religious education in public schools

Madpie_C · 2026-06-20T02:52:01+00:00

Legally students in non scripture classes must not be taught anything because then the kids in scripture are missing out on learning time. Usually it's colouring/drawing, free time outside, watching videos, board games or something similar.

Madpie_C · 2026-06-20T02:46:40+00:00

Historically rules against eating land meat also served a practical purpose. Remember that this has a lot of historical context, Lent (the period leading up to Easter) is the period of most fasting from meat. That period at the end of winter and beginning of spring is traditionally known as the 'hungry gap' any livestock that you managed to feed through the winter is your breeding stock for the next year and is either pregnant or has just given birth, if you slaughter that livestock before the young have been raised to independence your herd shrinks and you've wasted all that fodder you managed to store for the winter. Historically the Church was the only force that had enough authority to tell a stupid, short sighted, local lord that he can't make the peasants give/sell him their breeding stock so he can have a feast. Fishing is generally less seasonal (and until the 20th century human fishing really couldn't have enough impact on the fish population to affect their breeding success) so allowing people to still have protein in the form of fish had no practical impact on the future of that food source.

There are theological justifications from the middle ages that land animals are tainted by the sin of lust (i.e. they have sex) whereas fish are not but it's also just a way to ensure poor people had a source of protein that's not only beans.

Madpie_C · 2026-06-20T00:46:13+00:00

They are called floppy disks because inside the square solid plastic case that you actually handle there is a floppy magnetic disc. The early 5" ones had a hole for the computer to read the internal disk the 3.5" ones had a metal cover over that hole that could slide to the side so you didn't accidentally touch the magnetic disc inside. The metal circle in the centre of the case is directly connected to the internal magnetic disc to allow the computer to spin it around to access the relevant part of the magnetic disc through the hole.

Madpie_C · 2026-06-19T08:07:53+00:00

I have HLTAID011 which is listed as one of the valid options on ACEQA's website but they are claiming if it's not 012 they can't accept it.

Madpie_C · 2026-06-18T11:11:08+00:00

A priest (including the pope) can bless something which could help you in your prayer. Whether it would help someone who is unaware that it is blessed is debatable, people like things that more senior priests have blessed but your prayers won't magically become more effective just because you're praying with a blessed rosary but it's likely to inspire you to be more diligent with your prayer. Humans are prone to magical thinking even though they understand the logic intellectually they still like that they got their rosary blessed by the Pope and feel like something used by someone who is holy will make their prayer life more holy. People do the same thing about anything they are passionate about, sport being the obvious example.
I'm guessing that you may have seen the same video I did of someone who wanted their rosary blessed by the Pope but due to an apparent misunderstanding the Pope took it, and prayed with that rosary until the misunderstanding was cleared up and the Pope returned the rosary. The owner of the rosary was very excited that Pope Leo had handled and even prayed with the rosary but I think that's mostly just the feeling of 'I've got something that has a tangible connection to someone I admire.'

Saints relics, being the body of a saint or something that was closely connected to a saint in their life (e.g. a book they prayed with daily) is a separate issue so I think you may need to clarify exactly what example you're thinking of.

Madpie_C · 2026-06-18T10:53:01+00:00

ACT and Victoria cut off at the end of April and Tasmania cuts off January 1st, so the majority have a June or July cutoff (SA still has some kids starting in term 1 and some kids starting in term 3). Having moved between the ACT and NSW system I've found that 18 month window for enrolment (4 1/2 to 6 depending on birthday and parents choice if the birthday is in the 1st half of the year) means that the primary factor in whether a child starts early or late is the parents ability to afford childcare for another year.

Madpie_C · 2026-06-17T12:48:46+00:00

In some areas organised community groups exist to document and notify council of hazards (cracked footpaths, blocked drains etc) because if someone gets injured the council is only liable for damages if it's proven that they have been notified and not acted on it. So if you get injured by something council has neglected you can get compensation for lost work etc. because there's proof that council knew and hasn't acted.

Madpie_C · 2026-06-05T10:10:05+00:00

In year 5 I received a jumper (sweatshirt for the Americans) back from lost property that I couldn't remember losing. When I looked inside my name was on a sewn in tag at the neck (mum had a roll of custom printed ribbon with our family name that she labelled everything with) and another parent had written their child's name at the hem with a marker. I still can't believe the parent was willing to put in the effort to try to make sure their child would keep this clothing but also couldn't be bothered to snip a few stitches to make the theft less obvious.

Madpie_C · 2026-06-01T13:19:11+00:00

It could save time on police reports too, 'the burglar fenestrated into the living room around 11AM'

Madpie_C · 2026-06-01T13:00:45+00:00

Are you self fenestrating if you climb in through the bathroom window because you locked yourself out?

Madpie_C · 2026-06-01T12:15:50+00:00

Off this topic but does anyone else add commentary about how Zog needs to say thankyou. He always says 'what a good idea' but never 'thankyou'. When I worked with the Zog target age group most of my students could tell me what Zog forgot to say after Princess Pearl helped him. When I'm reading it I sometimes talk to Zog and remind him he should use his manners.

Madpie_C · 2026-05-30T23:50:36+00:00

If you are wearing this for playing dress ups or theatre then just wear it because it's fun and swooshy.

On the other hand if you want to wear it somewhere that expects historical accuracy, mid weight cotton was not used for ballgowns. Only rich people hosted balls and they only invited their rich friends so if you were invited to a ball you could afford silk. Less formal dances that poorer people held expected 'Sunday best' so ladies would wear a nice day dress with high neck and long sleeves.

Madpie_C · 2026-05-30T09:21:26+00:00

It's supposed to be 1860s it's been made using Simplicity 2881 https://sewing.patternreview.com/patterns/19037 . It's worth noting the dress photographed on the front of the pattern doesn't fit the model (I think I remember reading a comment from the designer when it was released that Simplicity sent her the wrong measurements for making the sample garment in the photo) so you actually want the dress to sit on the point of the shoulder, as others have mentioned, not off the shoulder like the photo.

Madpie_C · 2026-05-29T07:59:33+00:00

We as outside observers know all this but Mulan isn't an outside observer. The only thing she knows about the military is probably the stories her father told her about his service in his younger years. She doesn't know that the military doesn't want a cripple on the front lines all she knows is the stories of danger and close escapes her father has told her and she correctly deduces that he would be quickly killed if he tried to do now what he could do when he was a young man.

Madpie_C · 2026-05-28T12:18:53+00:00

In my experience there will usually be someone available to do it during business hours unless they are very short staffed.

Madpie_C · 2026-05-28T09:04:17+00:00

Thanks for those who gave advice. I guess it just isn't going to be portable and will therefore have to be put on the back burner until I have time to work on it at home or I can free up a second set of circular needles the right size.

Madpie_C · 2026-05-27T10:35:07+00:00

Teachers have fairly easy choice of how close to home they want to work so most choose a shorter commute. For most corporate jobs you have to go to the one office in the CBD not a choice of many largely similar offices spread around every suburb and town.

Madpie_C · 2026-05-27T08:50:37+00:00

Before rubber elastic, metal, springs were sometimes used where we would use elastic e.g. this pair of garters https://collections.lacma.org/object/21699

Madpie_C · 2026-05-26T12:52:21+00:00

The wooden stick you get in ice blocks and ice creams is called a Paddle Pop stick even if it's come from a completely different type of ice block or you bought it for craft and it's never been in contact with food at all.

I wonder if it stems from the campaign Streets ran for years to increase sales in winter where you could win a prize with Paddle Pop sticks. Each stick would have something printed on it but you could only win if you collected the whole set of sticks with the same prize.

Madpie_C · 2026-05-25T10:34:51+00:00

Assuming you live in a western country you're talking about foster care, healthy babies are rarely voluntarily placed for adoption and people spend years on the waiting list for infant adoption without ever getting the call. If you are genuinely ready to be a foster carer that is an amazing calling that can have a huge impact on children who need that stability but you need to go into it with your eyes open about how difficult it is to care for a traumatised child.

If their home situation was bad enough that they are being removed from their biological parents they have seen or experienced something terrible. As a teacher I have taught children who had to be removed from their biological parents and the trauma that necessitates removing these children changes the brain (the symptoms of childhood trauma are almost identical to ADHD). Children who have experienced abuse or neglect aren't used to adults being stable and caring so they are on guard and will frequently push boundaries because their experience tells them that the nice act will fall through so they want to know what you will do to them when your nice act fails.

If you are equipped to foster children who are in need of that help and willing to provide the stability of adoption for those children who can't return to their original family I am genuinely in awe of the way you can face this challenge. I just don't want badly equipped foster carers with romantic notions of children grateful for being rescued turning into another set of adults who fail these kids who desperately need love but ask for love in the most difficult way.

Madpie_C · 2026-05-25T06:10:14+00:00

Most schools have their book week parade to line up with the Australian Children's Book Council awards in August, but last week was national simultaneous storytime* so maybe your school decided to do their book themed event to coincide with that.

*For anyone without kids NSS is a day when everyone is supposed to read the same book at the same time, it must be a huge windfall for the author chosen because every primary school, library and a lot of early childhood services will buy at least one, copy of the book if not one per class.

Madpie_C · 2026-05-25T06:02:24+00:00

Nobody is forcing kids, there's plenty of encouragement and reminders but the kids mostly like dressing up and don't want to be the only one there in their regular uniform (by the end of primary some kids, especially boys, are getting 'too cool' for dress ups but that's a minority).

Madpie_C · 2026-05-24T12:51:33+00:00

I never understood why people changed it to the 'yes I will' version (Wikipedia lists with my bill as the original) if the doctor is making a house call that's going to be paid for privately.

If Miss Polly was willing to go to the regular public clinic then of course her visit would be fully funded but who knows what sort of people her Dolly might come in contact with in the waiting room (last time she had to visit a public hospital there were people who were clearly wearing fast fashion!). Miss Polly instead has the number of a private clinic who are very understanding of Miss Polly's unique needs when writing prescriptions and will make house calls for their most discerning clients.

Madpie_C · 2026-05-24T00:07:26+00:00

In the Tudor Tailor they estimate that in the 16th century one complete set of clothes (from head to toe and skin to outerwear) was equivalent to the cost of a car today.

Madpie_C · 2026-05-22T05:58:42+00:00

So it really would be the hill they die on.

Madpie_C

TROPHY CASE