Pedare - The Vine Newsletter Issue 15 for 2021
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The Vine Issue 15 – 2021

October 22, 2021
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COLLEGE PRINCIPAL

Mr James Tamblyn

 

This week we have celebrated the final stage of our Year 12 students’ journey at Pedare. I dare say that more than any other cohort who have graduated from our College, the journey you have endured over the past 24 months has prepared you for the realities of life. 

COVID-19 has brought with it uncertainty, unpredictability, separation, and disconnection; obstacles never presented previously, certainly not in such a sustained way, for a two-year SACE journey. Congratulations to all our graduates on the resilience you have demonstrated, and on your capacity to continue contributing so positively to College life.  

We wish you all every blessing, every success and every happiness with whatever lies ahead for you, and we look forward to following your progress with great interest. Remember always that you are an old Scholar of Pedare, and that there will always be a home for you here amongst the Pedare family. We are very proud of you. God bless you.

To the parents of our graduates, thank you for your support over the journey. Your contributions to our community are so highly valued, and most greatly appreciated. Perhaps the most special part of the past few days has been sharing it with you. 

And to our staff, thank you for all your hard work over the academic year. You are an amazingly committed and talented team of professionals. You inspire our students and each other. I say this often; the quality of a school cannot, ever, exceed the quality of its staff. And our school is exceptional because of your dedication to our students. 


DEPUTY PRINCIPAL / HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL

Mr Andrew Whiteman

 

Welcome back to Term 4 for all our families. School holidays hopefully provided a break from the daily school routine and some downtime after a busy end of Term 3. During the holidays, our Stage 2 students were on campus preparing themselves for the upcoming examinations which will take place in Week 4 and 5 of this term. We wish them well as they head into the SWOT VAC period and the examinations. 

A big thank you to all students and families for your support of the Middle and Senior School Spring Carnival and Colour Explosion held this week. The events were another example of the outstanding culture at Pedare with all students participating and enjoying the day. The Colour Explosion which was organised by the Parents and Friends (P&F) Association was a huge success. I would like to personally thank all members of the P&F Association, and in particular, those brave souls who helped throughout the day on each of the stations. Please view the photos available below, as they demonstrate that when the whole College combines for an event, what a wonderful experience it is for all students. 

Congratulations to those students who were involved in the recent 2021 Music Showcase. Once again, staff and families were very impressed with the quality of our young musicians. The time spend practising cannot be underestimated and is very much worth it when we see performances of that quality. Well done to all involved.

This week, we farewelled our Year 12 cohort as they completed their final official lessons. As a College, we wish them well in their upcoming exams. We will miss them around the College and look forward to them receiving their results at the end of the year. Year 12 students are welcome to contact teachers via email whilst they are studying for exams and can arrange to meet teachers at a mutually convenient time. Good luck to our Year 12 students.


HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

 Mrs Lauren Brooks

 

Sexuality and Relationships

This week we launched our Sexuality and Relationships pilot program for our Year 8 and Year 9 cohorts, with a parent information evening. We have partnered with Dr Tess Opie, a leading expert in this field, as we support our students in navigating respectful relationships, media literacy and consent through an evidence-based, harm reduction approach.  Throughout this term, we will explore these matters from a positive and pragmatic perspective that empowers our young people to engage in healthy and consenting relationships. 

We have already received such exceptional support from our parent community, and our students are very much looking forward to their sessions beginning in Week 3.

Social Media Safety 

The eSafety Commissioner website is a fantastic resource for students and parents to access, to support our children online. We know that there are an increasing number of young Australians who are reporting being excluded, abused or have admitted to behaving negatively to a peer online. 

The eSafety Commissioner refers to the importance of instilling good habits in our children early with basic digital intelligence principles: respect, empathy, critical thinking, responsible behaviour and resilience. These are also principles you can emphasise with your child when things go wrong.

How to build digital intelligence (From the eSafety Commissioner)

  • Encourage your child to use the same positive manners and behaviour they would use offline, understanding that others may have different cultures, backgrounds or points of view. If it is not okay to say or do something face to face, it is not okay online. 
  • Remind them to avoid responding to negative messages and to tell you or another trusted adult if they receive them. Tell them it is okay to report others who are not being nice.  
  • Help your child to imagine being in someone else’s shoes, so they can relate to diverse opinions and understand what might make people behave in different ways. 
  • Encourage your child to think critically about what they see online. Teach them to ask questions so they can identify content or messages that may be misleading or exploitative. 
  • Remind them to be careful when making new friends online, as people may not be who they say they are. Work on achieving a healthy balance in your child’s online and offline activities and set boundaries for digital device use in your home. 
  • Remind your child of the importance of safeguarding personal information that can be used to identify or locate them.  
  • Help them configure the strongest privacy settings on all the social media apps and sites they use. It is best that only their circle of friends can view their information, tag them in a photo or share posts. And get them to check their settings regularly as updates can sometimes change them back to the default. 
  • Ensure your child uses strong passwords on devices and accounts, and explain the importance of never sharing passwords, even with friends. 
  • Keep your cool if your child experiences a negative experience online. Remember, the choices they make as they navigate difficult situations can help them learn.


HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

Mr Randall Pearce

 

World Teachers’ Day 

World Teachers’ Day is celebrated on Tuesday 5 October. The day provides an opportunity to thank the teachers in our lives for their professionalism, dedication, expertise and care.    

World Teachers’ Day was introduced in 1994 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), to celebrate the significance of competent, qualified and motivated teachers as instrumental in shaping the futures of children, students and young people. 

As many parents know instinctively, the impact individual teachers have on a child’s education can be great. Teachers are central to learning, they engage and motivate students. While there are other important factors, such as the quality of the curriculum, school environment and student’s ability and commitment, it is teachers who breathe life into what’s been taught.

In Junior School, we recognise that parents are their children’s first teachers. During primary and secondary school, it is often individual teachers that enliven education and cause students to identify what is most exciting and rewarding.

As the Head of Junior School, I have been blessed over the past eight years to work with an amazing group of teachers and educators. I wish to take this opportunity to thank you all for the amazing learning community you have helped develop.  

Each one of us most likely could name one or two special teachers who made what was being studied engaging, lively and relevant; and who sparked an interest and passion for learning that was life-changing.

Teaching is a vocation, a calling from God, not just a ‘job’. I encourage you to take the time to personally thank your child’s teacher.


COLLEGE NEWS

SENIOR SCHOOL 2022 LEADERSHIP INDUCTION ASSEMBLY

Congratulations to the following students who were inducted as the 2022 College, Senior Community, Arts and Sports Captains at Assembly on Thursday 14 October. Also, congratulations to the Surrey Community for being the winners of the Community Cup for 2021:

College Captains
Jude B & Brooke J

Brooklyn:
Hailey G & Rachael H

Eldergreen:
Onoseje E & Emmett J

Greenwith:
Deniz D & Amelie S

Hillcott:
Kiara S & Samata K 

Surrey:
Imogen L & Izabella D 

Arts Captains:
Paige W & Cassia I

Sports Captains:
Brooke C & Tia O

2021 Community Cup Winner:
Surrey


2022 MIDDLE SCHOOL CAPTAIN

We are pleased to announce that the 2022 Middle School Captains are Keziah Chung and Emily Schulz.

We look forward to their leadership of the Middle School next year.


MUSIC AWARDS

Australian Band and Orchestra Directors’ Association (ABODA) Festival

In Week 8 of Term 3, Pedare’s Advanced Concert Band and Advanced String Ensemble submitted recorded performances to the SA ABODA Band and Orchestra Festival. Each ensemble had to perform a maximum of 12 minutes and was adjudicated by respected industry band and string leaders. We are very pleased to announce that the String Ensemble received a Gold Award for their stunning performance, and the Advanced Concert Band won a Bronze Award.

Congratulations to Amy Seubwicha (String Ensemble) and Angelo Valdivia (Band director) for working with these students to produce such amazing results.

Nadine Stroud


STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Earlier in the year, several students took part in the Hamaan School Mathematics Competition for the Society of Petroleum Engineers. Year 10 student Shaun P performed highly, achieving a Distinction in the competition.

Congratulations to Shaun on his achievement in this state competition.

Congratulations to Charlotte E who achieved Honours in her Grade 1 Piano exam.


EXTRACURRICULAR – 2022 NOMINATIONS

2022 Nominations will open from Friday 22 October. Look out for the email or on the Extracurricular Portal. These nominations will be for the whole of 2022, all sub-schools and all extracurricular activities. 


Preparing today’s learners for uncertainty

– a webinar by MyFuture for parents

‘Uncertainty tolerance’ (UT), or how we process and respond to unknown or complex situations, is increasingly recognised as an essential workplace skill.

On Tuesday 9 November, Associate Professor Michelle Lazarus will discuss the impacts of UT on students, and outline some strategies to help parents to support their children to improve their UT to prepare them for their futures in further education and work. This webinar is organised by MyFuture, click here to register.


LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS


CAMP

Year 4

Students eagerly returned to school from their term break and were ready for their Year 4 Leadership Camp, an overnight stay at the College. This year, students participated in fun activities, such as team games, tent building, Billy Cart racing, a 15-metre wall rock climbing and night games.

Leadership and team skills have been two important themes for Year 4 students, especially towards the end of the year. In class, students have focussed on investigating what makes a good leader; how leaders act, talk and think; and how everyone has unique qualities for leadership. 

Many new experiences and milestones were achieved during the event. Year 4 students have reflected on the day/night to remember the key events and their positive experiences and challenges.

Simara Conroy


FRIENDSHIP WORKSHOP

Year 2 & Year 3

On Wednesday 20 October, we welcomed Joni to Pedare to facilitate a ‘Girl Power’ workshop. Girls from Years 2 and 3 engaged in activities and discussions that promoted positive communication, friendships building and self-confidence. 

Mrs Davis facilitated social skills activities for the boys. They were designed to spark conversation and promote learning to develop new friendships. The activities had students moving around with games that required communication and teamwork skills.

Rebecca Wallace


“I liked the activity where we were walking around and asking people questions about themselves. It was fun because it was like playing with musical chairs. I learnt that everyone likes different things.” Oliver G, Year 3


“It was interesting to find out what other people liked and didn’t like, as well as the types of things we had in common.” Aaliyah S, Year 3


“I had fun because I got to talk to my friends about things that we like to do. We talked about soccer. We played a game called ‘Piggy Diggy’.” Angus M, Year 2


“The ‘Girl Power’ workshop was lots of fun and we did many activities. We pretended to be a leaf blowing in the wind. I learnt something new about my friends.” Callie C, Year 2



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.



Term 4 Week 2 Update

A blockbuster first week of Sport for Term 4 with 31 teams competing in inter-school competitions. Pedare hosted Trinity College in the 7B cricket competition, Prince Alfred College in the Middle B and C Tennis competitions and the South Australian Catholic School Girl Sporting Association North Eastern Volleyball competition. 

With one week of training and matches down, students have plenty of opportunities to improve as the season progresses, and we are looking forward to seeing all the effort that they are putting into their training paying off. 

Thank you to all coaches and families supporting a successful start to the Term 4 season.



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. A BBQ and delightful Devonshire Teas are available. There is also 50% off of items in the BIG shed. For more information contact the TTG Uniting Church website ahttps://www.ttguc.org.au/

 

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St Mark’s Anglican Church

 

St Mark’s Anglican Church currently have a 9:00 am traditional service. Please email office@stmarksgoldengrove.org.au to advise if you will be attending either service for COVID-19 requirements.

For further information and updates about St Mark’s services, please visit the website at https://www.stmarksgoldengrove.org.au/ or visit their 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 10:00am 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

KEY DATES