Day 3 Pilgrimage

Basilica of the Transfiguration

This morning I woke up to rain and cold weather. The temperature only reached 9C. The rain didn't put a dampener on the day though and shortly after breakfast we headed to the Basilica of the Transfiguration. It is on top of Mt Tabor which is the mountain that Jesus took Peter, James and John to and visions of Moses and Elijah to show them he was the Son of God. In the reading from Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 'I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man.' The reading came to life as we travelled up the mountain and drove into the clouds. The church was breathtaking and showed many of the symbols we discussed last term. Can you spot any in the photos I have added to the blog.

Historically many of the events of the time of Jesus took place on mountains because the people at the time thought that the higher up you were the closer you were to God and heaven. Sacrificing things to show your commitment to the Lord was common during the time of Jesus. Can you find any other biblical readings that show sacrifices?

Nazareth

Our next stop provided us with the opportunity to visit an area that showed actors the Nazareth Jesus knew. The photos explain what I saw.

We also spent sometime visiting a church where the Angel visited Mary. Within the church you could see Mary’s house, which is very different to houses we live in today. The church also showed the many forms of Mary from different cultures. I have included Australia’s interpretations of Mary. Look at the other mosaics, can you work out which country created the image?

American image of Mary

Australian's depiction of the Annunciation

Day 2 Pilgrimage

Work up this morning to a beautiful calm morning. The wind of yesterday had gone and the scenery was as if someone had painted it.

The Dead Sea from Jordan

The Dead Sea from Jordan

 

The River Jordan

Today we spent time contemplating the Baptism of Jesus by visiting the Jordan River.  Our guide explained to us the consequences of having too many dams on the river, using the water for agriculture and industry is causing the river to drop by three feet every year. (Year five there are about 12.5centimetres in one foot. Can you work out how many centimetres each year he river is dropping?)

Like many countries in the world the people of Jordan feel compelled to look after their environment however they find it difficult because of many factors including the flow of the water being in the hands of the Israelis and using the water for agriculture are just a few reasons.

All around the world people are linked because of their beliefs and here is no different. In actual fact the bonds here seem so strong. Today we reflected on the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the River Jordan. As we looked upon he archeological site our guide explained, ' we all know Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but Christianity was born here in the baptising of Jesus.' I think we all felt a moment of awe as we stood in silence and reflected on what that statement meant to us as Christians.
In the bible passage Mark 1:7-11 it refers to the Baptism of Jesus by John and highlights Johns desire for others to understand he was only baptising in water but someone more powerful that him will come and will baptise you with the Holy Spirit. being their today and listening to and thinking about this was definitely a moment that will stay in my heart for ever.

This were it is believed that John the Baptist baptised Jesus. The archeological findings are inline with many writings about the events of our Lord's Baptism.

As we walked back to the bus the pathway was lined with thorn trees. During Good Friday we learn about how Christ was crucified, suffered and died for us. During the second station a crown of thorns is placed on his head. I have heard this ever since I was a child and not until I saw the size of those thorns did I truly understand the pain and suffering our Lord experienced for us.Oh how much he loves us!

Tonight we rest in Jerusalem, by the Sea of Galilee. I will complete this blog over the next few days. Stay safe Mrs Standring

My Pilgrimage

Day 1

Saying goodbye to Stuart, Amelia and Quinn was harder than I imagined but I was thankful once I got on the plan and the journey began. Fourteen hours was a long time to stay in one place, Thankfully it was night time and I managed to get about six hours sleep. For me that is a really long sleep. In my moments of wake time I watch a few interesting movies.

Dubai is an amazing airport and HUGE. We had to change planes here and that meant we had to walk to a train station catch a train to the other rend of the airport and then walk about twenty more minutes. Then we climbed onto another flight. Thankfully this flight was only 3 hours long and better still no one sat next to me so i had two seats all to myself. OH! What a lovely sleep I had.

After arriving in Jordan we were ferried onto a bus. First stop was Mount Nebo. Year Five this is awesome for you as we are going to be talking about Moses next term and this is the mountain Moses climbed.

Deuteronomy 34:1-12 speaks of the time when Moses left the plains of Moab and went to Mount Nebo. The reading speaks of this being the land to be given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. When Moses died he was buried in the valley. His body has never been found.

I cannot believe I stood on the land Moses stood upon. I feel so blessed!

This art work represents the many different parts of the bible and the love Jesus had for us

This was used to close of a doorway

This refers to the serpent that Moses talked about in his writings

You may not believe this but the trees were wattle! One of the monks that works in the area is Australian. I think he may have wanted a part of his home to be with him.

We travelled on towards the Dead Sea and I was amazed at the different types of house. We thought some of them weren't finished but then our guide told us that they are finished but they leave the columns going up because then when their sons get married he can build on top of the house and live with the family. It is also a lot cheaper to do this as land here is very expensive for people in Jordan. We also saw some camels.

After the trip down from Mount Nebo we arrived at our hotel. It is beautiful and I feel very lucky to be staying here tonight. It is right near the Dead Sea. This sea is so salty it makes it incredibly dense so you end up floating. It is rougher than what I imagined it would be. I am waving in the photo can you spot me?

I hope to keep you up dated throughout my journey. Keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers. Mrs Standing.

Holiday Challenge

Keep Your Learning Switched On These Holidays

Hi Year Five,
I have a holiday challenge for you.
Choose one of the rooms in your house and find the area of it.

Remember what you learned in class about area.
You need to measure the length and the width of the room. Then multiply them together to find the area. When measuring in metres we record the answer in square metres or m2.

Use the area model to prove your answers. 
The length of a room was 684metres and the width was 5metres. I split the length into three smaller rectangles. My first rectangle had an area of 3000 square metres. I worked that out by 5x600. My second rectangle was 5x80=400. My third rectangle was 5x4=20. To find the total area I added all the totals together. The total area was 3420 square metres. 3420m2  

Bring your answers in after the holidays. There is a blue sapphire to all students who bring in a correct answer and evidence of the area model.
Have a great holiday.

Stations of the Cross / Easter

Stations of the Cross

 The 'Stations of the Cross' was a very meaningful and prayerful experience for all the congregation at our parish. The children lead the parish in a prayerful experience. Thank you to all the children who participated in it. I have included some photos below.

 

HOMEWORK

Year 5 Visual Assessment Task

Ken Done

Ken Done's bold and unique designs are recognised around the world. Often his paintings have been printed on clothing, umbrellas, bags and postcards. you can see many of his designs at kendone.com.au

Using 2-3 artworks of Ken Done, design your own original t-shirt which could be sold in his gallery in The Rocks, Sydney. You will need to think about the front and back of your t-shirt.

Print off a copy of the artworks you have used as inspiration. Write a paragraph explaining how your design incorporates the style and techniques used by Ken Done in these artworks.

Sketch your design (front and back) and be prepared to make your design in Week 9 and 10 of this term.

Good Luck! 

Consider:
I have attached a copy of the artworks I have used as inspiration. Tha names of these artworks are:


I will attempt the following techniques:

I will need to use the following mediums:

Front

Back