The Vine Issue 10 – 2024

COLLEGE PRINCIPAL

Mr James Tamblyn

Welcome back to all students and families following the term break. A special welcome to those joining the Pedare community, including our Mid-Year Reception students who are beginning their school journey. We look forward to sharing the incredible path of learning ahead of them and supporting them, alongside their families, as they explore and discover their passions.

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

Mrs Mandy Hore

Welcome back to Term 3. I hope you have returned from the school break refreshed, rejuvenated and ready for the exciting term ahead.

If you are like my family and I, we have been glued to the Olympics. Even in the early stages of this event, there have been so many memorable moments — Jessica Fox, our swimmers and the resilience shown by the young skateboarders who picked themselves up and dusted themselves off after failing to land tricks and runs.

As the world gathers to celebrate the Olympic Games, I am reminded of the profound values that underpin this global event: excellence, friendship and respect. These values not only drive athletes to achieve greatness but also offer invaluable lessons for our students, fostering their development and wellbeing.

Excellence

The pursuit of excellence teaches students the importance of setting goals and working diligently to achieve them. Whether it’s aiming for a personal best in an assessment or mastering a new skill, striving for excellence encourages children to push their boundaries. This mindset cultivates resilience, perseverance and a sense of accomplishment—essential qualities for academic and personal growth.

Friendship

The spirit of friendship embodied in the Olympics highlights the importance of building and nurturing relationships. Participating in team sports or collaborative school activities helps students develop social skills, empathy and cooperation. These interactions foster a sense of belonging and community, crucial for their emotional and psychological wellbeing.

Respect

Respect is a cornerstone of the Olympic values, emphasising the importance of fair play and appreciation for others. Teaching students to respect their peers, teachers and themselves helps create a positive and inclusive environment. This value encourages tolerance, understanding and the ability to value diversity, which are vital in today’s interconnected world.

Benefits to Wellbeing

Integrating these Olympic values into our daily lives has a profound impact on our overall wellbeing. The pursuit of excellence boosts self-esteem and confidence, friendship promotes emotional support and reduces feelings of isolation, and respect fosters a harmonious and supportive community. Together, these values contribute to a holistic approach to child development, ensuring they grow into well-rounded, resilient and compassionate individuals—qualities we embrace as part of the College through our wellbeing programs.

As we cheer for our athletes, let’s also embrace and reflect on the Olympic spirit in our homes and College. Please take just a moment to discuss these values with your family while we cheer on the green and the gold.

As always, I extend an invitation to contact me at any time.

Enjoy your weekend and hopefully some winter sunshine.

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL (TEACHING & LEARNING)

Mrs Kat Elliot

The statement, “Being a student has nothing to do with being an Olympic athlete,” might initially seem obvious, and many might agree with it at first glance. However, silver medalist Elijah Winnington’s interview at the Paris Olympics Games offers a deeper insight. Elijah shared that his coach emphasised not just the physical aspects of training but also the psychological ones. A key strategy he used was writing the word “Purpose” on his hand in black marker, serving as a powerful reminder of his motivation before his 400m swimming event. Elijah needed to focus not on winning, but his purpose for swimming in the first place.

At Pedare, we strive to support and encourage students to discover their sense of purpose in many ways. Year 6-10 students recently participated in the Checkpoint process again, which presented guiding questions to prompt students to reflect on their learning journey and consider their strengths and areas for development.

This week, our community has come together to honour academic excellence and endeavour. The award recipients inspire us much like athletes do, showing that their achievements are the result of sustained effort and perseverance, not ease or by avoiding challenge. Their stories remind us that challenges are part of the journey and that staying focused on our goals and purpose is crucial.

Achievements would lose their significance if they were easy to attain. They highlight the importance of remaining committed and resilient, especially during challenging times. I encourage all students to reflect on their journeys and find inspiration in those who demonstrate the value of staying focused and persevering.

HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

Mrs Lisa Daws

The buzz of excitement, the beaming smiles and the joyful return of students are exactly what we’ve been eagerly anticipating. We extend a heartfelt welcome to all our new students joining the Junior School this term, especially to our Mid-Year Reception class, who have just completed their first fortnight at school. We are also thrilled to welcome Mrs Lisa-Marie Ennis and Miss Emily Brockbank to the Mid-Year Reception team, and Mrs Rebecca Greenhalgh to Year 2OG.

I would like to offer an enormous thank you for the incredibly warm welcome I have received over the past two weeks. Your kindness and support have made my transition smooth and enjoyable and I am truly grateful to be part of such a welcoming and enthusiastic community. It has been a pleasure getting to know families and I am excited for the journey ahead as we continue to work together to make this a fantastic term for our students.

As we start the term, we would like to emphasise the importance of wellbeing. To ensure our students are energised and ready for learning each day, we encourage consistent routines, healthy eating, consistent bedtimes, monitored screen time and quality family moments. These practices play a crucial role in supporting each child and their overall development and success. Year level overviews have been distributed to families and I encourage you to have conversations with your child about their learning as the term progresses.

Meet the Teacher

On Wednesday, we had the pleasure of welcoming our Mid-Year Reception families to our Meet the Teachers afternoon. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with each other, share information and foster a sense of belonging within our vibrant community.

Languages Week

This week, we embarked on Languages Week to celebrate the rich diversity of languages and cultures within our community. On Tuesday, 30 July, students in Years 3 to 6 enjoyed a Chinese Cultural Show featuring traditional dances. Junior School students explored various Chinese cultural activities, including writing Chinese characters and stories, paper cutting and playing traditional games like Jianzi and Pitch-Pot. Additionally, Year 5 students immersed themselves in German lessons, embracing their roles as inquirers and open-minded learners in this new cultural context.

HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

Mrs Eliza Buckoke

It’s wonderful to see students settling back into Middle School. At the start of the term, I encouraged students to view Term 3 as an excellent opportunity to reset and start fresh. For some, this means continuing the fantastic effort they maintained during Semester 1. For others, it’s a chance to reflect on areas for improvement and make a concerted effort to form new and better habits. We can only ask that students try their very best, and if they do, they should be proud of their achievements. We hope students take these messages to heart and make Term 3 a successful and positive experience.

This week, Year 9s have been undertaking their final Community Project presentations. The display evening at the end of last term showcased the diverse projects and the positive impact our students have had on the local and wider community. We are extremely proud of their achievements throughout Semester 1.

HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL

Mr Josh Willis

Sport has always been an important part of my life and I continue to draw upon the many lessons and experiences I had playing and watching it over the years. I often make comparisons to sport and the many experiences in life, and school is no different. If you’re anything like me, you might be feeling a little weary from the late nights and early mornings spent watching the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. There’s something special about seeing athletes from across the globe showcasing their skills, strength, endurance and the incredible hard work and dedication they’ve invested in their events. Like these athletes, our Year 12 students have invested a significant amount of time in their education, and now their most important time is upon them. It’s their opportunity to showcase their determination and resilience as they face the challenges of their final year. This period is their chance to shine and to demonstrate the dedication they have developed throughout their academic journey.

As we introduced Term 3 last week, I spoke to the students about how a school year is much like a game of football. Those who follow football closely will be familiar with the term for the third quarter of a game, ‘The Premiership Quarter.’ This is the time that can make or break the game and is often when the game is won or lost. Similarly, in golf, there is an expression for the third day of a four-day tournament known as “Moving Day.” As the name suggests, Moving Day often sees players climb their way into contention for the final round, while others fall away. Term 3 is both the Premiership Quarter and Moving Day. The hard work students put in this term will determine their results at the end of the year. Now is the time to implement their time-management strategies, study habits and do the hard work to set themselves up for success. We look forward to supporting all of our students throughout an exciting Term 3.

Languages Week

This year’s Languages Week was a vibrant celebration, involving students from Reception to Year 12 in various cultural activities. Our youngest learners enjoyed story readings by parents and Chinese paper cutting, while Years 3 and 4 participated in a Chinese sword dancing workshop. Students in Years 3 to 6 were treated to a mesmerising Chinese Cultural Show, with Junior School lunchtime activities including Chinese shuttlecock, ring toss and pitch-pot games.

Middle and Senior School students had diverse experiences. Year 6 students crafted Chinese bamboo dragonflies, Year 7 enjoyed a Chinese shuttlecock and a German food-tasting event and Year 8 explored Chinese crafts. Meanwhile, Years 10 and 11 showcased their culinary skills by making Chinese wontons. The week ended with a lively lunchtime showcase featuring German dance, Chinese ring toss, diabolo and pitch-pot games, creating a vibrant and multicultural atmosphere.

Languages Week not only celebrated the beauty of languages but also deepened the students’ appreciation of global cultures, making it an unforgettable experience for everyone.

Mrs Grace Liu

100 Days of School

On Friday, 26 July, Reception and Year 1 students celebrated 100 days of school in 2024, acknowledging their incredible growth and enthusiasm. Teachers hosted a special day filled with fun activities centred around the number ’100’. From STEM challenges and arts and crafts to stories, role play and problem-solving, the day was a fantastic celebration of learning and collaboration.

Mrs Laura Logan

Year 8 Cross Campus Book Cup

Pedare, Gleeson and Golden Grove High School have a tradition spanning more than 20 years of coming together to compete in an annual event. This year, a group of our Year 8 students were selected to participate in three teams in a revitalised version of this event: writing a book in a day. Guided by guest author Adam Cece, our Year 8s joined students from the two other schools for a full day of book writing, focused on the Book Week theme “Reading is Magic.” A big highlight was the shared pizza lunch! The finished books will be judged by a panel in the coming weeks. Following this, the students will reunite in Book Week for the Awards Ceremony and the passing on of the Book Cup trophy.

Mrs Sarah Bloomfield

Lion’s Club Supporting the Community

SADNA Indigenous Round

School Sport SA Year 9/10 Boys

Cross Country Bronze Medalist

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.

On Sundays, we meet at the church at 8.30 am, 10.00 am and 6.00 pm. If you want to discover what the bible says Christianity is all about, join one of the numerous weekly bible discussion groups, or want to find out about our Kids Club (R-6) from 3:30-5pm and Youth group (Y7-12) from 7-9pm that both operate on a weekly basis during school terms.

Please visit our website (https://ttganglican.org.au/) or contact Rick Maude at rick@ttgAnglican.org.au for details.

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