. CONCLUSION: This report analysed the challenges and opportunities the Irish immigrants faced before and after arriving in Australia. During the 19th century, many Irish immigrants came to Australia due to many push and pull factors. When they arrived in Australia, they faced lots of hardship, but overcame them to see the benefits of the new country. The Irish Immigrants have contributed greatly to the advanced Australian society today. They are now appreciated as a part of a multicultural nation.

Penelope Deacon Year 6G

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I raqi I mmigrants B rought A bout C hange to A ustralian S ociety and as a C onsequence T hey H elped R eshape our C ommunity Australia is a multicultural society made up of diverse groups of people who emigrated to Australia for many reasons. People with different backgrounds together weave their unique cultures and values to form the vibrant fabric of Australian society. Some migrant groups flee from countries where there is terrible conflict, famine or drought. One such group of migrants that have recently been welcomed to Australia are the Iraqi refugees. For this group of immigrants, Australia presented a land of opportunity, safety and freedom for their families, who faced a lot of struggles and hardship in order to come to Australia. The main ‘push’ factor for why Iraqis immigrated to Australia was war. The main period of Iraqi immigration to Australia was in 2003, though they arrived in waves during 1992-1995 and 2008-2014. In 1990-1991, Iraq began and lost the “Gulf War” against Kuwait. In 2003, America invaded Iraq believing that the Iraqi government had links to terrorism and “weapons of mass destruction”. At the time, Iraq was having its own internal conflict between the two major Muslim faiths, the ruling Sunni minority (20%) and the Shia majority. The collapse of the Iraqi government by the Americans led to the uprising of rebel groups and terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda and ISIL causing widespread destruction and civilian deaths. Many Iraqis fled seeking safety in other countries. Many undertook the perilous journey by boat through people smuggling networks to Australia as there were few legal options to arrive in Australia. On arrival, asylum seekers were placed for months to years in detention as they had not yet been formally granted visas and had arrived illegally. A total of 4538 visas were granted under the Humanitarian scheme and for most, the journey finally seemed to be worth it. Most of the Iraqi immigrants settled in Sydney and Melbourne. This was mostly because they already had family living there. Many were skilled workers, such as teachers, doctors and engineers, and because Australia needed a skilled workforce at the time, many of these immigrants could be employed. By coming to Australia, they had access to good quality health care and education for their families. Though Australia presented many opportunities for these newly settled refugees, they also faced many challenges. This included learning the English language, different foods, climate, values, and many were still suffering with shock from their experiences of the Iraq war. However, most were able to overcome those challenges and give back to Australian society. The Iraqi migrant groups are not as well established as other immigrant groups but they are already shaping the Australian identity. They contribute to the growing representation of Islam in Australia. They showcase their music, dance, art and film through festivals like the Iraqi Cultural Festival and Iraqi Short Film Festival through which they share their migrant stories and culture with the broader Australian community. Many are employed as labourers, teachers, doctors and engineers. One notable Iraqi-Australian refugee is Munjed Al-Muderis, a surgeon who fled by boat after refusing to mutilate captured rebel fighters. He is now a professor of orthopaedic surgery and is recognised for his work in helping soldier amputees. Iraqi-Australians are welcomed into our society, however they continue to face public criticism who express concern about their Muslim faith, especially with the many terrorist attacks happening in the name of Islam. Other concerns include their language barriers and unfamiliarity with Australian laws and customs. Australia is yet to see the full impact of the Iraqi immigration into Australia, but they are already giving an important voice to Australian immigrants. Iraqi Australians came to this land fleeing the crisis and conflict in Iraq in search of a better future for themselves and their families. In coming here, they were not just able to find safety, but become a part of a community which is proud of its diverse and multicultural roots. Although Iraqis are a relatively new migrant group, they are already enriching Australia’s identity through their contributions to the Australian workforce and sharing their culture, religion and powerful migrant stories.

Anna Thomas Year 6W

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Y ear 6 P oem - L ights Year 6 Poem inspired by Steven Hemick’s Wall Poem at this years Celebration of Literature Festival.

Lights let you see Lights are a vampire’s worst enemy Lights give us a shadow Lights watch you in the shower Lights never see darkness Lights look at your test answers in class Lights attract moths Lights are ideas Lights are Thomas Edison’s children Lights

L eo K elly C orrea Y ear 6W

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Y ear 6 P oem - F iling C abinets Year 6 Poem inspired by Steven Hemick’s Wall Poem at this years Celebration of Literature Festival.

Filing Cabinets keep your secrets safe Filing Cabinets organise your things

Filing cabinets are for business Filing Cabinets are very efficient Filing Cabinets protect top secret information Filing Cabinets are strong and fierce Filing Cabinets are memories all locked away You can always rely on Filing Cabinets

S ummer E dgley Y ear 6L

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Y ear 6 P oem - B eds Year 6 Poem inspired by Steven Hemick’s Wall Poem at this years Celebration of Literature Festival.

Beds are for lying in while reading a thrilling tale, Beds are your relaxation station after tough days, Beds are like carpets, hoisted up by legs, Beds are your servants, though you never thank them, Beds can be full of feathers, however heavy they may be,

Beds can be full of water, so comfy, Beds are trampolines on rainy days, Beds are for monkeys to fall out of, Beds

P enelope D eacon Y ear 6G

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