Pedare - The Vine Newsletter Issue 18 for 2021
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The Vine Issue 18 – 2021

December 3, 2021
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COLLEGE PRINCIPAL

Mr James Tamblyn

 

 

My thanks to all members of our community for your exceptional support throughout what has proven to be another particularly challenging year. The cumulative impact of this protracted period of uncertainty is palpable, and in this context, we are most grateful for the patience, flexibility and understanding that our staff, students and families have demonstrated this year. 

Congratulations to our students who represent themselves, their families and the College incredibly well. We are so proud of how they commit to their learning, but more importantly, how they look after each other, aligning their behaviours with our values of kindness, respect and inclusivity. Their academic achievements over the course of the year reflect the safe and connected community that they play such a significant role in creating. 

Thank you to our staff for your incredible work over the course of the academic year. We are so fortunate to have such a committed and talented team of professionals. You inspire our students, and you challenge each other. The quality of a school cannot exceed the quality of its staff. Our College is exceptional because of your dedication to our students.

As we approach Christmas, it’s imperative we keep front of mind the reason for the season; the miraculous birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. I wish for you all every blessing and every happiness through the Christmas and New Year period. May the holidays provide for you all an opportunity to reflect, relax, recharge, and spend some quality time with family and friends.

 

PLEASE NOTE:
The College Office will close from Friday 10 December and re-open on Monday 17 January 2021.

We wish all our College community a blessed, safe and happy Christmas and New Year.


DEPUTY PRINCIPAL / HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL

Mr Andrew Whiteman

 

‘It always seems impossible until it’s done’ – Nelson Mandela

This quote from Nelson Mandela is one of my favourites and I am often reminded of it as another school year closes. At the beginning of the year, Term 4 seemed a long way away in the distance and now, as we bring the school year to an end, it is amazing to think how quickly 2021 has gone. With all of the ups and downs, lockdowns and isolations, projects and tests; at times, it may have seemed impossible to get through it all. But now that it is over we should look back with pride on what we have all achieved. 

Congratulations to all of our students for their commitment and hard work throughout this school year. From our oldest students to the youngest they have all shown what can be done when they put their minds to it. It is with great pride and a sense of excitement that we welcome our current Year 9 cohort into the Senior School. Their journey through the IB MYP is complete and they now begin their final 3 years completing their SACE. 

This year’s theme in the Senior School was to focus on the things that were small enough to make a difference. Don’t worry about the things you cannot change, work hard on the things you can to make the most impact. It is this methodical approach that our students have learnt so much from this year. The students of today have learnt to not think too far into the future and just try to focus on what is here now. I look forward to discovering a new theme with our 2022 students and helping them through another action-packed year. 

A sincere thank you to all the parents and families who have supported the College throughout 2021. Pedare’s caring and nurturing community of families and students makes it an enjoyable and rewarding place to come to each day. I trust that you will enjoy a well-deserved break over the upcoming Christmas holiday period. Holidays are for getting out of routine and spending some time with families, I hope you all get to do plenty of both. I look forward to seeing you all back in 2022. 


HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

 Mrs Lauren Brooks

 

Wellness Day

It was a fantastic day on Friday 26 November, seeing the entire Middle School immersed in wellbeing activities! Students engaged in a variety of physical activities, mindfulness, yoga, pilates, healthy eating classes, respectful relationships seminars, digital health seminars and mental health presentations. It was a positive, fun and engaging way to bring awareness to these very important topics and support student wellbeing.

We would also like to congratulate Year 6 student, Sienna J, who brought to life the wonderful Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Ice Bucket Challenge at lunchtime. The Middle School raised hundreds of dollars from this event that is being donated to MND South Australia. All funds raised will support further research and awareness to find a cure for this debilitating disease. We would also like to thank the honourable Paula Luethen MP, Member for King, and Matthew Massy-Westropp representing MND SA, who contributed to our event on this day.

Wellness Day concluded with an engaging presentation from Nova 91.9 breakfast radio presenter (and Pedare old scholar), Liam Stapleton. Liam talked to the Middle School about fond memories from his time at Pedare, he spoke of his career trajectory and also some of his strategies in place to support his own mental health. It was wonderful to have Liam return to Pedare and clear how inspiring his story was for so many of our students.

Welcome day

On Tuesday 30 November, we welcomed many new students into our Pedare community. It was a fantastic day with a variety of activities on offer and new opportunities to explore. 

The most pleasing was the exceptional leadership from current Pedare students that was so impactful on this day. We saw such kindness and inclusivity extended towards our new students, and we were so very proud of our students. 

Year 9 IB MYP Graduation

On Thursday 2 December, we celebrated our Year 9 cohort in successfully completing their IB MYP experience. It was a lovely occasion where we could acknowledge the tremendous academic achievements of our Year 9 cohort throughout their IB MYP experience, and especially highlight the achievements from the most recent Year 9 Community Project. 

We are so proud of our Year 9 students. It has been a privilege to watch them grow into the wonderful young people they have become, who are very ready to take on the challenges of Senior School and beyond.


HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

Mr Randall Pearce

 

Junior School (JS) Nativity

On Friday 26 November, we welcomed parents, grandparents and special friends to an outstanding Junior School Nativity Performance. Children were very excited to share the Christmas story through their presentation. They have been working so hard this term to learn lines, where to stand, when to speak and when not to!

This year has been a little more challenging due to staff illness, and I want to share how proud I am of our Year 2s, who have shown significant resilience and grit to showcase their skills and overcome all challenges.  

Matthew 1:20-23

An angel from the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. The angel said,

“Joseph, the baby that Mary will have is from the Holy Spirit. Go ahead and marry her. Then after her baby is born, name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”So the Lord’s promise came true, just as the prophet had said, 

“A virgin will have a baby boy, and he will be called Immanuel,” which means “God is with us.”

JS Nativity would not have happened without a dedicated team of teachers and staff who went above and beyond. To Miss Bramble, congratulations on your first JS Nativity, and thank you! You have been an absolute blessing. 

Thank you to Mr Morton and Mrs Davis who worked so tirelessly behind the scenes, and always went the extra mile to ensure everything is in place.  Your wisdom, patience and calm approaches have been appreciated by all.  

We are grateful to our JS teachers, Miss Vassallo and Mrs Burne, for preparing the children so beautifully, and for Mrs Anderson and Mrs Moore who assisted students over the last few weeks. The performance would not have been possible without all of you.

To our support staff Mr Wilson, Mrs Owen, Miss Ephgrave, Mrs Hopper, Mrs Carter and the numerous Diverse Learning Assistants who have stepped in when needed, thank you. 

Finally, to our Year 2 students, thank you! You have started the Christmas season for many of us beautifully.

Many thanks, God bless and Christmas blessings to all.


COLLEGE NEWS

JUNIOR SCHOOL THANKSGIVING SERVICE

On the morning of Friday 3 December, the Junior School held the Thanksgiving Service. The ceremony began with the Acknowledgement of Country and Bible Reading by the 2021 Junior School Captains, Charlie J and Stella A, then followed by the Reflection and College Prayer led by the College Chaplain, Mr Morton.

After the Principal’s Address, a wonderful video of all the highlights from each year level about what they are thankful for was presented. The service was filled with beautiful renditions by the choir group Melodica and Junior Jingle vocal group.

Year 5 students were then presented with their certificates before the 2022 Junior School and Community Captains were inducted and presented with their badges. Congratulations to all Year 5 students and best wishes to the 2022 captains.


2022 JUNIOR SCHOOL CAPTAINS

Congratulations to the following Junior School students on being inducted as the 2022 Junior School Captains at the Thanksgiving Service on Friday 3 December:


Junior School Captains

Georgia Lebessis and Sucré Pascal


Brooklyn Community

Luca Amadio and Emily Stevenson


Eldergreen Community

Bassil Abimosleh and Della McCracken


Greenwith Community

Indianna Milford and William Sturman


Hillcott Community

Drew D’Agostini and Lauren Bogan


Surrey Community

Kade Watson and Ashleigh Skewes


COMMUNITY ACHIEVEMENT

Congratulations to Pedare community member, Libby Kosmala OAM, who was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2021 as an Athlete Member. Ms Kosmala was recognised for her contribution to the sport of shooting. She is the grandmother of Nicholas (Y6) and Alicia (Y1), and one of the nation’s greatest Paralympians who has inspired many athletes to participate in sport and to pursue the dream of competing in the Paralympics. Heartfelt congratulations on this outstanding achievement.

Read more on Sport Australia Hall of Fame website >


PARENTS & FRIENDS ASSOCIATION UPDATE

What a wonderful year it has been for the Pedare Parents and Friends (P&F) Association. A wide range of successful events and fundraising activities such as the much-loved Mother’s Day and Father’s Day stalls, the fun Junior School Disco, the special Cookie Dough Fundraiser and the main event of the year – the Colour Explosion, were very well-received. 

Pedare community’s generous support to the P&F has helped us in our ongoing contributions to provide financial support and sponsorship for a variety of projects around the College that supports our children’s learning and enhance the College environment.

Keep an eye out for the new Multi Court’s basketball hoops and the shade over the Reception play space. With excitement and eager anticipation, we look forward to the P&F contributions for next year. 

We congratulate the highest fundraisers listed below and send our sincere thanks to all our supporters. 

We wish all families a happy and safe Christmas and New Year. 

God bless from the P&F Association

Angela Maltby, P&F Chairperson 

 

Highest fundraisers 

  • Cookie Dough – Indiah L
  • Colour Explosion Junior School – Samuel N 
  • Colour Explosion Middle School – Lucas N
  • Colour Explosion Senior School – Alysha C

CHINESE LANGUAGE AWARDS

A very successful Chinese Awards ceremony was held by the Chinese Language Teachers’ Association of South Australia at Elder Hall, the University of Adelaide. The event was attended by the Minister of Education, the Honourable John Gardner MP, who gave an inspiring opening speech on how language learning shapes our South Australian community.  

The night was entertaining, and it was fascinating to watch the performances with a taste of Chinese culture. It was also interesting to listen to the Chinese translations.

This year, two Pedare students were nominated for the Chinese Language Award. We congratulate Thomas P (Year 7) and Mia W (Year 10) who are worthy recipients of this award for their outstanding efforts in understanding Chinese culture and their enthusiasm for language learning.  

 Siew Ng

“On Friday 26 November, I attended the Annual Awards Ceremony of the Chinese Language Teachers’ Association of South Australia and received a Chinese Language Award. It was a wonderful evening at the University of Adelaide where a variety of schools performed dances, poems and songs in Chinese. I am very grateful for the wonderful cultural learning environment at Pedare, which has enabled me to greatly improve my Chinese language skills.”

Thomas P, Year 7


DEVON UNIFORM NEWS

If your child needs new uniforms for 2022 please ensure that you make a booking at the Modbury store. Uniform fittings are by appointment only but are filling fast, so please book a time now. Bookings are available until the end of January 2022.

Current students should book for 20 mins time, students who are new in 2022 will need a 30-minute time slot.

Click here to book now: https://onlinestore.devonclothing.com.au/pedare-college/


LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS


VEX TOURNAMENTS

VEX Robotics Season has come to a remarkable conclusion with two large tournaments in Week 8.

On Monday 29 November, we celebrated teams from Year 3-8 competing in the VEX IQ Competition. Students from the Junior School and Middle School performed extremely well, with The BroBots and The Potatoes winning Tournament Champions. In addition, The BroBots also secured the highest award, the Excellence award.

On Wednesday 1 December, teams from Year 9-12 competed in the VEX V5 Competition that involves the added complexity of competing directly against another team. It was incredible to see a number of our former VEX IQ teams move up to the next level of competition. The NextGen team has members who have competed since Year 6, and it was brilliant to recognise their development and to see them winning the Tournament Champion Award and Middle School Excellence Award.

The VEX National Tournament for Season 2021-2022 will be held in March at the Adelaide Convention Centre. Teams going through to Nationals will have time to continue building, programming and developing their engineering notebook until then. 

These competitions are only possible with the enormous support of our volunteers and judges. Here is a short summary of one judge’s experience over the last week, Sharyn attended both competitions as a new judge. Next year please be on the lookout through the College on whom you can volunteer as a judge, no experience is required. It is a wonderful way to connect with the future workforce.

 

Emil Zankov


ART EXHIBITION

Middle and Senior School

On Thursday the 25th of November, Pedare hosted the Middle and Senior School Art Exhibition. The evening was a fantastic celebration of the students’ artistic skills and concepts. This event brought together parents, friends and members of the local community to share in the joyous occasion. Throughout the night, the College raised funds through the Robotic Art auction and the sales of the Art Club’s clutches for two local charities, Talk Out Loud and Kick Start For Kids. All items were sold out, thereby raising a combined total of over $1200. 

In addition, Visual Art Awards were presented to Maggie T from Middle School and Midori T for Senior School. The Principal’s Visual Art Award was awarded to Amelie S. Congratulations to all the award winners. This recognition comes on the back of some very creative students and is well-deserved.

The College was delighted with the atmosphere and the engagement of the Exhibition night. We look forward to making this event annually.

Kai Benyk


SERVICE DAY KNITTING

Middle School

On Friday 10 September, a group of eager Year 8 students spent the day knitting, as part of their Middle School Experiential Learning program – Service Day. The objective was to produce a rug that could be donated to a charity as a part of service to the community. Although almost all the students have never knitted before, through extreme perseverance, much patience and determination, all students were successful in learning to knit.

Each student knitted a panel, which was then sewn together to create a colourful knee rug. We are happy to be able to present the rug to support the Afghan refugee families who arrived in Adelaide in September. Our hope is for the receiver to feel the warmth of the rug, and of all the efforts that the students had put in.

Liz Denton-Brown


CHINATOWN EXCURSION

Year 5

As part of the Junior School’s Unit of Inquiry – “where we are in place and time”, Year 5 students investigated trade and market in different countries, as well as various shopping styles pertaining to cultures. Through their action plan, Year 5s went on an excursion to Chinatown during Week 7. By visiting Chinese grocery stores and dining in a Chinese restaurant for Yum Cha, students have developed a deeper understanding of how cultures and traditions shape lifestyle. The excursion was also a valuable opportunity for students to practice speaking in Chinese outside the classroom.

Grace Liu


LANGUAGES PRESENTATION

Year 8

On Wednesday 24 November, Year 8 Language students sat enthralled as Pedare old scholars, Lucy O’Connell-Doherty and Callum McGing, told them of the wonderful experiences that learning languages has brought into their lives.

Lucy spoke of her German exchange trip to Nuremberg when she was in Year 11. She also shared her experience spending a year in Strasbourg while she was studying International Studies and Law at university. Callum travelled twice to China while still at the College once with the College’s China Trip, and then another trip to represent Australia in the Chinese Bridge Competition. Now a singer with the State Opera Ensemble, he entertained and amazed the students with his beautiful rendition of a Chinese love song, “Siang Ni De Ye” (Missing you).

Danke and Xie xie, Lucy and Callum!

Susan O’Connell


OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE

Year 9

The Year 9 Outdoor Experience at 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 practised during their previous outdoor experiences at Pedare. The main component was a beautiful walk around Mount Remarkable and the township of Melrose and finishing with a loop in Alligator Gorge. Students also had the opportunity to enhance their cycling skills on the trails of Melrose and, for the daredevils, some mountain bike tracks around the local area. Rescuing a dummy pilot out of a tree in a mock rescue scenario tested students’ creativity. Providing students with yet more opportunities to gain lifelong skills in areas of problem-solving and cooking. The Solo experience during the Pedare Passage session was an excellent way for students to disengage with the world around them and focus on their internal thoughts. 

Students 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 a camp experience provides on this journey are invaluable for their development. Students so often return from camps with a new sense of the world around them and, in this case, what the world has to offer for their future. 

Michael Secomb


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.


Congratulations to the Pedare Magic Basketball team who won the Grand Final on Thursday 2 December. Thank you to old scholar, Lachlan Winter, who has done a fabulous job of coaching the boys. They took the win by two points. It was definitely a close one! 


COMMUNITY NEWS

HOLIDAY SWIM PROGRAM

Royal Life Saving SA

Royal Life Saving South Australia is delivering the annual Holiday Swim program in over 35 locations throughout South Australia. This year, the program is held between December 2021 – January 2022.

Although the program is no longer Government funded, the decision was made to keep the program at a low cost of $35 for 5 days to ensure that no child misses out on vital water safety education.

Click here to see the program flyer or visit Royal Life Saving SA website for more information: www.royallifesavingsa.com.au

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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.

Banksia Markets Family Fun Day

Come and have a browse, a cuppa and a chat, at our next friendly Banksia Markets on Saturday 4 December, 8.30am-1.00pm. As part of the market, there will be a special Family Fun Day with free children’s activities, a treasure hunt and a gift for every child. Christmas Craft activities, Christmas gift ideas, BBQ, Devonshire Tea and more than 30 stalls are available.

For more information download the flyer here

 

Christmas Events and Services

Tuesday, 14 December – Peace Service, 7.30pm

Sunday, 19 December –

Service, 8.30am
Carpark Carols BBQ and Kids Zone – 6.30pm
Carols 7.30pm (held in the church car park)

Friday, 24 December – Christmas Eve, 6.00pm and 8.00pm

Saturday, 25 December – Christmas Day, 9.30am

Contact via the TTG Uniting Church website ahttps://www.ttguc.org.au for more information.

 

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St Mark’s Anglican Church

 

Christmas Events

St Mark’s Anglican Church invites you to the Christmas Eve Carols on 24 December 2021 at 10.30 pm, followed by a communion service. Christmas Day communion service will be held on the 25th December 2021 at 9 am. We would love to see you at our Christmas Services.

You can get in touch with us by calling our minister Jo Smith on 0401 086 404 or by emailing office@stmarksgoldengrove.org.au

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 10:00am 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