War on Waste

Hi Girls,

Today I wanted to talk to you all about a large problem we are facing in our world. Waste. Waste is one of the most pressing issues in the world, affecting all Australians. The ABC Documentary War on Waste is currently airing their second season and is a real eye opener. Although depressing, it is also really inspirational. War on Waste has so far covered waste issues such as; the cosmetic standards super markets place on food, food wastage, single use plastics, the waste in our waterways and the affect that has on our environment and the recycling issues that are currently at large. Waste mightn't be something you think about every day, but after just 10 minutes of watching the show you will be inspired to take action. As we are the younger generation, it is vital we understand the pressing issues in our world and understand it isn't an issue for someone else to deal with because everything we do dramatically effects the world. Below is a list of some ways you can reduce your impact on the world and help Australia win the war on waste!

Plastics Recycling

Plastics make up a large part of the weekly rubbish collected by families. Almost all food are wrapped in plastics (another issue in itself) and these plastics take a very long time to break down. Plastics is arguably the largest issue in waste management as because of its long life and throw out manor, plastic end up in water ways. It is no secret plastic is dramatically negatively effecting the natural world, with it killing numerous amounts of animals. If you want to help reduce the plastics ending up in landfill, you can recycle your soft plastics in most Coles and Woolworths and at other recycling depots. These plastics are then transformed into other items such as park benches. For me, whenever I have plastic waste in my lunch box I take it back home with me to then be recycled with the other plastics. You can also change your habits by having a 'nude' lunchbox by taking in a Tupperware container instead of pre-packaged food.

Cardboard Recycling

I believe recycling is an issue Australia is pretty good at. Recycling at home is integrated into everyday life, yet these practices are not moved into school. Brigidine has started recycling through the paper recycling stations in classrooms. This is a really great initiative and if you can follow it, than you can dramatically reduce your waste you produce. Especially at the end of the school term when lockers are cleaned out, lots of paper and books are not recycled and chucked straight into the bin. By taking old books and paper home and then recycling, you will help our world.

Plastic Bottles

Plastic bottles are almost always single use. This is a real issue as when buying a bottle of water, you are just buying the bottle! On top of this, bottled water has been proven to be exactly the same as tap waters. A fact I found really interesting (not from War on Waste) is that the Voss water, probably the most well-known brand of expensive bottled water, is just tap water. Although it is sometimes hard to always remember to bring your water bottle, instead of buying water at tuckshop, keep your water bottle or a plastic water bottle in your locker.

Thanks girls for reading. A great example of the positive effect small changes can make is from War on Waste at Kiama High School where the school changed their waste sent to landfill dramatically.  Although it seems like a lot of work to change our habits and it may seem a bit extreme, it is so important to save our world. I know for me, waste is the issue I am most passionate about and I always stress the importance of recycling, I hope some of you can be inspired to take action and help your family reduce your impact on the world. If you want to watch the eye-opening War on Waste, it is on ABC iView.

Tips and Tricks for Staying Organised

During high school, it is not unusual to feel as if you have mountains of homework and assessment to do, but don't worry! This article will provide you with a few tips on how to make the best of your time so that these tasks get completed on time, as well as a few tricks on general organisation, to help make schoolwork a bit more manageable.

1: Set a specific time to do homework/assessments
One of the major problems when trying to get homework or assessments finished is procrastination - I am one of the many people guilty of putting off schoolwork! This is why I find it useful to set a specific time to do my homework. The time that you start your homework will be unique to you, depending on your outside-of-school activities, but I always aim to start my homework in the afternoon if possible (usually 4/5pm). Also, if you start your homework earlier, you will be able to get to sleep earlier and avoid being too tired the next day!

2: Break down large tasks into smaller ones
Sometimes, the reason for putting off a large homework task or assignment is not knowing where to start, but you will find that by breaking down a task into smaller parts, it will become more manageable. Try splitting a writing assignment into sections or paragraphs (introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion), and aim to write each section by a certain time or date. For smaller homework tasks, like maths questions, aim to complete a certain number of questions by a specific time, and finish the rest by another time or date before they are due.

3: Set your own rules and deadlines for completing tasks
Never leave finishing a large task until the night before it is due! Instead, set yourself basic deadlines as to when you want to have different pieces of assessment/homework done - for example, you could try to have your assignments completed two days before they are due. Your school planner is a great way to enforce this! It is an easy, obvious way to record (and highlight/colour!) when different tasks need to be done by. Alternatively, you could make yourself or buy a small calendar for the same purpose. By completing homework and assessment with time to spare, your stress will be reduced and you will have extra time for other tasks and activities.

4: Do schoolwork somewhere that's not cluttered or distracting
The key to getting schoolwork done quickly is doing it without distractions! You are likely to take way less time doing homework at a desk in a decluttered place than on the couch in front of the TV - trust me, I would know! Having said this, listening to music or other background noise can also be helpful in staying focussed and relaxed when doing homework. If you're still getting distracted though, try using apps which are specifically designed to keep you focussed while doing schoolwork, such as 'KeepMeOut', among others!

5: Leave yourself time to relax
In order to make the most out of the time you're doing your homework, you should always take breaks in between tasks. I tend to do homework for one to three subjects at a time (depending on how long they take), then I will take a short break (anywhere between ten and thirty minutes) before finishing any other schoolwork I have to do. This way, I am more focussed and clear-minded when doing my schoolwork, making it easier and quicker to do!



Written by Ashleigh Gordon

Introductions to our Blog Team

Alice K

Hey friends, my name is Alice and I'm so excited to be part of the blog team this year and can't wait to share my ideas with you all.  Ok, so some stuff about me.  I have dark blonde hair and brown eyes, but olive coloured skin.  I am Irish, but also an Irish dancer, and I love it, if anyone is thinking about joining just come find me.  This year I hope to involve everyone into blog to get some great ideas as well much inspiration.  Have a great year!

Annabelle V E

Hi, my name is Annabelle! I’m in Foley2 and I come across as very quiet if you don’t know me well. I’m constantly debating with myself whether to listen to music or watch Netflix (what a dilemma). I love spending time with my friends and dogs. My favourite subjects are Digital design and Visual Art, surprisingly both my electives. I’m really looking forward to this and I hope you guys are to!

Annalise I

Hiya! I'm Annalise, you can call me Lisey if you want, that's what all my friends call me! Well a fun fact about me is that I am a rollercoaster student, that mean when it comes to grades you never know what I get. I've actually gotten every grade that you can get, from A+ to an E-. I know I didn't even think you can get an E-, but apparently you can. I am very excited to be on the blog team this year! I hope you guys like what we post!

-Annalise I (Lisey) MK5 YR 9

Ashleigh G

Hey everyone! My name is Ashleigh and I'm from Mackillop 4. I love anything to do with the Arts - dancing, singing, drawing and painting are some of my favourite things to do - and my favourite subject is Visual Art. Even though I can be pretty quiet in class, you'll often hear me laughing whenever I'm around my friends or trying something new, particularly when I'm doing PE (who knew I was so uncoordinated!). I'm so excited to be part of the blog this year, and I hope you enjoy reading our articles!

Ella J

Hi! My name is Ella and I am in Foley 1. I love swimming and reading and sometimes I get so involved in a book that I stay up half the night trying to finish it! My favourite book is Ruby Redfort and my favourite movie is Hunt for the Wilder People. I enjoy the subjects: Japanese, History and English and I really want a dog! When I am older, I think I want to be a journalist but I don't know yet. I am so excited to be on the Middle School Blog team this year and make awesome posts for the Middle school.

Isabella L

Hi my name is Isabella Laurens. I am part of a very prestigious home room (FO2). I have brown hair and my eyes well that is up for you to decide (I call them grey). I was attached to a moon boot and crutches in term 1 so most of you probably know who I am now. I love reading, writing, acting and singing. When I leave school I hope to get a high enough ATAR to get into midwifery. My friends would describe me as a bit of an old grandma as well as a bogan (who doesn't like a good nana nap). I'd like to think of myself as funny! I am a total teacher's pet. I live with my Mum and my cat saffron in Ipswich. I know Ipswich! It takes a long time to get to school. I love Bridgo and school in general. I am looking forward to getting to know you all over the course of this year and writing blog entries.

Cheers,

Isabella Laurens

Isobel P

Hey I am Isobel Peters from CH3! I'm pretty average and I may seem quiet but I'm really not if you get to know me! I enjoy watching junky TV (not proud of it!) and listening to any sort of music. I love giving anything and everything a go… including this! I am excited to share light hearted stories with you all throughout the year and I hope some things will make you laugh!

Katie C

Greetings specimens from the world far and wide, my name is Katie Chandler and I am in year 9, Damien house and I am a part of the Middle School Blog Team for 2018! I am both a chill and pretty extra person, you can find me either chilling in the library reading a book or making constant meme references with my friends. I can also be found bopping to music, which usually consists of BTS, Hamilton, NCT U and a few other good jams. Along with the usual subjects, I study Japanese and dance and I enjoy them very much (aside from the constant changing with dance but I've adapted). I am looking to be able to cater for audiences with dietary requirements, as I myself am gluten free and dairy free. I have a white German Shepard dog that loves pats, walks, and people. I personally enjoy nature and its beauty, but sometimes from afar because I am not okay with spiders (there are approximately 40,000 different spider species in the world, no thanks *n*)

Lisha C

Hi everyone. My name is Lisha and I'm in DP1. As I write this I am feeling very awkward talking about who I am to laptop. That's the first thing about me, I'm about the most awkward person you'll meet. I have reeaally long black hair (it's pretty hard to miss). I am huge nerd and love everything Marvel, Doctor Who and Harry Potter. My life basically revolves around Netflix and my favourite subjects at school are Science and Dance (even though I suck at dance). I am very excited to be part of the blog this year and I hope everyone has a good year!!!

Olenka O

Hi Everyone! My name is Olenka Olsen, I’m in year 9 and I love a lot of things, such as, my friends, my family, beauty and Netflix. You could almost always find me listening to music, writing my random thoughts down or reading! Although… I am a huge procrastinator, so I am hoping to also share some fun tips on studying and keeping focus. I am super excited to be a part of the blog and I hope you enjoy and find my articles useful! Xx

Piper S

Hello! My name is Piper Snell and I am in Delany 6. I can now say that I will be a part of the Middle School Blog team for this year. I am 14 years old and things I do in my spare time consist of reading, Netflix and YouTube. If I'm not lying around, I'm usually playing the Violin, whether in orchestra or at home. One thing you should know about me is that the only time I'm not sarcastic is when I'm sleeping. I hope you will all enjoy reading the blog this year!

Trinity S

Hey! My name is Trinity and I'm in DP3. I love everything to do with music, from Carrie Underwood to the Foo Fighters, the genre really doesn't matter. My favourite band is 5 Seconds of Summer, my friends think I'm obsessed but I tell them it's not an obsession it's a lifestyle. I refer to myself as a book nerd, I find it so relaxing to sit with a good book while I scream, cry and occasionally curse the authors name when they kill off my favourite character. I am very passionate about animals, Sunday morning you will probably find me watching a National Geographic documentary in bed, or arguing with my dad about why he shouldn't kill that gecko. My future plans are to travel around Tasmania in a hippie van, so if anyone's interested feel free to join me. I am super excited to be a part of the blog this year and can't wait to tell you guys about the best books and music out there. Have a great year!

Rosie P

Hello all! My name is Rosie Pope, and I am in the best homeroom; FO2. I wear glasses (most of the time) and have shortish brown hair. My favourite movie is probably Clueless or Dirty Dancing; who doesn’t love a good rom-com?, my favourite book series is the Princess Diaries (I adore romance novels), and I love writing, which is one of the reasons I decided to be part of the blog this year! My favourite subject is Music and I am in many choirs. I am very excited to get to know the rest of the Middle School, and hopefully inspiring you with the blog this year!

Us year 9 Blog girls are super excited to get the blog up and running, and are pumped to start posting some things for all of the Middle School to enjoy!