The Vine Issue 2 – 2022

COLLEGE PRINCIPAL

Mr James Tamblyn

One of the most important lessons my father taught me was about the merits of enduring. ‘Don’t quit. Just rest.’ I use this as a mantra, often. It is particularly relevant now, as we navigate the ongoing challenges of the pandemic and have our resolve tested daily. 

I share with you below a reflection that Dad wrote a number of years ago. It is pertinent at this time for a few reasons. On a personal level, we are approaching the anniversary of Dad’s passing last year. Next week we enter the season of Lent, where Christians are called to a period of self-examination designed to strengthen their relationship with God. 

And in the context of all we are enduring, including the global uncertainty ahead of us as a result of Russia’s attacks on Ukraine this week, it appears the challenges to our resilience will continue. 

No Early Retirement; A Lenten Reflection

One of my favourite musicals is Fiddler on the Roof. I’ve just seen it again on TV and one poignant moment stands out for me.

The fine old Jewish hero has lost everything. The old ways have passed away. The Russian Orthodox authorities have driven the Jews from their homes. His daughter has married a Christian. His horse has been lamed.

And now he, the father figure, trudges ankle-deep through the mud, between the shafts of the cart that bears all his family’s belongings, out of Russia into exile.

Now the last straw has broken the camel’s back; he refuses to take another step.

With a magnificent set of his craggy old jaw, he puts the cart down, folds his arms defiantly, and lifts his pain-etched face to the heavens as he pours out his litany of miseries to the Almighty. ‘And what, Lord, is your answer to that?’

Then, out of the silence, the answer comes … a shrug of the old shoulders, and the bending of the weary back again, to pick up the cart and trudge on, boot after boot, through the squelching mud.

Yes, that taught me something of the ways of God with man. It’s the mystery of a God whose demands do not stop.

Christians do not serve God for an honourable reward or an early retirement. He is His own reward. There is no retirement from Him. We must serve Him till we drop – because He is God. Our God is a consuming fire.

In his novel entitled Saint Francis, Nikos Kazantzakis pictures the saint talking to Brother Leo: ‘People have enumerated many terms of praise for the Lord up to now’, Francis said. ‘But I shall enumerate still more. Listen to what I shall call Him: the Bottomless Abyss, the Insatiable, the Merciless, the Indefatigable, Unsatisfied…’

‘Not enough! Not enough!’ That’s what God shouts each day, each hour, to poor, miserable man.

‘Not enough! Not enough!…’

I can’t go further!’ whines man.

‘You can!’ the Lord replies.

‘I shall break in two!’ man whines again.

‘Break!’ the Lord replies.

Francis’ voice had begun to crack. A large tear rolled down his cheek…

And until we have shed that tear, we haven’t begun to live.

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL / HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL

Mr Andrew Whiteman

Congratulations must go to all our students for the manner in which they have returned to face-to-face teaching. In the Senior School we have received positive feedback from staff about the work that was completed in the online environment. It certainly was not easy; however, the majority of students were able to begin the year well and have been keeping up with their lessons. It is vital, now that the normal pattern of school is underway, that all students quickly move into a positive study routine. The importance of setting up a regular pattern of homework and revision cannot be understated. Planning out the week ahead has been a focus in many Home Groups so that part-time work, sporting commitments, social lives all have a place alongside schoolwork. For assistance with student organisation, our Community Coordinators have been meeting with a number of students to help set up their routine at home and at school. 

We continue to ask students to keep themselves safe and follow the directions of staff in these current COVID-19 times. Year 11 and 12 students have been allocated specific days for them to use the Wattle Cafe at break times and our Year 10 students have been allocated other areas around the school. Senior students have been wearing their masks well and, although not the most comfortable of attire, it is a small measure to keep our school and students safe and healthy. A reminder to contact the College office if your child or a family member tests positive or is a close contact. We are all crossing our fingers that with our continued efforts to keep each other safe, restrictions will be eased and life can return to ‘normal’. 

As the school term continues, we will soon enjoy the 2022 Athletics Carnival. This event will again be held at Tilley Reserve in Surrey Downs. This day is always a highlight and we are so pleased to be able to hold this wonderful community event. EdSmart Consent forms will be sent next week, as well as information regarding events, food and transport arrangements.  

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL – TEACHING & LEARNING

Mrs Lauren Brooks

Achieving excellence in Year 12 is not reserved for a select few; it is accessible for all. 

One of the new initiatives we have introduced this year is a data analytics program called the Year 12 Checkpoint, which will regularly track and monitor our Year 12 students’ progress.

Teachers will provide students and parents with a checkpoint twice a term that highlights students’ formative progress, focusing particularly on their overall effort, completion of formative assessments, homework, commitment to study and attendance.

We know that effort, study, commitment, and attendance are the core ingredients of a successful Year 12 academic year. 

The checkpoint period will serve as a platform for student self-reflection and goal setting, as well as triangulating information between students, teachers and parents to ensure we are communicating regularly about how to best support your child to succeed in their Year 12 subjects.

The checkpoint is not a SACE grade, it is not a moderated grade, and it is not an anticipated SACE ATAR. It is a formative checkpoint that will help us work in partnership to better support your child in working hard to achieve their final goals.

Every single lesson matters in Year 12.

Every lesson is an opportunity for a student to hear something, see something, write something or retain something that could change their pathway from satisfactory to excellent. Every student deserves this opportunity, so we will expect excellence both in and out of the classroom from every Year 12 student for the entirety of the year.

The secret to success in Year 12? It’s not about how smart you are. It is about how hard you work. Achieving excellence in Year 12 is not reserved for a select few; it is accessible for all. 

We look forward to supporting your child to realise their academic potential this year.

HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

 Mr Callum Iles

Building a culture of innovation.

Innovation is a word that is used a lot and has become a catch-cry for all things education. Schools across the world plaster the word ‘innovation’ on their marketing, and in many ways, it has become an empty word. Unless a school can answer the question, ‘In what ways are you innovative?’, it is cheap innovation. Cheap innovation is everywhere and can be bought as a program or exhibited on an Instagram post. Still, the question is, how do you build an organisational culture that is truly innovative?

Over my time in finance and as a teacher, I have had the privilege to work in the innovation space, which has allowed me to build an understanding of what I believe innovation truly is. In my experience, innovation can be defined as customer-focused creative problem-solving, and organisations that focus consistently on this will develop into what Simon Sinek refers to as ‘infinite’ companies, and what Alex Osterwalder refers to as ‘invincible companies’. The core premise is that when an organisation focuses on providing an offering that creatively and continually satisfies its customers’ wants and needs, then it will succeed in perpetuity. I see the makings of an ‘infinite’ company in the culture of Pedare.

Although in my first term at Pedare, I have already been able to see that it is an innovative organisation through many of the ways it approaches education. Amantha Imber of Inventium fame has penned an impressive book which outlines the key tenets of creating a culture of innovation, and I will explore how a few of these play out in the Pedare context. 

Pedare Middle School is a hub of innovation. While there are some extremely impressive examples of programs and subjects that exhibit innovative learning, such as the use of greenhouses, hydroponics and the focus on digital technologies, it is the way the teams work together that is the driver of these. Within the Middle School, the Year 6 and 7 teams are located in interconnecting classrooms. Throughout the year, they work together to bring their specialisations to each of the classes, work together in unit planning, and solve problems as they arise. One feature of the Middle Years Programme (MYP) is that there needs to be at least one Interdisciplinary Unit (IDU) each year, and this creates an environment in which different subject specialities can be brought together to promote the skills of analysis, evaluation, creation, justification and discussion. This allows teachers to embed innovation into their courses and helps to build a culture of collaboration within the Middle School. Imber notes that collaboration is at the heart of innovation.

Additional pillars of innovation that I have observed within the Middle School are autonomy and challenge. Imber explains how in order to be innovative, people need to challenge the status quo and feel like they have agency in solving problems. This focus is at the heart of the MYP, and through subjects like SPARK, students are encouraged to take ownership of their learning and solve problems they care about. These skills will continue to be developed and will be lifelong capabilities they will use wherever life takes them.

I could go on, but I have been encouraged to see the Pedare Middle School as an example of genuine innovation. I will continue to do all in my power to encourage students, staff, and the community to continue building this culture.

HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

Mr Randall Pearce

Swimming Lessons and Swimming Carnival

This week the swimming program in the Junior School has begun with the Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 children walking over to Golden Grove State Swim and participating in their lessons.

Next week we look forward to our Year 3, 4 and 5 Swimming lessons and our Reception to Year 5 Swimming Carnival on Thursday, 3 March, with much fun and excitement.  

Thank you once again to Mr Perry and all his organisation.  

Swimming is a life skill vital for all children, especially children growing up in Australia. Each summer’s statistics are frightening in terms of the number of drowning deaths across Australia.  

Many of these drowning deaths occur in swimming pools. This highlights the importance of a basic level of swimming skills and water safety, which is promoted through the Junior School’s commitment to swimming for all year levels every year.   

To help prevent drowning, every child must have basic swimming, water safety skills, and knowledge of how to be safe when in, on, or around the water, all of which are covered during our State Swim and Water World lessons. 

Ash Wednesday Service

My sincere thanks to our College Chaplain, Mr Morton, who will lead our Ash Wednesday Services on Wednesday 2 March. This service is a solemn, respectful and reflective service presented and led by Mr Morton for each year level. This contribution is greatly valued and appreciated by all in our community.  

Pedare Student Voice – PSV

Teachers are now working with their classes to select who will represent them in our PSV committee in each classroom. Students are selected/voted in by their classmates to represent them to help bring about positive changes within our College. 

As a member of Pedare Student Voice (PSV), we expect:

• Assist the College staff and other Student Leaders in building a culture of respect within our Pedare Community.
• Offer positive leadership to fellow students.
• Offer leadership in PSV meetings and class meetings, and display organisation, positive participation, and encouragement.
• Set the very highest standards in accordance with the Christian ethos of the College.
• Exhibit a positive role model of punctuality, attendance, study habits, involvement in lessons, personal grooming and behaviour.

I look forward to inducting these student leaders at a special assembly on Friday 11 March. Further details will follow in due course if this event will be pre-recorded and shared or if we are able to conduct it in front of a live audience of students, staff and parents.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

RETURN TO EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

UPDATE CONTACT DETAILS AND FAMILY INFORMATION

CONTENT

Schultüte – Year 6

Schultüte – Year 6

During the first two weeks of our home learning period, the Year 6 teachers wanted the students to start looking at German culture, even before coming back into the classroom. Students were asked to decorate an A4 piece of paper however they liked; the brighter, the better! This piece of paper was then formed into a Schultüte! 

The Schultüte is a cone that is filled with stationary, lollies/ chocolates and other little snacks, and then covered with a napkin and tied up. In Germany, this cone is then presented to students on their first day of school to welcome them and to bring them joy. 

Despite the unusual start to the year, we still wanted the year 6s to be able to enjoy this tradition, as it is their first time learning German and their first time in Middle School. Through this experience, they are able to learn new vocabulary, and they are also able to learn about German culture. Students were presented with their Schultüte by Frau Callen and Frau Coulter this week, and as you can see, they just couldn’t wait to get home and tell their parents all about it so they could see what was in their Schultüte!

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.

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.

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/

St Mark’s Anglican Church

St Mark’s Anglican Church has a 9.00 am traditional service each Sunday morning and we would love to see you.

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

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

Please click here to visit the College Calendar for a full list of College events