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T1N1 Heritage College Newsletter 2023

FROM THE PRINCIPAL'S DESK

Welcome to 2023! The new school year is in full swing as we hit the ground running with Swimming week and Primary Swimming Carnival. It has been fantastic to have 58 new students at the College along with 5 new staff members, whom many met at our Parent Information Sessions. It was great to welcome our new Foundation parents on site again and get to know you and others after school with time to chat around light refreshments.

Parent information for each year group is available in a year group booklet on Sentral along with your teacher’s contact details (email/dojo) for messages about your child. Sentral will continue to be the official channel for notifications of whole school events, permissions and absences as well as other documentation.

How to get involved in your child’s school was shared and we would love more volunteers to work with our professional family for the support of your child. There are many ways to get involved from regular help in the classroom, to one off support for an event such as an excursion or a camp. Then there are the P&F volunteers who enable special lunches, stalls and fundraising events. They would also love to have your involvement and it is a great, worthwhile way to help with friends and make new ones too.

We welcomed into our Junior Primary team Caitlin Dodson who teaches our Y1 students and is a former student of Heritage College returning as a professional teacher. Also returning after a break to have their family is Jesslyn Witton, who is job sharing with Nicole Lagowski in the Y3/4 team. Many of you will know Nicole from her attendance at Burnside and her children at our school. Finally in the Y5/6 team we are delighted to have Bess Ryan who is covering 3 terms of parental leave for Rachel Morrison. In Secondary we were excited to have Dan Crispin who has joined as a STEM, Maths, Science and Home Group teacher and is enjoying teaching at a school where you are expected to talk at any opportunity about your faith. What a blessing you have to send your children to a school that supports you in raising children to come to share our hope and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their saviour too. We also welcomed Leanne Vella who joined as a Finance and Payroll Officer to take our finance team to another level with internal payroll and provide cover for Rachel G our Finance Manager.

Finally, thank you for your feedback last year and the themes that came out of how we can make Heritage College even better for you and your child. These were incorporated into our new strategic plan for 2023-2025, an exciting plan to enhance the experience of all. Your support and engagement is vital for the success of our partnership with you, as we move forward, putting behind us the restrictions and impact of COVID and as we wait for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, ‘Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.’ (Titus 2 v 13).

Justin Robinson

Community Feedback

I recently visited Heritage College Adelaide for the first time in many years. Entering the front doors mid-morning, the first thing I could hear was the sound of children’s laughter, and I was overcome for a brief moment with nostalgia. So much has changed since I last taught at Heritage, but the one thing that has not changed is the positive energy I felt as the children circled around me. Listening to the young students praise our Heavenly Father as they sang, “How Amazing” at the top of their voices with their whole hearts - was very moving. It was clear that it was a normal part of their school day to sing praises to God together. To see how the school has grown and prospered is truly amazing!

Seeing the vibrancy of the classrooms reminded me of the basic principles of the Reggio Emilia Approach, which originated in Italy after the second World War. It has been adopted by educators of young children around the globe as an inspirational model for creating safe, relationship-driven learning environments which foster a combination of respect, joy, and wonder. Educator Loris Malagucci believed that children have the ability to construct their own knowledge. In his speech at the KOHL International Teaching Awards in 1993 (Chicago), he likened a school to a ship in a safe harbor and said, “A gulf is always needed, for men, for children, for women. It is an enclosed place, a more silent place, a place where we can think more, and think better.” The place of God’s presence is where strength is found and fear is cast away (Psalm 27). Under the shadow of the Almighty, and through a spiritual lens, it is clear when walking through the school that our children are happily immersed in Godly principles, whilst surrounded by love, comfort, and protection throughout the day.

The team at Heritage take their roles very seriously, and it shows in their results. They don’t promote themselves, and in humility tend not to share many of the wonderful awards and recognitions they receive. When you walk into the foyer you don’t see the typical trophy cabinet, or strategically placed banners advertising their academic achievements. I didn’t see anything other than authentic photographs on display, yet at the end of 2022, their hard work culminated in Heritage College being listed as one of Adelaide’s ‘Top Private Combined (R-12) Schools’ in The Advertiser, and had combined NAPLAN scores in the top 10 schools of the state, with many of the other schools on the list commanding schools fees above and beyond Heritage.

We are so blessed to have this legacy for our children and grandchildren because of the foresight of faithful brethren and sisters who worked hard to make their vision a reality. It is easy to take what we have for granted, but to be able to own, operate and receive funding for a viable school that is safe from harm is not something that our brethren, sisters, and their children in most other countries are able to experience. It is so refreshing to see how they have flourished in a place that is not only a safe harbor grounded with emotional and spiritual support; but a place which intrinsically fosters trust and helps them to grow as sons and daughters of God.

As 2023 begins we can come to the Father with thanks and rejoice as one family in Christ for the blessing of the school - where our children feel safe and can grow in knowledge and grace – a beacon of light in this city.

“To God be the Glory for great things He has done”

Former Heritage College Teacher

Class of 2022 SACE Results

Year 5 & 6 Mini Swimming Carnival

With Payneham Pool out of action, we were thankful we could still go ahead with our Year 5 & 6 Swimming Carnival races at Waterworld, starting the year with a real splash! Our resilient students braved all weathers to compete – well done to everyone! We thank our parents and grandparents for coming out in force, umbrellas in hand, to cheer them on!

The overall House winner was Reuben with 64 points.

Our Medal winners for the Year 5&6 50m Freestyle both broke the previous records:

Rosa Gore (Year 6): 38.16 seconds (previous record 39.08 seconds)
Samuel Evans (Year 6): 37.91 seconds (previous record 38.93 seconds)

Other records broken:

Samuel Evans - Yr 6 Boys 25m Freestyle: 16.29 seconds (previous record 17.03 seconds)
Rosa Gore - Yr 6 Girls 25m Breaststroke: 24.78 seconds (previous record 24.89 seconds)
William Gore completed the Yr 5 Boys 25m Breaststroke in 27.37 seconds (no previous record).

Talk Money Sessions

Talk Money with Ecstra Foundation will be visiting Heritage College in Term 2.

Talk Money is a financial education program that teaches young Australians money lessons for life and aims to help students be confident when talking about money and to make informed financial decisions.

Delivered by talented facilitators, they offer interactive workshops on “Talking about Money”, “Spending and Saving Money” and “Making Money Work”.

The program is for students in Years 7-10 and has been developed in collaboration with education experts and a financial education advisory group.

We’re looking forward to their visit and, if you’d like to know more, you can check out their website at www.talkmoney.org.au.

Lower Primary - Leeanne Clark

Lower Primary - Rochelle Bailye

Our spiritual theme for Term 1 is ‘Words of Wisdom’.

Every week we learn a new proverb and discuss the lessons from it. We also enjoy writing about the quote and creating crafts to help us remember the quote. The following photos show some of the work the Junior Primary students have done so far.

Lower Primary - Jenny Stedman

Schultüte are a German tradition that is a great favourite, particularly with the students. To help children get through the first day of school, their parents send them off to school with a Schultüte. It is a cone filled with school supplies, and some sweet treats to help them get through their first day. Foundation students were each given a Schultüte during their first German lesson with Elisa Wiafe. Inside there were stickers, some fun things and authentic German Gummibärchen (little Gummi bears). We hope it helped make their first German lesson memorable.

Primary students have been learning about the German flag. We also looked at some of the rules and traditions associated with flags. The German flag as we know it was first created in 1848 – that is 175 years ago. There have been a few changes, particularly after WWII. The Holy Roman Empire flag was black and yellow with an eagle. Red was added to this flag later. The Imperial (Northern Germany) flag was black, red and white. These colours were used by the Nazi party when they declared the Swastika the national flag of Germany in This is what the students have learned.

The colours of the German flag are Black, Red and Gold
These are the same colours as the Indigenous Flag.
The German flag’s stripes are horizontal.
Belgium’s flag has the same colours, in vertical stripes. The colours are in a different order.
When the German flag is hung vertically, the Black stripe must be on the left.
Flags cannot touch the ground.
When someone important dies, flags are flown at half-mast.
Flags are used to gather people and to lead them, like on Sports Day
Flags around the world are all different but have symbols that relate to each country.
Some businesses use flags for advertising.
The Olympic Games have a white flag with interlocked coloured rings. The rings are red, black, blue, green and yellow. Every country in the world has at least one of these colours.

Middle Primary - Jordan Morrison

In The Board Game Society (Year 3/4M), we are learning how we can play games and learn at the same time. We are exploring a wide range of games in class and at home with the goal to create some games that will help to practice these skills further.

Although we are at the start of our journey, we have loved spending time with our families to develop our relationships too. Join us on our adventure, following the roll of the dice and going wherever it may take us.

Why? Because that’s how we roll!

Upper Primary - Jason Hauser

Last Monday, the Year 6s came together to meet Mato Jelic, our chess instructor from Chess School SA, for an introductory lesson.

He will come weekly during the rest of this term to train the Year 6 students in chess strategies. After some direct instruction, the class is given time to practise the skills he has taught and each lesson then finishes by the students playing each other in a tournament round. By the end of the term, we will have some chess champions to announce.

Here are some comments from the students…

Heidi “I think Mato will teach us well because it’s obvious he knows what he’s talking about and he is very experienced.”

Sophia: “I like chess because it makes me feel smart, but I don’t care if I win or not.”

Jude: “Chess is a great game because it involves maths and thinking. I don’t like short games and chess takes a while to play. I hope to be better at chess after Mato’s lessons.”

Ruby: “I like it when all the Year 6s get together for chess because it’s good to learn new things and to get to know one another.”

Isaac: “I’m not really very good at chess but I want to get better. Mato seems like a good teacher because he keeps his explanations short and he then gives us lots of time to practise.”

Max: “I love chess because it’s a fun game that anyone can learn if they try. I hope to get better at chess with Mato’s help.”

Jonathan: “The worst thing about chess is getting in checkmate and the best thing is giving it.”

So, if you’re brave and you have a child in Year 6, why not try your chess skills out against them at home!

Lower Secondary - Brett Arnold

This term all primary students are training for sports day which will be in Week 10. So far, they have done sprints (Week 1), relays (Week 2) and long jump (Week 3). It has been a good refresher course for the Year 1 classes who were in the Foundation class last year and had only done these events once. The new Foundation students have enjoyed learning about these events for the first time. They have worn their house team colours and are starting to get into the spirit of it. Running with a baton has been interesting for them, as some of them don’t seem to get the idea that you give it to the next runner and then that person actually starts running! There have been some delays in the race, but we are getting there – perhaps revision later in the term will be a necessary reminder. As for the upper primary students, it has been a great learning curve to inform them that Paul the Apostle would’ve seen the athletes training (and may have even attended the Olympic Games) because of the metaphors he uses in the N.T. e.g., ‘run the race’… ‘press towards the mark’…and this information has spurred some students on to even greater results!

Lower Secondary - Kirsty Palmer

This year we have introduced a semester of Music/Drama for both year 7 and year 8. The course will include many different topics including, theory, composing, guitar practical, writing and performing monologues and reviewing a live drama performance.

The last few weeks the 3 year 8 classes have been having a crash course refresher in music theory. They have learnt to read both treble clef and bass clef as well as how to write the basic chords that belong in C Major. We will be using this knowledge as a basis for our next unit of work where the students will learn to use a computer program called Sibelius which enables students to write music.

Here are some examples of a colour by note worksheet the year 8s completed, where they had to use their knowledge to decode which colour to use.

Lower Secondary - Trevor Dodson

2023 Student Representative Council (SRC)

A group of Heritage College students from both the Primary and Secondary schools have been elected by their peers to represent them on the 2023 Student Representative Council (SRC). The members of the SRC will have a voice about what happens at Heritage College, including influencing change, shaping education, helping to organise events and fundraising activities, and raising safety and welfare issues that affect them.

Students learn leadership skills, gain experience guiding and negotiating with others, and have the opportunity to give back to the school community.

Heritage College benefits from a SRC too, because it brings in students’ perspectives on learning, teaching, and schooling, while drawing on the enthusiasm, energy and creative thinking of students, and encourages students to share decisions about the school rules, uniform, and facilities.

Students across all year levels will hold brainstorming sessions with their teachers to identify issues, activities, or ideas that they want their representatives to raise at the SRC, including things such as:

Fund-raising for Agape-in-Action
More whole-of-school activities such as casual days
Improvements to the school facilities and grounds
More sporting equipment for Home Group classes

SRC members meet several times a Term, but also get involved with other important whole of school events. They are looking forward to sharing with the college community all the activities, ideas, and new initiatives that they are planning, and how you too can become involved in all the fun!

Trevor Dodson

SRC Coordinator

Upper Secondary - Danielle Smith

Nominalisation is the practise of basing sentences around nouns and concepts. It makes sentences denser and usually uses fewer words to say the same thing, meaning it is more compact. This is good for formal writing, such as essays.

Student Example 1:

One day, he came back with more than just a present. Ella, standing at the door to her house saw a huge black carriage draw up to the door. An ominous black boot stepped out, followed by a tall woman. Following her, two simpering girls tumbled out dressed in bright, gaudy colours of yellow and pink.

Nominalised Version:

One day, father’s arrival brought more than just a present. Ella, at the door, watched a huge black carriage near. An ominous, black-boot shod woman exited, at her tail, two simpering clumsy girls adorned with bright pink and yellow.

Student Example 2:

In the spring, she had a child who was just as she had imagined, and everyone called her Snow White. But alas! The good Queen died, and the King married a new Queen, whose heart was evil. This Wicked Queen had a magical mirror, and when she stood and gazed into it, she asked: “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?”

Nominalised Version:

The Queen’s spring birth produced a child, christened Snow White, who fulfilled her vision. Alas, the reputable Queen’s death resulted in the King’s remarriage to a malevolent Queen in possession of a magical mirror. The Queen’s gaze upon it resulted in her question, “Walled Mirror, identify the fairest maiden.”

Upper Secondary - Julie Samuel

Students in Year 10 Science have been learning about the most majestic creation of our Almighty father which is our genetics and how information gets passed on from one generation to the next. Recently we extracted some DNA from the frozen strawberries and students were amazed that they could do so successfully at the school level. They are really enjoying the topic and usually have lots of interesting questions and comments on the topic. Here are some photos of students trying to get some filtrate from which they will extract the DNA

Upper Secondary - Adrian Petiet

It’s hard to believe and the time has shot past (we must be having fun), but it was nice to reflect that the current Visual Art students of Year 12 were my first Year 7 class back in 2018. It has been amazing to see their progress over the years from the time they were learning the basics of Art by exploring the various elements of Art until now when some have started their Year 12 Visual Art projects with plans to produce amazing artworks by the end of the school year.

Today I write simply to congratulate the Year 12 Visual Art class of 2023 on their growth so far and wish them the best with their endeavours this year.

HeLP Awards - Foundation Clark

Imara Khokhar for showing respect using beautiful manners.

Simeon Todd for making an amazing start to his school life, being respectful and responsible.

Daphne Crompton for being a cheerful Jungle Friend and always being willing to help others.

Patrick Mitsos for being responsible for his learning and behaviour every day.

Mila Casey for doing her very best in all activities.

Noah Lagowski for being brave and resilient.

HeLP Awards - Foundation Saxon

Josephine Johns for careful, focussed work in class!

Ladd Hill for a fantastic start to the year!

Isabella Arnold for being a super helpful member of the class 😊

Jesda Smith for respectful work in Read Write Inc. this week!

Violet Hill for being super organised and ready to learn.

Chloe Mackinnon for fantastic work in Maths lessons.

Micah Hill for a beautiful presentation of your Bible Study activities!

HeLP Awards - Year 1 Dodson

Mia Badams for showing resilience by trying her best with her writing.

Eddie Mansfield for always showing respect to his teacher, classmates and classroom.

Jude Dowling for always trying his best with everything that he does.

Willa Pan for doing a great job in her new Read Write Inc. group.

HeLP Awards - Year 1/2 Bailye

Jessica Sui for showing great responsibility in class.

Jachin Parry for sitting nicely on the floor and being keen and ready to learn.

Indigo Pillion for settling into her new school so quickly and for being a hard worker in class time.

Elka Arnold for being kind and encouraging to her classmates.

Harry Hill for working hard to produce a great information report.

Oscar Clark for quick thinking in Maths lessons.

Josephine Siller for responsibly putting effort and much care into all her work.

Tessa Burney for showing resilience and a positive attitude to school.

HeLP Awards - Year 2 Bruce

Ezra Henriksen for always following instructions and finishing tasks to the best of his ability.

Eden Crispin for an outstanding first two weeks at Heritage.

HeLP Awards - Year 3/4 Morrison

Anthony Schulz for being a good friend and showing support to those in need.

Jonah Camplin for taking on an exciting challenge in the SRC.

Jemima Coish for taking on an exciting challenge in the SRC.

HeLP Awards - Year 3/4 Lagowski/Witton

Noah Nolan for using his learning time responsibly in class.

Silas Jamieson for helping the Year 3 students learn the routines of Middle Primary.

Sophie Perks for working responsibly in class.

Michaela Healy for being a positive, responsible and cheerful member of our class.

Bentley Hyndman for settling in well to Heritage with a friendly and positive attitude.

Alex Beard for working responsibly in class and for being a thoughtful friend.

Hayden Watt for consistently being a responsible and respectful student in class.

Leo Mitchelson for concentrating well on learning tasks in class.

Joash Hammond for contributing positively to the class environment.

Eliana Kruger for being a respectful, responsible and positive member of our class.

HeLP Awards - Year 5/6 Hauser

Jude Gore for finishing a novel and writing a quality book report so early in the term.

Jemima Pearce for finishing a novel and writing a quality book report so early in the term.

Mia Roberts for working hard to learn your spelling words perfectly this week.

Hamish McKinlay for demonstrating a high level of maturity and a diligent approach to learning.

HeLP Awards - Year 5/6 Healy

Lily Seaman for volunteering to take part in the swimming carnival races for her team.

Lewis Arnold for a super effort in writing this week.

Anastasia Williams for resilience in writing when the task seemed overwhelming.

Lilliana Beard for taking initiative and finishing off missed work in her own time.

Max Plail for using his time wisely and setting goals to progress his work.

HeLP Awards - Year 5/6 Ryan

Charlotte Scott for a willing and positive attitude in her learning, and towards her class and teacher.

Xavier Lawrie for respectfully and consistently contributing to class discussions with insightful comments.

Jon Williams for concentrating in bible study and taking detailed notes.

Abigail Henrikson for respecting our classroom and staying behind to help clean at the end of the day before parents’ night.

Isaac O’Callaghan for respecting our classroom and staying behind to help clean at the end of the day before parents’ night.

Student Wellbeing

At Heritage College we promote four key values, one each term: Respect, Responsibility, Resilience and Reflection. They form the basis of the Heritage Learner Profile (or HeLP), by which we support our students to develop the character of our God and His Son our Lord Jesus Christ. This term we are focusing on Respect and being Respectful Servant Leaders and Respectful Collaborators.

Respectful Collaborators: Work together, valuing productive teamwork. Vince Lombardi once said, “Individual commitment to a group effort -- that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work”. For true collaboration to occur, everyone on the team needs to be equally invested in the overall purpose and goal. Team members come to trust each other, knowing that everyone is looking after each other to achieve a common outcome. Research shows that in true collaborative environments, people work faster, find mistakes more easily, innovate better, and have greater satisfaction.

Collaborative contributors: Recognise and value the expertise of those who have gone before, as well as peers and themselves. Seek and evaluate a range of points of view and are willing to grow from experience. Understand the power of collaborative thinking and enjoy the results of productive teamwork. Proactively listen to others and express their own ideas respectfully. Helen Keller said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”. This is why the Lord Jesus Christ chose apostles and disciples to go out through the Mediterranean world to preach the gospel together and, as a result, turned the world upside down. In 1 Corinthians 3, the greatest apostle spoke of how he collaborated with others like Apollo and Peter to preach. There was no competition, because none of the fellow workers saw this work as their own to boast in: “So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one…For we are labourers together with God” (1Cor.3:7-9). Patrick Lencioni wrote, “Teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability. “Respectful collaborators know that they are not indispensable, but also know that they have a responsibility to support the work they are engaged in. Collaboration works most effectively when everyone pulls their weight”.

Michael Jordan said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships”. By having a shared vision and working together, great things can be accomplished. We can help our children develop collaboration skills by helping them learn to share, as well as joining in different sports teams and hobbies including art and music. Involve your whole family in ecclesial activities, including Sunday school, youth group activities, camps and gospel work, giving them practical examples of how to work together for the greater good.

The wise man wrote: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” (Ecc.4:9-12 ESV). We are all on this journey to the kingdom together and have a responsibility to support each other through the good times and the bad. Our loving Heavenly Father understands that we need each other, so He places “the solitary in families” (Psa.68:6), and He sets us in the Body of Christ “as it hath pleased Him” (1Cor.12:18). Let’s, therefore, collaborate together respectfully to fulfil His purpose so that the earth might be filled with His glory!

“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.” (1Pet.2:21)

2023 TERM 1 KEY DATES

January 30- April 14

February 24-26 Year 8 Camp
February 24-27 Year 11 Girls Camp
February 24-27 Year 11 Boys Camp
March 1 Interschool Swimming
March 3 Year 7-12 Swimming Carnival
March 7-9 Dentist in School
March 10 Staff Development & Student Free Day
March 13 Public Holiday
March 15-24 NAPLAN Tests Window
March 16 School Captains' Leadership Conference
March 20-21 Primary Parent/Teacher Conferences
April 5 Sports Day
April 6 Council Day - No Staff or Students
April 7-10 Easter Weekend
April 11-12 Secondary 3WL Conversations
April 13 Interschool Athletics
April 14 - Last day of Term 1

HERITAGE CONTACTS

Principal Justin Robinson
Business Manager Adrian Maycock
Enquiries Front Desk

Staff Contact Details available on Sentral under "Resources:Miscellaneous Information: Heritage Contact List

COUNCIL MEMBERS