The Vine Issue 1 – 2022

COLLEGE PRINCIPAL

Mr James Tamblyn

My thanks to all families for your support over the past fortnight as we’ve navigated the hybrid model of classroom and remote learning. We are delighted to be welcoming all students back to school next Monday and have plans in place to facilitate the transition process for the many new students who will be learning at the College for the first time. 

As well as welcoming a number of new students, we also have a relatively large group of new staff who have commenced at the College this year. These staff very much look forward to meeting students and families, and putting some faces to names. We welcome the following staff to the Pedare community and look forward to supporting them in their roles:

Junior School

Leanna Ephgrave – Year 1 Teacher
Angel Golotta – Year 3 Teacher
Kayla Gyles – Year 5 Teacher
Holly Collins – Performing Arts Teacher
Emily Dansie – Student Counsellor Years R-9
Jennifer Scholefield – Diverse Learning Assistant
Angela Maltby – Diverse Learning Assistant

Middle and Senior School

Callum Iles – Head of Middle School
Emily Kenny – Learning Area Coordinator Arts
William Acres – PE Teacher
Jane Thiele – Art Teacher
Erik Brasse – German Teacher
Ebony Coulter – Humanities/German Teacher
Aleisha Caddy – Humanities Teacher
Kaylah Missen – Food Technology/Drama Teacher
Renae Harris – Year 6 Teacher
Chloe Veras – Year 7 Teacher

I encourage you all to speak to the relevant staff here at the College should you require any support or clarification. One of my central beliefs about an exceptional education is that relationships are at the core. The strong connections between students and teachers, complemented by regular communication between school and home, are imperative. If you need any support or have any questions, please ensure you reach out and allow our staff to support you as required. 

As we reflect on it often, many things matter here at Pedare. But nothing matters more than how we treat each other and the values we model in our interactions. Our culture is underpinned by a commitment to kindness, respect, compassion, patience, understanding and inclusion. I thank you in anticipation of your support for this fundamental expectation of being part of our community. I look forward to supporting you all through what promises to be an incredibly exciting year for Pedare. 

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL / HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL

Mr Andrew Whiteman

A very warm welcome back to another school year. If the last few years have taught us anything, it is to expect the unexpected. 2022 has already delivered the unexpected in spades as we continue to experience some interruptions to normal school life. It was such a pleasure to have our Reception, Years 1,7,8 and 12 students on-site for our first day. Having other students remote learning produced its own set of challenges, but the warm welcome was certainly still present. 

I must commend our teaching staff for the manner in which they have prepared a program for all of our students. The seamless transition between face-to-face and remote learning is a credit to all involved, and there have been many interesting and innovative lessons. We thank you, the parents, for your patience and continued support of Pedare. Again, the challenges we have faced this year will only make us stronger for the future. We do hope to not be faced with just so many new challenges every year!

Our students have started the year well, considering the difficulties those at home are facing. Year 12 students are under no illusion as to what is required from them this year. The final year of school requires a determined approach with a genuine commitment to studying regularly. The College support systems for all year levels have been increased in both the academic and pastoral areas as another commitment to improving the lives of your children.   

As previously communicated, a number of our start of the year events have been postponed, and we look forward to providing dates for any upcoming events as soon as we are able. Please continue to reach out to staff if you require any information about your children’s learning or pastoral needs. I look forward to seeing our community come together as soon as we are able to. 

HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

 Mr Callum Iles

It has been a baptism of fire to start at Pedare in the midst of the Omicron outbreak. Instead of focusing on strategic goals, it has been about focusing on navigating the first eight days. Instead of focusing on new and improved initiatives, it has been about focusing on how to keep parents informed and our young people safe. I am hoping that as we welcome students from all year levels back next Monday, we will all begin to feel a sense of normality, and students will appreciate more fully the power of authentic person-to-person connection in the classroom.

The modern Australian Curriculum, MYP and the SACE focus a lot on capabilities (or 21st Century skills), and the situations that we are facing show us how important they are. Students demonstrated flexibility by being able to transition swiftly to Google Meets for lessons. Staff showed creativity by embracing new digital learning platforms to teach their students, such as Education Perfect. Parents have demonstrated the importance of collaboration as they work with school and their children to set them up for success. 

As someone new to the school, I must say how impressed I have been with students’ maturity while learning online. Technology is great and necessary, but there is the potential for misuse, and I have been impressed with how the Pedare Middle School has embraced its learning. Ethical behaviours will become more and more important as we rely on technology, and it seems the Middle School is placed well to strengthen those skills going forward.

As Years 6 and 9 return to face-to-face learning next week, I look forward to meeting them all, particularly our student leaders, and working with them to promote initiatives that align with my three passions: Wellbeing, Leadership and Innovation. These three pillars will underpin my vision for the Pedare Middle School, building on the solid foundation that already exists. I firmly believe that when students have the tools to cope with the challenges they experience, realise that they can make a positive change in the world, and understand that their uniqueness helps them impact the world, they can begin to build a life that matters. I look forward to incorporating these concepts into the taught and caught curriculum throughout my time at Pedare.

HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

Mr Randall Pearce

On Wednesday, 2 February, we welcomed the new school year. As we know, the start of the school year this year has been very different for all: children, parents and teachers. The hybrid face-to-face and remote learning model has seen the Pedare community shine again. My sincere thanks to all the collective efforts at home and school to ensure that learning and wellbeing are central to all we do.  

It was wonderful to see the many smiling and excited faces at school and over the Google Meet classes. It has been great to hear about their summer adventures and share their hopes and dreams for the new school year.

I am excited to announce that this year the Junior School will offer a social-emotional learning curriculum, URSTRONG. Junior School teachers attended an online professional learning session with founder Dana Kerford on Friday, 28 January, and this learning will continue throughout Term 1 2022. 

URSTRONG curriculum aims to enhance the social and emotional learning and wellbeing of children through friendship skills. It explicitly teaches children a common language for confidently managing conflict and creating a culture rooted in respect and kindness. 

URSTRONG strives to empower boys and girls with the skills and self-confidence to develop healthier relationships. URSTRONG works with parents and educators to ensure a whole-school approach. 

URSTRONG aims to develop a culture of kindness across the school, where…. 

It is cool to be kind.

I believe that every act of kindness is also an act of courage. Both big and small gestures can make a big difference to other people, animals, the planet, and even yourself. There are many ways you can be kind. Kindness can be contagious. Choosing to be kind to others can have a ripple effect that can positively change the world. Students at Pedare care for others, support one another, listen and work together to improve their classrooms and school.

Being kind means having the courage to treat others the way you like to be treated. So, I encourage us all in our Pedare community to be a place of kindness. Show your friends what it means to be kind, spread the word—if we can be kind to each other and ourselves, our world will be more loving, caring and harmonious.

I am looking forward to a fantastic 2022 working alongside you as we share this immense privilege of guiding our next generation of learners and leaders.

JUNIOR SCHOOL CARPARK ETIQUETTE & SAFETY

MALLEE MINDFULNESS SPACE

Middle School

Mallee Mindfulness Space has been created to provide students with a calm, relaxing place to go if they feel stressed, overwhelmed, anxious or upset. 

Mental health and emotional wellbeing are a major focus for us in Middle School, as statistics show that:

– one in seven young people aged 4-17 experience a mental health condition

– 7% suffer from an anxiety disorder

– 5% suffer from serious depression

– 20% of 11-17 year olds experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress in the past year

– 1 in 10 have engaged in self-harm

– suicide is the leading cause of death in 12-17 year olds in Australia

We have enjoyed creating a beautiful space where students can take a break, use strategies and activities to help regulate their emotions, or talk to a peer, teacher or counsellor.

Sarah Mossel

‘THE WIZARD OF OZ’ MUSICAL

STUDENT RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS COLLECTION 2022

Are your address details up to date?

VACCINATION RESOURCES FOR PARENTS AND STUDENTS

CONTENTS

Chinese New Year Celebration – At Home, At School

From Year 5 – Remote Learning

CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION – At Home, At School

It is time to celebrate Chinese New Year! This year is the Year of Tiger, starting from 1 February. Tiger represents strength, power and bravery in Chinese culture. In the hybrid learning model, students have had the opportunity to celebrate this festival both at school and at home.

In junior school, reception and Year 1 students learned the story of Chinese New Year and Chinese zodiacs at school, while Year 2 and Year 3 students learned a tiger song at home. Through activities set on Seesaw, Year 4 and Year 5 students made red envelopes to celebrate the Year of Tiger and wrote spring couplets of good wishes to decorate their house. Some students even made Chinese dumplings with their families at home.

In Middle and Senior school, Year 7 and Year 8 students immersed themselves in the papercutting activity in class and enjoyed this special Chinese art. Year 9 and Year 10 students celebrated their Chinese New Year from home by exploring various activities in the ‘New Year choice board’ task. Our Senior School students not only made red envelope and papercutting, but also experienced Chinese calligraphy and flew kites to make good wishes for the coming year.

Grace Liu

FROM YEAR 5 – REMOTE LEARNING

“This year in home learning, I have really enjoyed the afternoon google meets. The reason is that Miss Brown has allowed us to share something special, like a pet or something valuable or a trophy. This is different from real school because we are usually not allowed to bring in pets or something to share because a) we don’t have time b) some people are allergic to fur. It is also fun because we get to learn about the new students and the students that have been here a while.” (Hannah S, Year 5)

“It has been nice to see everyone’s faces on Google Meet and have a chosen activity to have a voice recording on because it was nice that I didn’t have to just hear my brother’s voice all day long.” (Emily S, Year 5)

“The Google Meets were my favourite part. The best thing was seeing everyone and knowing that they’re all ok.” (Archie Q, Year 5)

“To me, home learning is actually really fun. It is a new way to learn, a new way to grow. Learning on a screen can sometimes be hard but when I see my class every morning and afternoon their smiles give me hope and faith in myself. The work can be confusing sometimes but most of the time I just try my hardest. Home learning is great fun and I am really enjoying it.” (Indianna M, Year 5)

“While we are learning at home, it feels like school is just the same. The best part about distance learning is we have to use our own brains more to work out the activities. Google meets are fun and an easy way to connect and interact. School is a much better learning space but I am going to take full advantage of being at home and able to watch the Olympics this week.” (Coen de V, Year 5)

NEWS, UPDATES AND RESULTS

The Pedare Extra-Curricular Team are excited to bring you a new portal, containing information and links all in one location to our Sports and Clubs program.

The Portal is updated regularly to bring you the latest news, announcements, updates, results and more of Pedare Extra-Curricular activities and events.

Tea Tree Gully Anglican

Tea Tree Gully Anglican Church is a group of Christians who seek to serve Jesus in everything we do. Whether you are just visiting, or looking for a Christian home, we aim to be a loving and supportive family for you. We meet at the church at 8:30am, 10:00am, and 6:00pm in person. If you can’t join us just yet, we’ll continue to stream at 8:30am and 10:00am online using Zoom and YouTube  Service times are 8:30am and 10:00am.

Please contact Dave Brown on dave@ttganglican.org.au for more details, or check their Facebook page for links.

If you are struggling and would like to talk with someone from the church during these trying times, please phone 8264 3736.

Tea Tree Gully Uniting – Banksia Markets

Tea Tree Gully Uniting host the ‘local and friendly’ Banksia Markets on the first Saturday of each month from 8:30am to 1:00pm at 600 Milne Road, Banksia Park. Stalls inside the hall and in the car park include produce, fresh fruit and vegetables, jewellery, tools, bric-a-brac and lots more.

For more information contact the TTG Uniting Church website at https://www.ttguc.org.au/

St Mark’s Anglican Church

St Mark’s Anglican Church has a 9.00 am traditional service each Sunday morning and we would love to see you.

For further information and updates about St Mark’s services and events, please visit our website at https://www.stmarksgoldengrove.org.au/ or visit our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/stmarksgoldengrove.org.au

Golden Grove Uniting Church

Golden Grove Uniting Church, corner of Crouch and One Tree Hill Road, Golden Grove, has a traditional service at 10:00am on a Sunday morning.  Also, on the second and fourth Sunday of the month, we have a cafe style church, which is a relaxed contemporary worship service at 6:00pm in the Church hall.

On a Friday morning for parents/carers and children from birth to 5 years we have a Mainly Music programme starting at 9:30am. This is a fun, interactive 30-minute music session followed by morning tea and free play.

For further information, please contact the Office on 8251 4298 or by email: office@goldengroveuniting.org.au  you can even check our webpage: https://www.goldengroveuniting.org.au

Please click here to visit the College Calendar for a full list of College events