Mr James Tamblyn
The return of face-to-face assemblies and worship in recent weeks has been embraced by all. Coming back together as a community to celebrate achievement, and to worship in fellowship, has brought with it a new-found sense of appreciation and gratitude of simply being able to come together. One of the silver linings from the COVID-19 experience is a renewed appreciation for the social learning opportunities that school facilitates; certainly for students, but also for staff and families. The incidental conversation that emerges at larger gatherings is an integral component of our school’s function. It builds a sense of belonging and connection that we crave as humans, and we look forward to continuing the centrality of community in the educational experiences for all our students moving forward.
The Junior Assembly this week was facilitated by our Reception students with a focus on living things. This assembly was beautifully presented by our youngest students, who clearly worked very hard preparing for the event. Commencing school is hard enough at any time, for students and parents, but for the 2020 Reception cohort the challenges have been significantly amplified by the unique circumstances of the year. Despite this they have adjusted exceptionally well to school life, and their growth as young learners was very much on show at their assembly which was presented confidently and competently. My thanks again to all our Reception parents for your wonderful support of the College thought this difficult period as your children have set about adjusting to life at Pedare.
Thank you to our families for your contribution to the recent survey seeking your thoughts on a three-week mid-year term break commencing 2021. The participation rate was very pleasing and we look forward to communicating the results of this consultation, and our plans for next year, very shortly.
Finally, it is my pleasure to inform the community that Mia Furlan (Greenwith) and Vasudev (Vas) Nair (Surrey) have been appointed College Captains for the 2021 school year. Mia and Vas were selected from a very strong field of applicants. Both students are very excited about the opportunities in front of them, and we look forward to their contributions as our senior student leaders as they transition into their roles from the beginning of Term Four.
Junior School Assembly – Receptions
2021 College Captains Vas Nair & Mia Furlan
Mr Andrew Whiteman
Over the past week, we welcomed families back to the campus with the 2021 Stage 1 and 2 subject information evening which was held in the College Chapel. Students and families were able to talk directly with teachers and ask specific subject questions in the pursuit of the perfect mix of subjects. Early this week our current Year 11 families attend subject counselling sessions where the important subject decisions were made for 2021. I was very impressed with our Year 11 cohort with the amount of planning and thought that they had clearly undertaken in preparation for this night. There are a range of pathways with a variety of different ways to reach the same goal and it is through these sessions that parents and students learn some of this information. A vital piece of information is that a Vocational Education and Training course (VET) can be used in the calculation of an ATAR. Several Year 11 and Year 12 students complete these courses each year and students are then using these to add to their ATAR scores. Please see Mrs Hollister if you have any specific VET questions. Next week our current Year 10 families will begin the SACE Stage 1 journey with their subject counselling.
Year 12 Parent-Teacher interviews were held on Monday, 10 August. For many parents, it was their final face to face meeting with teachers to hear about the progress of their child before examinations. For some families it was a memorable experience as their child was the last of 2 or 3 children who have been through the College and it was one the last official Pedare functions. We wish all our Year 12 cohort well over the coming weeks.
Our Pastoral team and Community Coordinators continue to monitor the wellbeing of all the students here at Pedare. There is always a range of emotions through all different year levels and we appreciate that every child is an individual and needs individualized care. Our teachers, support staff, Community Coordinators and Counsellors will work closely together to ensure your children have the best supports available. If your child is having difficulties at school, it is important to guide them to speak with one of the aforementioned staff members. A student having trust in a teacher to share a concern or issue about themselves or another person allows us to monitor and deal with situations effectively. If you feel that your child would benefit from speaking to a Community Coordinator or Student Counsellor, please do not hesitate to contact these or other staff members for help or advice. All information is treated confidentially, and we hope that the College and families can work in partnership to provide the best care for your children.
Mrs Lauren Brooks
Year 5 Middle School Experience
I thoroughly enjoyed working with some of our current Year 6 students in our Emerging Leaders Forum back in Term 2. Some of their feedback was wishing they had more experiences in the Middle School back when they were Year 5 students in 2019! I took on this feedback from our students and it has been a pleasure to work with the Junior School team to make this a reality and see it come to life this week. All of our Year 5 students over the next few months will gain exposure to Middle School experiences through aquaponics, the greenhouse, robotics, creative arts, inquiry-based learning experiences and exposure to Middle School style Mathematics, Science, Literacy skills and Physical Education.
On Wednesday of this week our Year 5 students engaged in Middle School experiences for the first time. We also hope this will be an opportunity that assists in slowly transitioning them into being familiar with Middle School processes, facilities, staff and subjects in preparation for 2021 as Year 6 students. Please click here to view photos of the Middle School Experience.
2021 Year 8 Opportunity
We met with our current Year 7 students this week to discuss with them an exciting change coming to our 2021 Year 8 elective structure. We are very excited to introduce choice to our 2021 Year 8 student timetables whereby students can elect two out of three technology subjects (Food Technologies, Digital Technologies and Product Design) to study one per semester. Finally, students can elect four out of five art subjects (Drama, Media Art, Visual Art, Music Creations and Music Expressions) to study one per term. More information coming soon!
International Baccalaureate – Middle Years Programme
Our focus last week at assembly was being reflective, from our IB Learner Profile. I took inspiration from our College Prayer to talk with students about how diversity at Pedare makes us strong. Give us an open heart towards others, knowing that our diversity inspires creativity and builds community strength. I am so grateful that Pedare is made up of so many individuals who bring to school each day different gifts, talents, strengths, abilities and faiths. It is these differences that make us strong. I encouraged all students to reflect on their ability to respect their peers, even if we have different opinions, perspectives, ways of thinking and ways of behaving. It is something we strive for every day at Pedare, continually aiming for the most inclusive culture that sees strength in our differences.
Personal Note
On a personal note, this will be my last newsletter before I embark on maternity leave. It is a fantastic opportunity for Mr Josh Willis to step into the Acting Head of School role, Mrs Raelene Lyon to step into the Acting Assistant Head of School role and finally for Miss Bianca Cameron to step into the Hillcott Community Coordinator role. I know they will all do an exceptional job finishing the last half of Term 3 and Term 4 and I look forward to returning in January 2021.
Mr Randall Pearce
In their recent book The Devil is in the Details, Fullan and Gallagher observe that “the world is rapidly and increasingly becoming more troubled to the point that literacy, numeracy, high school graduation, and the like may be important foundational goals, but are no longer nearly up to the challenges we face. Our students need these foundational goals; however, they also need much more.
Students need to consider how they can think globally and act locally. For our world to thrive, we need our students to become strong leaders who:
This won’t happen by magic. These skills need to be taught. Students also need the opportunity to practice these skills before they have the weight of the world on their shoulders.
It is exciting time here at Pedare, we have just seen some amazing action from Year 4 with a Rubbish audit and the creation of Eco Warriors, a group of students from Year 4 and 5 led by Mrs Andary who are looking into way how we can reduce our ecological footprint.
Next week we begin the Year 5 Exhibition. The students from Year 5 will be working in small groups supported by a mentor teachers from across the College researching and learning more about the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Exhibition itself will be held on Wednesday 23 September, where students share with the Pedare Community. Our focus is very heavily on the process, rather than the product; the expedition, rather than the final day of Exhibition.
Action is embedded in the philosophy of the IB and is promoted throughout all its curricular programmes. In the PYP, action is considered to be both an application of learning and an opportunity for students to engage in a form of contribution or service.
Many people think that Action is easy to define. It is something you do, right? But Action is much more than that. Action is a part of who we are. If we want to change the world we need to start with changing ourselves. But sometimes change is hard. How do we make changes to the way we think so we can help the world?
If we want children to make a difference in the world we need to help them personalise the action they take and understand that it is not just a mandate from their teachers and parents, but a life-long mindset they develop.
Taking action can happen at any age. It’s all about how we as parents, educators, and the community, support children and youth as they begin the learning journey towards becoming adults that are change agents!
Every teacher wants their students to take action that makes a difference to and in the world. I believe that the concept of action is more a state of mind than a product. Action can only make a resonating difference to and in the world when it is developed in tandem with a toolbox of explicitly taught skills, modelled behaviours, scaffolded plans and a gradual release of responsibility.
Teachers need to provide the scaffolded learning experiences that help students gain the skills (including how to collaborate and how to focus on solving challenges) and knowledge to take sustained and meaningful action.
Effective from Monday 24 August, there will be a slight change to the Mawson Lakes and Collinswood Bus Services operated by Kanga Coachlines.
Both buses will avoid The Golden Way and Surrey Farm Drive intersection to ease congestion.
The Collinswood Service, will turn left from The Golden Way onto Grenfell Rd at Traffic Lights travel along Richardson Drive and Avalon Drive to Surrey Farm Drive. No change to any pickup times.
Mawson Lakes Service will turn right from Wynn Vale Drive onto Keithcot Farm Drive then Hillendale Drive onto The Golden Way, then will turn left from The Golden Way onto Grenfell Rd at Traffic Lights travel along Richardson Drive and Avalon Drive to Surrey Farm Drive. No change to any pickup times but will arrive at the College 3 mins later at approx. 8:23am
The afternoon services will do the reverse with drop off times from Wynn Vale Drive on the Mawson Lakes Service approx. 3 mins later.
For more information or if you have any questions, please contact the Community Relations Manager, Julie Holland at the College Office.
To our friends at Pedare Christian College
Uniting Care Modbury convey our heartfelt thanks to the Pedare community for the food donations given to the Modbury Emergency Relief Centre last term. We were able to assist many local people in need of food with your generous donations. These include new arrivals to Australia, newly unemployed families and households, international students, pensioners and unemployed people.
Many thanks, your help is very much appreciated.
Rev Lyn Leane – Modbury & Para Vista Uniting Churches
Year 4 students have discovered, as part of their recent inquiry, that our school is experiencing a high usage of food packaging and wrapping every day. As a result, Year 4s, along with a team of Year 5s, wanted to raise awareness to decrease the amount of waste in our community.
On Wednesday 12 August, encouraged students to embrace fresh, natural packaged-free foods with a Nude Food Day. By raising awareness about this issue, our students hope to inspire others to eat more sustainable, healthier lunches resulting in more understanding about sustainability, nutrition and waste prevention.
Mrs Lyn Davis – Assistant Head of Junior School
On Tuesday 4 August, Pedare held its inaugural Middle School Intellectual Enrichment Day. The aim of the day was to ‘practice, enjoy and celebrate different ways of thinking in a team environment’, and attracted around 20 students from Years 6 – 9. Students were challenged to think in creative, critical and divergent ways as they battled through rounds on Art and Poetry, Logic, Philosophy, Drama, Engineering and Cryptography.
Feedback from competitors included:
Most of the competitors are already looking forward to 2021!
Ms Rachael Young – Year 7 Teacher
In Community lesson on Thursday 6 August, students in Brooklyn and Surrey were involved in an Escape Room Challenge. Students were organized into groups and taken to a room filled with clues that they had to find and then decipher to “escape”. Our fabulous student leaders facilitated the rooms and most groups escaped! Congratulations to the group below who were the first to escape!
Here are some student comment about their experiences:
“The escape room was an experience that I never thought I needed, having that time to communicate and interact with the year levels below and above in order to escape. Allowing everyone the chance to use their own special abilities, having that connection and same aspiration that really helped us become more supportive of each other as a community.” – Tiahna
“The escape room was a great experience that brought people together. From a facilitator’s view it was great to see everyone getting involved and excited about the experience. Seeing some people step up and take lead showed great strength and allowed people to show their leadership skills. I loved seeing the different year levels work together and support each other to escape the room.” – Lauren
“A new, exciting and thought-provoking way to engage with others in our community that I wouldn’t usually interact with in such a way!” – Ryan
“The escape room was an amazing team building task, it was fun that we got to interact with other people in the community!” – Kailee
“The escape room was exciting as we had to collaborate and work together from Year 6s to Year 12s.” – Cooper
“The escape room allowed us to work together as a community by using communicating, problem solving and team building skills to solve the code on the pad lock. This experience was very enjoyable as it required us to interact with students throughout different year levels during an intense mission to escape the room.” – Yaan
Mrs Ingrid Moodley – Community Coordinator, Brooklyn
On Thursday 6 August, our clever students had fun in Year 10 Geography learning about the causes of population change through the ‘Jelly Baby Geography’ Simulation game.
Students were asked to pick a country and then were allocated a population of jelly babies, with each colour of the lollies representing different parts of the population. Game cards explained the changes to the population through time.
Some student comments:
Mr Andrew Penny – Learning Area Coordinator, Humanities
On Thursday 6 August, in preparation for their urban fieldwork report, Year 11 Geography students developed a range of skills including using ‘Bipolar Analysis’ to measure and evaluate the liveability of the street.
Students worked well together and compared various features of liveability including streetscape, significant trees, services, density of the housing etc. They will then compare the liveability of their street with a street in the northern suburbs.
Mr Andrew Penny – Learning Area Coordinator, Humanities
Eco Force enjoyed a glorious afternoon on Wednesday 29 July helping Shanelle Palmer and the friends of Cobbler Creek at Teakle Ruins. We were delighted to be joined by Blair Boyer, Member of Parliament, who also joined the group to help. Students weeded, planted and continued to position artefacts in the low stone wall. I commend our students for their impeccable manners and for helping to make a difference to this community project.
Mrs Liz Denton-Brown – Teacher, Librarian
How does the word Homework make you feel?
Homework is often a stressful experience for both young people and their parents. Research has shown homework is a significant source of family stress and conflict. The more homework a young person has and the less confident a parent feels in their ability to help their young person – the more likely families are to report high stress levels.
If this is a battle in your house, then Kirrilie Smout from Developing Minds has some advice you might find useful. We encourage you to use the link below to read an article that offers some different perspectives and helpful strategies for managing homework in a positive way..
Please click here.
Congratulations to Edward Goodall, Year 3, who won the Silver medal for the Under 9 boys in the State Cross Country Championships at Bonython Park on Sunday 2 August.
Well done Eddie.
Extra-Curricular Sports feature articles and results below:
On Friday 7 August our 6/7 Boys Football team participated in the local SAPSASA Carnival. 23 students participated on the day, including four Year 5s, and the team performed exceptionally well for a group who had never played together. The growth of the team over the course of the day exceeded expectations. Their conduct was exemplary, and it was fabulous to have so many parents braving the freezing conditions to support the boys all day. Thanks to Mike Raymond for his support, to the parents who helped out with duties, and to the players whose attitude and endeavour made the day so enjoyable and successful. Thanks also to Imogen F for her assistance with coaching and team management.
The highlight of the day was our comprehensive victory over Ardtornish Primary School. Best players on the day included Hamish P, Anthony K, Jack W, Jamin F, Lucas S, Jackson P and Angus H.
TERM 3
Week 2
Basketball
Netball
Soccer
Week 3
Basketball
Netball
Soccer
Due to the current situation with COVID-19, the Tea Tree Gully Anglican Church is no longer able to meet together in their traditional Sunday format. As such, Sunday gatherings have been suspended but are currently meeting online using Zoom and YouTube Service times are 8:30am, 10:00am and 6:00pm.
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.
St Mark’s Anglican Church currently have a 9:00 am traditional service and a contemporary service at 4:00 pm. Please email office@stmarksgoldengrove.org.au to advise if you will be attending either service for COVID-19 requirements.
St Mark’s Kids Club (for Reception to Year 4 students) has also resumed this term on Thursday afternoons at 3.30 pm (meeting fortnightly). Please email office@stmarksgoldengrove.org.au if you would like to attend.
For further information about St Mark’s services and Kids Club, please visit the website at https://www.stmarksgoldengrove.org.au