Mr Mike Millard
Following on from my comments at the end of Term 2, I do hope Pedare students, families, and staff have had the opportunity to rest, reconnect, play, dream, and rejuvenate during the break so that we can approach Term 3 with enthusiasm and determination.
I am encouraged by the progress made on the One College buildings during the holiday break. The Middle School is “taking shape” with the precast sections for the lift and walls now in place and the ground floor being poured in sections.
The concrete slab for the Junior School classrooms has been completed with the Administration block to follow in the next week. These sites will then have the steel frames constructed. The new Junior School car park will be finished by late August. The first sections of the steel framework for the Gymnasium are to be delivered on 9 August. We have certainly been able to use the dry times of this winter to make good progress on each part of the overall build.
This is a particularity busy term for Senior students with final assessments and trial examinations for Year 12s and the all-important subject counselling and subject selection process for Year 10 and 11 students for their studies in 2019.
Mr Randall Pearce
“Reading should not be presented to children as a chore or a duty. It should be offered to them as a precious gift” – children’s fiction author Kate DiCamillo
This term, the Children’s Book Council of Australia celebrates its 73rd Book Week. I was drawn to wonder whether, after 73 years, this is still relevant today. In asking myself this question, I am aware that too many people view Book Week as merely a ‘dress-up day’!
At Pedare Junior School, we do see reading as a precious gift, and, as such, should celebrate and acknowledge this gift. We are fortunate to have a wealth of reading resources, passionate staff, including Teacher Librarians, Class/LEAP teachers and Parent Volunteers who provide programs such as ‘Minilit’, Reading at Pedare (RAP), Pro Literacy levels and their assistance to find the right book are strong examples of how reading holds a special place within our curriculum.
Each and every day is filled with opportunities to expand our reading horizons, whether this is within large or small groups, before school, during breaks, in classrooms or at home in warm and cosy reading places.
Building individual reading skills and habits is so important, as are the benefits children receive from being read.
As the cleverly named Paige Turner blogged on TheLiteracySite.com, reading together:
Even in our digital age, reading is still an essential ability for communication and learning, and children who learn to love reading have a pastime that will engage their imaginations and intellects for the rest of their lives.
Children’s Book Week encourages children to enjoy new authors and books and is celebrated in the Junior School, on Friday 17 August, with our Costume Parade/Assembly and Treasure box lunch with families. This is followed with our Book Fair, which starts on the 17 August and continues into the following week.
During our Book Week celebration, Mrs Bennett has organised a visit from Mr David Cronin, author of “Pirate Pip’s Party” for Wednesday 22 of August for all Junior School students.
Our Book Week parades focus more upon acknowledging ‘book characters’ over dress-ups, which helps us to bring reading alive, provides precious memories and allows both child and adult alike to have fun. So, may I suggest you start planning your costumes now with the theme of a character from a book you treasure.
I look forward to seeing you on 17 August at 8.50am.
Mr Andrew Whiteman
‘We must welcome the future, remembering that soon it will be the past; and we must respect the past, remembering it was once all that was humanly possible.’
Welcome back to Term 3 and I trust the holidays were a break from the regular school routine and I hope you were able to enjoy some ‘downtime’. Over the holidays there was a lot of construction work completed at the College and we can now see both the Junior and Middle Schools really take shape. Students have been overwhelmingly supportive of what is happening all around them and are looking forward to the next phase in Pedare’s journey. The building work has not impacted on our day to day teaching and learning, meaning that classes have resumed with gusto. The soccer oval was impacted by various machinery over the break and therefore we now have half of that space available for play. The soccer goals on the large oval have now been timetabled for different year levels to use on certain days. Many of the students are out at lunchtime and recess time burning off some energy so it is great to see this continue.
I spoke briefly with all of the Middle School students about reflecting on their Academic Report over the break. For students looking to improve I asked them; what is the one small thing you are going to do each day to make a difference? Doing the same thing and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity so I challenged them all to do one thing differently in the hope of seeing an improvement in their results. Was it going to be re-reading my school notes at night, doing an extra 10 minutes of revision each night, asking 2 questions per day in my least favourite subject are just some examples of how students can do things little differently?
Over the holidays a number of Year 9 students volunteered to help out and back some much-needed supplies at Backpacks for SA Kids. It was so pleasing to see boys and girls give up some of their own time to help out others who are not as fortunate. Year 9s are away on camp this week in the Flinders Ranges and we look forward to hearing all about their positive experiences on their return. At the camp, students will prepare their Community Project speeches as well as be involved in lots of outdoor education activities.
I recommend the parent workshop, hosted by the Alannah and Madeline Foundation, to be held next Tuesday 7 August at the College to you. The foundation will present the Self(ie) Image Project which will discuss the experiences of young people, raise awareness and change perceptions of teens and their social worlds. They will explain to those present how to equip young people with the core skills of keeping themselves safe online.
Good luck also to all the Middle and Senior School students as they prepare for the Music and Art Showcase to be held in the College Chapel next week on Thursday 9 August. Join us for a great night’s entertainment.
Mrs Gillian Edwards
Term 3 has commenced with some very successful news for our Senior School students.
Congratulations to all our Year 12s who achieved excellent results in the compulsory SACE subject, the Research Project. All students attained a satisfactory standard, with 78% of the cohort achieving a B grade or higher, 33% achieved an A Grade and 9% received an A+. We look forward to a continuation of this success as the students knuckle down to the final full term of their secondary schooling. They will attend an important SATAC meeting during school time on Monday Week 3, where important information relating to selection of their tertiary courses will be delivered by Mrs Hollister.
We also acknowledge some impressive individual achievements:
Oliver Shephard-Bayly with his parents, Mr Mike Millard and Mr Malcolm McInerney after receiving his Premier’s ANZAC Spirit School Prize
Cassandra Hoare, Year 12
Cooper Murley, Year 10
Week 2 saw the annual Semester 1 Academic Assembly, where Senior School students were recognised for their Academic Excellence. We congratulate these students on their efforts and encourage those who missed out to strive for this goal in Semester 2. Other awards presented at the Assembly were given for student achievement in Education Perfect, Humanities and Language.
Year 10 Academic Excellence Recipients
Year 11 Academic Excellence Recipients
Year 12 Academic Excellence Recipients
Humanities and Language – Education Perfect Recipients
Thank you to the Year 11 and 12 students who behaved so responsibly as they lined up this week to receive their meningococcal vaccinations.
As one year already begins to rush towards a close, we begin planning for the following year. The first of these events will be the selection of our 2019 College Captains. We always look forward to meeting the applicants in their interviews and this year will be no exception. We have a quality field and the final decision will not be an easy one. Very best wishes to all involved.
This week some Year 11 girls attended a STEM event at Uni SA Mawson Lakes and a Year 10 team competed in a Science and Engineering Challenge at the Superdome at Gepps Cross.
There will be many more academic competitions and learning opportunities for our students to experience this term.
A reminder to families of students who will be in Years 11 and 12 2019, that an important Information Evening will take place in the Chapel next Monday 6 August, commencing at 7:00pm. Learning Area Coordinators will provide a brief overview of their subjects and the process for selecting subjects for next year will be explained. We look forward to your attendance.
Families are also reminded to refer to the letter that accompanied the Semester 1 reports, as it contains all the important dates and information for most of the remainder of the year.
Nathan White, Year 11 with Mr Andrew Penny
“Education Perfect – Humanities – Remarkable student achievement”
Congratulations to Year 11 student Nathan White who has placed 16th out of 350,000 students competing worldwide in the Education Perfect – Humanities Competition. This is truly a remarkable achievement. Nathan deserves special credit for consistently achieving outstanding scores in Education Perfect Humanities over the last three years.
Mr Andrew Penny – Learning Area Coordinator, Humanities
Middle & Senior School Music & Art Showcase will be held in the College Chapel on Thursday 9 August. The Art Exhibition can be viewed from 6:445pm and the Music Showcase begins at 7:30pm. Tickets can be purchased at the door. $5 each or $10 per family.
To view the Showcase flyer, click here.
On Friday, 3 August, Reception Ready students met their ‘buddies’ (Year 5 Captains) for the first time. All classes in the Junior School work with another year level on a regular basis to explore a variety of learning experiences. This is a great opportunity for our Captains to mentor our Reception Ready students in their first year of school. Fostering partnerships form part of our school vision and there is no better opportunity than this for it to occur.
Mrs Melissa Clifton – Assistant Head of Junior School
As part of Year 3s inquiry unit, ‘Where We Are in Place and Time’, students have been looking at the concepts of ‘Change’, ‘Perspective’ and ‘Causation’. Students have looked at earth changes, the impact of change and cultural change. This was a perfect opportunity to learn more about the change in Australian Aboriginal Culture and the impact of these changes.
Recently, students visited the South Australian Museum, where our tour guide helped us to explore traditional foods, methods of transport, medicines, weapons and much more. We even got to explore some musical instruments and children’s toys. After our guided tour, we had the opportunity to explore the first-floor gallery ourselves in small groups.
After the tours, we headed over to the Botanic gardens for a nice lunch and some games. A perfect way to end a good morning at the museum.
Mr Christopher O’Brien and Mrs Libby Graham – Year 3 Teachers
During Term 2 six students from Years 3 to 5 participated in a visual art project to celebrate and memorialise the grounds here at the Bicentennial Drive Campus before our move in 2019. Each student was asked to consider and photograph part of the schoolyard which held special meaning and memories. From these photos, drawing and designs were developed over a number of weeks and then transferred into paintings on boards and canvas.
These paintings are designed to come with us as we move. It has been a very helpful project for our students’ wellbeing.
Student comments:
Allegra Portakiewicz in 3O: The Climbing Frame on the Year 2 Playground
“This is special because I once lost my tooth there. It fell out and I could not find it. It makes me feel emotional. My best memory is when I was in Reception and I was on that big playground for the first time.”
Alex Grant 5P: The Piano
“It’s special because you can have a lot of fun. It makes me feel all emotions because you can play a song that is sad or happy. My best memory of it is when my friends Isaac and Kalon taught me some songs that they changed a bit.”
Mrs Karan Hudson – Learning Support and Enrichment
Congratulations to the following students who have been selected as Student Voice Council (SVC) Representatives at the Assembly held on Friday 3 August:
Reception Ready – Zara Devink & Eddie Childs
1M – Sucre Pascal & Ava Smith
1P – Indianna Milford & Flynn Kerslake
2B – Tegan Murby & Henry Bloor
2C – John’K Kabongo & Sasha Hinkley
3GH – Sienna Jaeschke & Xavier Trusz
3O – Samuel Klitogiannis & Samaira Bath (Absent)
4C – Curtis Warhurst & Emily Bryant
4V – Oscar Elding & Scarlett Collins
5C – Melody Zou & Lucas Smyk
5P – Harry Slater & Charlee Turtun (Absent)
Due to the Reception SVC Representatives being on an excursion, students Neeve Soraghan and Parker Gunn – RE and Hannah Cockburn and Francesco Leonello – RO, will now be featured in the next edition of The Vine.
Year 9 is an exciting time for students as they are nearing the end of their Middle School journey and await a new challenge at the beginning of next year in the Senior School. A major component of their year is the Community Project, involving students with an issue within a community of their choice. Thus, enabling them to become the problem solvers of tomorrow.
The Year 9 Outdoor Education experience to Camp Willochra located north of Melrose connects students with the local community of the Southern Flinders Ranges. The program aims to build upon students personal and practical skills which they have learned and practiced during their previous outdoor experiences at Pedare. The main component being a beautiful walk through the middle of Mount Remarkable National Park; starting at Alligator Gorge and walking south to Mambray Creek campground with a stop at Hidden Camp.
Students also have the opportunity to enhance their cycling skills on the trails of Melrose and for the daredevils some of the BMX tracks around the local area. Rescuing a dummy pilot out of a tree in a mock rescue scenario will test student’s ability to work in a team. Providing students with yet more opportunities to gain lifelong skills in areas of problem-solving and cooking. The community project features as part of the program with students having the opportunity to practice for their upcoming presentations with small groups of their peers and gain valuable feedback from staff members.
Students almost always return with a story to tell and memories to share for a lifetime. Learning about their personal capabilities is an important experience in life and the opportunities that camp experiences provide on this journey are invaluable for their development. Students so often return from camp programs with a new sense of the world around them and in this case, what the world has to offer for their future
Mr Michael Secomb – Camps Coordinator
In Week 10, of Term 2, Year 11 students spent two days on their Challenge Experience – one-day rock climbing and abseiling at Morialta and one day on a Know your City Tour of the Adelaide CBD.
Both days saw the students taken out of their normal daily routine and comfort zones. The experiences are designed to challenge the students own personal resilience, their problem-solving skills, and their ability to demonstrate leadership and encouragement for others as they work as part of a team.
Connor Pullinger and Jackson Dunn shared their experience at Assembly, and comments from some of the girls in Eldergreen can be seen below.
We are very pleased with the way the students embraced this opportunity and hope they have had a valuable learning experience from this event.
Ms Jan Robertson – Assistant Head of Senior School
Over the school holidays, student volunteers from our VEX Robotics and FIRST Robotics Competition Teams joined in to run RoboCamps for Year 3-6 students. Students participated in programming and building challenges using our LEGO Mindstorm EV3 Robots. Always popular was the sumo battles which involve the use of multiple sensors and motors.
Thank you to the new attendees, and be on the lookout for news on upcoming VEX Robotics Competitions at Pedare in late August and September and additional RoboCamps.
Mr Emil Zankov – Digital Technologies Teacher
Between 15 – 20 July, during the school holidays, a number of students headed to the snow at Mt Hotham, Victoria, staying at the Asterix Ski Lodge. Many of the students challenged themselves as they attempted the ‘blue runs’. Although there were a few light crashes, the students had a fabulous time showing off their talents on the skis and enjoyed the evenings being entertained with movies and games.
Some of the students commented they were looking forward to going again next year.
Mr Dylan Gale – Middle School Teacher
On Tuesday 10 July, Pedare students volunteered at Backpacks 4 SA Kids during the holidays. As part of Kaleb’s IB MYP Community Project he invited Tony Zappia MP to be part of the day’s sorting and packing session.
Mrs Jude Johnson, Assistant Head of Middle School
Recently, Amber Roshkov, Year 12, Sophie Szabo, Year 12, Timothy Szabo, Year 9 and Hannah Szabo, Year 8, participated in the ‘Passage of Life, Dazzling Destiny’ Cultural Dance Showcase, performing as part of Australia Art Troupe alongside Singapore Dance Ensemble. Amber has been part of the Pedare OzAsia Club for 6 years, the last 4 of which she has taken on a leadership role. Sophie and Hannah are also past members of the club. This has been a fantastic opportunity for all four students to learn and perform various ethnic Chinese dances.
Ms Hui Guo – Teacher, Chinese
On Thursday 26 July, members of Eco Force participated in a day of community service at the local Cobbler Creek Recreation Park. Students worked for a second time with Shanelle Palmer and the Friends of the Cobbler Creek at the Teakle Ruins site, transforming a rough patch of ground into a native garden. The progress made in this area is a reflection of the great stewardship developed in caring for the land and respecting the Indigenous traditions of the area.
Some students shovelled gravel and moved it in a wheelbarrow, helping to construct a pathway through the gardens, while others weeded native plants that were established on the first visit. Overall the students enjoyed the beautiful sunny day, whilst caring for the environment in our local area.
Mr David DeBoer – IB MYP Coordinator
We encourage families to share their child/rens personal achievements from both within and outside of the College, as we understand learning doesn’t stop at the school gate. If your child has a special achievement, we welcome your submission. Articles of 100 to 200 words along with a good high-resolution photo can be emailed by clicking the button below.
Congratulations to Natasha Paraskeva, Year 6, who her AMEB Trumpet Grade 1 Exam recently and received an A+ (High Distinction).
Well done Natasha.
Extra-Curricular Fixtures are available on the Pedare App and on the College website.
On Wednesday 25 July, students from Year 6/7 competed in the Northern Zone SAPSASA Basketball carnival at Hillcrest Stadium. Both the boys and girl team played 6 games throughout a great day of competition.
The boys’ team won 5 out of their six games, finishing second overall. Best players were Jack Povey and Oscar Dunn.
Out of the six games, the girls won 4, lost 1 and drew their final game. This meant they finished second out of the 8 teams competing on the day. Best players for the day were Brooke Silby, Tealia Jenkins and Daisy Halliday.
Mr Joshua Willis – Director of Sport R-12
Pedare’s Year 10 Netball Team is through to the State Finals to be held on 27 August, after defeating Kildare 37-20 and Ocean View 69-9.
Congratulations to all players and coach, Ms Fiona Hunter.
Mr Josh Willis – Director of Sport R-12
TERM 3
Week 1
Basketball
Netball
Soccer
The Image-Based Bullying Parent Workshop will be held On Tuesday 7 August from 6:00pm – 7:00pm in the College Chapel. Image-based bullying is when intimate photos/videos are shared online without consent. The campaign aims to empower young people to make informed decisions, change perceptions and reduce incidences of image-based bullying. All are welcome to attend, please feel free to invite anyone who you feel may be interested in this important topic.
For more information please click here to view the flyer.
Generators Kids Club 2017 (Years R-6)
Come and join us. Generators Kids Club meets Fridays each fortnight for great games, craft and bible time. The next Kids Club is on Friday 10 August from 3:30-5:00pm. This craft this week is Iris Paper folding. To download the Term 3 program from our website. For information about 2018 Kids Club, phone Rick on 8264 3736 or click here
SWAT Youth (Years 7-12)
Meets Friday each week at 7:30pm. The next meeting is on Friday 3 August. Come for a great time of games, friendship and bible discussion. For information about 2018 SWAT Youth, phone Dave on 0403 723 953 or click here.
Normal Weekly Services – Check out our website for more details.
Sunday@8:30: Prayer book service – weekly communion.
Sunday@10: Family service and specific children’s ministries. Communion on third Sunday of every month.
Sunday@6.00pm: Youth, young adult and those young at heart. Communion first Sunday of every month. There is no children’s program but drawing supplies and a withdrawal room are available for your young ones.
Come and see the latest fashions from Lesley’s of Gawler at St Mark’s Anglican Church, Wynn Vale on Saturday 11 August at 2:00pm. Tickets, which includes Devonshire afternoon tea, are $10.00. For more information contact Margaret on 0429446919.
Join St Mark’s Anglican for soup on Thursdays 6:00pm to 7:30pm from May to August. Enjoy free cafe style soup in a warm and friendly community atmosphere. Everyone is welcome. For more information phone 8289 4003 or email www.stmarksgoldengrove.org.au