The Vine Issue 6 – 2023

COLLEGE PRINCIPAL

Mr James Tamblyn

This Sunday we celebrate Mother’s Day and pay tribute to the special role that our mums play in our lives. It was wonderful to share breakfast this morning with many of our Junior School mothers and to visit the Parents and Friends Mother’s Day stall, which is particularly popular. Both these events take a lot of organisation. Thanks to the staff and volunteers who make them possible, supporting our youngest students to show the special women in their lives how much they are loved. 

Mother’s Day provides not only a chance to remind our mums how much we love them; it’s also the ideal time to celebrate the mums who are no longer with us, and share the special stories that keep the memories of these mums and grandmothers, well and truly alive.

To all the Pedare mothers, thank you for everything you do for your children and for the school community more broadly. We hope you have a wonderful day on Sunday and get completely spoilt. Take the chance to sleep in and enjoy some quality time with your family.

Last weekend saw the return of Generations in Jazz (GIJ), an annual jazz festival held in Mt Gambier. The event brings together young jazz musicians from all over Australia. GIJ has not been able to run for the past three years because of the pandemic, so it was with great excitement that our team of twenty music students and four staff headed off for a weekend of performance and music celebration. 

Further details on our involvement and performance at GIJ are provided later in the newsletter, but I acknowledge the efforts of all students and staff involved who represented Pedare incredibly well. Some highlights of the event include the Stage Band placing first in their division and Keziah C being selected for the Super Band for her division on trombone. And while these successes are amazing and thoroughly deserved, the most important outcome is that our music team was able to travel, participate and enjoy the company of young musicians and music teachers from across the country. 

Thank you, and well done to all involved, in particular to the pillars of our music program; Director of Music Nadine Stroud and Stage Band Director Gerald Pederick. Their leadership of our music program is outstanding, and we are most grateful for the opportunities our students experience as a result.  

Congratulations also to the students and staff who travelled to Dallas, Texas, over the past few weeks to represent Pedare, our state and our country at the VEX Robotics World Championships. Our NextGen team, comprising ten Year 11 students, and the Nerd Herd, two Year 6 students, competed against the strongest VEX teams from across the globe in an event that brings together tens of thousands of people. Again, a summary of our experiences is provided in this edition of the Vine, but I thank and congratulate all involved under the exceptional leadership of Leader of Innovation and Enterprise Emil Zankov, whose passion for robotics makes these incredible opportunities possible.

INTERIM HEAD OF MIDDLE AND SENIOR SCHOOL

Mr Josh Willis

We began the term with a beautiful ANZAC Day service, and I was incredibly proud of our students for their respectful and mature approach to this. Students entered the Chapel in silence, demonstrating their deep understanding of the significance of ANZAC Day and the importance of reflecting on the selflessness and the lasting impacts of not just the ANZACs, but all women and men who have served and continue to serve our country. 

Anglican Cup

The annual Senior School Anglican Cup was held at Pulteney Grammar this week, with students competing in soccer, AFL, basketball and netball against Pulteney Grammar, St John’s Grammar and Woodcroft College in a range of traditional winter sports. Our students displayed exemplary sportsmanship and teamwork throughout the day, supporting each other and celebrating each other’s successes, no matter how big or small. Congratulations to Brooke S, who was awarded the Fair Play Award for girls’ basketball, and Isla H was runner-up for girls’ soccer. Well done to the boys’ soccer team, who won all their matches in an amazing display of talent and teamwork. Thank you to Mrs Tronnolone and our wonderful staff coaches for their time and dedication in preparing our students for this event.

HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

Mr Randall Pearce

Welcome back to all of our students and families. It is great to see all students looking smart in their winter uniforms. 

We are so fortunate to have such supportive parents at Pedare who ensure their children present themselves so beautifully for each school day.

Here are a few reminders to ensure that this continues:

Reception Commencement Service

Reception Commencement Service will take place on Friday, 26 May, from 8.50am. This is a must-see event for all Reception families. During this service, the Reception students are formally welcomed to the College and receive a Bible to mark this very important day.  

Our Reception students will be supported by their Year 12 buddies on that day, and I wish to take this opportunity to thank the Year 12s and their teachers who ensure this is a positive and fun experience for all.

Contents

Generations in Jazz

VEX World Robotics Competition

Heritage Museum Excursion – Year 2

Space Theatre Excursion – Year 12 English & Year 11 Drama

UniSA Tour and Material Testing – Stage 2 Design & Technology

Year 12 & Reception Buddies

Generations in Jazz

Friday, 5 May – Sunday, 7 May

From 5-7 May, Pedare music students travelled to Mount Gambier to perform in the Generations in Jazz Music Festival, which had not run live since 2019. We were delighted to participate with their Stage Band and Luminaire Vocal Ensemble, comprising 20 students from Years 7-12.

During the opening concert, students were wowed by international performers Thndo and Adam Lopez as well as the Generations in Jazz in Big Band, made up of many local artists, including teachers from some of the attending schools. 

Saturday was a jam-packed day, 147 bands and 75 vocal ensembles from across Australia performed, and Pedare’s Luminaire performed first at 8.40am. Despite the challenge of performing early in the morning, the ensemble delivered an energetic and spirited performance, demonstrating musicality and cohesiveness as a team. The Stage Band took the stage at 3.00pm and performed beautifully under very cold conditions, playing their three pieces to a receptive audience.

On Saturday evening, special ‘Superband’ awards were announced, recognising individual students of all the bands as the best players on their instruments. It is a prestigious award, similar to being selected for the All-Australian AFL team in sports. Keziah C (Year 10) was chosen for the Superband in our division on Trombone 1, which is an outstanding achievement. Later that night, students were blown away by the energetic performance of the Swedish funk/fusion band ‘Dirty Loops’.

On Sunday, students participated in workshops to learn from professionals, gain knowledge about the music industry, develop their skills and be inspired to enjoy what they do.

The final concert followed, and Luminaire achieved a mighty 7th place in their division of 22 vocal ensembles. The results between 1st and 7th place were only incremental, and Luminaire received incredible feedback from the adjudicators on how well they worked together as a group and enjoyed their performances. 

The Stage Band announcements were next, and we listened with bated breath as our division 4+ was announced. 3rd and 2nd prizes were announced, and … the FIRST PRIZE GOES TO PEDARE CHRISTIAN COLLEGE. The students were both ecstatic and humbled as their hard work paid off to achieve this most prestigious award. 

I would like to thank the amazing Stage Band director, Mr Pederick, for his leadership and passion for the students, Belle Ballard for her amazing work with Luminaire and Mrs Kenny for her energetic support with this trip and her love of the Arts at Pedare. These students made us so proud, and we congratulate them on this amazing experience.

Mrs Nadine Stroud

2023 VEX World Robotics Competition

Congratulations to two of Pedare’s Robotics teams, NextGen and The Nerd Herd, for their achievements at the 2023 VEX World Robotics Championship in Dallas, Texas. The competition brought together some of the best teams from all over the world, providing a unique opportunity for our robotics teams to learn and grow.

Pedare’s senior robotics team, NextGen, represented South Australia with pride and dedication, although they did not come out on top. Nonetheless, the team’s hard work and commitment to the competition were remarkable, and the experience allowed them to grow and learn as individuals and as a team.

Pedare’s youngest-ever representative, The Nerd Herd team, demonstrated remarkable perseverance and excellent communication and planning skills throughout their matches. Coen and Matthew, who are only in Year 6, competed against 79 other world-class teams and placed an impressive 46th in their division, which is a tremendous accomplishment for their young age.

The entire experience was an incredible learning opportunity for everyone involved. The College extends its gratitude to all the parents, supporters, and teachers for their unwavering support and dedication throughout. Special thanks go to our sponsors, Nuago, Trotec and the SA Minister of Education, Training & Skills, Blair Boyer MP, for their generous support.

Heritage Museum Excursion

Year 2

Year 2 students had a great time on their excursion to the Tea Tree Gully Heritage Museum on Thursday, 4 May. They explored the heritage trail, took part in a church service at Golden Grove Uniting Church and even got to roll dough to make cookies! We’re glad to see that the Year 2s had a great time learning new things.

Space Theatre Excursion

Year 12 English & Year 11 Drama

On Friday, 5 May, Year 12 English students and Year 11 Drama students travelled to the Space Theatre at the Festival Centre to watch the current production of ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ by the State Theatre Company. This play deals with themes of mental health in an uplifting and positive way. Students were invited to participate in the production by reading out various ‘brilliant things’ about life: ‘Really good oranges;’ ‘ice-cream;’ ‘things with stripes.’ The opportunity to experience live theatre of such a high calibre is such a great experience for our students, and they will reflect on this play through various assessment tasks in the coming weeks.

Mrs Sarah Bloomfield

UniSA Tour and Material Testing

Stage 2 Design & Technology

The Stage 2 woodwork and CADCAM students visited the UniSA Mawson Lakes campus on Friday, 5 May, for a hands-on materials testing experience. During the session, students tested the performance of wood and 3D printer plastic under different types of loads, including impact, flexural and torsional. The exercise allowed the students to apply their theoretical knowledge in a practical setting and gain a deeper understanding of the properties and behaviour of different materials. 

Overall, it was an engaging and informative experience for the students that will help them decide on the manufacturing techniques required for their major project.

Mr James Walsh

Year 12 & Reception Buddies

On Thursday, 4 May, Year 12 students spent time with their Reception buddies, getting to know each other better and sharing their favourite activities. They even compared hand sizes, highlighting the age gap between them. It’s heartwarming to see the connections that develop between our students, regardless of their age.

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 8.30 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