The Vine Issue 8 – 2023

COLLEGE PRINCIPAL

Mr James Tamblyn

Plans to introduce a sixth College Community in 2024 continue to progress well. Student Leaders recently visited the Tea Tree Gully Heritage Museum to learn more about the history of our local area and strengthen their understanding of our current Community histories. In the coming weeks, students, staff and community members will be invited to contribute their thoughts on the name, colour and logo of our new Community. We look forward to sharing these details with you, along with the process by which students can consider nominating to be an inaugural part of our sixth College Community. 

Work will commence shortly on the restoration of the Catford Library balcony, which has been unused for the past two decades. The balcony, on the northern side of the Boronia building overlooking Jackson Oval, will be transformed into a beautiful outdoor learning space for students in the heart of the College. These images of the new design show how this space will be brought back to life. 

My thanks to those community members who were able to attend the College’s Annual General Meeting on Monday, 29 May. This important event on the College calendar provided an opportunity for Pedare’s members, including current parents, to hear detailed reports about the 2022 school year, celebrate the remarkable achievements of our students and ensure constitutional governance requirements are met. Reports are available to all community members via the College website. 

I will be taking a brief period of leave from the College, commencing Friday, 16 June. I will have a fortnight of sabbatical leave before a few weeks of annual leave during the upcoming term break. Deputy Principal – Teaching and Learning, Lauren Brooks, will be Acting Principal during this time. Heads of School will be present and available to support families with student matters. I look forward to returning for the beginning of Term 3.

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

Mrs Mandy Hore

Starting a new position and beginning in any new school can be quite daunting. Learning the daily routine, meeting new people, familiarising the unique language, understanding the structures, policies and procedures of a new environment, and most importantly, getting to know people, takes time and intentional investment.

Over the last five weeks, I have spent a lot of my time prioritising this – getting to know people. I have read one of my favourite stories to Reception to Year 5 students, popping into MS/SS classes and meeting staff 1:1. I have also enjoyed meeting the wider community at the MS/SS Swimming Carnival and while on duty.

These experiences have allowed me to quickly learn more about our community as individuals and discover more about Pedare.

The Junior School students have enjoyed meeting Chilly Billy, the little man who lives in the fridge, and have readily embraced the straw challenge I set for them.

The older students and staff from across the College, having met with me and asked similar questions, have all responded in a similar way.

So, what have I discovered in my first five weeks?

We’re in this Together. Respectful and trusting relationships between parents, staff and students are central to the Pedare experience. They ensure that the individual needs of each young person are met. Parent, staff and student voices are encouraged. We are a community where respect, kindness, inclusivity and compassion are at our core, and it’s important that this never changes.

We have a strong, shared vision. We are united by the common goal – to foster inquisitive minds and to see each student achieve their best and SHINE. Students are also more broadly encouraged to contribute meaningfully to society, think globally and make a difference to others. We look beyond ourselves and strive to serve.

We are on a pathway of continuous improvement and lifelong learning. We recognise and acknowledge that there is always capacity and room to grow. Opportunities for learning and development are embedded in all aspects of the College life. Learning is modelled, and staff are lifelong learners that look for continuous improvement and new opportunities.

We learn by trying something new and taking risks. A growth mindset is strongly encouraged, where mistakes are viewed as valuable learning opportunities rather than failures. Students can confidently take risks in a caring, nurturing and safe environment. We celebrate and acknowledge growth while also seeking feedback. We also measure what we value.

Wellbeing is at the core. While we provide an exceptional learning program that is inclusive of every student, we also prioritise the wellbeing of our community. We aspire to develop confident, resilient students with strong self-worth.

And finally, on top of this, joy and laughter pervade our daily school life.

My first few weeks have been busy, and I am loving being here. These reflections have not brought new discoveries but rather confirmed what I already knew.

I hope you enjoy the long weekend and that the winter sun shines.

INTERIM HEAD OF MIDDLE AND SENIOR SCHOOL

Mr Josh Willis

The 2023 Middle & Senior School Swimming Carnival was yet another fantastic day of community spirit, enjoyment and healthy competition at the Adelaide Aquatics Centre. Each Community eagerly participated in championship races and novelty events and cheered loudly from the stands. Surrey maintained their stronghold on the Championship Shield, successfully defending their title from last year. Thank you to Mrs Tronnolone, the Community Coordinators, and all staff for the hard work in planning this event. 

HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

Mr Randall Pearce

JAM Band

On Friday, 2 June, the College hosted an engaging music incursion called Just Add Music (JAM) Band, which captivated the Junior School students. The JAM Band delivered a lively and creative performance, presenting a repertoire of 15 songs that truly brought music to life. The interactive nature of the performance allowed over 50 students to participate actively, whether by handling props, wearing costumes or taking part in a captivating giant game of UNO on stage. The JAM band exhibited remarkable professionalism and effectively engaged both students and teachers, resulting in a delightful Friday afternoon filled with music, dance, and, above all, enjoyment! Thank you, JAM Band, for the exceptional and captivating show. A special thanks also goes to Miss Collins, our JS Performing Arts teacher, for her organisation and coordination of the event.

Learning Journeys

The sun was shining for our Learning Journeys on Tuesday, 6 June! It was lovely to see so many family members visiting and enjoying a discussion led by their children as they reflected on their learning so far this year. Students shared skills and knowledge from their classroom learning experiences, as well as their specialist classes. There was some excellent basketball dribbling with both hands by Reception students in PE, sorting instruments into families in PA, and practising ordering food in Chinese! In addition to providing parents/caregivers with a little more insight into what learning is like at Pedare, Learning Journeys also provide a wonderful opportunity for students to take responsibility for their learning, share what they are proud of, and strengthen their reflection and communication skills—a beautiful celebration of the learning that takes place every day in the Junior School. 

Reception to Year 2 Swimming 

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

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. 

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

Contents

Tea Tree Gully Heritage Museum Excursion

Adelaide Zoo Excursion – Year 3

One+ Maths Excursion

Adelaide Zoo Excursion

Year 3

On Tuesday, 23 May, Year 3s travelled to the Adelaide Zoo. Students were thoroughly excited to begin their day on the ‘big bus’ and enjoyed sharing their insights about our local community on the journey. For our Sharing the Planet and Science units, we focus on animals, the various species and how they survive in their environments. We attended a session in the Education Centre on life cycles, learning how animals grow and change throughout their lifetime. Students then had an opportunity to walk around the zoo, exploring the range of animals and their habitats. Please enjoy some student reflections from the day below. 

• “I liked it when the cubs came and played.” – Bhavidhya P
• “I learned that there are different types of lifecycles.” – Rajveer B
• “I learned about different types of animal eggs.” – Bella L
• “I learned about life cycles and how they work.” – Jensen D
• “My highlight was seeing the peacock; he was so beautiful!” – Jasmine M
• “My highlight of the day was seeing the Penguins because they are so adorably cute.” – Finn F
• “I learned that ants look after leaf insects’ babies because, on their eggs, there is a little ball on the end that is like honey. Ants eat it and trick them into looking after them.” – Jasmine O
• “My favourite part was seeing the meerkat eating.” – Kevin W

Ms Kayla Gyles and Ms Jasmine Orlowski, Year 3 Teachers

One+ Maths Excursion

Year 7&8

On Monday, 29 May, a group of Year 7 and 8 students from Pedare and Golden Grove High School had the opportunity to attend a One+ Mathematics excursion at UniSA, Mawson Lakes. The excursion offered a Real-World Maths Day, where students engaged in three different workshops, each focusing on a specific area of mathematical application.

One session examined Graph Theory, involving mathematical modelling using networks and applying these concepts to everyday scenarios such as train scheduling and mathematical modelling of pandemics. Another workshop covered Probability, demonstrating how a simple card game can be used in the application of genetics research. The third session challenged students’ spatial reasoning skills, which play a crucial role in various aspects of our lives.

Mrs Bronwyn Dutch

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.

Indigenous Round at SADNA

Last week marked the Indigenous Round at SADNA (SA Districts Netball Association), where each game was played with an indigenous-designed netball, and the winning team had the privilege of keeping the netball.

Congratulations to the following Pedare teams for their outstanding performances and earning the honour of keeping the indigenous netballs:

• Sub Junior 1 girls
• Pedare 2, Sub Junior 5
• Primary 3, who emerged victorious in a thrilling nail-biter, defeating the Strikers with a score of 14-13. 
• Pedare 2, Sub Primary 3, for their outstanding teamwork and skills, securing a well-deserved 9-2 win against Hope Valley 4.

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