The Vine Issue 7 – 2023

COLLEGE PRINCIPAL

Mr James Tamblyn

Welcome to Mandy Hore who joined Pedare as Interim Deputy Principal last week. As previously communicated, Mandy has joined the College Leadership Team and will work to support students, staff and families across all three of our schools. Mandy brings a wealth of experience in school leadership roles, and we look forward to her contributions to our community. I thank you all for the warmth of welcome she has received. 

It was a pleasure to officially welcome our 2023 Reception students to the College at the Reception Commencement Service on Friday. These students have made a very positive start to their school journey, and it was wonderful to have so many families and friends in attendance to share Friday’s celebration. My thanks to Reception teachers Kim Capper and Chris O’Brien, and their teams, for their incredible support of our youngest students daily, and their work to ensure such a beautiful service. We look forward to sharing the journey with our Reception students and families over the next thirteen years. 

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is celebrated in Australia every year from 27 May – 3 June. ‘NRW is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.’ (NRW website) This year’s theme, Be a Voice for Generations, encourages us all to be advocates for reconciliation in our everyday lives through our attitudes and actions. 

Students and staff across the College will be involved in a range of NRW activities. My thanks to the Head of Junior School, Randall Pearce, our Reconciliation Action Plan working group, and all staff involved in facilitating activities to deepen our students’ understanding of our shared past and our responsibilities in ensuring a just and equitable future for all. 

As human beings, we often make mistakes, particularly in our relationships with others. Through the death of his only son, God promises forgiveness to us all for our sins when we acknowledge we’ve got something wrong and repent.  

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. Acts 3:19

As we move forward together, as a College, as a nation, and as the world, may we all be filled with God’s spirit of love, manifested in our commitment to kindness, respect, empathy, patience and inclusion. 

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

Mrs Mandy Hore

Thank you, and hello!

I am very grateful for the warm welcome I have received and blessed that I am now a part of the Pedare community. I have been greeted by smiles, offers of help and genuine care and support from students and staff. Thank you!

There is no greater privilege than to be an educator and work to nurture young people to grow, fulfil their gifts and potential, and help them SHINE.

Building trusting and authentic, reciprocal relationships is at the heart of any community and key in schools. It is well-researched and recognised that learning flourishes when strong, positive and trusted relationships exist between teachers and students and, of course, between home and school.

I look forward to building such relationships and supporting you and your family as part of our school.

I already have a strong sense that this is a special school underpinned by a community and one that I am really looking forward and excited to be able to contribute to.

Please do not hesitate to contact me (mhore@pedarecc.sa.edu.au) with any questions or needed support, say hello when you see me on duty or at one of the upcoming Pedare events. I am happy to support and help in any way.

Enjoy your weekend. I do hope the sun shines. Stay warm.

INTERIM HEAD OF MIDDLE AND SENIOR SCHOOL

Mr Josh Willis

Year 10 Outdoor Education

Pedare’s Outdoor Education program has long been recognised as an invaluable experience for students fostering resilience and an appreciation for nature. Last week, the Year 10 cohort embarked on their four-day adventure to the picturesque Limestone Coast. Robe’s pristine beaches set the scene for an exhilarating day of surfing where students, guided by skilled instructors, eagerly embraced the challenge of riding waves and enjoying time in the ocean. Another highlight was the exploration of the Naracoorte Caves, South Australia’s only World Heritage site. These caves, famous for their extensive fossil deposits and amazing limestone formations, gave students a unique experience emphasising the importance of preserving our natural heritage. These experiences in outdoor education play a vital role in shaping well-rounded young people.

Elevate Webinar – Exam Preparation 

We’re also excited to announce that Elevate Education will be hosting their next free Webinar on Wednesday, 7 June. By tuning into their webinar series, you will learn how you can help better support your children at home by reinforcing the skills they learn at school. Please see the details below to register.

Wednesday, 7 June @ 6:30pm (AEST)
How to Help Your Child Prepare for Exams

Click here to register for free

In this webinar, we will be discussing:

• High Priority Work: The kinds of work students should be focusing on in the build-up to exams to maximise marks
• Time Management: How to ensure your child has enough time to prepare for their exams
• Practice Papers: How to prepare effectively using past questions and practice papers

HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

Mr Randall Pearce

Reception Commencement Service

This morning, we officially welcomed our Reception students to the Pedare Community.

I would like to express my gratitude to the Junior School Captains – Jameson H and Gemma CB. This event can be daunting as it was their first big event for the year, with the Chapel full of parents, grandparents, staff, Year 12, 11 and 9 students, along with the entire Junior School. Thank you for your commitment and work over the past week in preparation for today; you both did an amazing job. 

To Jack Buckskin, thank you for your time today and your Welcome to Country. We are so blessed to have you as part of our service and be able to live, learn and play on Kaurna Land.

Today, Reception students were presented with the precious gift of a Children’s Bible. This symbolic gesture represents the essence of who we are as community – a place of learning, support and spiritual growth. Our hope is that this meaningful gift will be cherished by the students and become a valuable source of inspiration and guidance throughout their lives.

During my time as the Head of Junior School, I have taken the opportunity to share a story with the College that resonates with the occasion. Today I had the pleasure of reading “Maybe” by Kobi Yamada, a story that encompasses everything you will do and everything you could be. It celebrates who you are in this very moment and highlights the boundless, magical, enchanting potential that resides within you.

I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our Year 12 buddies, Mrs Robinson and Mrs Davis. Their dedication and collaboration with our Reception and Senior School teachers have resulted in a program filled with genuine care and love.

Contents

Augmented Reality Experience – Year 10 German

Earth Science Laboratories and SA Museum Excursion – Year 11 Earth and Environmental Science

Chinese Calligraphy – Year 4

Lumination Learning Labs Excursion – Year 11 Society and Culture

Woher kommst dy? – Year 6

Earth Science Laboratories and SA Museum Excursion

Year 11 Earth and Environmental Science

On Friday, 12 May, the Year 11 Earth and Environmental Science class visited the Earth Science laboratories at Flinders University to carry out a hydrology groundwater investigation. The physical groundwater models provided by the university allowed students to explore the flow of water through the finer-grained, shallow, unconfined aquifer and the deeper, coarse-grained artesian aquifer. Students have since been working on a summative practical report on the investigation. We then travelled to the South Australian Museum, where students enjoyed an informative talk from the Senior Collections Manager for Earth Sciences, Ben McHenry, in the Minerals Gallery. Students learnt about the history of the mineral collection, the people involved and the location of some of South Australia’s oldest mines.

Mrs Bronwyn Dutch

Chinese Calligraphy

Year 4

Year 4s enthusiastically explored the world of Hanzi (Chinese characters) this term. They learned about the structure of characters, including radicals and components, which helped them understand and appreciate the meaning behind the characters they wrote. 

As a way of taking action from their inquiry into Chinese characters, Year 4 students had a Chinese calligraphy lesson today. They enjoyed this unique opportunity to learn basic brush techniques, practise proper brush handling and master control over the flow of ink.

Ms Hui Guo

Lumination Learning Labs Excursion

Year 11 Society and Culture

On Monday, 22 May, the Year 11 Society and Culture class visited Lumination Learning Labs to learn more about how Virtual Reality (VR) is changing the future of careers. We were delighted to be guided through by Learning Designer Jolanta Stephens, a past Pedare teacher.

Students engaged in fully immersive VR technology, using teamwork, problem-solving and innovative thinking to explore the way in which this technology could be used in the classroom and beyond.

Ms Sarah Mossel

Woher kommst du? (Where do you come from?)

Year 6

In Year 6 this week, we have learned how to discuss where we live and where we come from in German. 

One of the delightful features of learning languages at Pedare is the established understanding of the importance of language and culture. Our Pedare community has a fabulous cultural variety.

Year 6 students in Frau Callen and Herr Brasse’s class prepared a short speech in German describing where they live, and their family comes from. We then placed a sticky note on the world map. Look how much of our amazing world is covered by just one class! What a delight.

Mrs Nicole Callen

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.

TTG District SAPSASA Cross Country

On Friday, 12 May, students selected from the Junior School Cross Country and Year 6 trials at the College proudly represented Pedare at Bulkana Oval. The weather was beautiful, and the day went smoothly. Students ran either 2.5km or 3 km, depending on their year of birth.

Congratulations to the following students who finished in the top 6 in their races and have been selected to represent the Tea Tree Gully District at Oakbank on 8 June.

Winner
2013 Girls – Tessa E
2011 Girls – Lauren B

2nd
2013 Boys – Eddie C

3rd
2012 Girls – Maddison R

4th
2013 Girls – Angelita P
2012 Boys – Lukas H

We wish these students all the best for the upcoming event in June.

We are also excited to announce that Pedare emerged as the overall winner. Congratulations to all the students involved!

Mr Heath Perry

Art Club

We are up and running in Art Club. This term, we are excited to be working on the set designs for the school musical, and we have a group of students working with the Arts Captains on Warhammer. 

Great to see everyone keen to be creative.

Mrs Emily Kenny

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