T1N2 Heritage College Newsletter 2023

FROM THE PRINCIPAL'S DESK

At Heritage, we use several formal assessments to measure students’ progress and achievement. NAPLAN for Y3, Y5, Y7 and Y9, SACE in Y11 and Y12, and internal PAT testing all enable two important outcomes: 1) Progress of your child’s learning since the last assessment, and 2) Attainment of your child’s understanding/knowledge/skills against national age-related expectations. Both provide important data points to inform future teaching and learning to best support your child’s learning journey through the College.

Those of you who have had students sitting the NAPLAN tests this week will know that these are a national snapshot of your child’s ability within Maths, Reading and Writing, along with separate aspects of English - Grammar and Spelling. They are only a narrow academic measurement of your child’s growth in core subjects, leaving out the other subjects and more importantly the whole spiritual, social, emotional and moral development of your child. So why do they occur?

The national testing of NAPLAN occurs for a number of reasons such as Government accountability of funding provided to schools and the Educational Standards Board monitoring of standards of achievement in schools to see if a school’s registration needs to be reviewed. However, for your child:

• It measures their attainment against the expectations for that age – whether your child is at, below or above those national and state averages and therefore how well they are doing in their own learning journey here at Heritage College in Adelaide.
• It allows progress to be measured if your child is in Y5, Y7 and Y9 between the two years within that subject, which helps us to know where to focus time and resources.
• Most importantly it allows teachers to use this assessment to learn where gaps are in the child’s learning to inform their future planning.

It is this last reason that NAPLAN testing has moved to Term 1 so that results can be returned to school earlier in the academic year to inform your present child’s teacher of how to modify and adapt their planning to meet your child’s learning needs.

We thank you for your support in your child’s participation of these tests that provide us this assessment data to inform our teaching and learning. This is called assessment for learning and is one of the most powerful education pedagogies to aid progress in your child’s learning journey while at Heritage College. It allows teachers the insight to pitch the instruction and learning task at the right level for that child at that time.

‘Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning’ (Prov 9 v 9).

Justin Robinson

Community Feedback

This afternoon I took some students to ARC to play sport, and was extremely impressed by the behaviour of those that I spent time with. The first thing I noted was that some older boys greeted an elderly man as we walked into the centre, but beyond this, the students I organised a soccer game for showed exemplary behaviour. They didn’t complain about the teams I chose, they all got in and participated, they immediately stopped playing when asked to pack up. They treated each other with a great deal of respect – allowing others to have a go, encouraging each other, and showing good sportsmanship overall. It was heart-warming to see students of different ages playing so well together. It was refreshing to not hear a single negative comment or word of complaint. Not only that, but when I commended them on the bus, they sent the thanks back MY way!

I think Year 12 students say a lot about a school – they are the final product of the education given and values you attempt to instil over the last however many years. If those students are anything to go by, your community are moulding fantastic young people at Heritage College.

TRT Teacher

Volunteer Focus

As a College, we value the significant contribution of our registered volunteers who make such a difference to what we can offer for your children at the College – so thank you.

We would like to highlight the immense contribution that one of these has made over the last 5 years within our P&F Association and that is Belinda Pearce. She has been the P&F secretary for the last five years and in the last two years has also fulfilled the role as Treasurer. She has done a fabulous job but has decided to step down this year to give the opportunity for others to get involved and support the school in this way. We are deeply thankful for her labour of love.

Belinda will continue to be an active supporter of P&F and has very much enjoyed her time in these roles and has overseen regular fundraising events and dealt with the disruption of COVID. We as a College have appreciated her dedication and organisation to enable P&F support for the College that has improved the experience of our students with equipment, fun extras and special event support. We look forward to new willing parents getting involved in this tremendously rewarding work for the benefit of our whole college community.

Please get in touch through pfa@heritage.sa.edu.au

Back to School Lunch Fundraiser

A big thank you to Pete Evans (the BBQ Maestro!) & all the mums that helped out with our back to school sausage sizzle lunch day for this term – together we raised $1077 for our school!

Parents & Friends Association

2023 Secondary Swimming Carnival

The Heritage College Secondary Swimming Carnival moved to Norwood Swimming Centre and provided a great day for swimmers and non-swimmers to enjoy and participate in intra-school House teams. We were delighted to welcome parents, friends and grandparents on the day and we thank you for your support!

The smaller pool meant 25 metre sprints were raced in one end of the pool while non-swim 10 metre relays took place at the other end.

The pool was then opened for 50m, 200m and 4 x 100 relay freestyle events for medal opportunities.

The inaugural Butterfly 50 m race was a new addition at popular request!

Congratulations to Reuben – our winning House Team for 2023! Just five points behind in close second place was Dan, followed by Ephraim and Judah.

We also congratulate our medal winners for this year’s Carnival:

Girls 4 x 100m Relay:      Olivia Badger, Aurora Badger, Jemima Horwood and Monique Oliver
Boys 4 x 100m Relay:      Lawrence Gore, Amos Luke, Toby Luke and William Luke
Girls 200m:                       Jemima Horwood
Boys 200m:                       Toby Luke

We finished the day with novelty events, with as much involvement and fun as possible for students.

Records Broken for 2023:

Chris Ryan - Secondary Sport Co-ordinator

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.

FMS Schools Program

The images above provide information on the FMS Schools resources that we are beginning to incorporate within our Junior Primary Physical Education lessons. The FMS Schools program is designed to give students correct fundamental movement skills, setting them up for success throughout the rest of their schooling years and beyond! 

We are very excited for this new development in PE at Heritage College. 

Lower Primary - Carolyn Saxon

The Fantastic Foundation Flyers have started the year learning about numbers to 10. They are discovering that there are various ways to represent 10 as a quantity. As a warmup for our Maths lessons the students gather items from our maths resource trolley and make their own ‘ten’ display.  Each student presents their work, explaining how they are representing the number. This provides a valuable opportunity for the students to learn from each other as they each approach the task differently. Where possible, student examples are compiled and kept on display so that they can refer to them later i.e. how to make a tally, and so on. It’s a simple but effective way of students learning to connect numerals with their quantity’s whist learning new mathematical vocabulary and introducing simple number operations. We recently completed an iMaths Investigation ‘All about 10’ and built on what we had been doing in our daily number warm up.  Students designed artwork to represent 10. Take a look at all the ways the Foundations have come up with to show ten so far. I’m looking forward to seeing what they do next!

Lower Primary - Caitlin Dodson

Lower Primary - Jesse Bruce

We have been talking about God's Word, the Bible and what it means to us.  Here are some of the students thoughts:

This bible has always been special to me because we can learn about God and Jesus. - Koa, Rylan, Moses

This bible has always been special to me because it has always been on the earth. It is important to us because it teaches us to believe the promises from God and that’s how we are going to be in the kingdom. - Micah 

This book has always been special to me because we can learn to be like God and Jesus and we can learn all about the people in the bible. - Josephine 

This book has always been special to me because it tells me what God wants me to do and it is also special because it was my Dad’s. - Ezra

The bible has always been a special book to me because you can learn how to live better just like Jesus and God would because we love them. - Sophie

This book has always been special to me because it teaches you to not be selfish and help each other when they are struggling. - Mia

This book has been special because we can learn about God and Jesus also trying to live the way they live and it reminds people that God and the angels are always with us. - Lizzie

This book is special to me because I get to read it every night because you get to learn about God so I can learn how to be more kind. - Sophie 

The bible has been very special to me because I got it for my birthday and it has a pocket to put my hymn book in. I also like why it is blue because blue is my favourite colour. - Charlotte

This book (the bible) has always been special to me because it’s the most holy and special that was probably ever made and it was made by God. And there are lots of valuable life lessons in it. - Eden

The bible has always been special to me because it reminds you about God. There is a lot of good, helpful and encouraging stories too. - Eliana

The bible has always been special to me because it helps to make us be kind and generous. - Sylvester

The bible was special to me because it can help me to learn and live like God and Jesus and I got my bible for my birthday and it matches the colours. - Jessica

The bible has always been special to me because the bible encourages us to learn more about God and Jesus. - Paris

The bible has always been special to me because it reminds me of God and it reminds me that there is always hope in life. - Harlequin

Middle Primary - Nicole Lagowski/Jesslyn Witton

Year 3/4 LW had a special visit to the Design & Technology centre to look at joining techniques (as part of our D&T unit) Thanks to Uncle Paul Manser for the tour and the examples of all the materials and different ways we can join them together 😊

Upper Primary - Keren Healy

Lower Secondary - Jo Cheek

In Science this year, the Year 7s have been looking at the layout of the scientific report. They have created an experiment looking at the effect of different soil types on the growth of radish seedlings.

Lower Secondary - Jared Burney

In week 6 Heritage college competed in the Kids’ Lit Quiz. This was the first heat of an international competition focused on books and stories that students would have come across as younger children, in classes and their own reading.

Our two teams faced over 20 teams from around South Australia. Both teams won at least one of the ten rounds and all students came home with a book as a prize. One of our teams managed to come in second overall.

Below are a selection of questions like the ones the students faced to test your Lit Quiz-ability

1. Who wore a wolf suit when he visited monsters?
2. What grew out of Gorgon's heads?
3. Who owned a faithful dog called Snowy?
4. A limerick has how many lines?
5. What system is used to organise non-fiction books?

Upper Secondary - Chris Ryan

Week 5 saw students compete in Interschool Swimming at SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre Marion in the C grade competition.  Over the last couple of years, the team has moved up to C grade, as a result of parental and school driven support for the team.  These efforts enabled our promotion to C Grade.  We now find ourselves in a very strong competition.  Students made good times and were a great group, cheering and working together.  Placings were harder to come by, yet students had impressive personal results.

https://www.education.sa.gov.au/schools-and-educators/programs-students/school-sport-sa/choose-sport/swimming/swimming-secondary-championship/2023-results/c-grade-individual-event-results-2023.pdf

As a team we can continue to improve, aiming towards the top half of the group, by attention to our starts / finishes and stroke quality and any extra training opportunities we can find.  Thanks to the parents, grand parents and friends who attended and Lorna Luke for her support of the team.

Upper Secondary - Tom Burney

In the first half of Term 1 we have been considering motion and forces in year 11 Physics. One of the aims of the field of Physics is to represent the way objects behave with simple mathematical rules. God has designed our universe to be ordered and predictable, and often the physical laws things follow are quite basic. For example, when you push something harder, it usually moves faster. When you drop something, it falls. These may seem obvious to us because that’s just how our world works, but these are the kinds of things that Physicists study so they can understand and predict them.

In this experiment, we are hanging some masses attached by a string to cart. The masses pull the cart forwards faster and faster as they fall. These students gathered data to investigate the mathematical relationship involved.

HeLP Awards - Foundation Clark

Levi Witton for being a happy and cheerful class member.

Chloe Mansfield for being very responsible settling into school life.

Audrey Hornhardt for being responsible and always doing her best.

Archie Milliken for being a good friend and kind to others.

Amos Coish for being a responsible and reliable class member.

HeLP Awards - Foundation Saxon

Rosie Nayathottil for always being a respectful and responsible member of our class.

Nathaniel Gao for working hard to prepare and deliver an excellent sharing presentation.

Anya Yuile for demonstrating responsibility in all tasks.

Finn Tretola for being an enthusiastic participant in all class activities.

Alice Badams for showing kindness and helping others.

Anderson Mansfield for working hard to finish your work to a high standard.

HeLP Awards - Year 1 Dodson

Evie Richards for settling into the classroom, always trying her best and being friendly to everyone.

Lewis Gurd for always quietly getting on with his work and always trying his best.

Edison Liu for trying his best with his work and asking for help when he needs it.

Lily Evans for being a kind member of our class and diligently getting on with her work.

HeLP Awards - Year 1/2 Bailye

Indira Steele for working very hard to write lots of sentences in her writing book.

Macey Neil for being a happy presence in the classroom.

Hosanna Schwarz for being an extremely reliable classroom tidier and cleaner.

Isabelle Jamieson for being an amazing helper around the classroom.

Jachin Bennett for being a smiley and happy member of our class.

Cruz Badams for responsible behaviour in the classroom.

Grace Edgecombe for putting effort and care into her work.

Imani Wiafe for always getting straight to work and putting lots of effort in.

Moses Petiet for fantastic behaviour in the classroom.

Elijah Nolan for displaying enthusiasm for learning.

HeLP Awards - Year 2 Bruce

Sylvester Cheek for excellent fluency in Maths.

Mia Lagowski for awesome resilience and engagement in class this week!

Phoebe Williams for outstanding effort and attitude in Coding Lessons.

Koa Wolstencroft for effort and enthusiasm is singing.

Rylan Arnold for being a kind friend to his Awesome Astronaut buddies.

Emily Churches for trying her best to stay focused and not give up in Maths lessons.

HeLP Awards - Year 3/4 Morrison

Isabella Plail for showing a dedication to practicing your maths and being willing to make mistakes.

Isaac Siller for writing an exciting and interesting narrative about explosions and a volcano.

Amarlie Milliken for showing initiative around the classroom and always being a positive influence.

Jacinta Mackinnon for writing a short narrative without assistance and to a high level. Well Done.

HeLP Awards - Year 3/4 Lagowski/Witton

Macedon Pearce for consistently completing her home learning activities.

Elodie Crispin for wonderful and thoughtful answers in Bible Study this week.

Ethan Grant for consistently being a responsible and respectful student in class.

Toby Evans for catching up on home learning tasks and for being a responsible learner in class.

Asaph Mitsos for being a positive and thoughtful student who takes on responsibility in class.

Noah Mckinlay for consistently being a responsible classroom helper and doing jobs without being asked.

Levi Oliver for consistently presenting neat bookwork.

Amber-Lee Neil for being a bright light in our classroom and starting everyday with a smile and positive attitude.

Parker Scott for presenting neat bookwork with beautiful cursive writing.

Jacob Knowles for going above and beyond with his preparation for his geography presentation in assembly.

HeLP Awards - Year 5/6 Hauser

Zoe Lamont for showing concentration on your learning tasks and aiming to do your best.

Ezekiel Badams for passing a level of the ‘Read Naturally’ reading program.

Peter Pastuhovs for completing two fine book reports already this term for the Premier’s Reading Challenge.

James Archer for your enthusiasm for learning and your willing contribution to the class.

HeLP Awards - Year 5/6 Healy

Hudson Galbraith for being a superstar technology manager, going above and beyond.

Silas Bain for being a superstar technology manager.

The Whole Class for our excellent assembly in week 3!

HeLP Awards - Year 5/6 Ryan

Zara Phillis for always bringing a positive mindset to every part of her learning.

Jarrah Gibbs for reflecting on his behaviour and responding well to feedback and advice. 

Aaliyah Roberts for going and beyond with organising books, packing up group tasks and supporting the classroom.

Fred Knowles for putting his best effort into his writing, even on a first draft.

Ruby Nolan for willingly supporting her peers in the classroom and showing care for those around her.

Archie Wolstencroft for diligently completing his classroom jobs, as well as helping with jobs that are not his own.

Alexis Pillion for being a positive addition to our class and school, always a friendly and active member of our class.

Noah Crispin for showing a resilient attitude and working hard on a positive mindset.

Student Wellbeing

An Introduction from the Learning Support Coordinator – Hannah Mitchelson

Hi, my name is Hannah Mitchelson and I am the new Learning Support Coordinator for the school. I am so excited to be in this role and have the opportunity to work alongside a wonderful team of teachers and SSOs to support children with additional needs at our school. My new role will entail a plethora of tasks including leading intervention to help children with their learning, liaising with teachers and parents regarding students who require additional support, ensuring paperwork such as Individual Education Plans are up to date and relevant for the child and working alongside outside agencies such as Occupational Therapists, Speech Pathologists, Psychologists and Physiotherapists.

Before working at Heritage I worked in both Mainstream and Special Educational Needs schools assisting children with additional learning needs. In 2018, I moved to Adelaide and thoroughly enjoyed working in years 1 and 2, until I went on maternity leave in 2021.

Outside Agencies that we offer at Heritage College:

Occupational Therapists – Chantelle Morton and Apo Kikianis from Early Start

Our occupational therapists can help children and young people build their confidence in the areas of social skills, play, communication, emotional regulation, fine motor & gross motor skills and much more.

Contact details:

Apo Kikianis: apo.kikianis@earlystartaustralia.com.au

Chantelle Morton: chantelle.morton@earlystartaustralia.com.au

Physiotherapists - Jordan Ignatavicius and Zoe May from Early Start Australia

Our physiotherapists can help to support children develop the physical skills needed to play, learn and engage with their community.

Contact details:

Jordan Ignatatvicius: Jordan.ig@earlystartaustralia.com.au

Zoe May: zoe.may@earlystartaustralia.com.au

Speech Pathologists – Orla Grant and Kasey Cummings from Connect Allied Health

Our speech pathologists work to improve understanding and use of language at school, home, and community contexts and speech sound development so the child can speak clearly with others. Services also include helping the child to communicate in ways that feel authentic to the child e.g., using alternative and augmentative communication (AAC), helping them to advocate for their wants and needs and help to build flexibility in communication in play and everyday routines.

Contact details:

Kasey Cummings: Kasey@connectalliedhealth.com.au

Orla Grant: orla@connectalliedhealth.com.au

If you need any more information or wish to speak to me regarding your child, please do not hesitate to email me on hmitchelson@heritage.sa.edu.au.

I look forward to working with you and your child, to ensure that their needs are supported to enable a successful learning experience.

2023 TERM 1 KEY DATES

January 30- April 14

• March 15-24 NAPLAN Tests Window
• March 20-21 Primary Parent/Teacher Conferences
  
• March 24-SRC Race to Place Turkey and Syria Fundraiser Day
• 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

Scott Robson - Chairman/Human Resources | Tea Tree Gully ecclesia
Peter Evans - Deputy Chairman | Salisbury ecclesia
Rod Case - Finance | Enfield ecclesia
Nathan Jolly - Community | Cumberland ecclesia
Peter Tretola - Secretary | Burnside ecclesia
Josh Williams - Treasurer | Salisbury ecclesia
James Mansfield - Councillor | Mount Barker Ecclesia