Mr Mike Millard
Colour Explosion
We are so grateful to the P&F Association, led by Mrs Tanya Warne, for their work in creating the first ever One College Colour Explosion. The P&F Association very purposefully wanted to have an event that celebrated us coming together as One College in 2019. We were blessed with very good weather and a “dry track” except for the foam machine station and the water slide! What a fun day it was for the students in our care and the staff thoroughly enjoyed this new opportunity as well. Please click here to view photos of this wonderful event.
NAPLAN
I was very pleased that the On Line NAPLAN experience for Pedare students was able to be successfully completed over the course of the week. As was the case with many schools, teething problems were experienced due to 50% of all Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 students across Australia being on-line at the same time. Pedare students have now had two years of “on-line” experience and will be well equipped for future rounds of testing when every student in Australia will be on line as of 2020.
ONE COLLEGE COME and SEE DAY Saturday 29 June 11am to 2pm
With the Middle School project nearing completion we want to provide Pedare families with the special opportunity to come and see the Middle School, Junior School and Blue Gum Sports Centre on Saturday 29 June between 11am & 2pm. We know that Pedare students and parents may not have seen all the new learning spaces.
Please note that this is not an Open Day for the general public, but an opportunity just for Pedare families to see new learning spaces. We will have student leaders helping guide families and the walk around should take about 1 hour.
So, if you are available, we would love to see you on Saturday 29 June. More publicity about this opportunity will come out in the weeks ahead.
Mr Andrew Whiteman
Congratulations to everyone involved in the Colour Explosion on Wednesday of this week. The weather was certainly kind, and the students could not have had a better day. All afternoon there were wonderful images of the Senior and Middle School students supporting the younger students through the course. It was hard to tell who was more excited the Year 12 students or the Junior School students! Well-done to the P&F Association for their planning and running of the event as well as all the staff who helped out splashing the colour around on the obstacles. Thank you also to the parents who attended, and we hope that your cars were not too dirty once the students completed the day!
This week the subject choices for our Year 10 and 11 students were distributed for Semester 2. Some students have requested some changes to their timetable, and we are working hard to accommodate these changes. If your child is thinking about making some changes for Semester 2, please direct them to Mrs Crouch in the Redgum building. Changes can be made until the final day of Term 2. Any student wishing to undertake a VET course please make contact with Mrs Debbie Hollister as soon as possible. There are some Semester 2 courses that may interest students to explore various pathways options.
The Year 11 and 10 Examination timetables were also distributed this week. Students will have a SWOTVAC day on Friday Week 7 (14 June) and exams will commence on Monday Week 8 (17 June). The exams are excellent preparation for Stage 2 examinations and every effort is made to replicate the experience. In saying this, both Year 10 and 11 exams are preparation and do not have as much riding on them as Stage 2. Students have been given a list of what is allowed in each exam and students are not required to attend school during the week, but it is their responsibility to ensure they are present in each of their exams. Full winter uniform must be worn when students are on campus. Students who wish to study after or prior to exams will have the Library and other spaces available. Students who are sick on the day of an exam must make contact with the school and arrange a time to re-sit the examination. All of this information has been emailed out this week and we look forward to once again seeing our students being challenged.
Also this week, Mr Millard and I attended the Annual Ramadan Friendship and Dialogue Dinner at the Adelaide Convention Centre. The dinner was hosted by Pinnacle College and the Dialogue Institute of Australia. These intercultural dinners are based upon compassion and respect for other faiths and people from all walks of life attend. In this month of Ramadan, it provided a great opportunity for us to engage in conversation around culture and hear from prominent speakers on the topics of cultural inclusivity and the modern world. The evening helped me develop my understanding of Islam and how connecting, discussing and learning from others is the best way to create a harmonious and peaceful society. Good luck to all students and families that have been fasting during the month of Ramadan with its conclusion next week.
Congratulations to Liam Crossland, Year 11, who applied for and was successful in gaining entry to the 4-day STEM MISTA Course held at Adelaide University this week. The course is aimed at young men who have an interest in following STEM oriented careers or Tertiary Education Pathways. Topics such as goal setting, money management, stimulus and response, time management and four laws of financial prosperity were all part of the course. I know Liam enjoyed his time and was able to connect his learning in the course with his future career aspirations.
Mrs Lauren Brooks
Focus on Learning – Making Learning Visible
Teachers are lifelong learners and are consistently reviewing and seeking to improve their methodology and ways of best practice.
In 2019 we have been working on increased collaboration amongst our teachers and students. We are so fortunate to have incredible staff at Pedare and there is a great opportunity for us to work together to enhance the strengths we can bring to our students. As a part of this vision, Mrs Mayer and I recently turned back the clock and decided to sit in a student’s chair for a day in order to gain the perspective of ‘a day in the life of a Pedare student’! We found this experience insightful in understanding first-hand some of the challenges students face in the classroom. We have since shared this experience with staff so we can all reflect on our current practice. The following observations are a brief summary of our experience:
The day was an interesting exercise and we certainly learnt some new tricks and tools from being in a new context experiencing how different teachers engage with their students!
Innovation Hour – Amelia Sweeney
Innovation Hour is an incredible initiative being driven by our Year 7 team. Our Year 7 students are creating projects that inspire them with the support of their teachers. Amelia Sweeney is endeavouring to grow a sustainable vegetable garden in order to feed her family of four. Among establishing a project timeline and researching what vegetables are best to plant in May, she has done a cost analysis and taken the time to build her greenhouse at home. Well done Amelia! We can’t wait to showcase some other fantastic Year 7 Innovation Hour Projects throughout Term 2.
Mr Randall Pearce
What a busy few weeks in the Junior School, with Cross Country, NAPLAN, the Colour Explosion and National Simultaneous Storytime.
Many thanks to all involved, such great efforts allow all our children experiences beyond the classroom that helps to create positive memories lasting a lifetime.
From Wednesday this week, I was lucky enough to attend the IPSHA Tri State conference in Hepburn Springs Victoria. With fellow Heads of Junior Schools from SA, Victoria and Tasmania I had the privilege to listen to a presentation from John Henry OAM.
Mr Henry was a long-time leader at Geelong Grammar, with a focus on student wellbeing and positive psychology. It was wonderful to hear from a master, and elder, who has worked for many years in this field and who is passionate about children, their love of learning and how we at schools can promote this.
At Pedare, we can be proud that we already do many things to support the wellbeing of children though there are always things we can improve. Mr Henry encourages schools to focus on ‘Giving Relationships’ and how giving adds to all relationships and how to give adds meaning to all in this process.
Further to this, Mr Henry provided the group with the basic elements of a quality relationship being trust, forgiveness, integrity, hope (optimism), and compassion. Each of these are important, but in concert they substantiate the relationship. Each is established upon giving, for without giving, none authentically function.
In Mr Henry’s school, there were only two rules, that is do no harm and to follow the Golden Rule. This automatically gained my attention due to Mr Morton’s focus on the Golden Rule recently in Junior School Worship. This is exciting and I look forward to working with staff and your children to bring these ideas alive at Pedare.
Mr Henry’s closing words were, “I wish you well, go and love your kids, staff and parents, be brave, be kind and listen.” What a wonderful message for me to leave you with!
On Wednesday 22 May, Pedare celebrated One College with a day of fun and colour at the One College Colour Explosion and Fun Run fundraiser. The weather was absolutely glorious which helped to make the day a huge success. This wonderful event was arranged by the Parents and Friends’ Association and we thank them for all their hard work in planning, organising and pulling it all together. A highlight was the engagement and support the Middle and Senior School students gave the youngest members of our Community. Thanks also go to Ms Jan Robertson, Assistant Head of Senior School, Mrs Jude Johnson, Assistant Head of Middle School and Mrs Paula Hanna, Assistant Head of Junior School, Administration staff and the Property and Grounds team for their involvement in coordinating and setting up for the day.
The amount raised is approximately $28,000, which is an outstanding achievement. Students who raised $50 or more will have their name engraved on the picket fence surrounding the Jackson Oval. The Parents and Friends’ Association’s projects impact and benefit students across all three sub-schools with other funds being directed to the areas of need in terms of equipment for learning, shade and seating.
A great day for the students in our care!
13 is a hilarious, coming-of-age musical about discovering that “cool” is sometimes where we least expect it.
Geek. Poser. Jock. Beauty Queen. Wannabe. These are the labels that can last a lifetime. With an unforgettable rock score from Tony Award-winning composer, Jason Robert Brown, 13 is a musical about fitting in – and standing out!
Evan Goldman is plucked from his fast-paced, preteen New York City life and plopped into a sleepy Indiana town following his parent’s divorce. Surrounded by an array of simpleminded Middle School students, he needs to establish his place in the popularity pecking order. Can he situate himself on a comfortable link of the food chain… or will he dangle at the end with the outcasts?!?
Composed of a precocious cast, no character in 13 is older than the show’s title, making it wonderful for our young artists. The cast is comprised entirely of teenagers, but the stories that come to life here are ageless, the emotions they explore timeless, the laughter and the memories they provide priceless.
The thirteen lead characters range from Year 6 to Year 12 and they have bonded together as a real team. Come and see our Middle and Senior School students shine in this performance. Click here for more information.
Tickets can be purchased through TRYBOOKING: https://www.trybooking.com/502199
Contact Mrs Jude Johnson at the College for special group discounts when booking 20 or more tickets for the same show.
On Wednesday 22 May, our Junior School, and some Year 6 and 7 students, celebrated National Simultaneous Storytime by reading Alpacas with Maracas by Matt Cosgrove. This story was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Our Junior School students embraced the opportunity to make Maracas and happily shook them in a song which they presented with Mrs Rachelle Knight in Assembly. They were awesome. 7GC students are pictured with their masks.
Mrs Liz Denton-Brown – Teacher/Librarian R-12
On Wednesday 15 May, Year 1 students went to the Urrbrae Agricultural High School to explore our Central Idea: The food we eat goes through many changes. It is an inquiry into the processes food goes through from farm to our plate. We got to see how a farm helps provide us with food. Below are some recounts the students wrote in class on their own:
Mrs Tania Crawford & Mrs Liz Morgan – Teachers, Year 1
As in the words of the Beatles song: “I want to hold your hand” the students, parents and staff of Pedare Christian College have provided and received much needed support from one another and the wider community as the transition to One College on One Campus has become a reality. Thank you to everyone who has expressed the sentiment contained in the line: ‘Let me hold your hand’; at times when the going has been tough, as well as when we have been able to run along joyously together. With the inevitable bumps and highlights along the way, the journey has been worthwhile, with many rewards.
Having reflected upon the many changes, some of the Year 2 students have recorded their thinking as follows:
Mrs Ailsa Burne & Mr Christopher O’Brien – Teachers, Year 2
Both Year 5 classes enjoyed their single lesson in the Science labs looking at some light experiments, investigating the reflection and refraction of light. After donning their safety goggles, students had fun looking at magic arrows, reappearing coins, bending pencils and using light boxes.
Miss Samantha Ireland – Learning Area Coordinator, Science
The Year 6 cohort recently ventured to the Riverland on their outdoor education experience to Roonka Water Activity Centre just 5km north of Blanchetown in the Riverland. The experience is based around an introduction to water activities in preparation for future aquatic journeys and the continued progression of camp skills such as cooking meals, cleaning their own dishes, erecting tents and working in small groups.
The three days saw an eventful time with the weather attempting to dampen the students’ spirits and force them to work through challenging conditions. To their credit that demonstrated an overwhelming consistency in their effort with many smiles, a lot of laughter and mateship throughout each day. Students’ efforts lead to resilience being built when working with their peers, especially when they were already outside of their comfort zone.
Students excelled in all the activities and found joy in learning new skills or perfecting old ones including canoeing, raft building, fishing, water ecology and trangia cooking. These students will be set to go for their Year 7 experience at Woodhouse Activity Centre in 2020. Below are some students’ comments about their experiences on camp:
Mr Michael Secomb – Camp Coordinator
In Term 1, six students from Pedare’s Think Club joined over 24,500 students across Australia in entering the Bebras Computational Thinking Challenge. The Challenge has been created by the CSIRO to help develop computational thinking and problem-solving skills in Australian students in a way that promotes these skills beyond the areas of maths and science. We congratulate Max Jamieson-Colmer, Lorcyn Murdey-Green, Keziah Chung (Merit) on achieving a Merit award in this year’s Bebras Challenge. Well done to all participants.
Miss Samantha Ireland – Learning Area Coordinator, Science
Year 7 World of Maths
On Tuesday 21 May, Year 7 students were privileged to take part in the ‘World of Maths’ morning.
World of Maths is a unique traveling Maths show. The students take part in hands on Maths problem-solving which meet the Australian Curriculum strands of Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry and Statistics and Probability. By working in small collaborative groups, students built problem-solving and reasoning skills, whilst applying mathematics to the physical world, which are integral skills required in Mathematics.
Year 7s found the experience fun and engaging and most importantly the morning allowed students to build a positive attitude towards Mathematics.
Year 8 StartSmart
On Friday 24 May, Marnie from Start Smart visited the College to talk to Year 8 students about making “Smart Choices” with their finances. The Start Smart program, run by Commonwealth Bank, changes the way young people learn about money. It makes money management interactive, engaging and fun. The program equips students with the confidence to make competent smart decision about money.
The Smart Choices workshop focuses on the foundations of making financial decisions by stimulating students to think and reflect on their current spending habits. It helps students to question their purchases and understand the wider implications of their decisions, prompting students to ask the following questions before making a purchase:
Students were thoroughly engaged in the workshop and have realised the important lesson that it is never too early to start making Smart Choices with their money.
Year 11 Maths Experience
On Tuesday 21 May, two Year 11 students attended the Year 11 Maths Experience Programme at UniSA Mawson Lakes. The programme, designed for students who have shown an interest in pursuing a mathematically based career, engages students in an intensive one-day experiential program delivered by academic staff from UniSA’s School of Information Technology and Mathematical Sciences.
Students were encouraged to develop relationships with like-minded students from other secondary schools, be assisted to develop an understanding of mathematical applications and become informed about mathematically based careers.
Women and Mathematics Workshop
In Week 3, four Year 12 students attended the Women and Mathematics Workshop at the School of Mathematical Sciences, The University of Adelaide. Students took part in hands-on mathematics activities, got to chat to current female students about their experience studying maths at university, heard from invited speakers about the exciting and varied careers available in mathematics, and connected with like-minded students who enjoy mathematics and problem-solving. Below are some student comments:
Mrs Nicola Fotheringham – Learning Leader, Maths
In early March, a group of girls entered a winning photo into the #STEMMBFF competition run by Women in STEM Australia. The win resulted in tickets to see the truly inspirational Jane Goodall present on her research and how it is still relevant today. There were many exciting and important things taken from the night, some of those being:
Miss Samantha Ireland – Learning Area Coordinator, Science
Pedare’s involvement with ATP allowed us to send four senior students to the SA Space forum at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Thursday 9 May. Here they were able to ask questions of Universities and Industries to find out about subject choices and career pathways. Presenters assisted students with their inquiries and they have now found out that there will be new ‘space’ inspired courses at the universities and two students know who they would like to work for and how to get undergraduate work placements. Now that’s forward thinking!
Next year the forum will run in conjunction with the 20th Australian Space Research Conference during the October school holidays. Parents and children will be able to attend presentations and forums by international guest speakers.
Congratulations to Katherina who has 1st Prize – Australian Space Agency Pack (Mug, Cap and Mission Badge) and a large ATP data pack ((Powerbank, USB, Bluetooth Speaker and USB Car charger) and Jeffrey who has won 3rd Prize – Small ATP Datapack (Powerbank and USB) in the ATP Space Passport competition.
Mrs Leonie Brown – Pre-Service Mentor
On Wednesday, 15 May, Year 10 students were visited by three slam poets from Spoken Word SA. Kami McInnes, Sarah Jane Justice and Caroline Reid have all been a part of the Spoken Word scene in Adelaide for a number of years and were able to share their poetry writing and presentation advice and experiences with students as well as performing nine different poems. Year 10s were able to explore how the genre can incorporate both light-hearted humour and heavy-hitting themes and to ask their own questions to prepare them for their next English assessment. The Spoken Word poets visit is always a highlight of the Year 10 English course, and this year was no different.
Mr James Goodall – Learning Area Coordinator, English
An adventurous group of Stage 1 Geography students embarked on a camp in the Adelaide Hills on Thursday 9 and Friday 10 May. Despite threatening skies and stark forecasts our students completed some excellent fieldwork assessing the impact of fire on Roachdale Nature Reserve (featuring unique plant species and ancient Schists and Gniess rocks). The students then assessed the impact of aspect on biodiversity in Morialta and enjoyed the first falls. Bowling proved to be a good way to get out of the rain and William Piercey, Cooper Murley and Miss Ireland proved very capable. Nunyara was an excellent overnight stay with wonderful food and many intense battles of table tennis and the LOGO challenge. The influence of altitude on vegetation at Waterfall Gully was analysed. Finally, students had fun exploring Cleland Wildlife Park. My sincere thanks to our students who demonstrated terrific skill and positivity throughout the camp.
Mr Andrew Penny – Learning Area Coordinator, Humanities
Congratulations to Fatima Mohemmed, Year 10, who has accepted the role as a Literacy Ambassador with the World Literacy Foundation and is currently in the process of taking a course and collaborating with other volunteers to try and spread awareness about the issue of the lack of literacy in developing countries. The World Literacy Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that is dedicated to aiding individuals who can’t read or write due to their economic/social status. The lack of literacy is a tormenting issue, particularly in developing countries. Females are largely affected by this, with over 120 million girls worldwide not going to school and will most likely never have the opportunity to do so.
This is where the Youth Ambassador Program comes in. Passionate individuals from all around the world, who have this opportunity to become an Ambassador, proudly advocate for those affected with illiteracy and campaign for their right to read, write and learn. With the help of this organisation, perhaps one day, this issue can be resolved.
Extra-Curricular Sports feature articles and results below:
The winter sports season is well underway, with twenty Pedare teams competing in Netball, Basketball, Soccer and AFL competitions.
The Specialist Program in Netball continues to grow, with nine teams competing in the SADNA Winter Competition. The intermediates remain undefeated after the first three rounds and last week saw good wins to our Primary, Sub Primary and Junior teams.
Basketball continues to be a popular sport for our students, as eight Pedare teams from 6-12 compete in the SAAS and Norwood League competitions. Both Year 7 teams had good wins last week. Year 7 Red, coached by old scholar Hannah Dixon continued their undefeated season with Dylan Shephard-Bayly continuing his good form with 16 points. The Middle B and C teams both had wins last week with strong performances from Zac Griffiths, Bailey Winder, Max Bowering, Josh Robinson and Zachary Pope. The Senior 2 boys also had a strong round 2 win against Sacred Heart College, with Thomas Lediaev, Ben Mason and Eli Jeffs among the best players.
The Middle Boys Soccer team made it two wins in a row, with a 3-1 win against Blackfriars on Saturday. Coach George Panagopoulos has been impressed with the improvement of the entire team in the short time they have been playing together.
Mid Hills Netball Carnival
In very wet conditions we had three Pedare Netball teams participating in the Mid Hills Netball Carnival at Woodside on Sunday 19 May.
These teams represented their SPIN Squads and Pedare in a fantastic manner and achieved pleasing results.
Thank you to Mrs Hayley Mayer for her organisation of the carnival and also to Mrs Karen Zerner and Mrs Jude Johnson for their efforts in coaching two of the teams.
SAPSASA Cross Country
On Friday of Week 3, Pedare students from Year 4-7 competed in the Tea Tree Gully SAPSASA Cross Country championships.
Pedare finished the day in 1st place. A fantastic achievement as this is the first time, Pedare has won all three SAPSASA district events after wins in the Swimming and Athletics in Term 1. A fantastic achievement from our students.
Congratulations to the following students who finished in the top 10 for their age groups:
SAPSASA Netball and Football Selections
Congratulations to the following students on their selection in the Tea Tree Gully SAPSASA Football and Netball teams.
Netball
Football
Anglican Cup
The annual Winter Anglican Cup between Pedare, Pulteney Grammar, St Johns Grammar and Woodcroft College was held once again at Pulteney Grammar in Week 2. This is a senior school carnival for traditional winter sports. It was a fantastic occasion, with all games played in great spirit across all sports. There were some fantastic team results on the day as our students competed in Basketball, Football, Soccer, Netball and Hockey. Thank you to our great staff who coached our teams.
We look forward to Term 4, when our Middle School students will compete in the Summer event, once again held at Pulteney Grammar.
Mr Josh Willis – Director of Sport 6-12
TERM 2
WEEK 2
Basketball
Debating
Netball
Soccer
WEEK 3
Basketball
BYEs due to State Championships
Debating
Netball
Soccer
These July holidays Code Camp are returning to Pedare Christian College to teach your child to code, or to help them continue their coding adventure!
Code Camp is a great way to spend time over the holidays as kids have lots of fun with friends while learning important new skills including logic, creativity, problem-solving, app development and game building. It’s fun and engaging, and gets them prepared to take on the digital world of the future.
Tuesday 16 July to Thursday 18 July Pedare Christian College will be hosting Spark and Web Hackers.
Book now to take advantage of the $20 Early Bird discount (automatically applied at checkout when booking before midnight on Sunday May 26) Bookings can be made via this link: www.codecamp.com.au/pedare
The TTG Uniting Church Banksia Market are held on the first Saturday of each month, beginning on Saturday 1 June from 8:00am – 1:00pm at the Tea Tree Gully Uniting Church, Banksia Park, with inside and outside sites. There are a variety of Arts and Crafts items for sale. Devonshire Tea, Sausage Sizzle and Drinks are also available. Car parking is readily available.
On Saturday 15 June, there will be an Afternoon of Entertainment at St Mark’s Anglican Church at Wynn Vale beginning at 1:30pm. There will be 3 hours of fun and music, featuring The Bikie Busker and local talented musicians. Tickets are $15.00, which includes afternoon tea and can be purchased by ringing Helen on 0407616809.
SWAT Youth (Years 7-12)
Meets Friday each week during school term at 7:30pm. Come for a great time of games, friendship and Bible discussion. We meet at 19 Perseverance Rd TTG. Click here for more details or phone Dave on 0403 723 953.
Weekly Services – Check out our web site for more details.
Sunday@8:30: Prayer book service – weekly communion.
Sunday@10: Family service and specific children’s ministries.
Sunday@6pm: Youth, young adult and those young at heart. There is no children’s program but drawing supplies and a withdrawal room are available for your young ones.