Merry Christmas to you all!

Annie Linn

Unusual Christmas TraditionsRoan Tanuarta

Christmas! An event many look forward to at the end of the year. It is a time of joy and charity, a time where people come together to celebrate a tradition which has been in our culture for centuries. But of course people of different backgrounds celebrate Christmas differently, some celebrate it in a way which looks very odd and some celebrate Christmas with a tradition that some of us find very amusing. Luckily you won’t have to scour the web to find these hilarious Christmas traditions for I have compiled, for YOU, 3 Unusual Christmas Traditions for your recreational pleasure

Catalonia has a couple of weird traditions. One of them being the addition of adding a defecating man into their nativity scene. The figure is called the Caganer. The other one is Tió de Nadal, meaning “The Christmas Log.” This Christmas tradition involves families to bring out the “Christmas” log on the 8th of December and “feed” the log with nuts, dried fruits and water every night until the 24th. They then beat the log on Christmas Eve with a stick to make it poop out candies and presents!

In a small town called Gävle located in Sweden, a ChristmasTradition that started in 1966 has become a big event for the towns-people. On the first day of Advent every year, authorities in the town have erected a straw Swedish yule goat, and every year vandals in that town has successfully burned it down. This ordeal has been go-ing since 1966 and has become like a little game for the townspeople. The Yule Goat has only survived the year once or twice since 1966 and people are excited to find out what will happen in 2016.

Christmas feasts usually include turkey, pudding and maybe some seafood. But in Japan things are a little different… as always. On a beautiful Christmas evening Japanese families would gather around their dining table talking amongst themselves while chowing down on some deliciously greasy KFC? Well it all started in 1974 when a group of foreigners in Japan could not find any turkey for their Christmas meal, so they bought KFC as a substitute. The company saw this as a great marketing opportunity and started advertising their KFC chicken as a key part of any Christmas meal. It began as a simple chicken and wine meal but grew overtime and now includes cake and champagne. The trend is now so popular that KFC insists that people order their KFC months beforehand to avoid the long queues which can be as long as 2 hours on some stores. You can now even enjoy some in-flight KFC, from December 1 through February 28 passengers on select trips between Tokyo and eight U.S. and European destinations can enjoy KFC in-flight.

“On a beautiful Christmas evening Japanese families would gather around their dining table talking amongst themselves while chowing down on some deliciously greasy KFC?”

A Question of LeadershipTempe Times has a wonderful scoop which entails a meeting of two of Tempe High’s school leaders, oneour relieving Principal Ms Hale and our School Captain Fenella Palanca. It is an enlightening interviewpresenting us with a profile on leadership at Tempe High School from different perspectives. We havetwo significant role models in Ms Hale and Fenella who discuss what the drivers are for leadership andthey also discuss gender balance in schools. Firstly some background on Ms Hale, who in turninterviews Fenella. When Ms Hale was in Year 10, she completed her work experience at a school insouthern Sydney for students with emotional, intellectual and physical disabilities. From that point intime, she knew she wanted to be a teacher. At the end of year 12 (graduating from St George Girls HS), itwas a choice between teaching Mathematics or Languages, having studied 3 unit Maths and 3 unitFrench for the HSC. She chose Mathematics and studied her degree at the University of Sydney. Ms Haletook a Department of Education Teaching Scholarship and had her first teaching job in the Campbelltowndistrict. She says she has “never looked back and loves her job”.

Do you think gender effects the way one leads?

Not necessarily. I believe it depends on personal traits and qualities. There may be a perceptionMs Hale:that women have a more nurturing approach to leadership, however in my experience, I have seen thatquality in both genders in leadership positions. A person leads using their personal and interpersonal skills,along with many other capabilities, including their organisational abilities and strategic vision.

I personally believe that an individual can be considered a good or bad leader regardless of whatFenella:gender they are, but I do think that the experiences men and women face are different and that can havean effect on the way they lead. In my opinion the environment that you grow up in is much moresignificant to building character than something that is predetermined. Unfortunately, though, men andwomen are treated in drastically different ways when it comes to leadership. There seems to be a commonconception that women are expected to lead in a calmer and quieter way— and conversely, men aresupposed to be loud and aggressive in their approach.

The recent Presidential race is a pretty clear example of such expectations, but I don’t think that anyoneshould feel like they should act one way or another because of their gender. As long as you can lead in alogical and relaxed manner— and if you know what you’re doing! — then your approach to leadershipshouldn’t be reliant on your gender. I, for one, am pretty loud when I speak.

Do you believe it is important to have a gender balance in leadership positions?

I believe the way to gain a leadership position should be on merit. A leader needs to be able toMs Hale:demonstrate how ‘fantastic’ they are for a particular role. So, in other words, it may, or may not, work outthat there is a gender balance in positions. If you have the right people doing the right jobs, a genderbalance is inapplicable.

I definitely think that having diverse leadership is beneficial. Again, I think most people are shapedFenella:mostly by their contexts, and as annoying as it may be, men and women do generally grow up in differentsituations because of their gender. I know that the experiences that I have had is different from my malecounterparts in both negative and positive ways, and I think that that means in a leadership group we havea broad range of opinions. I also definitely believe that it’s important to have a gender balance inleadership positions. Of course, I think it’s more important to have a good leader than one that fills thequota of having a woman or another minority, but in leadership groups I believe that if you choose solely

on abilities then you’ll tend to have a diverse mix anyway. Unfortunately this doesn’t seem to happen inthe workforce, where women in leadership roles are still a minority.

In my opinion, I am surrounded by role models. My mum went to university asa mature age student to study law and has had a very successful career. Mylate grandmother dedicated her entire life to supporting her family… Ms Hale

What challenges have you faced in becoming a leader?

I suppose once I decided I wanted to become a leader within my profession, I had to take on a lotMs Hale:of extra roles (some in a voluntary capacity) to gain experience. That took a lot of time and dedication,often affecting my time away from work. It was competitive, so I didn’t get every role I applied for but thatwas a good thing. I learnt a great lesson early on in my career when I applied for an internal Head Teacherrole – you should always prepare for an interview! I just walked in and thought we were going to have a‘friendly chat’, and was caught out when there were official questions to answer. (No surprise I didn’t getthat job but at least I knew how to prepare for the next one.)

One challenge I faced earlier in my career was actually self inflicted. I was too embarrassed to ask for helpor feedback regarding my written job applications and/or interviews. My colleagues and mentors wereoffering me mock interviews as well as the opportunity to read over my resume, but I rarely took them upon the offer. I found those scenarios very uncomfortable. But then I realised, that is how other peoplewere moving forward. I needed to ignore my feelings of embarrassment, and understand that everyonewas trying to help. I now do the same for others that I am mentoring, and I don’t let them say ‘no’.

I have to say, I don’t think that I’ve had to faceFenella:nearly as many challenges becoming a leader as someother women have. I mean, both the SRC and leadershipteam at Tempe have a solid 1:1 ratio when it comes togender. The problems that I face are the ones that mostwomen experience— which usually comes in the form ofbeing talked down to or patronised, or the like. Every nowand then I get called bossy when doing identical things tomy male counterparts, which is a bit of a pet peeve ofmine, as I think it’s quite a gendered word. “Bossiness” ina woman is usually someone else’s “assertiveness”, andthe two words carry pretty different connotations. As Isaid before, though, nothing I’ve faced so far has hinderedme from being able to achieve a leadership role, and Ihope nothing does.

Unfortunately, though, men and women are treated in drastically differentways when it comes to leadership. There seems to be a common conceptionthat women are expected to lead in a calmer and quieter way— andconversely, men are supposed to be loud and aggressive in their approach.Fenella

Have you got any role models?

In my opinion, I am surrounded by role models. My mum went to university as a mature ageMs Hale:student to study law and has had a very successful career. My late grandmother dedicated her entire life tosupporting her family (including grandchildren) and we always talk about her amazing qualities. My sistercommitted everything to overcome a challenge in her life, and won. I have close friends who demonstrateongoing dedication to the role of being a public school teacher and that is why we get on so well. I look upto them. I have worked with amazing Principals at all of my schools – both male and female and they haveinspired me to follow that path. I could go on and on ……

I guess I have a lot of role models, but if I were to name ones that are linked to gender andFenella:feminism— apart from everyone’s favourites like Michelle Obama— then the two who come to mindimmediately would be Margaret Atwood and Ursula K. le Guin. To be completely honest, I only reallystarted learning about them earlier this year, but I really admire them. They’re both female writers whostarting writing in the 1960s, when the feminist movement was in its early stages, and some of their worksmake very interesting comments on gender in society, notably Atwood’s The Handmaiden’s Tale and leGuin’s The Left Hand of Darkness. I really enjoy writing as well, so I definitely see them as role models!

…my aim is that the decisions made will support inspiring, fun, andengaging classrooms. Ms Hale

What are your reasons for becoming a leader?

The ability to have a bigger impact in what I am doing. My drive for being a teacher is all aboutMs Hale:the kids. Sitting in a leadership position (Year Advisor, Head Teacher, Deputy Principal, Principal) has meantthat I am a large part of the decision making processes around ensuring the students are getting the bestopportunities possible. As a teacher, you have adirect impact every day on students. Thedisadvantage of being in a leadership role within aschool, usually means less time ‘teaching’ howevermy aim is that the decisions made will supportinspiring, fun, and engaging classrooms. (Maybe Ishould teach Year 12 Mathematics next year – watchout Fenella!)

I don’t think it’s anything really deep, but IFenella:like public speaking a lot, and also supporting causesthat I believe in, so when you put those twocharacteristics together I guess being in a leadershiprole kind of pops out. I also think it’s really enjoyableto be able to work in a leadership group on behalf ofothers, and it’s a great experience to have somethingyou worked hard on as a leader to turn out well(even if some of them don’t!).

NAIDOC week is a time of the year where we celebrate the history and culture of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is cele-brated not only by Aboriginals, but also by Australians of all ages. It is a time to participate in a range of activities and a great opportunity to support your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Th is year the theme for NAIDOC week was Songlines. Songlines, otherwise known as dream-ing tracks carry signifi cant spiritual and cultural connection to knowledge, customs, ceremo-nies and lore. Th ey were written by the ancestral spirits who created the rivers, lakes, plants, animals and land formations. Songlines covers the journey of the ancestral spirits as they cre-ated the land, animals and lore.Dreaming tracks are recorded in songs, art, stories and dance. Th ey are intricate maps of land and sea. Th ey describe travel and trade routes, locations of waterholes and food. Songlines vary in length; some describe only a few kilometres of land, while others cover hundreds of kilo-metres of land. Th ey have been passed down for thousands of years and are vital in the preser-vation of traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural practises.At Tempe this year, to celebrate NAIDOC week, we invited 4 guests to speak out about their personal life; the challenges they faced and how they overcame them. Th ey also talked about their accomplishments and what they became from them.

Dreaming tracks are recorded in songs, art, stories and dance. Th ey are intricate maps of land and sea. Th ey describe travel and trade routes, locations of waterholes and food. Th e fi rst guest to talk at the NAIDOC assembly was Lindon Coombes, a descendant of an Ab-original tribe. He shares his memories of his childhood, specifi cally about his school life and how he was sent out of school at the age of 14 and went into a job with poor working condi-tions. He overcame this and became the brilliant man he is today with an inspiring story to tell. Th e next guest to speak aft er Coombes, was Madison Shakespeare, a "mother of a stolen gen-eration", says she, who shares the role she plays in today's society; working at the environmen-talist centre. Following her was Trea Mongta who was the fi rst person to complete high school in his family, which was hard for his elders to do so in their youth. Nareen Young was the last speaker to share her story. She attended St. George Girl's High School, in which she and people of Aboriginal background were treated badly, and as a result, a lot of aboriginal people tried to hide their aboriginal culture and backgrounds; impacting their identity.Th ese four guests were also briefl y interviewed, answering some questions about their inspiring past: "Did you face racism in school and how did you fi ght it?"Aunty Carol replied with an insight on her experience in Bankstown Girls High School, where racism was abundant, but she was encouraged by a teacher, bringing her confi dence. Trea Mon-gta didn't experience much of racism in public school, but faced it in boarding school. He went to a school that was divided in racial groups, so he couldn't "hang out" with people of diff erent

races, as well as comments on the income that his parents had earned. "What advice would you give young people today about how to achieve their goals?"Each of them encouraged young people today; to does things you enjoy, and fi nd what you want to do and fi gure out how to make money for it. "Passions changes and opportunities change" Th e guest received small cups as a sign of gratitude for taking their time to speak to us about their inspiring past.

A little surprise message was announced at the end of the assembly; the Indigenous Debating Team won! Th ank you to the guests for inspiring the students of Tempe and congratulations to the Indigenous Debating Team.

Brooklyn Pulevaka at the Indig ous Great Debate

Mundarrah Welsh-Jarrett at the Indig ous Great Debate

The Genius of Science!

Physicist Richard Vickery providing feed-back to the Year 9 students.

Kelsie Dadd checking out students experiments.

Mason Tran

Science! The first things that probably come to mind are the stereotypical microscopes, lab coats, textbooks and overflowing test tubes. Well, you’re right! Every year, the Year 9 students complete their SRP and the best of the best are selected to participate in the Science Fair competition at Tempe where professional scientists are invited to judge their presentations. This was a great op-portunity and an amazing experience for everyone who got involved and had a chance to interact with professional scientists who gave them feedback. Science is not just about tests and exper-iments, but working together as a team and learning how to apply science to the greater world!

The Science in Schools is a national program man-aged by CSIRO allowing all students to have an op-portunity to showcase and present their creative ideas and thinking. It involves mathematics, science, engineering and technology. The aim of the program is to provide as much interactivity as possible to all students and creating a notion of learning being a fun experience as well as inspiring students to achieve bigger things in life. The CSIRO program holds a sci-ence fair which allows students to promote in criti-cal thinking, science processes and communication.

“The Science in Schools Program has been running for around 5 years at Tempe High School and as from what we’ve seen, out of all the schools we’ve been to, Tempe is one of the most creative and best- man-aged school”, said Richard Vickery who is a physicist.

The CSIRO Program is managed and held in both primary and secondary Australian schools pro-viding an opportunity for both innovative young and older students to display their experiments and ideas that can be applied to the real world.

“Tempe is so fortunate in having wonderful, passion-ate teachers especially Mr Murphy who is able to teach and manage the science department well. In fact, Tem-pe’s science department is such a great place with many amazing teachers; many students we’ve seen are very passionate and fortunate about their work especially from what we’ve seen in the Science Fair”, said Kelsie Dadd who is both a parent and a professional geologist.

Phot

ogra

phy

by M

ason

Partnerships between innovative and inspiring science professionals and teach-ers provide a contemporary experience to all students participating and giv-ing them an understanding of how science can be applied to modern technology.

“Science based on the curriculum is going well. It’s a challenge for teachers to go through all information they must teach whilst keeping science fun and interactive as pos-sible. As from what we’ve seen, out of all the schools we’ve been to, Tempe is do-ing a great job keeping science creative and fun”, commented by all three scientists.

“Science is definitely going in a good direction for students because the amount of knowl-edge is increasing explosively for people. But at the same time it also makes it difficult to teach students everything they need to know and so teachers and scientists have to pin-point specific parts to educate them. As well as, it is harder to bring people to the fore-front and engage with the increasing use of technology.” said Tatjana Seizora - Cajic

Tatjana Seizora - Cajic giving advice on studentex

Photographs by Mason Tran

Science ReligionJoseph Xu

Over the past decade, the advancement in science technology has greatly affected the once universal application of religions. Ever since new ideas such as the publication of “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection” by Charles Darwin, religion has had contradictions opposing science. In the 19th century, atheism has increased in an exponential rate. This has led to the idea of Science versus Religion. The concept of science versus religion is now widely known in modern society, appearing in many topics and discussions. Religious Scientists have declined the most as they spend their life researching things which contradict religion leading them to believe the study with contains more substantial evidence. However, not all scientists are atheists. Although more than 85% scientists believe in the fact that life evolved from a natural process, almost half of them believe in some form of deity or higher power. Here in Tempe High School, we are one of the schools with the greatest cultural diversities with students believing in a range of religions. Students learn to communicate and ex-change cultures with events including armony ay and pring estival.

Science v s Religion has always been an ethical topic, some people are heavy believers of each topic while others try to integrate them together and live in equilibrium. Science mainly relates to reason, empiricism and evidence while religion acknowledges revelation, faith and sacredness. It is believed that if one exists, the other must be false, that is the war between science and religion.It depends on the perspective you have on the topic. If you have a view on both perspectives, you can easily have the benefits of believing in science as well as religion.

Michael Chau in year 10 is a firm believer of Caodaism. He describes his experience here as ‘welcoming’. ‘I was once very sceptical about coming to this school because of my religion; however Tempe has treated me with care and I feel comfortable in this environment.’

Matthew Powell in Year 10 is a devout Christian. When asked about his perspective on science and religion, he responded with “I believe that science and religion do indeed have their conflicts, for example dinosaurs, but these ideas are merely ideas. Why not just believe in both and be even more enlightened? Also, I believe that science and religion only conflict after death” These are the kind of perspectives we need

Although there exists an idea such as this, it is merely an idea. Science and religion can exist side by side without conflict.

Alvin Zhou

Photography by Alvin Zhou

1. We love to hear about your particular place in the school which empowers you. In this case what is thisplace in the school?

2. How long have you been in the school? Has the time given you experience of place and a feeling ofbelonging?

3. Can you tell us why this place is special to you?4. If you were to move to a new school, what would you miss the most?5. What do you think is the most popular place in the school for students? Why do you think so?

Leo Zhou & Victor Nyugen

THIS AREA IS FOR THE PHOTO OF MR LYONS - THE PHOTO WILL BE TAKEN SOON

THIS AREA IS FOR THE PHOTO OF MR PRASAD - THE PHOTO WILL BE TAKEN SOON

THIS AREA IS FOR THE PHOTO OF MARCUS GARVEY - THE PHOTO WILL BE TAKEN SOON

Vy Bui and Martina Bai

Ms. Dass, Thank you for agreeing to share with us what “Christ-mas” means to you and the Aboriginal people. We were wondering if there are any differences between the ‘generic Christmas idea – like giving presents and singing carols’ and how you might cele-brate it?Ms. Dass:

Vy Bui and Martina Bai

Koori Culture at Tempe

You mentioned there being two different parts, one being the Urban Ab-original perspective and the traditional Aboriginal perspective – we were wondering if you could give us some info on the traditional customs and ways?Ms. Dass:

Wow! That sounds really nice. We were also wondering if there are any preparations you usually do in the lead up to Christmas.Ms. Dass:

Ms. Dass, we were wondering if you could tell us more about how a mob comes into play?Ms. Dass:

We really want to thank Ms. Dass very much for giving us an insight of the traditional Koori Culture and how she and others celebrate

of Australia celebrate Christmas.

“Christmas pudding is the best part of the feast” – Molly, Irish backgroud

“Yorkshire puddings and roast veggies make the Christmas experience so much more wholehearted and familiar” – Camille, British background

Christmas InAustraliaToday with the huge influx of overseas migrants our Christmas celebrations are heavily influenced by the ethnicity of families involved. Common sense is prevailing today in terms of weather. Traditional dinners have been replaced with family gatherings in back yards, picnics in parks, gardens and on the beach. For many, it is the occasion to be with friends and relatives, to share love and friendship and not to forget, the exchange of gifts in the traditional manner. For many, it is of course a time to enjoy and consume massive quan-tities of food. A typical Christmas menu could include seafood, glazed ham, cold chicken, duck or turkey, cold deli meats, pasta, salads galore, desserts of all types, fruit salad, pavlovas, ice-cream plus Christmas edibles of all varieties such as mince pies,fruit cake, shortbread, chocolates etc.

Christmas In BrazilA huge Christmas dinner, unusual in the hot summertime, includes turkey, ham, colored rice, and wonderful vegetable and fruit dishes.

Christmas In Canada Most people eat turkey for their Christmas dinner, but in the old days people used to eat Tourtire, which is a sort of stew made of a layer of meat, a layer of potatoes, a layer of onions, another layer of meat, potatoes, onions and so on till it is big enough. A layer of pastry goes on top to cover and then you cook it for a long time. Christmas dinner is called "Reveillon" (waking up) and it is eaten when people come back from Midnight Mass, maybe at two o'clock in the morning.

Christmas In France The Christmas tree has never been particularly popular in France, and though the use of the Yule log has faded, the French make a traditional Yule log-shaped cake called the buche de Nol, which means "Christmas Log." The cake, among other food in great abundance is served at the grand feast of the season, which is called le rveillon. Le rveillon is a very late supper held after midnight mass on Christmas Eve. The menu for the meal varies according to regional culinary tradition. In Alsace, goose is the main course, in Burgundy it is turkey with chestnuts, and the Parisians feast upon oysters and pat de foie gras.

“My mum cooks Dahl”– Vyas, Hindu background

“Pork dumplings are my favourite” – Elton, Chinese background Christmas In Spain

Christmas Eve is known as Nochebuena or "the Good Night." It is a time for family members to gather together to rejoice and feast around the Nativity scenes that are present in nearly every home. A traditional Christmas treat is turron, a kind of almond candy.

Christmas around the worldAnh Duong & Anson Celerio

Photography by Anh D

uong

“My grandma bakes Christmas cookies and I also enjoy ham, and sea food” – Brynn, Austral an

Christmas in JapanBesides exchanging gifts they eat turkey on Christmas Day, and in some places there are even community Christmas trees. They decorate their houses with evergreens and mistletoe, and in some homes Christmas carols are sung gaily.

Christmas in Russia Christmas Eve dinner is meatless but festive. The most important ingredient is a special porridge called kutya. It is made of wheat berries or other grains which symbolize hope and immortality, and honey and poppy seeds which ensure happiness, success, and untroubled rest. A ceremony involving the blessing of the home is frequently observed. A priest visits the home accom-panied by boys carrying vessels of holy water, and a little water is sprinkled in each room. The kutya is eaten from a common dish to symbolize unity.

Christmas in PolandIn Poland, an elaborate tradition called Wigilia is celebrated. Beginning on Christmas Eve, a strict 24-hour fast is observed which ends with a huge Christmas feast. In honor of the star of Bethlehem, the meal cannot begin until the first star of night appears. Though Christmas is Poland is officially known as Bozz Narodzenie, it is most often referred to as Gwiazdka, which means "little star." Once the star appears, a special rice wafer blessed by the parish priest called oplatek, is broken into pieces and shared by all. Finally the meal can begin. The feast consists of twelve courses, one for each Apostle. The table is always set with one extra seat in case a stranger or the Holy Spirit should appear to share the meal.

Christmas in PortugalChristmas is celebrated in much the same way in Portugal as it is in Spain. The Portugese enjoy an additional feast, called consoada, in the early morn-ing hours of Christmas Day. They set extra places at the table for alminhas a penar ("the souls of the dead"). In some areas crumbs are left on the hearth for these souls, a custom that derives from the ancient practice of entrusting seeds to the dead in hopes that they will provide a bountiful harvest.

Christmas in Germany"Dickbauch" means "fat stomach" and is a name given to the Christmas Eve in Germany because of the tradition that those who do not eat well on Christ-mas Eve will be haunted by demons during the night. So the opportunity is given to enjoy dishes such as suckling pig, "reisbrei" (a sweet cinnamon), white sausage, macaroni salad, and many regional dishes. Christmas Day brings with it a banquet of plump roast goose, "Christstollen" (long loaves of bread bursting with nuts, raisins, citron and dried fruit), "Lebkuchen" (spice bars), marzipan, and "Dresden Stollen" ( a moist, heavy bread filled with fruit).

Christmas in GreeceAfter 40 days of fasting, the Christmas feast is looked forward to with great anticipation. Turkeys are slaughtered,young lamg is roasted and on almost every table are loaves of christopsomo. This bread is made in large sweet loaves of various shapes and the crusts are engraved and decorated in some way that reflects the family's profession. ("Christ Bread").Melomakarona , kataifi, baklava and kourabiedes are prepared to enjoy after dinner .

“I eat snags on Christmas” – Gabrielle, Australian

“Cold meat is definitely an es-sential plate on the table” – Mr. Fulton

Will It Be Okay?Sam Martin

Th e sweaty coins slid sandlike through her fi ngers. She could smell tension in the air. Walking onto the bus felt like a rabbit hopping into a fi eld of foxes. “We’re off to Bondi!” Th ree lit up faces revealed crooked smiles. Unfamiliar colours, blues, white and reds, gold and green dominated the bus. “It will be okay” she sighed quietly reassuring herself as well as her children.

Mariamar had wrapped her hair in her dark hijab. She had carefully drawn black eyeliner under her wide deep blue eyes and used sunscreen to cover the freckles boldly covering her face. She could feel eyes of all ages targeting her while frantically nudging her children to sit down. Her children Moham-med, Rima and Hassan had all inherited their father’s hazel green eyes and their mother’s speckled freckles. Th e queasy feeling returned. Her fi ngers became fi dgety, her legs clattering. Th e only sound was her breathing, rapidly increasing.

“Stop!” her voice cried in panic and desperation. She pushed the children quickly off the bus.

Mohammed, Rima and Hassan burst into a ball of excitement, jumping up and down on the scorching grey pavement hugging one another. ‘Where’s the beach?’ they shouted, their hands tightly clutching their gear with utmost excitement.

“We could go to the beach tomorrow?” she said to the kids. Th ey looked at her with confusion. Mari-amar was hot with frustration and anger. Her children did not understand the hard times she and her husband Mohammed had endured to get where they are today. Th ey were too young to understand that their father sacrifi ced everything for them. She shook with sadness and disappointment She knew she was the glue and the hope to her children. Eyes closed, her heart violently thudded against her chest.

Her fi ngers caught in her smooth dress. She had to be strong. She remembered all the times her loving husband told her she was stronger than she thought, and despite how simple the task of getting on the bus to her small but homely fl at in Lakemba sounded, she grimaced at the thought.

Th ey stayed at the bus stop and waited. January in Sydney was fi lled with the smell of frangipanis and people wearing thongs and singlets. She felt overdressed but safe in her hijab. Another bus pulled up with a screech. Taking deep breaths she timidly handed over the correct money and climbed on with her children. Th ey sat close to the front near the safety of the driver.

Th e sand was oozing in between their toes while they wandered around inhaling the strong and un-familiar aroma of sunscreen. Th e saltiness of the ocean pierced their nostrils. Laughter and singing tumbled into their ears like the waves that crashed in front of them. Th e beach was fl ooded with pa-triotic colours making the sand almost as blue as the ocean. Directly in front of them Mariamar saw an Australian fl ag standing boldly and intimidatingly just like the buildings once did back home. Mo-hammed, Rima and Hassan were bouncing up and down with their hands clapping and face beaming. “I wanna swim Mum!!” Mohammed urged. “Us too Mummy!!” Rima and Hassan added on. Stay close to me okay” she instructed her children, her face beaming. Th ey had made it to the most famous beach in Australia.

“How does it feel to be raising terrorists?” A bronze woman with pruned skin eyed Mariamar’s hijab. Th e deafening words repeated like the sounds of bombs. Th e sensation of the burning sand disap-peared. Th e laughter that fi lled the air left . Marimar’s body stiff ened. “How could someone be so heart-less” she sniffl ed. Her thoughts were going a thousand miles contemplating whether to defend herself or just move on. Australia was supposed to be an accepting and appreciative country yet all she felt was vulnerable and unprotected, like back home. “Th e place was not what I expected,” she pondered to herself.

As the smell of tension returned she noticed more eyes aggressively targeting her. “Th e place was not what I expected” she chanted, each time more louder, stronger and aggressive. “S’cuse me! I’m talkin to ya!” the woman screeched. Mariamar felt more eyes upon her. She cradled her children protecting them with her arms.

In her mind the sand turned into the gritty grains of Syrian dirt that fi lled the holes in her socks. Aft er the bomb she remembered frantically searching her bedroom but all she could see was poverty, de-struction and war. Her grandmother’s chest of draws was crumpled and barely standing – blasted by the force of the bombs. Her ears were ringing; her vision blurry and her mouth had a lingering salty taste from tears. It felt hopeless. But then later, she recalled her feet bouncing up and down and her lips passionately kissing her husband when she heard about the opportunity to come to Australia. Maria-mar heard Mohammed’s words again “You are stronger than you think”. She cried. “I must be strong” she mumbled under her breath, “I HAVE to be strong”.

“It will be okay Mummy” Mohammed encouragingly said.

Looking down at her son, everything changed. Mariamar’s eyes targeted the woman’s and then she turned.

Her hands clutched her children’s and they slowly walked closer to the ocean. Th e salty taste returned to Maraimar’s mouth though this time she felt diff erent. “I must be strong. I HAVE to be strong,” she chanted in her mind while her tears washed her fears away. As they walked, the laughter of a child gradually became louder and louder. Mariamar searched desperately and excitedly looking for where the laughter came from.

She saw a picnic rug fi lled with leaf wrapped parcels, jars of olives marinated in oil and feta and spin-ach toped with pastry. Children and families of all ethnicities fi lled her vision. Mariamar’s face broke into a gentle smile as she held her children tightly in her arms and whispered, “It will be okay”

Our Good Captain!Annie Lin

The role of school captain is more than just a badge and a title. It means being a good leader and representative of the school, respecting friends and peers, being trustworthy, and having pride in the school community. Harry Murphy approached his role with enthusiasm, determination, an open mind and kept every students interest at heart. This is an extract of a longer interview with Harry Murphy looking at his perspective of returning back to the institution he spent six precious years in.

Q: What do you find rewarding about stepping back into the high school which you were such a big part of?

It is a great opportunity to give something back to the school that gave me heaps of great opportunities. What I find rewarding is seeing our kids succeed-ing as they move through high school, and even once they’ve left school it’s great to see them achieving their goals that they have set for themselves.

Q: Have you experi ced any awkward moments now you are a staff mem-

What makes a good school captain? The best leaders are students who take on challenges will-ingly, students who do not need prompting to get the job done; actively look for ways of con-tributing. Rather than work in bursts of energy, there is a consistency of effort in what they do. Harry Murphy, 21, the school captain of Tempe High school 2013 is a prime example of a good school captain. Even three years after gradua-tion, he still frequently visits Tempe, working as Aboriginal Programs Coordinator.

ber working with your past teachers? If so what is your most memorable moment so far?

Not so much awkward as it is funny! I have had a few teachers remind me of my lack of application in some subjects; it’s funny because we can laugh about it now.

“But for the most part it’s really great getting to work with some of my old teachers and see things from a new perspective.”

Q: Has this job provided you with insights on what you were like as a Tem-pe High School student?

Very much so, it’s really interesting interacting with the current students and sharing my experiences of the school with them, and giving them advice to help them do as well as they possibly can while they’re here at Tempe. It’s also made me realise that I definitely could’ve applied myself more when I was a student here, which is the biggestword of advice I would give to current stu-dents- you only get one shot at it, so don’t waste your time!

Q: Has this experience at Tempe High School inform your future plans?

This experience has informed my future plans greatly. I am now planning on studying teaching, and a lot of that decision has been based off the experience of coming back to Tempe .

Q: As a previous Tempe High School capt n what advice would you offer the students who will be taking on this role?

The only advice I would give to anyone hop-ing to be school captain is that if you’re lucky enough to be chosen as school captain, it is a great honour and should not be taken for granted. You will have a lot of people looking up to you and it is not something that should be taken lightly. Also enjoy it, it’s a great oppor-tunity and you should make the most of it.

Thank you Harry for your time and good luck in your future

Our 2013 Tempe High School Captain

Rio Olympics 2016 Kaimin Lin and Regan Gauchan

IS AUSTRALIA SPENDING TOO MUCH MONEY?

HOW WELL WILL AUSTRALIA PERFORM IN THE TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS?

Kunho and Charlie’s Christmas Songs

Kelly ClarksonSilent Night

One of the most loved old time classical carols which is still loved to this day. Representing a peaceful snow-covered village while revel-ling in the majestic silence of the wintry night and surrounded with the combination of candles and Christmas themed decorations, Silent Night is definitely a song worth listening to!Genre-CarolRating- 5/5

Mariah CareyAll I want for Christmas is you

One of the originals composed by a sing a song writer Mariah Carey who will bring the loved ones together for another joyful Christmas! It’s a Christmas song but has no religious content. Everybody under-stands desire and love and this song is expressed as an universal message towards everyone wrapped in a Christmas bow. Definitely a song to lighten up your Christmas this year! Suitable for all ages, this song is definitely a mood lifting song for children and adults to sing along. Genre-PopRating- 5/5

TTS -Dear SantaHeard of Gangnam style? Well this band of 3 internationally famous singers, TTS came into the charts with an unusual Christmas carol last year. What a success the sub-unit group had by introducing a Christmas carol instead of a pop song. This song is definitely for the new generation kids to listen to and there is an English version too!

Genre - PopRating 4/5

Bobby HelmsJingle bell rockOne of the first mainstream rock ‘n’ roll Christmas songs by bobby helms. Although this single was released 2 days before Christmas in 1957 it still remains #6 on the pop chart. This song is a great example of the genre rock ‘n’ roll with its funky beat style of metal pans and its catchy lyrics making it an all-time classic. Moreover, the lyrics create a cheery vibe and can set the mood up while celebrating for Christmas. Definitely a must listen.Genre – Rock ‘n’ RollRating 4/5

James Pierpont (composer)Jingle BellsI’m sure everyone here has listened to jingle bells before. A must-know Christmas pop song that the whole family can enjoy which is suitable for all ages. This song has been around for ages and has still been relevant in cherishing Christmas to this day. The history speaks for itself, it’s a must!

Genre - ChristmasRating 4.5/5

New Year, New Movies Angela Zhou

Bad Santa 2Release Date: November 24Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Brett Kelly, Tony Cox Genre: Comedy, crimeSynposis: Fuelled by cheap whiskey and greed, a foulmouthed criminal (Billy Bob Thornton), his mean mother (Kathy Bates) and their angry side-kick (Tony Cox) conspire to bilk a Chicago charity on Christmas Eve.Anticipation: Following the success of Bad Santa 1, high expectations have been set for the sequel. The movie is known for its humorous scenes and will appeal to audiences of all ages.

TrollsRelease Date: December 1Cast: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, Zooey Deschanel and many moreGenre: Animation, Comedy, familySynopsis: Poppy (Anna Kendrick), the optimistic leader of the trolls, and Branch (Justin Timberlake), her polar opposite, embark on an adventure that takes them far beyond the only world they’ve ever known.Anticipation: From the directors of Shrek, comes the most anticipated an-imation of the year. Trolls is a fresh, broad comedy filled with music, heart and hair raising adventures

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Grab some popcorn,get comfy and enjoy the holidays with these fun new movies with friends and family

SingRelease Date: December 21Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon and many moreGenre: Animation, Adventure, ComedySynopsis: Dapper Koala Buster Moon presides over a once-grand theat-er that has fallen on hard times. An eternal optimist, he loves his theatre above all and will do anything to preserve it. Facing the crumbling of his life’s ambition, he takes one final chance to restore his fading jewel to its former glory by producing the world’s greatest singing competition. Anticipation: Packed full of singing from huge stars, viewers can enjoy this fresh movie with their families.

MoanaRelease Date: December 26Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Alan Tudyk, Auli’i Cravalho and many moreGenre: Animation, Adventure, ComedySynopsis: An adventurous teenager sails out on a daring mission to save her people. During her journey, Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) meets the once-mighty demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson), who guides her in her quest. Together they sail across the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, en-countering enormous monsters and impossible odds. Anticipation: Moana gathered wide interest around the world for its unique characters and is gaining popularity is on the rise.

Jean GreyAs The Phoenix, Jean Grey is one of the most pow-erful mutants ever created in the pages of Marvel comics. She’s one of the most powerful beings in the universe and has been around since the beginning of X-Men, immortal and well, cannot die at all, it seems, which makes her infinitely intimidating and amazing.“We come into this world alone and we leave the same way. The time we spent in between - time spent alive, sharing, learning together... is all that makes life worth living.” – Jean Grey

StormAs one of the first coloured female characters to take on an important role in comics, Storm is historically significant in addition to being a compelling character. She is one of the most powerful superheroes on this list thanks to her control over the weather and she wields that power expertly and carefully, eventually going on to lead the X-Men. Her combination of composure and immense power make her intimidatingly cool.

“I am a woman, a mutant, a thief, an X-Men, a lover, a wife, a queen. I am all these things. I am Storm, and for me, there are no such things as limits .” - Storm

Marvel Heroines Vy Bui

Marvel movies are one of the leading motion pictures to overturn the antiquated stereotype in-sisting that women can’t take a charge or be leaders – real heroes. The definition of what makes a hero (and specifically a female hero) is ever-widening, leading to lead females who are just as complicated and realistic as they are effective and strong. Representation is important, especially for a readership looking to connect with a character they can find some facet of themselves in. Heroes inspire us, but they also resonate with us because their struggles are all too human. There are all different kinds of women who make all different kinds of heroes, and they’re all wonderful in their own way. All our favorite female comic characters are coming to life on screen -- who quite like walking away from explosions without looking back just as much as their male counterparts.

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Black WidowNatasha Romanoff has seen the most big-screen attention as of the last few years, though all the fan clamoring was never able to result in a solo film outing. Natasha is a complex character that has seen many rewrites and revisions in her personal history, and she is also on a unique journey for a female character: she is the for-mer bad guy on a mission of redemption. The reserved hero on a lonely path to-wards absolution is a popular trope, but not one that many women get to headline.

“This is what I am now. And you’ll never know who I was before.” – Natasha Romanov

Scarlet WitchLike many immensely powerful characters, Wanda Max-imoff has to deal with how to wield her power so that she can control it without it hurting her or someone she loves. She is not always able to do so. Add her ever-shift-ing parentage and heavy themes of discrimination (not only as a mutant, but as a Romani woman), and you have an incredibly complex (some might say convoluted) sto-ry with a very rich character right in the middle of it.

“But everyone’s story begins once upon a time...and it’s up to us to cherish the time we’re given to en-sure we live happily ever after.” – Scarlet Witch

Pokémon Go, made and customised by Niantic, isa profoundly drifting game that got numerousindividuals intrigued. This game was discharged on July sixth, 2016 which comprises of wild Pokémon that can be found on a screen with a live GPS tracker. This gives it a reproduction ofdiscovering Pokémon, in actuality. Your objective in this game assumes control, however, many “gyms” as could be expected under the circumstances. These gyms can be control by setting Pokémon. It can likewise be control by an alternate player.

between the other players’ Pokémon with your Pokémon.This game is ing for me due to the fervour of discovering new and unique Pokémon . With these Pokémon’s you can challenge your rivals inside a gym. Additionally, this game

fact that you cannow play inside a vehicle, there are advantages you can get just by strolling. One of them is that you are limited to street territories. As somebody who played Pokémon Go for quite a while, Pokémon’s don’t show up as much on

The second reason is eggs, because as you discover eggs through a poke stop (which are mostly found

in urban zones can be brought

implies you can’t bring forth these eggswhile inside a vehicle. These eggs you

Adrian Lin

An Introducation To

ICandy Cane Popcorn

Marshmallow Pops

Gingerbread Snowglobes Gingerbread Snowglobes

A Christmas Carol (2009)Genre:Synopsis:

5 Classic Christmas MoviesMason Tran

1Home Alone (1990)Genre:Synopsis:

2

3The Polar Express (2004)Genre:Synopsis:

4Elf (2003)Genre:Synopsis:

5Gremlins (1984)Genre:Synopsis:

K-DRAMAS TO BINGE WATCH FOR X-MAS

Descendants of the Sun

After a brief encounter in Seoul, Yoo Shi Jin (Song Joong Ki), captain of a South Korean Special Forces unit, and Kang Mo Yeon (Song Hye Kyo), a cardiothoracic surgeon, meet again in Urk, a war torn country. This drama follows the development of their love story whilst balancing their professional commitments.

Doctors

Shaped by the many scars from her childhood, Yoo Hye Jung (Park Shin Hye) always acted impolitely and violently towards others. Her life completely changes when she meets Ji Hong (Kim Rae Wong), a teacher of new her school, who helps build on her aspirations to become a doctor.

Love in the Moonlight

Hong Ra On (Kim Yoo Jung), a female disguised as a man has herself caught into becoming a eunuch to Crown Prince Hyo Myeong (Park Bo Gum). Unaware that Ra On is a woman, Hyo Myeong falls in love with her setting a rumour around the palace that the Crown Prince is gay. In this drama we see the path they take in order to achieve their love.

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W - Two WorldsOh Yeon Joo (Han Hyo Joo), a cardiothoracic surgeon gets dragged into another dimension created by her father Oh Seong Moo (Kim Eui Seung), a famous webtoon writer. She meets Kang Chul (Lee Jong Suk), the main character in her father’s webtoon ‘W’ and after saving his life, she grows attached to him. Her father desperately tries to end this webtoon with the death of Kang Chul but Yeon Joo sees him as more than just a book character and risks her life to save his.

Let’s FIght Ghost

Kim Hyun Ji (Kim So Hyun) a high school student who has been dead for 5 years and Park Bong Pal (Ok Taec Yeon) who has the ability to see ghosts and exorcise them. His advertisement is “Will face off with your ghosts. Chances of winning: virgin ghosts 80%, bachelor ghosts 40%, child ghosts 97%, the rest 50%.”

Moon Lovers : Scarlet Heart Ryeo

Moon Lovers is a Korean remake of a famous Chinese novel that follows the story of Ko Ha Jin / Hae Soo (played by IU) who travels from the 21st century to the Goryeo Dynasty. With the sudden personality change of Hae Soo, an in-law to the royal family, comes much more drama as rivalry and politics begin to overwhelm the once cheerful palace life.

Cinderella and The Four KnightsEun Ha Won (Park So Dam) a bright but lonely high school girl abused by her stepmother and stepsister, has a dream of becoming a teacher. After helping out the chairman of Kang enterprise, she is offered a job at his house with his three grand-sons Kang Ji Woon (Jung Il Woo), Kang Hyun Min (Ahn Jae Hyun) and Kang Seo Woo (Lee Jung Shin). Through taking this job, her goal was to pay for college and achieve her dream of becoming a teacher yet along the way she also finds love.

Uncontrollably Fond

Shin Joon-young (Kim Woo-bin) and No Eul (Bae Suzy) were a couple who were separated during their teenage years due to an ill-fated relationship, but later meet each other in life. Shin Joon-young is now a top actor-singer while No Eul is a documentary producer.

VICTORIA NGUYEN & KYLIE LIANG

By Jacky Xie

Joshua Hong

By Tiffany Luong

Christmas Find A Word