To all the parents with school age children been educated in Australia, you should of seen your child/ren NAPLAN results this week.
To readers and/or followers who might not have kids or live overseas, you might not know what NAPLAN is. NAPLAN is a three day test that was introduce in Australia in 2008 for all students to be tested in literacy and numeracy in years 3, 5, 7, and 9 in all Australian schools in both the public and private sector. For further information if you are interested to read, go to www.naplan.equ.au
There might be different stories you hear why NAPLAN is here but personally I feel this test is done to see if teachers are doing their job properly. Most students aren't happy with them so why do them! It's not like they will improve in their learning in a hurry.
At a recent school event I heard a parent commenting to a teacher that is the teacher's responsibility to make sure all students are up to the target of learning. Actually I do agree with this parent! Just seeing the teacher's face was priceless! She was kinda lost for words after that comment. I don't think anyone was ready for that one!
I mean this problem dealing with slow learners was even around when I was at school. Teachers just don't have the time for slow learners back then and they still don't have the time for them in this century. Teachers expect the parent to be more the teacher at home. Why send the kids to school if they aren't going to be educated right at school? I believe if the child is keen to learn, they will do the work. Also I learnt the more you push the child to learn, the more stubborn the child gets.
Majority of today's kids don't like going to school because of this reason. It's either the teacher who is the problem, the class who is too restless or bullying happening in the school grounds.
Saturday, 22 September 2012
Monday, 10 September 2012
Koala
Have you ever had to rescue a wildlife animal? If so, how did you deal with the situation?
After bowling last night was more a memorable moment in our books because of an incident that happened.
Koalas only just became listed as an endangered species for the past month. The number of koala population is declining due to ongoing large-scale destruction of bushland for housing and other urban developments, increased dog attacks and traffic movement, as well as disease and climate change. This is causing a huge number of koala deaths in the wild, leading to koalas being listed, by the Australian Federal Government, as a threatened species.
After we had maccies for dinner and walked towards the car, I spotted a young koala crossing the road over and over, repeatively. I was more concern about this little guy because it isn't very common to see a koala in that area on Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Road. He looked so disoriented!! He would of been just old enough to leave his mum and survive on his own. He was at one stage had a very close call of been hit by a vehicle who left the maccies carpark in such a hurry. BOY! That made my heart jumped out! The last thing I wanted to see was a dead koala on the road so I was trying to guide the young one towards the fence on our side of the road. But being so scared because of the noisy traffic, the animal was confused and didn't know where to go.
Another family stopped too to help us! The other mum tried to contact our wildlife services to see if they could come and transferred the animal back to where he's suppose to be. All the kids and I stayed at this tree so the koala wouldn't come down during the busy road period for two hours.
After two hours of no show from any of the animal rescue centres, the other mum re-contact them a couple of times and then we found out they weren't planning on coming because the animal wasn't injuried. What's the point of advertising a 24hr animal rescue service if they don't intend to call out to do their rescue. Don't they really care about the safety welfare of our wildlife these days? They except us to the be the babysitters all night. They should of been more honest in the first place and not gave us beat around the bush routine..
After 11pm the traffic quieten down and we moved away from that tree in hoping the koala would come down. The plan worked!! We guided the young koala to a side street where it was alot quieter and there was more trees around.
After school drop offs this morning, I drove back to the same area morning to see what trees are around. I don't know why the little guy came to this area because there are no gum trees there. By the looks of it this koala may have came from the a local park or the creek further down the road (about 1-2 kms).towards the Gateway Motorway All I hope the little guy (which we named him Spotty because of its markings on its back) didn't go back to the main road again before sunrise.
Can you undersand why I wasn't happy on the way the welfare service didn't take any note of our concerns to the safely on his young one? I sent a midnight email to my local radio station in hoping to create a story for the moring talk show this week. It was just to inform the listeners to be aware what's on the road and how to handle a wildlife situation if you had to do it yourself.
Wednesday, 5 September 2012
Spring Cleaning
It's now the fifth day of our spring season in Australia. Generally its time to start spring cleaning around the home before summer hits. I have came across some interesting tips on ways on cleaning your home without harming your health and it's alot cheaper to buy. The best product to use is white vinegar!!
20 uses for vinegar
1. Clear dirt off PCs and electronics
Your computer, printer, fax machine, and other home office gear will work better if you keep them clean and dust-free. Turn off your machine and wash with a mix of equal parts white vinegar and water. Wash with a cloth, not a spray bottle. You can use cotton swabs for tight spaces.
2. Get rid of smoke odor
If you have recently burned a steak or cant get rid of that cigarette smell, remove the lingering smoky odor by placing a shallow bowl about three-quarters full of white or cider vinegar in the room where the scent is strongest. To get the smell out of the air, moisten a cloth and wave it in the air.
3. Wipe away mildew
Use undiluted vinegar to wipe away heavy mildew stains. Mix it with water to clean light mildew stains. You can even use a vinegar mist in a spray bottle to prevent mildew stains from forming in rugs and carpets.
4. Clean chrome and stainless steel
To clean chrome and stainless steel fixtures around your home, apply a light misting of undiluted white vinegar from a recycled spray bottle. Buff with a soft cloth to bring out the brightness.
5. Unglue stickers, decals, and price tags
Dont you hate when you peel a sticker off of your new furniture or product and its still sticky from the glue? Worry no more! Use full-strength white vinegar and gently scrape it off the product. Use an expired credit card to scrape. You can also uses this solution to get glue off of glass, plastic and walls.
6. Brighten up brickwork
Have dingy bricks around your fireplace? Use 1 cup of white vinegar mixed with 1 gallon of warm water to scrub the area. Your bricks will be looking shiny and nice!
7. Revitalize wood paneling
You can also use vinegar to shine up your dull wood paneling. Mix 1 pint warm water with 4 tablespoons white or apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Let the mixture soak for a few minutes and then polish.
8. Remove carpet stains
You can lift out many stains from your carpet with vinegar:
Vinegar is a great way to keep frost from forming on your car windows. Spray the outside of your windows with a mixture of 3 parts white vinegar to 1 part water.
10. Refresh your refrigerator
Have you ever smelled a refrigerator that hasnt been used for a long time? Its gross! You can freshen up your fridge with a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and water. You can use the solution to wash the interior and exterior of the fridge.
11. Steam-clean your microwave
Fill a bowl with 1 cup water and ¼ cup vinegar. Set the bowl in the microwave and cook on high for 5 minutes. Once the bowl cools down, use the solution to wipe off the walls of the microwave.
12. Disinfect cutting boards
Use full-strength white vinegar to clean wood cutting boards or butcher block countertops. This is a great alternative to dishwasher detergent because it can weaken surfaces and wood fiber. It disinfects against E.coli, salmonellsa and staphylococcus.
13. Clean china, crystal, and glassware
Have soap spots and dingy spots on your dishes after you put them in the dishwasher? Simply add a few ounces of vinegar to your dishwasher. It will prevent those hard-water stains from showing up.
14. Trap fruit flies
Did you bring home fruit flies from the market? You can make traps for them that can be used anywhere around your house by filling an old jar about halfway with apple cider vinegar. Punch a few holes in the lid, screw it back on, and you are good to go.
15. Tenderize and purify meats and seafood
Soaking a lean or inexpensive cut of red meat in a couple of cups of vinegar breaks down tough fibers to make it more tender. You can also use vinegar to tenderize seafood steaks. Let the meat or fish soak in full-strength vinegar overnight.
16. Control your dandruff
Cant wear those black shirts because your dandruff will show? Vinegar to the rescue! After shampooing, rinse your hair with a mixture of 2 cups apple cider vinegar and 2 cups cold water.
17. Ease sunburn and itching
Gently rub a sunburn or rash with cotton balls or a soft cloth soaked with white or cider vinegar. Try to apply this before the sunburn begins to sting. You can use this to help treat insect bites or rashes from poison ivy or poison oak.
18. Clean your eyeglasses
When its more difficult to see with your glasses on than it is with them off, its a clear indication that they are in need of a good cleaning. Applying a few drops of white vinegar to your glass lenses and wiping them with a soft cloth will easily remove dirt, sweat, and fingerprints, and leave them spotless. Dont use vinegar on plastic lenses, however
19. Stop reds from running
Unless you have a fondness for pink-tinted clothing, take one simple precaution to prevent red washable clothes from ruining your wash loads. Soak your new clothes in a few cups of undiluted white vinegar for 10-15 minutes before their first washing. You'll never have to worry about running colours again! This also works with other bright colors that you worry might run.
20. Speed germination of flower seed
You can get woody seeds, such as moonflower, passionflower, morning glory, and gourds, off to a healthier start by lightly rubbing them between a couple of sheets of fine sandpaper-and soaking them overnight in a solution of 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar and 1 pint warm water. Next morning, remove the seeds from the solution, rinse them off, and plant them.
If you have other good cleaning remedies you know about, feel free to share on your blog or facebook.
20 uses for vinegar
1. Clear dirt off PCs and electronics
Your computer, printer, fax machine, and other home office gear will work better if you keep them clean and dust-free. Turn off your machine and wash with a mix of equal parts white vinegar and water. Wash with a cloth, not a spray bottle. You can use cotton swabs for tight spaces.
2. Get rid of smoke odor
If you have recently burned a steak or cant get rid of that cigarette smell, remove the lingering smoky odor by placing a shallow bowl about three-quarters full of white or cider vinegar in the room where the scent is strongest. To get the smell out of the air, moisten a cloth and wave it in the air.
3. Wipe away mildew
Use undiluted vinegar to wipe away heavy mildew stains. Mix it with water to clean light mildew stains. You can even use a vinegar mist in a spray bottle to prevent mildew stains from forming in rugs and carpets.
4. Clean chrome and stainless steel
To clean chrome and stainless steel fixtures around your home, apply a light misting of undiluted white vinegar from a recycled spray bottle. Buff with a soft cloth to bring out the brightness.
5. Unglue stickers, decals, and price tags
Dont you hate when you peel a sticker off of your new furniture or product and its still sticky from the glue? Worry no more! Use full-strength white vinegar and gently scrape it off the product. Use an expired credit card to scrape. You can also uses this solution to get glue off of glass, plastic and walls.
6. Brighten up brickwork
Have dingy bricks around your fireplace? Use 1 cup of white vinegar mixed with 1 gallon of warm water to scrub the area. Your bricks will be looking shiny and nice!
7. Revitalize wood paneling
You can also use vinegar to shine up your dull wood paneling. Mix 1 pint warm water with 4 tablespoons white or apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Let the mixture soak for a few minutes and then polish.
8. Remove carpet stains
You can lift out many stains from your carpet with vinegar:
- For light stains, mix 2 tablespoons salt with ½ cup white vinegar. Rub into the stain, let try and vacuum.
- For tough, ground-in dirt and other stains, make a paste of 1 tablespoon vinegar with 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and rub it into the stain using a dry cloth. Let it set for two days, then vacuum.
Vinegar is a great way to keep frost from forming on your car windows. Spray the outside of your windows with a mixture of 3 parts white vinegar to 1 part water.
10. Refresh your refrigerator
Have you ever smelled a refrigerator that hasnt been used for a long time? Its gross! You can freshen up your fridge with a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and water. You can use the solution to wash the interior and exterior of the fridge.
11. Steam-clean your microwave
Fill a bowl with 1 cup water and ¼ cup vinegar. Set the bowl in the microwave and cook on high for 5 minutes. Once the bowl cools down, use the solution to wipe off the walls of the microwave.
12. Disinfect cutting boards
Use full-strength white vinegar to clean wood cutting boards or butcher block countertops. This is a great alternative to dishwasher detergent because it can weaken surfaces and wood fiber. It disinfects against E.coli, salmonellsa and staphylococcus.
13. Clean china, crystal, and glassware
Have soap spots and dingy spots on your dishes after you put them in the dishwasher? Simply add a few ounces of vinegar to your dishwasher. It will prevent those hard-water stains from showing up.
14. Trap fruit flies
Did you bring home fruit flies from the market? You can make traps for them that can be used anywhere around your house by filling an old jar about halfway with apple cider vinegar. Punch a few holes in the lid, screw it back on, and you are good to go.
15. Tenderize and purify meats and seafood
Soaking a lean or inexpensive cut of red meat in a couple of cups of vinegar breaks down tough fibers to make it more tender. You can also use vinegar to tenderize seafood steaks. Let the meat or fish soak in full-strength vinegar overnight.
16. Control your dandruff
Cant wear those black shirts because your dandruff will show? Vinegar to the rescue! After shampooing, rinse your hair with a mixture of 2 cups apple cider vinegar and 2 cups cold water.
17. Ease sunburn and itching
Gently rub a sunburn or rash with cotton balls or a soft cloth soaked with white or cider vinegar. Try to apply this before the sunburn begins to sting. You can use this to help treat insect bites or rashes from poison ivy or poison oak.
18. Clean your eyeglasses
When its more difficult to see with your glasses on than it is with them off, its a clear indication that they are in need of a good cleaning. Applying a few drops of white vinegar to your glass lenses and wiping them with a soft cloth will easily remove dirt, sweat, and fingerprints, and leave them spotless. Dont use vinegar on plastic lenses, however
19. Stop reds from running
Unless you have a fondness for pink-tinted clothing, take one simple precaution to prevent red washable clothes from ruining your wash loads. Soak your new clothes in a few cups of undiluted white vinegar for 10-15 minutes before their first washing. You'll never have to worry about running colours again! This also works with other bright colors that you worry might run.
20. Speed germination of flower seed
You can get woody seeds, such as moonflower, passionflower, morning glory, and gourds, off to a healthier start by lightly rubbing them between a couple of sheets of fine sandpaper-and soaking them overnight in a solution of 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar and 1 pint warm water. Next morning, remove the seeds from the solution, rinse them off, and plant them.
If you have other good cleaning remedies you know about, feel free to share on your blog or facebook.
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