lion’s roar Educating successful women of tomorrow in a Christian Environment
TERM 1 • 29 MARCH 2019 • VOLUME 318
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FROM THE PRINCIPAL Mrs Nicola Taylor Principal No sooner has Term 1 begun than the end is clearly in sight! As we enter the penultimate week of the Term, students from Years 3 to 10 are heading away on Camps and Excursions, PreK to Year 2 will enjoy a new-found sense of freedom in the playground, Year 11 are embarking on a week of study skills, career profiling and Stage 6 related experiences. Year 12 will be completing some mid-course ‘exam’ style tasks. However, due to changes in the NESA Assessment Guidelines, mid-course exams are no longer counted as HSC Assessment tasks for some subjects but will now be non assessible class tasks which provide valuable exposure and practice in the type of task which will constitute the HSC in Term 4. Thank you to those parents who were very accommodating when we were made aware literally on the morning of the event, that teams from Years 5 to 8 at PLC Armidale were eligible to participate the Kids’ Lit Quiz. The Kids’ Lit Quiz is an annual literature competition for children aged 10 to 13 with a local round held in Armidale yesterday.
Congratulations To Holly Butler who following her participation in the National Youth Science Forum earlier in the year, has been successful in a further application to attend the London International Youth Science Forum held in July this year. This is a great recognition of Holly in what would have been a very selective process as well as in the College for its support of girls to strive and achieve in areas of interest or strength.
Despite the short notice, the PLC Armidale teams rose to the challenge of representing the College well. Congratulations to the Senior (Year 7) team who placed second overall on the day, along with our Junior team who learned much in this inaugural experience. Thank you Mrs Belson for being proactive and supportive of our teams on the day. It was exciting to take part in the official launch of the PLC Armidale Production, ‘Matilda The Musical’ on Wednesday evening. This was even more unique event given that PLC Armidale will be presenting the first regional amateur production in NSW. Thank you to those families and students who attended the launch, to the sixty or so girls who have indicated they wish to either audition for a role, perform in the orchestra or take on a backstage responsibility, ensuring the show does go on! This week also saw a ‘soft launch’ of the inaugural PLC Armidale Constellation Award. This will be an award presented to girls who complete a minimum of three specified physical challenges in three years, with higher awards being issued for additional challenges undertaken. Eligible challenges will be non-selective, amateur events known for the rigour and discipline required to complete. They will also be events with a purpose, generally fundraising for very worthy causes. Whilst specific details of the Constellation Award will be made available to girls and families next term, the soft launch was to inform our Senior School girls participating in the Coffs Harbour Ocean Swim that it will be an event able to be counted as one of a number of such challenges which will count towards the Constellation Award. Each of these events demonstrate the strength of community and the opportunities to learn new skills or develop resilience which characterise the girls of PLC Armidale.
UPCOMING EVENTS APRIL 2019 EVENT
DATE
EVENT
DATE
YEAR 10 EXCURSION TO CANBERRA
1/04 - 5/04/2019
YEARS 4 TO 12 INTER SCHOOL CHESS CHALLENGE
09/04/19
YEAR 9 CAMP - CAMP SOMERSET, COLO RIVER
1/04 - 5/04/2019
YEAR 12 PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS
09/04/19
YEARS 7 AND 8 DUBBO EXCURSION
3/04 - 5/04/2019
TOUR DE ROCKS
10/04 - 13/04/2019
YEARS 3 TO 6 COFFS COAST ADVENTURE CENTRE 1/04 - 3/04/2019
PLC ARMIDALE FOUNDATION AGM
10/04/19
BOARDERS’ CHAPEL
WHOLE SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY
11/04/19
LAST DAY TERM 1
11/04/19
01/04/19
PRE-K PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS
01/04 - 02/04/19
YEAR 11 LUNCH WITH PRINCIPAL
05/04/19
KYCK CONVENTION
IPSHA CROSS COUNTRY CARNIVAL
06/04/19
STAFF DAY
DAYLIGHT SAVING ENDS
07/04/19
TAS RUGBY CAMP
12/04 - 14/04/2019
MATILDA AUDITIONS
07/04/19
SILVER/GOLD DOE HIKE
13/04 - 16/04/2019
BOARDERS’ CHAPEL
08/04/19
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UPCOMING EVENTS 2019 For enquires, please contact info@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au
APRIL OLD GIRLS’ UNION AFTERNOON TEA Sunday 31 March 2019 • From 2 till 4pm at the home of OGU President, Kathie Marquardt RSVP: kathie@marquardtconstructions.com.au
MAY JUNIOR SCHOOL MOTHERS’ DAY BREAKFAST Thursday 9 May 2019 • 8 - 8.45am Dining Room RSVP: juniorschool@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au
PLC ARMIDALE OLD GIRLS’ UNION MOTHERS’ DAY BRUNCH Saturday 11 May 2019 • 10am - 12 noon PLC Armidale Rose Garden RSVP by 3 May 2019 to: OGU President, Kathie Marquardt kathie@marquardtconstructions.com.au or Shona Eichorn, Director of Development development@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au Cost - by donation
PLC ARMIDALE P&F AUTUMN BALL Saturday 11 May 2019 • Astra Arts Centre Tickets $100 per person or Earlybird $90 per person (First 100 tickets) Purchase tickets online at www.trybooking.com/BBJEK For more information: pandf@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au
JUNE JUNIOR SCHOOL LEARNING JOURNEY Friday 21 June 2019 • 2.30pm PLC Armidale Junior School For more information and to RSVP please email: juniorschool@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au
OCTOBER PLC ARMIDALE PRODUCTION OF
ROALD DAHL’S ‘MATILDA THE MUSICAL’
Licensed exclusively by Music Theatre International (Australasia). All performance materials supplied by Hal Leonard Australia.
30 October to 2 November 2019 • UNE Arts Theatre AUDITIONS • Sunday 7 April 1.30 - 5pm Astra Arts Centre Book DENNIS KELLY
Music & Lyrics TIM MINCHIN
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PLC ARMIDALE NEWS Mrs Shona Eichorn Director of Development 2018 Ad Astra - Our Annual Publication The 2018 Ad Astra publication has arrived. It will be distributed to the eldest child in each family during pastoral care lessons in the final week of term. Thank you for your understanding and patience.
STORIES TO TELL? PHOTOS TO SHARE? Our students are involved in so many activities both in and out of school hours and we do our absolute very best to keep on top of all the information we receive, and then promote. Should you have a news or a photo to share, please send directly to development@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au (until further notice). Please also appreciate that not every single photo which is submitted will be used. Shona Eichorn • Director of Development development@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au
Sally McCook • Enrolments Manager enrolments@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au
Amy Chiu • Pathways Administrator achiu@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au
Student Absence or Exemption from Attendance 2019 Under the NSW Education Act, school attendance is compulsory until the age of 17. As a school, we have a Duty of Care responsibility to see that students enrolled at the College are in a regular pattern of attendance unless there are special circumstances making this difficult. To streamline our process of notifying the College when a student is absent, parents are asked to bookmark and use the online forms found on the College website:http://www.plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au/current-families/notification-of-absence If permission is being sought for a period of absence longer than five consecutive school days duration a separate form is to be used, also found on the College website:http://www.plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au/current-families/request-for-leave These online forms are received by our receptionists in the Junior and Senior school with our attendance records on Edumate adjusted accordingly. Parents are asked to use these forms to ensure that notification of absence, or requests for exemption from attendance are actioned promptly.
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SENIOR SCHOOL Mrs Anna Caldwell Head of Senior School The end of term is in sight and everyone should be feeling proud of all they have achieved over the last 9 weeks. Now is a good time to revisit the goals we all set ourselves at the start of the year, tick off those accomplished and reflect on those that we haven’t yet reached. One of the things that I love about PLC Armidale is our school spirit and this was most definitely on display in the Autumn Festival Parade. Thank you to everyone who marched and also to those who participated in the Campus to City Canter. We had a very impressive team. The results can be found on the Armidale Express website and the Armidale Campus to City Facebook page. Congratulations to Chiyo Brown, PLC Armidale’s fastest student runner on the day, who was the 1st female to finish the race, Mrs Eastment who placed 4th and Maya Hess and Isabelle Pieterse who placed in the top 20.
Senior School Outdoor Education Camp Week @PLC Next week will see our Year 7 and Year 8 students head to Dubbo, Year 9 to Somerset Outdoor Learning Centre, Colo River and Year 10 head to Canberra for the week. Year 11 will participate in a study skills programme and Year 12 will have a week of mid course examinations, which are an important practice for their HSC examinations later on in the year.
Whole School Cross Country Carnival Our Whole School Cross Country Carnival is on Thursday 11 April.
Term 2 Information: Monday 29 April Staff Day and boarders return. Tuesday 1 May All students return. Winter Uniform. The term will start with our Whole School Combined Assembly and Chapel. We will be starting in Week B of the academic cycle. Sports training will start on the first day back. Term 2 is 9 weeks in length.
Whole School Athletics Carnival Our Whole School Athletics Carnival is on in Week 2 of Term 2 on Friday 10 May, with pre events being run during lunch times in Week 1.
Duke of Edinburgh Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Gold Award Presentation Ceremony, Wednesday 20 March. Last week I had the pleasure of attending the Gold Award Presentation Ceremony for two of our recent graduates, Sarah Evans and Sarah Tremont. It was a wonderful day recognising inspiring young Australians and also a special event as it was the last ceremony for the Governor of NSW, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Ret’d), before he takes on the role of Governor General in May. Over his time as Governor of NSW he and his wife, Mrs Linda Hurley have been tremendous supporters and advocate for the Award. The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is a challenge, it is not easy (if it was then it would not have the recognition and respect world wide that it has) and those who do complete each of the Award levels, have shown great commitment, determination and developed leadership skills that will put them in good stead for the rest of their lives. The Ceremony was held in St Stephens Uniting Church on Macquarie Street and a special afternoon tea was held at Government House afterwards, where we got to enjoy the amazing house, stunning gardens and breathtaking views of the harbour. Congratulations to Sarah and Sarah for achieving their Gold Awards.
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SENIOR SCHOOL
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Mrs Anna Caldwell Head of Senior School Winter Uniform Winter Uniform is worn during Terms 2 and 3. If the weather is warm, the girls are to remove their jumper but can still wear their blazer as the outer-most layer. If at school, they may take both their jumper and blazer off, but must have the sleeves of their white shirt rolled down. Please ensure that your daughters wear an appropriate coloured bra that cannot be seen through the white shirt.
UNE IMMUNOLOGY WORKSHOP In preparation for National Immunology Day on April 29 2019, University of New England (UNE) representatives Sinead Corvan-Henderson, Natkunam Ketheesan and Richard Charlesworth came to PLC Armidale to run an immunology workshop for Year 9 students. During this workshop, the girls explored how the immune system functions and learnt about infection, inflammation and immunity. They then illustrated their understanding of these key principles by modelling fake wounds. Following on from this workshop, the girls will spend time in class developing posters on vaccine preventable diseases. These posters will be judged by a panel of UNE lecturers and professors. The winning poster will be displayed in the School of Science at UNE and in the Science Department at PLC Armidale.
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JUNIOR SCHOOL Mrs Fiona Wake Head of Junior School PLC Armidale Hockey Success I would like to congratulate our three Junior School Hockey teams who played in the finals last Friday night. Whilst all three teams received the runnersup medallion, they won in our eyes in every way. They played their hardest, graciously shook the hands of their opponents, thanked their coaches and showed remarkable sportsmanship. I could not be more proud of their success.
School Camps Our Stage 2 and Stage 3 girls are getting excited about their up and coming school camps. The Year 3 - 6 classes will be heading to Coffs Harbour on Monday 1 April until Wednesday 3 April. CAMP ANXIETY School camp is a fantastic opportunity for children to develop new skills, friendships and interests. However, for many kids (and their parents!) just the thought of sleeping away from home can provoke high anxiety.
FEATURE CLASS: K/1 Curious and Creative Kids in K/1
Some of the common worries about camp include:
According to Alieta Belle, from River School in Queensland, ‘Art is not just a specialist area of study at the River School; it’s a context through which other learning outcomes can be realised, and core skills such as critical thinking and problem solving are developed.’ In Kindergarten and Year One, we love creating and making artworks which are linked to other learning areas.
• Not being able to sleep properly • Not liking the food camp will offer • Who they will be sharing a cabin with • Not enjoying the activities camp will offer • Feeling homesick Although these are understandable concerns, it is important to help kids feel more positive about camp and to overcome the fear of not enjoying camp.
K/1 have used art as part of their English Enrichment, Mathematics, Science and PDHPE units. They have created symbols, designs, mixed colours, used sketching and different lines to demonstrate their learning.
THE BENEFITS OF SCHOOL CAMP ARE NUMEROUS, HERE ARE FIVE: 1. Development of social skills School camp is a great opportunity to develop a range of social skills. Most activities at camp involve team work, which is great to strengthen established friendships and also to develop new friendships by connecting with children they don’t regularly talk with at school. Through bonding activities, children develop supportive relationships not only with different children, but also with their teachers. At camp, children have the opportunity to learn about acceptance, caring and understanding.
As part of our English Enrichment program, K/1 read the story “Best Cow in the Show”. We then drew our own cows showing how they can be embellished with various accessories. Year One also did some writing to describe how their cows would look and feel if they won the competition in the Armidale Show.
2. Development of independence skills 3. Development of decision-making skills 4. Increased environmental awareness
During Science, K/ created some Oily Artworks using food colouring, almond milk and glucose syrup. We had a lot of fun seeing what effects the food colours made when dropped onto the different liquids. We also used inflated balloons dipped into paint to create an abstract painting. Our class also had a lot of fun creating ‘Blotter Bugs”. We talked about how a primary colour can be mixed with another primary colour to create a secondary colour. After placing a dab of primary colour on different halves of paper, we then pressed them together to see what secondary colours we could make. Black sharpies were used to create the detail of the ‘bugs’.
5. Learning new skills OK great… BUT what if your child is feeling anxious about camp? HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO HELP YOUR CHILD FEEL MORE CONFIDENT ABOUT GOING TO CAMP: 1. Preparation is the key to feeling less anxious Talk with your child about their worries and fears. Talk about your own experiences at camp and how you overcame your own challenges. Some other ways to help them to look forward to it include: • Discuss the activities they will be doing. Which ones will be challenging? Which ones will be fun? • Practice sleeping away from home by having sleepovers at a close friend or family member’s home.
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• Visit the camp’s website and take a look at pictures/videos of where they are going. Together, you can even create a special “story book” that they can look at on the days before camp.
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JUNIOR SCHOOL
FEATURE CLASS: K/1 continued
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Mrs Fiona Wake Head of Junior School
When we were learning about different 2D Shapes as part of our Geometry unit, we looked at how different artists use geometric shapes and patterns in their art. We then created our own artworks which were inspired by Piet Mondrian.
TIPS continued: • Contact the camp and ask if you can organise a visit with your child prior to their camp date. This will help your child to familiarise with the environment and feel less anxious about the unknown. 2. Pack together and make it fun
As part of our PDHPE unit, we have created some self- portraits, with a difference. The first self-portrait uses different types of lines which were then coloured to create crazy hair! The second self-portrait was made using half of a photograph of us. We then tried to draw the other side by sketching and using symmetry. We worked out that our faces aren’t perfectly symmetrical! We then added some fabric from an old school uniform.
3. Give your child a special journal to take with them on camp You can write encouraging messages that they can read while they are away. They can also write or draw things they will like to share with the family once they are back home. 4. Talk to your child’s teacher and share the concerns you have The teacher will appreciate this extra information and most likely will keep a closer eye on your child. Our teachers will have discussions with their class prior to the Camp. They will identify who is feeling anxious and talk through these concerns. They will provide reassurance and monitor and check in with your daughter across the duration of the camp. A direct phone contact number will be established and emailed to you on Friday. If you would like to contact your daughter’s teacher at any point in time over the course of the three days, you would be welcome.
We hope you have a chance to come and view our learning and artworks. We had a lot of fun making them!
Up and Coming Events in the Junior School Week 10 • Pre K Parent Teacher Interviews • IPSHA Cross Country • Years 3-6 School Coffs Camp Week 11 • Coding Incursion
CODE Camp On Wednesday 10 April In the Junior School we are excited to be hosting a Code Camp to be part of your STEaM Project Based Learning for 2019! Code Camp Incursions are designed inspire kids to be digital explorers and creators with engaging coding programs that are linked to the Digital Technologies Curriculum. Incursions are aimed at teaching your students the logic behind coding in a visual coding environment, through a super exciting game creation project for the day. This program is ideal for Year 2-6 students. HOW IT WORKS? Code Camp Incursions are fully facilitated by us. Teachers do not need to be present they are welcome to participate in and absorb the program with the students so as to learn more about coding and how it is taught. • Students who attend an incursion get 6 months of access to Code Camp World. • All projects can be viewed/shared online. PROGRAMS & SCHEDULE FOR PLC ARMIDALE: Junior Coding & Robotics • Year K/1 Play based coding concept activities and exposure to Robotics • Years 2-6 Students design and code their own game using Code Camp World
SRC Action: Kindness
• TERM 1 concludes Thursday 11 April
The Junior School SRC will be hosting a Kindness Fete on Wednesday 10 April, where students are able to purchase 3 activities from a choice of 6, centred around the theme of kindness. Each activity will cost $1 with the proceeds going to charity.
• STAFF Day Friday 12 April
Friendship Bands are part of the FUN!
Dates to remember • Whole School Cross Country Thursday 11 April
Bucket Fillers… What fills your bucket?
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You are invited to discover more about the
Learning Journey
at PLC Armidale JUNIOR SCHOOL 2019
Friday 21 June 2.30pm
Join ‘Our Eggshibition’ of Integrated Learning Projects An interactive activity for both parents and daughters.
Friday 30 August 9.30am
Learn about ‘Our Approach’ with a presentation followed by morning tea and an opportunity to experience a day class for the girls!
Friday 25 October 5.30pm
Come with us ‘down our garden path’ to our Global Garden Feast A Friday evening full of fun, food and family!
For more details and to RSVP:
juniorschool@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au ALL GIRLS PRE-KINDER TO YEAR 12. BOARDING FROM YEAR 5.
02 6770 1700 • www.plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au enrolments@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au Educating successful women of tomorrow in a Christian environment. IN ALLIANCE WITH PLC SYDNEY
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SPORTS REPORT AROUND THE GROUNDS Mr Peter Le Surf Director of Sport Summer sports are nearing the end of the season and the Term 2 and 3 sports are getting ready to commence. If your daughter has signed up for a sport, please remind them to collect a contract for that particular sport. Each contract has all the details about training times, game times, uniform and costs associated with each particular sport. The contracts also explain the expectations of the College and need to be signed by both the student and the parents, before the student can be entered into a team.
IGSSA Swimming Carnival
Winter Sports The winter sports of netball, hockey and soccer are getting ready to start. There have been sign up sheets on the sports noticeboard for a few weeks. If your daughter is wanting to get involved, please make sure they have placed their name on the sign up sheet.
CHANGES IN 2019
The IGSSA Swimming Carnival is a very tough swimming meet. Our girls travelled to Sydney on Thursday March 21 to compete on Friday 22. The girls did an amazing job of representing the College. Their determination to succeed was matched by their enthusiasm to compete. While we did not win too many events some girls managed to swim Personal Best (PB) times. PB achieved by: • Holly Dauparas 13 yrs butterfly • Emily Thompson finished 4th in the 14yrs freestyle and qualified for the B level finals, where she finished 5th. • Heidi Martin had an outstanding meet, swimming a PB in 100m freestyle, a PB in 15yrs freestyle and PB in 15yrs breaststroke. Heidi finished 4th in her freestyle heat, qualifying for the B level final. Heidi then backed up with the breaststroke to qualify for the A level final, and swam another PB in the finals, to finish 5th.
For netball, hockey and soccer in 2019, there is now a requirement to go online, register and pay before we can place you in a team. This is different for 2018, where you needed to register, however payment was made at the end of the season, and placed on your school account. You can use your active kids voucher in this registration process, so please make sure you have this ready.
• Our Medley relay team of Pollyanna McIntyre, Naomi Martin, Lilly McCook and Natalie Brennan finished a very close 4th in this event. Well done to all the girls that qualified to compete in our swimming team. You showed some incredible fighting qualities.
Indoor Hockey Congratulations goes to our U16 indoor hockey for making the Grand Final. It was a very tight game with the scores level at 2 all at half time. Unfortunately they were not able to contain the opposition and finished up as the runners up. A mighty effort just in reaching such height.
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SPORTS REPORT AROUND THE GROUNDS
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Mr Peter Le Surf Director of Sport Tildesley Tennis As I am writing this we are preparing for our first matches in the 2019 Tildesley Tennis Competition, held in Sydney. On Tuesday evening, we had the pleasure of a visit from Jaslyn Hewitt. She joined us for dinner in our hotel and then shared her own tennis story as well as insights into the characteristics that are required to achieve success on the tennis Pro Tour. Jaslyn, as well as being the sister to Lleyton Hewitt, was a successful tennis player in her own right. She was the Australian number 1 junior as well as the world number 44 junior, before reaching a career high of 304 on the WTA tour. Unfortunately, her career was cut short by injury. Jaslyn explained how she had to find a balance between school and Tennis. Something that she struggled with at times. Jaslyn is currently a Tennis Australia High Performance Coach and manages the Talented Athlete Tennis Programme here in NSW. She works with some of the most talented juniors in Australia and spoke of the commitment, consistency and respect that is required to achieve success in the tennis game today. We would like to thank Jaslyn for giving up her time to come and talk to the girls and provide some inspiring words on the eve of our competition.
Parent Involvement As a parent, if you would like to assist in the sporting programme, as a team manager, please let me know.
WHAT DOES THIS INVOLVE? It does not require you to coach. It is just having someone at the grounds assisting the coach in organising the team. Simple jobs like making sure all equipment is returned to the kit bag, getting others organized to bring cut oranges for half time or just being an extra set of eyes in watching the game. If this is something that you could assist with, please get in contact with me. With so much sport on offer, I look forward to seeing you on the sidelines.
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JUNIOR SCHOOL SPORT Mrs Lucy Donaldson Junior School Sport Coordinator Indoor Hockey Congratulations to all the girls and coaches who were part of the five PLC Armidale Junior School indoor hockey teams. It has been a fantastic season and we were very proud to have three of our teams make the Grand Finals which were played last Friday. They were nail biting games and it was really great to have so many spectators come along and cheer our girls along. Well done! PLC Kittens v Waldorf Wanderers 1-4 PLC Pups v ASCS White 2-3 PLC Puggles v Hockey Ninjas 2-4
IPSHA Cross Country Best of luck to our Junior School girls who are heading down to compete at the IPSHA Cross Country Carnival on Saturday 6th April. A summary of results will be published next edition.
Cross Country Training It has been great to see our girls take up the opportunity to do some extra cross country training on Wednesday mornings with Mrs Donaldson. Any girls Years 3-6 welcome - 7.45am start.
Winter Netball and Hockey Teams are currently being finalised ad training days and times will be advised shortly. Please make sure all players are registered asap (details of how to do this are on the front page of contract).
Any parents….. If you are a parent who might be keen to help out with coaching or being a team manager, please email ldonaldson@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au There is a lot going on with sport in the Junior School, so if you are unsure of anything or require any further information please don’t hesitate to ask.
Coming up this Term IPSHA Cross Country Saturday 6 April School Cross Country Thursday 11 April
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PASTORAL CARE Paula Goode Pastoral Care Coordinator Raising Awareness @ PLC Armidale Every week the students and staff have access to classroomsolutions.com.au weekly quizzes which are based on the previous week’s events in Australia and across the world. The quizzes consist of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 image-based questions. This activity allows our student to gain general knowledge about the world they are living in, the varied topics are great discussion points in and out of the classroom. When particular days or special events mark the calendar, as a school we try to supplement information and detail to the girls to grow their knowledge and provide an awareness in Pastoral Care session/activities and assembly talks to even wearing a coloured ribbon denoting that particular day. Some of the events/days that we have celebrated or observed so far this year have been: International Women’s Day is celebrated annually on March 8 all over the world. The theme for International Women’s Day 2019 was #BalanceforBetter, celebrating the role everyone can play in creating a more gender-balanced and equal future. Respect for women and gender equality has come a long way, but there’s still a lot more to achieve. Our own Mrs Taylor sharing personal stories and insight as the guest speaker for Quota’s annual International Women’s day breakfast. Two tables of staff and Year 12 Leaders represented the school. National Day against bullying and violence on the 15th March each year gives schools the chance to take action and empower young people to be part of the solution when addressing bullying in their school community. It provides an opportunity to focus on bullying and the changes we can all make to help create safer communities for everyone. Let’s take a stand together every day to say Bullying. No Way! Harmony Day occurs on 21 March each year and coincides with the United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The ongoing theme of Harmony Day is ‘everyone belongs’. Harmony Day is a day of cultural respect for all. As a school community we observed a minute silence and a special prayer for the tragic deaths of the people in New Zealand after the terrorist attacks at Mosques in Christchurch. Our flags were flown at half-mast as a sign of respect and to honour the victims of this tragic event. Mrs Taylor’s MAD Women (making a difference) assembly series always hits an accord with the school community. Her research on these MAD women is unwavering and her focussed storytelling is integrated to what is happening around us in our daily lives. Miss Leahy’s chapel talks - celebrating women in the bible that are central and significant, such as: Mary (Mother of Jesus), Anna, Samaritan Women, Mary and Martha, the women at the cross, the first witnesses of the resurrection. Miss Leahy show her passion with the bible verse she chooses and shares as she beaks them down to help girls see the relevance in todays world. On that earlier note of MAD women, Year 10 Student Sienna Catterall and her dad are participating in Beyond Bitumen 29th March to 1st April, at assembly last week Sienna was a brave soul to share her own story of depression, social anxiety etc. She described what her life was like, defined particular terms and shared how the organisation of Beyond Blue is helping assist her recovery. She asked for donations to this Beyond Blue initiative and as I write this article for the Lion’s Roar Sienna’s sponsorship page says she reached $3,638.10 so far, which is beyond her initial goal of $1000 per kilometre.
At PLC Armidale we hope to grow globally aware citizens of the world and women who make a difference!
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PASTORAL CARE Not Every Act of Meanness is Bullying parentshop.com.au/meannessvsbullying/ Michael Hawton
September 10, 2018
One of our jobs is to help children and young people to interpret events proportionally. However, in recent times, I have seen a shift involving the wrong application of words like trauma, depression and bullying. When these very meaningful words are misused, their misuse can result in unwanted consequences. What might be the ‘unkind’ behaviour of another may, in fact, not be ‘bullying’. In this article we discuss the differences between unkindness and bullying – and how defining the two correctly can teach kids resilience and how to cope with conflict. Anyone who spends a great deal of time with children or simply remembers their own childhood or schoolyard days, would know that children can be downright mean. An experiment by Debra Pepler at York University brought together children from years 1 to 6 who were identified by their teachers as particularly aggressive or particularly non-aggressive. What the study found was that the aggressive children were mean to others on average every two minutes and more revealingly, the nonaggressive children also displayed mean behaviour but on average every three minutes.
Conflict is unfortunately a part of life that we all deal with, no matter what age. Bullying is however, way more than that and can have serious and sometimes tragic consequences. Yet the term ‘bullying’ seems to be readily bandied around these days for all forms of ‘mean behaviour’. According to ‘Bullying No Way’, the National Australian definition of bullying is: “an ongoing misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that causes physical and/or psychological harm. It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power over one or more persons. Bullying can happen in person or online, and it can be obvious (overt) or hidden (covert)… Single incidents and conflict or fights between equals, whether in person or online, are not defined as bullying”. The key terms in the definition of bullying is ‘misuse of power’ and ‘repeated’. The key terms in the definition of what is not bullying is ‘between equals’ and while conflicts or mean and hurtful behaviour may upset a child tremendously, by labelling the mean behaviour ‘bullying’ we may be disempowering children. It is important for children to understand the difference between someone being insensitive or mean and what constitutes bullying behaviour because being able to successfully resolve and navigate these situations is a huge step in their emotional growth and maturity. If the situation is deemed to be simply mean or hurtful behaviour it is important not to over-play this through misleading terminology (ie bullying) and offer ways for the child to address and resolve this themselves. 1/2
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PASTORAL CARE Teacher and writer Braden Bell spoke in his article for the Washington Post about his own personal experience when hearing about one of his children experiencing negative and disparaging remarks from a co-worker. His initial fury led him to a biased judgement, defining the perpetrator as a bully but when he eventually calmed down, he realised it did not fit the definition (it was offensive behaviour but not bullying) and so he talked with his wife and then child to find a viable coping solution, which worked out in the end. A way parents can assist with this is by first acknowledging the mean behaviour, for eg ‘that was mean/rude/unkind of her/him’ and then, as Bell suggests, prompting the child to seek some form of resolution or solution by asking ‘“What are your choices?” And, as a follow-up, “What are the likely outcomes of those choices?”. This may not be easy because of heightened emotions and the initial responses may not be great. Parents who react too defensively for their child at every negative encounter with their child’s peers may be doing more harm than good. In later years the child may not have the necessary tools to independently handle conflict and may feel ‘victimised’ in situations that don’t go their way, potentially causing social engagement and relationship difficulties in later life. Further in her article in Psychology Today, Eileen Kennedy-Moore, wrote: … calling every act of meanness bullying sends an unhealthy message: It says to kids, ‘You’re fragile. You can’t handle it if anyone is even slightly unkind to you.’ As these children grow older, they demonstrate less resilience, sometimes publicly. The kids got more easily and deeply upset about perceived offenses, including situations that were unpleasant, but weren’t really bullying. Beyond stunting their emotional maturity, their heightened reactions had negative social consequences, as peers responded by disengaging from them. By defining the behaviour correctly we are encouraging our kids to assess and respond in a way that with long term practice, creates resiliency and emotional maturity. Further reading: Eileen Kennedy-Moore Phd, Psychology Today: Is it Bullying…Or Ordinary Meanness? Braden Bell, The Washington Post: Not all unkindness is bullying: Here’s why we need to teach kids to differentiate. Bullying No Way! Australian website for schools bullyingnoway.gov.au/
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PLC ARMIDALE production of
Book DENNIS KELLY
Music & Lyrics TIM MINCHIN
Licensed exclusively by Music Theatre International (Australasia). All performance materials supplied by Hal Leonard Australia.
UNE ARTS THEATRE
30 OCTOBER - 2 NOVEMBER
AUDITIONS
Sunday 7 April 1.30 - 5pm • Astra Arts Centre 02 6770 1700
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P&F ASSOCIATION The P&F have had a busy, successful and fun start to 2019. With the end of the term nearing, the P&F have been reviewing and allocating a number of wish list items submitted by various departments and areas in the school. The wish list items funded by the P&F will make great additions to the school and students. The next event the P&F will be supporting is the Cross Country Carnival on the last day of term, Thursday 11 April, helpers and supporters are very welcome. The Autumn Ball is on Saturday 11 May, so don’t forget to organise a table and purchase your tickets.
Your PLC Armidale P&F Executive Co-Presidents: David Dettwiler & Jules Ditchfield Secretary: Tracy Wright Treasurer: Liz Cotterell
Date for the diary • Thursday 11 April PLC Armidale Cross Country Carnival • Saturday 11 May PLC Armidale P&F Association Autumn Ball Please contact us with any suggestions or queries throughout the year via email pandf@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au We look forward to working with all the families to continue to strengthen the College community.
OLD GIRLS’ UNION AFTERNOON TEA PLC Armidale Old Girls’ Union is hosting an Afternoon Tea / Drinks event for all PLC Armidale Old Girls on Sunday 31 March from 2 - 4pm at the home of OGU President, Kathie Marquardt. Please pass this on to any PLC Armidale Old Girls you may know. All RSVPS are to go to kathie@marquardtconstructions.com.au
PLC ARMIDALE FOUNDATION The PLC Armidale Foundation will conduct its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday 10 April from 5.30pm in the PLC Armidale Hospitality Kitchen Classroom in the Senior School. A report on Foundation activities will be presented together with the election of officer bearers. All members welcome. For more details, please contact PLC Armidale Foundation Chair, Mrs Deborah Martin on foundation@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au or contact Director of Development, Mrs Shona Eichorn on development@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au or phone PLC Armidale on 6770 1700
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PLC ARMIDALE P&F ASSOCIATION
PLC Armidale P&F Association is pleased to announce our premier black-tie event
– to be held on the evening of –
Saturday 11th May 2019 The evening will be a night of fine dining and dancing Venue: PLC Astra Arts Centre Catering: Pronto Entertainment: The Gravy Guest Speaker: Brooke Alexander
Tickets: $100 each Earlybird: $90 each (First 100 tickets) www.trybooking.com/BBJEK
For further information email pandf@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au Lucky prizes will be announced throughout the evening
All proceeds go towards valuable education resources for the college.
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COMMUNITY
EASTER TENNIS CAMP
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COMMUNITY
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COMMUNITY
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