The Vine Issue 5 – 2023

COLLEGE PRINCIPAL

Mr James Tamblyn

Easter is a season of joy and hope, but it is also a reminder of God’s love. Christ’s death on the cross was the ultimate sacrifice, made for us. Through his resurrection, the gift of eternal life is offered to everyone. 

‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.’ John 11:25-26

May this promise strengthen you all at this time and fill you with the courage to stay mindful of others’ needs as we resist the temptation to focus on ourselves. 

As we prepare for our Easter break, please accept my thanks and gratitude for your ongoing support of the College. Term 1 is always a particularly busy time, and I hope the Easter period provides you all a chance to relax and spend some quality time with family and friends. 

The quality of a school cannot exceed the quality of its staff. I again take the opportunity to recognise the extraordinary work of our teachers and staff. I thank them all for their contributions throughout Term 1 and their ongoing commitment to working in partnership with our families in the best interests of our students.

Parent/Teacher Interviews have taken place across the College in recent weeks. It has been a very pleasant change to welcome parents on to site for these conversations after they have been conducted predominantly remotely over the past three years. My thanks to families who have embraced these opportunities and demonstrated a continued commitment to engage in partnership with the College to support the learning of your children. 

In late April, we will have twelve students across two teams competing in the VEX Robotics World Championships in Dallas, Texas. VEX Worlds is the largest robotics competition in the world. Pedare has the only senior team from South Australia, which is a wonderful achievement, along with a pair of very talented and enthusiastic Year 6 students. I wish all students competing, and the staff and families travelling with them, all the best for a most enjoyable and successful experience. 

INTERIM HEAD OF MIDDLE AND SENIOR SCHOOL

Mr Josh Willis

I would like to thank our wonderful students, staff and volunteers for the success of last week’s Athletics Carnival at Tilley Reserve. The event was a testament to the passion and dedication of the entire College community, and I would like to especially thank Mrs Tronnolone for the huge amount of work that went into preparing this event. What made this year’s carnival so special was the excellent sportsmanship our students showed, and the examples of teamwork, encouragement and celebration of success were fantastic to see. Congratulations to Mrs Moodley and the winning community, Brooklyn, on a well-deserved victory.

Year 12 students continue to greet the challenges of their final year with enthusiasm and positivity. I have no doubt that the foundation they have laid this term will carry them through to success in 2023. We look forward to celebrating the Year 12 Formal next Friday, 14 April, at the Adelaide Convention Centre. The Formal Committee led by Ms Robertson has been working extremely hard to make this a momentous occasion for the cohort, and we encourage all students to take the opportunity to enjoy each other’s company and create memories that will last a lifetime. 

One of the many highlights for this cohort has been the connections they have made with their Reception buddies from the Junior School. During a stressful year for our Year 12s, this program allows them to engage in play and exploration alongside our youngest learners and are reminded of the wonder and excitement that comes with learning and discovery. Our buddy program displays the caring and supportive nature of the school community, and we are so proud of how our students have embraced this opportunity. 

As we approach the Easter break, I would like to extend my warmest wishes to our students and families for a safe and relaxing weekend. I hope you are able to make the most of the opportunity to recharge and spend quality time with loved ones.

HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

Mr Randall Pearce

This week, Year 5 students and their teachers experienced camping life with a 3-day, 2-night camp at Douglas Scrub in McLaren Vale. This camp built on the previous sleepover in Term 4 as Year 4 students, where the students spent a Friday night in tents within the school grounds.

School camps offer a fantastic opportunity for children to develop new skills, friendships and interests. The benefits of participating in school camps are numerous, and here are my top five:

1. Development of social skills

School camp is an excellent opportunity to develop a range of social skills. Most activities at camp involve teamwork, which is great for strengthening established friendships and developing new friendships by connecting with children they don’t regularly talk with at school.

Through bonding activities, children develop supportive relationships not only with different children but also with their teachers. At camp, children have the opportunity to learn about acceptance, caring and understanding.

2. Development of independence skills

For many children, school camp is their first time away from family and home for a few nights. Parents are not there to remind their kids to eat vegetables, brush their teeth, or shower.

Therefore, this is a great opportunity for kids to grow up by learning how to care for themselves and do things independently. Most kids rise to the challenge and learn to rely on themselves while away from home.

3. Development of decision-making skills

Should I go with my friends or do the activity I want to do? Should I sneak in my iPad/iPhone or similar? Should I stay up or go to bed? Supervising teachers are not able to hover over each child all the time, so at camp, children are responsible for making more of their own choices.

4. Increased environmental awareness

During camp, children are exposed to authentic nature-based experiences. Hands-on activities in the outdoors stimulate all senses and facilitate learning. Children become more aware of the environment and develop outdoor skills and an appreciation for nature.

5. Learning new skills

At school camp, children will be exposed to a range of activities that they may not have tried before. Children are often more adventurous and willing to try new things when away from their parents.

Finally, school camps provide children with the opportunity to work with various adults, which will nurture experiential education, build intergenerational relationships and result in a different learning style. Our students have the opportunity to form connections through first-hand experiences with trained, caring adult role models and experience a sense of achievement in a supervised, safe and positive environment. Teacher involvement is, of course, vital to every successful camp, with the bonds between students and teachers strengthened away from the classroom.

Please enjoy the following photos and reflections from our Year 5 students while on camp. 

As we approach the end of a busy Term 1, the Music Department is looking forward to an exciting year of Music events coming up. 

Under the guidance of our passionate Director of Music, Nadine Stroud, our program has flourished in recent years. Our team of visiting expert instrumental teachers are currently working with approximately 300 students to develop their skills through weekly music lessons. In addition, students participate in classroom Music and a range of Ensembles.

Rehearsals are well underway for the 2023 Senior Musical, The Addams Family, with many of our talented music students securing key roles. Watch out for ticket sales coming up soon.

Band/Vocal Workshop Day with John and Jacki Morrison – Monday, 3 April

In May, we are excited to be returning to Mt Gambier to perform at the Generations in Jazz Festival after a hiatus due to COVID. Students attended events at the Fringe and experienced a Workshop with John and Jacki Morrison to help prepare for this event.

The Annual Cabaret on Wednesday, 12 April, is an opportunity to showcase our senior bands and solo performance. Tickets are on sale now until 10 April via QKR App.

Keep an eye out for 2024 Music Scholarships applications available soon.

Mrs Emily Kenny, Learning Area Coordinator – Arts

Contents

Face Painting – Year 9 Drama & Year 3

Spending Time with Mr Tamblyn – Year 2

Graphic Design Day Out – Year 9 Graphic Design

Museums Excursion – Year 10 History

Musical Instrument Design Project – Year 3

Year 1 Assembly

Preparing for Easter – Year 2

Face Painting Collaborative Learning

Year 9 Drama & Year 3

This term, the Year 9 Drama Class has been focussing on stage makeup, special effects and collaboration. As part of their learning, they teamed up with Year 3 students on Tuesday for a special learning experience. The Year 3s were asked, ‘how would you like someone to feel when they see your face/arm painting?’. This activity strongly connects with the Year 3 URStrong unit and focuses on expressing emotions. We are so proud of both the Year 3 and Year 9 students and love embracing our sub-school connections to create valuable learning experiences for our students. 

Ms Kayla Gyles

Spending Time with Mr Tamblyn

Year 2

Mr Tamblyn took the Year 2 students on a very special discovery walk last month to see all the changes that have been made during their time at Pedare. The students were delighted to list the improvements that continue to enhance their learning opportunities and experiences, including the Lomandra Outdoor Learning Space and the Banksia decking and shade. 

Much to their delight and with growing excitement, Mr Tamblyn then led the students (much like the Pied Piper) to a secret location: the brand-new Mallee extension! The Year 2s were introduced to this new learning space and settled in for storytime.

Here are some of their comments about their adventure:

“Mr Tamblyn’s story was really nice, and I got very excited when I saw the new building because the seats were comfy, and we got to have a look around.” – Tejaswi

“I liked the new building because there was a calm-down space and two classrooms.” – Lachlan

“I felt special when Mr Tamblyn let us go into the new learning space.” – Luke

“The new building looked really cool, and I thought it looked relaxing at first. When we got into the underground part, it was really relaxing!” – Jaycee

“I was grateful that we got to see it.” – Eddie

“I was really excited when I was going down because I thought I’d see my brother, but I didn’t. On the way there, there were many stairs, and when we got to the last pair of stairs, we were really low down. I liked the lockers and TV and seeing the road from the window.” – Millie

Mrs Ailsa Burne

Graphic Design Day Out

Year 9 Graphic Design

Year 9 Graphic Design students enjoyed a sneak peek of a fashion runway show at the Festival Plaza on Thursday, 23 March, prior to the launch of the SA Fashion Week. We snapped up the opportunity offered to us by the Principal lecturer in Fashion and Textiles at TafeSA to view the rehearsals of the 2023 Graduate Fashion Design Launch. This event launches new designers into the community, and it was our privilege to see their success first-hand. The creativity and diversity of the show sparked ideas but also helped the students understand all the design elements that go into producing a collection and the space to present those creative ideas. Enjoyed by all students, we are now keen to get into the classroom to start designing. 

Mrs Emily Kenny 

Museums Excursion

Year 10 History

On Monday, 20 March, Mr Richards and Mrs Edwards accompanied the Year 10 Modern World History classes to the Migration and Holocaust Museums. The first stop was the Migration Museum, which proved to be a very educational experience, greatly supporting our efforts to understand migration to Australia in the 20th century. We then proceeded to the Holocaust Museum, where we learned the stories of various survivors who have settled in Adelaide, including Andrew Steiner, the museum’s founder. Overall, the excursion was a memorable experience for all Year 10 Modern World History students, providing us with enriching and immersive learning opportunities that shed light on the diverse experiences of individuals during that time. 

Ojus T & Riley L, Year 10 students

Musical Instrument Design Project

Year 3

This term, the Junior School Music curriculum has focused on studying and exploring the sounds, functions and features of the diverse range of instruments comprising the orchestra. During our inquiry process,  students investigated the musical instruments comprehensively, enabling them to classify them into distinct families based on their unique functions, features and playing techniques.

Year 3 students were challenged to exercise their creativity by designing and making their own musical instruments utilising recycled materials. Over two and a half weeks, Year 3s dedicated themselves to constructing their unique instruments in the classroom and some work at home. We are delighted to showcase some of their final instruments.

Ms Holly Collins

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.

SSSA Athletics Carnival

Some excellent results in the back of our Athletics Carnival last Friday. We’re thrilled to announce that our Boys team came in 1st place for the track and field championships of the School Sports South Australia Carnival on Tuesday, 4 April! 

The girls gave it their all and finished the day 4th overall, with Pedare showing impressive performances. 

Congratulations to all athletes on their achievement!

April Events at Gully Church

You are invited to some exciting events at Gully Church (Tea Tree Gully Uniting), 600 Milne Road, Banksia Park. Any queries, please contact Willow at children@gullychurch.org.au

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 8.30 am, 10.00 am, and 6.00 pm in person. If you can’t join us just yet, we’ll continue to stream at 8.30 am and 10.00 am online using Zoom and YouTube  Service times are 8.30 am and 10.00 am.

Please contact Dave Brown at 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.

Gully Church (Tea Tree Gully Uniting) – Banksia Markets

Gully Church hosts the ‘local and friendly’ Banksia Markets on the first Saturday of each month from 8.30 am to 1.00 pm at 600 Milne Road, Banksia Park. Stalls inside the hall and in the car park include produce, fresh fruit and vegetables, jewellery, tools, bric-à-brac and lots more.

For more information, contact the Gully Church website at https://www.ttguc.org.au/ or email office@gullychurch.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 am on a Sunday.  Also, on the second and fourth Sunday of the month, we have a cafe-style church, 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. 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 while enjoying delicious snacks, refreshments and pizza! The cost for each session is $5.

For further information, please contact the Office at 8251 4298 or 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