Pedare - The Vine Newsletter Issue 12 for 2022
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The Vine Issue 12 – 2022

September 2, 2022
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COLLEGE PRINCIPAL

Mr James Tamblyn

 

I have had the pleasure of attending multiple performances this week of our Junior Musical Production, The Wizard of Oz. Congratulations to all students, staff and volunteers who were involved in the preparation and execution of such a magnificent show. For students so young to produce a performance of such high quality is a credit to all involved. The courage, skill, camaraderie and energy displayed by our young performers were quite remarkable. The quality of costumes, props, sets and choreography is a testament to the extraordinarily hard work of staff and volunteers. I commend all involved and thank them, on behalf of the community, for the joy that their hard work has enabled the performers and the combined audiences to experience over the past few days.

Wizard of Oz Musical, 31 August – 2 September

Happy Father’s Day to all our dads and grandfathers for Sunday. You play such an important role in the lives of your children and grandchildren. We hope you all have a wonderful day. It was fabulous to have so many fathers and grandfathers join us for our Junior School Father’s Day breakfast on Friday this week. My thanks to the team of Junior School staff who organised the event and to the families who came along to celebrate.

Father’s Day Breakfast – Friday, 2 September

This week’s Middle and Senior School Assembly theme was ‘Perfectly Imperfect’. Those present were encouraged to embrace their own imperfections, and those in others. Students explored the notion of failure being an integral ingredient for success. We cannot ever succeed greatly without risking failing spectacularly. Scottish novelist and playwright Sir J M Barrie, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan in 1904, is also accredited with this little gem; We are all failures – at least the best of us are. Only those prepared to risk failure, and embrace their imperfections, will ever know the satisfaction of great accomplishment. 

To be human is to be imperfect. I encourage you all to embrace your imperfections, knowing that God’s perfect love for us all is sufficient.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.‘ – Corinthians 12:9-10


DEPUTY PRINCIPAL / HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL

Mr Andrew Whiteman

 

The past two weeks have seen our current and future Senior School students start to make decisions on the subjects that they will study in 2023. For some, this has been a smooth process and a clear direction is ahead of them. For many others, more time is required to consider the options available, discussions at home and with teachers and, of course, some real investigation is required before any subjects are decided. We appreciate this is not an easy decision and if you or your child would like any assistance or guidance with subject choices, please do not hesitate to contact me or classroom teachers at the College. Our current Year 9 students were presented with information this week, and an optional subject counselling session is planned for Thursday, 8 September, 1.45 – 5.00pm. Families can drop in with your child to investigate the many different pathways available. I was pleased to hear so many questions already coming from our students. The last day for selections to be made is Friday, 9 September. An email has been sent with the instructions for entering subjects into the online portal Edval. 

2023 Subject Expo – Thursday, 1 September

Hillcott Assembly this week focused on human imperfections and how failure is a natural and common part of everyday life. The student leaders presented the notion of any failure being an opportunity for growth. We need to be brave and learn that the feeling of being vulnerable, e.g. going for a job interview, applying for a leadership role, or public speaking, is an important part of improving ourselves. Yes, there will be times when being nervous will impact our performance. Yes, there will be times when we don’t perform to our best, and there will be times when we all fail. Everyone fails in life at some stage. However, how we bounce back from that failure builds our character and makes us who we are. The Assembly was hopefully inspirational to our students, highlighting that being a failure doesn’t have to be a bad thing or leave a lasting impression on our character. A number of awards were presented to students as recognition for outstanding results in various competitions in English and Humanities. 

This week, Year 11 and 12 students were visited by the South Australian Police to hear important information about keeping themselves and others safe. The world these students live in exposes them to the many dangers of our society. Students heard first-hand about the impacts of dangerous driving and how the decisions they make while driving (or while passengers) can have devastating effects on them and others. The powerful messages of looking after each other and thinking before acting made these presentations truly impactful. We cannot wrap our students in cotton wool and not allow them to access opportunities, but we need to continually talk to them about the dangers and how they can positively influence others.  


HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

 Mr Callum Iles

 

I once completed an aptitude survey that looked at different strengths that I had. I think it was called Strengthsfinder. At the end of the extensive survey and self-assessment, it came out that two of my greatest strengths were strategic thinking and historic thinking. Basically, I am good at planning for the future and learning from the past. I remember the analysis saying that the biggest problem for someone with this particular skill mix is that they can sometimes forget to live in the moment. This explained a lot of things.

Living in the moment can be a challenge when we are setting goals and thinking about what we are doing with the coming holidays. If we don’t plan for the future, then life will just happen, but if we spend too much time thinking about the future, we will never experience the wonder of the moment.

In the same way, we can learn so much from history. People’s failures and what we can do to avoid them; inspiring stories of courage; hilarious blunders. But if we spend too long analysing history, we can get caught in the past, forgetting to create our own history and our own memories.

Mindfulness is essentially the practice of being present. Whether that is by focusing on our breath, or by eating a strawberry slowly, or by putting our phones down to look our children in the eyes, these are all practices of living in the moment. You can see why there are a lot of sources outlining the benefits of mindfulness.

The Bible encourages us to live in the moment as well. Matthew 6:26 says, ‘Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are they not much more valuable than they?’ Jesus encourages us not to worry about the future but to live in the present and make the most of each moment.

One of the great joys of being a part of Pedare Middle School is seeing each student make the most of their moment. Whether playing soccer on the oval at lunch, sharing a laugh with their friends, or choreographing a dance routine for Physical Education, each student is engaged in what they are doing at the moment, and it is a great joy to see. Participation in sports, extra-curricular activities and producing high-quality work are further evidence that the outcomes of living in the moment are exceptional. By doing this, students begin to learn the practices that will help them build a great life.

As we navigate life, I encourage all to find a balance between living in the moment, planning for the future and learning from the past. By balancing these, we can begin building a life that counts.


HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

Mr Randall Pearce

 

Spring is almost here! We are all looking forward to some sunshine and warmer weather. Please be aware that students will need to begin wearing hats during outside play from Monday, 5 September.  

 

Father’s Day Breakfast

For the third consecutive year, we enjoyed the Father’s Day breakfast, which was held in the College Chapel today. It was reported to me that many children were so excited about their Dad’s coming to school that they could not sleep and woke up very early, got themselves ready and were out the door prepared for the day. It was wonderful to see so many Dads in the same space enjoying the company of their children and fellow Dads. We had over 90% of our families represented at this event and hope to grow this further in the future.  

Many thanks to Rory, the catering team, and the numerous staff volunteers who cheerfully woke early to serve our community.

Father’s Day Breakfast, 2 September

Father’s Day Stall, 2 September

Parent / Teacher Interviews

Junior School Parent / Teacher Interviews will be held in person next week – Tuesday, 6 and Wednesday, 7 September, from 3.30 to 5.30pm.  

These interviews are with class teachers only, and you can book a time if there is something specific you would like to discuss regarding your child’s learning. These ‘optional’ interviews are not compulsory for families as Semester One reports have been issued. All interviews will be 15 minutes in duration.

Specialist teachers will not be available; however, if you would like to meet with one of them, please contact the teacher directly to arrange a suitable time.

 

Term 4 events

We look forward to hosting Year 3, Year 4 Sleepovers and Student Leadership Information Session in Term 4. 

Year 4 Sleepover will be held on Friday, 21 October (week 1), when students spend a night in tents within the school grounds. The newly established Year 3 sleepover will be held on Friday, 4 November (week 3).  

To help your child with a successful night away from home, we are planning for an information session where we will go through each program so you can help prepare your child for the sleepover.  

Please save the following time and date: Wednesday, 28 September from 5.00 to 5.30pm

Following the Sleepovers presentation (from 5.30 to 5.45pm), I will explain to the Year 4 parents about the Student Leadership/Captains process that will take place in Term 4.


FRUITFUL REFLECTIONS

From the College Chaplain


Andrew McDonough’s Author Visit, 24-25 August

M&SS Worship – Gideons Visit, 30 August

The Power of Storytelling

The pleasure associated with storytelling is an almost universal experience. Whether you’re a listener, or a reader, or the one telling the story – there’s a rich tapestry of emotion, new learning, and exciting imagination to be enjoyed through stories.

So many good communicators are excellent storytellers. An important principle or key message is often best remembered when aligned with a well-crafted narrative, whether based on true events or fiction. Jesus is recognised as one of the greatest teachers, not only for the importance of what he taught but also how he went about it. He frequently reverted to parables to convey truths and challenge his listeners, employing various techniques to capture attention, build intrigue and arrive at an unexpected conclusion. 

For over 30 years, Andrew McDonough has also been telling stories. Some of those are his own work, some are a fresh re-telling of the stories Jesus told or the encounters he had with people, which are recorded in the Bible. During Andrew’s Author Visit to Pedare for Book Week, he was the guest speaker at Junior School Worship. Students were captivated by his story of Tina the Tree, learning the importance of drawing strength, goodness and refreshment from God if we want to be useful in helping others.

This week, all Year 8 students were offered a personal copy of the New Testament by The Gideons. They were encouraged to engage with the many stories and events recorded long ago and be open to new discoveries that draw on the faith, hope and love that Jesus offers to all.

 

John Morton, College Chaplain


COLLEGE NEWS


2023 College Captains

Congratulations to Maya McInnes and Charlie Corney, who were announced as the 2023 College Captains during the Middle and Senior School Assembly on Tuesday, 23 August.

We wish them a successful year ahead and thank them for their commitment to serving and inspiring our College community.


(Left to right)
Back row: Jennifer Scholefield, Rachelle Knight, Carmel Parsons, Belinda Fullston
Front row: Sue Stringer, Justine Milford, Kayla Gyles, Dhanya Usha Mohan

(Left to right)
Absent: Diane Owen, Angela Maltby, Jordan Skinner, Kim Catford

2022 Australian Teacher Aide of the Year Awards

Recently our Diverse Learning Assistants R-12 have been nominated for the 2022 Australian Teacher Aide of the Year Awards under the ‘Team’ category. This was to recognise all their outstanding efforts in supporting students across the College. 

The criteria for entry were;

  • Positive impact on student learning and wellbeing
  • Collaboration with students and colleagues 
  • Improving practice through professional development and training 

They were very excited to be chosen as State finalists for this award. We congratulate and acknowledge this achievement and their ongoing commitment and teamwork.

Barbara Gerber and Rebecca Wallace 


STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

ABODA Band Festival
Friday, 18 August

Congratulations to Pedare’s Stage Band for the amazing result of a Silver Award at the ABODA Band Festival on Friday, 18 August. They performed brilliantly on the Westminster College stage under the direction of Mr Gerald Pederick. Many thanks to woodwind tutor Nicole Molloy for stepping in at the last minute to perform with the band. Well done!

Nadine Stroud


Cross Campus Book Cup – Friday, 26 August

Cross Campus Book Cup
Friday, 26 August

In Language and Literature this term, Year 8 students have been working on the annual Book Week themed assignment called Book Cup. This yearly competition runs across the three schools, Pedare, Gleeson and Golden Grove High School, and involves students transforming a text of choice into a multimodal video. The catch is it must aim to fit within the parameters of the 2022 Book Week theme, which was ‘Dreaming with Eyes Open’.

All students across the four Year 8 classes put in an outstanding effort, producing creative, funny, heartfelt, and whimsical videos. The four finalist groups that were selected from Pedare included:

  • The 13-Storey Treehouse – By Gracie B, Amelia F, Sophia C 
  • The Wrong Stone – By Kai K, Adam P
  • Cinderella – By Gracie P, Kaya S, Charlotte C, Fiona C
  • Boys who dare to be different – By Flynn H, Logan M, Jackson H, Owen H

These students had the honour of attending the One+ Thiele Library red carpet event in which all the finalists’ videos were presented. 

Congratulations to third-place winners Gracie B, Amelia F and Sophia C with their video exploring a model they built of ‘The 13-Storey Treehouse’ by Andy Griffiths. 

Lauren Griffiths


2022 Oliphant Science Awards

Congratulations to the following students who received individual recognition for their 2022 Oliphant Science Awards entries. Prize winners will be invited to attend a presentation ceremony on Friday, 21 October.

Thomas P, Year 8

Category: Programming, Applications and Robotics
Prizewinner – Tokamak Simulator

Omar H, Year 10

Category: Crystal Investigation
Prizewinner

Category: Photography
Highly Commended – Wetlands Habitat

Sierra B, Year 11

Category: Crystal Investigation
Highly Commended


LEARNING
HIGHLIGHTS


The Wizard of Oz Musical

Wednesday, 31 August – Friday, 2 September

This week was much anticipated by 83 Year 4-7 students, as months of rehearsing became an exciting reality. Dual casts thrilled audiences with their young talent, presenting The Wizard of Oz at the Golden Grove Arts Centre. Obviously, musicals take an enormous amount of effort from both staff and students, but what we all want at the end of the day is for our students to never forget this special moment in their life. Let’s read what they thought about the whole experience:


SciWorld Science Incursion

Year 1

Year 1s have been exploring the central idea of ‘how we use science in our everyday lives’. To finish off our Unit of Inquiry, we were lucky enough to have Brooke from SciWorld visit us on Wednesday, 24 August, to conduct experiments to show us how different chemicals and objects react and change.

Rikki Hendry


Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee

Year 6

This year, we offered some of our strong spellers in Year 6 the opportunity to compete in the Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee.

Students were asked to spell 30 words under timed conditions, and any who are successful at the State level may be asked to move onto the national competition.

All the best to those who took part!

Sarah Bloomfield


Individuals & Societies Museum and Gallery Excursion

Year 9

Year 9 students enjoyed their Individuals and Societies excursion to the South Australian Museum and Art Gallery on Tuesday, 30 August. In line with the topic of ‘Making a Nation’, students looked at paintings and exhibitions relating to First Nations peoples. Comparisons were made between the perspectives of First Nations peoples and the British regarding the British arrival in 1778.

Ebony Coulter

“I was grateful to be a special guest on the Year 9 excursion to the Art Gallery. As students looked deep into the paintings, it was wonderful to see students connecting with powerful Australian artworks as historians. Students described, analysed and interpreted artwork in order to make connections between identity and social context in the life of early colonial times and Indigenous perspectives. Students unfolded how an artist has the power to convey a message, whether it be true or an embellishment. Unlike a photograph, art can connect us back in time, tell us something about life in the past, and it can be layered with symbolism and messages. Using art as a source for historical analysis is a tool I hope to see our students continue to use.” Emily Kenny


Book Fair

Wednesday, 24 August – Friday, 26 August

As part of the Book Week celebrations, the College hosted a Book Fair from Tuesday, 23 August – Friday, 26 August.


Author Visit – Manal Younus

Year 8

An Adelaide author, storyteller, creative writer, public speaker, producer, performance artist and workshop facilitator, Manal Younus, visited the College during Book Week on Monday, 22 August. She delivered an engaging presentation to our Year 8 students as well as students from Golden Grove High School.

Thank you, Manal, for sharing stories and performing thought-provoking slam poetries that encourage us to ask questions about ourselves and the world around us.



Extra-Curricular

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.


COMMUNITY NEWS

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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.

 

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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/

 

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St Mark’s Anglican Church

 

St Mark’s Anglican Church has a 9.00 am traditional service each Sunday morning and 9.30am each Wednesday morning. We would love to see you at either or both of our services. We are located on the corner of The Golden Way and Wynn Vale Drive, Wynn Vale.

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

 

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Golden Grove Uniting Church

 

Golden Grove Uniting Church, corner of Crouch and One Tree Hill Road, Golden Grove, has a traditional service at 10 am on Sunday. 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 pm in the Church hall.

Café Youth is a fun, interactive program for young people ages 14 and up looking to engage in topics of faith. It is held in the Church hall on the first and third Sunday of each month during the school term, from 6.30-8.30 pm. Café Youth sessions start with a fun 30-minute activity based on the theme for the night, then followed by “Talk Time”, during which the group discusses a topic of faith whilst enjoying delicious snacks, refreshments and pizza! The cost for each session is $5.

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

KEY DATES