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T3N1 Heritage College Newsletter 2023

FROM THE PRINCIPAL'S DESK

Heritage Colleges are special, unique schools promoting our bible beliefs and values, supporting you as part of our community and allowing your children to make friends for life. We were reminded of this very vividly this last weekend when Principals and Chairmen from the 5 Colleges met in Adelaide for the annual conference.

They toured our College and witnessed the strong relationships and care of your children by our staff, along with the purpose-built facilities and well-kept grounds. Then they talked with staff at a special morning tea before moving on to the business of each College, through a series of meetings over the weekend that culminated in a breaking of bread on the Sunday.

A wide range of topics were considered including the successes of the Colleges and the challenges to our schools, how tough it is to bring up children in this ungodly world with many distractions and the intrusion of an online world and what each are doing to help you. Also the wider challenges were discussed from society’s values changing, the financial climate and the governments direction and decisions.

Sharing enabled us to learn and consider if and how methods could be done here to support your children in Adelaide. One such initiative planned from the last conference is a school visit. Heritage College Melbourne will be visiting Heritage College Adelaide for a week in Term 4 with their Y8/9 students to do a range of activities with our Y8/9 to make connections and appreciate similarities and differences. They will be working before visit on a joint Bible project through technology to present that week - details about this exciting venture will come out in time.

Also, it was a time of personal reflection of the challenges and successes serving in this significant work with God’s heritage, feeling a great privilege to work with such dedicated and talented staff and governors and in partnership with you. We acknowledged the service of Bro Steve Higgs who worked at Heritage Adelaide, that some of you will have had as a teacher, before going to be Principal at Perth. This was because of his coming retirement and we wish him and Sis Nola God’s richest blessing for this new phase of their life as they await Christ’s return.

Even though our Heritage Colleges are separated geographically, with varied communities that we operate within, we have the same common values and focus which bind us all together. It is a united purpose having a fellowship of faith which enables us to shine the light of the gospel to the next generation, ‘But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin’ (1 John 1 v 7).

Justin Robinson

School Registration

We are delighted that we have received confirmation of our registration from the Education Standards Board of the state government for another 5 years to operate as a school. This was the result of our submission after completing a self-review against the criteria of Governance, Student Learning and Assessment, Student Safety and Student Health and Welfare. The review revealed most areas we were already satisfying and a few areas for additional attention which we strengthened through new policies and a rigorous review of our practices and procedures.

All staff were aware of the process and contributed at various levels under the guidance of school leadership and in conjunction with the chair of Heritage Council. It was an effective team effort that caused us to reflect and see how we can be even better as we constantly strive for continuous improvement as a school for the benefit of your children, our staff and our community. We are thankful for God’s continued blessing as we seek to raise future generations to ‘follow his steps.’

Heritage College Book Fair

We are excited to announce that we have a Book Fair coming to the library just in time for Book Week!

Pop into the library during the times on the flyer to purchase a book for your child/grandchild! Alternatively, fill in the form that your child is bringing home. A portion of the sale comes back to our school through Scholastic rewards.

A quick reminder too that our Book Week parade is next Friday, August 25th, God willing. 😀

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Please book your tickets using this link: https://www.trybooking.com/CJIYP

Community Feedback

We have been starting the induction of our Foundation students for 2024 with parent conversations with leadership and this is some of the comments that we have had reflecting our ethos and pastoral care.

“I have been waiting for this time to send my child to Heritage College, all my child’s life, as I know it will be the place where my child is safe and loved”.

“I love the school values and the Resilience Project – these skills are what a child needs to support their learning and for later life”.

“We send the children here because of the bible-based education, but also because the teachers love them”.

Calling All Heritage Past Students

Heritage_Past_Students.pdf

Qustodio Online Safety Software Update

A large number of our parents have successfully set up Qustodio on their family devices, helping to make their children’s online time as safe as possible. We encourage those who have not yet taken advantage of the free Qustodio My School Offer to do so, for the online safety of their children and as part of the College requirements for any devices which are brought to school. Please refer to advice sent via the Parent Portal for setting up Qustodio on your devices.

Online insights for Parents

Qustodio provides parents insights into the latest resources and advice on cyber-safety, which you can take advantage of. A recent article provides insights into how to select safe online games for children. Click this link to read the article.

Tom Burney
ICLT Coordinator

Parents & Friends Association

A big THANK YOU to our P&F Team for purchasing some new Interschool Sports tops for our Secondary students which were worn recently at the Interschool Soccer Competition.

P&F Meeting Outcomes

The P&F committee got together on Monday 7th August and are pleased to share they have agreed to fund $2,500 of volunteer camping equipment to support all our parents and friends who join school camps. We have also committed $550 towards a new school BBQ that can be used for lunch days and events.

Careers Beyond Expo 2023

During week 8 of Term 3, we held our first Heritage College Careers Week “Beyond 2023”. During this week students were exposed to a wide range of potential careers and the pathways they can start on now to get them there.

Monday – Our week started with a special presentation and workshop for all our girls from Year 7-10 specifically related to careers in STEM, which certainly opened their eyes to some of the possibilities in this field and how they can capitalise on their talents and interests in this field.
Tuesday – Our Year 10 students took a dive into the Heritage Careers Website, and learned how to create a cover letter, e-portfolio and resume which some have already used in looking for employment.
Wednesday – 20 students in Year 9-11 visited AUCTUS for a Nursing Immersion Session, where they learned about the nursing and care industry and the kinds of things they can do within this industry
Thursday – Paul Manser led a session with our Year 10 students specifically related to VET in schools and allowed students the opportunity to ask questions and see what is involved in terms of obtaining funding, work placement and other possibilities for training
Friday – The culmination to our week saw the Heritage College Careers Expo where representatives from the 3 Universities, TAFESA and other RTO’s provided information about potential courses, traineeships and apprenticeships. Added to this, were some excellent sessions conducted by past students and parents on their current careers and what is involved in them, which allowed out students the opportunity to get ask questions and find out a little more about jobs that may interest them.

As a follow up from our Careers week, we will be having a special zoom session aimed at our Year 11 and 12 students on Tuesday 15th August at 7:30pm to which we invite parents. This session will contain presentations from the 3 Universities as well as MAS National. Information will be sent out via the parent portal.

You can check out our careers website via the Heritage College Webpage, or on this link https://www.heritagecareers.com.au/

Primary Soccer Clinics

The Primary ‘Friday After-School’ soccer clinics finished off at the end of Term 2 and were a great success. They were certainly well timed with all the current hype around the Matildas! Our students enjoyed a variety of activities in the sessions as you can see from the photos, and they are now well equipped for a future career as professional soccer players! It was good to see the less sporting students getting involved too which helps give them an all-rounded education in life skills. A big thank you to all parents (and teachers) who came along and supported the cause.

Brett Arnold - Primary PE Coordinator

Lower Primary - Leeanne Clark

Lower Primary - Rochelle Bailye

Middle Primary - Jordan Morrison

In term 3, we started our Art program investigating the flags of Australia and our closest neighbours. We discussed the concept of Vexillology and how this can teach us about our neighbours and countries around the world. The students recreated some of the flags of our neighbours.

We will be tying this into our geography unit, learning more about our Aussie neighbours and how they are similar or different to us.

Upper Primary - Jason Hauser

Watercolour and Crayon Resist Art- Year 5/6JH

For our art lessons, we have been having a lot of fun experimenting with watercolours and crayons! We started by outlining our page-border and drawings using a dark crayon, then we lightly brushed watercolour over the top. Once the watercolour was dry, then we went over the lines again with the crayons. The crayons, being made of wax, repel the watercolour paints, leaving strong, vibrant lines.

This technique is called "watercolour crayon resist" and it's a great way to create interesting and unique art. It's also a fun way to learn about the different properties of watercolours and crayons.

For one activity, the students were asked to respond to the following prompt: ‘If Jesus hasn’t returned yet (and we hope he has by then), what do you think the world will be like when you turn 50?’

Here are some samples of the students’ work:

Don’t they look great! And these three examples are just samples of what the whole class did with their work, as seen in the photo below. Their predictions show why we need the hope we have.

If we get time, it would be interesting to follow-up with another art task using this prompt: ‘If Jesus returned today, what do you think the world would be like when you are 50 years old?’

Upper Primary - Bess Ryan

This term, the year 5 and 6 students are learning about living things and their adaptations. Students undertook an experiment to investigate the opposable thumb. This involved taping their thumbs to the palm of their hands (see image 1) and undertaking a series of everyday tasks. These included tying their shoelaces, unscrewing the lid of their water bottles and then filling them up, writing their name, and stacking coins and blocks. First, the students tried to complete the task with their thumbs taped down. They then attempted it using their thumbs as well. The students timed both attempts and recorded the difference in time (see image 2). This developed an awareness of the convenience the opposable thumb provides, with everyone relieved to finally remove the tape and let their thumbs get back to making daily tasks far more effortless.

Students had the following to say:

Xavier: “The hardest task was tying shoelaces because usually you can grab it with your pointer and thumb, but you have to use all four fingers instead. This meant if you messed up one part you couldn’t easily backtrack, you had to restart from the beginning.”

Charlotte: “The hardest was tying shoelaces, without thumbs it was pretty hard. Also, the drink bottle because you had to get the right grip. I had to hold it against myself to be able to do it up. I was relieved to have my thumbs back at the end, they had gotten a bit stiff from holding them against my hand.”

Lower Secondary - Kirsty Palmer

Friday week 1 our Senior Choir arrived at school bright and early in the morning before boarding the bus to head all the way to Balaklava to compete in the choir eisteddfod.

Eisteddfod is an old Welsh word which means gathering, though these days it’s used to mean a group of musicians gathering to compete. There are Eisteddfod competitions all over the state, typically for individual performers in many various categories.

The Senior Choir was entered into the Senior Choral Ensemble division, and we performed 3 contrasting songs for the audience and the adjudicator. This was the very first time we have ever competed, and we really didn’t know what standard to expect going in. After our performance we had the opportunity to sit in the audience and hear the other choirs, a mixture of girls’ choirs, boys’ choirs and SATB groups. While there were some extraordinarily talented choirs (who eventually took first and second place) there were several groups that we were on a level playing field with.

We received some lovely feedback from the adjudicator, my favourite being “a very sincere performance, thank you” regarding our performance of Hymn 373.

Overall, the students enjoyed the challenge and were inspired to hear other student groups performing at such high quality.

Well done Senior Choir!

Lower Secondary - Julie Samuel

Since the start of this semester, Year 10’s have been learning about the exciting topic of chemicals and elements. We learned that different elements react in different ways when exposed to a source of energy hence producing various colours of light. We have learned the reasons for elements producing a range of colours and their uses in everyday life for example fireworks on New Year’s Eve.

Students marveling the effects of heat energy on different elements:

We have also been learning about different kinds of chemical reactions, like combustion, corrosion, rusting, neutralisation, and precipitation. We did some fun experiments to consolidate our understanding.

Upper Secondary - Danielle Smith

At the moment, in Year 11 English, we are working on our Intertextual Study exploring Paul’s use of Old Testament quotes in his writings. The three choices most students are working on are:

Rom 8:36 - As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered” (Ps 44:22).

Heb 10: 5-9 – “I come to do they will O God…” (Ps 40:6-8).

Gal 4: 27 - For it is written: “Be glad, barren woman, you who never bore a child; shout for joy and cry aloud, you who were never in labour; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband” (Isa 54:1).

Some students have chosen their own pairings also.

The aim is to explore the context, audience, authorship and purpose of the original quotes, as well as the context, audience and purpose of the New Testament uses. From understanding these aspects as well as the message of the quote we are looking into why Paul used these quotes as he did and what made them meaningful to his audience.

Upper Secondary - Trevor Dodson

Student Representative Council (SRC)

The Student Representative Council (SRC) has been busy for the first half of 2023, continuing its efforts to make a difference to the school experience of fellow students at Heritage College. Some of the things that we have been doing include:

Fund-raising and events

We held a whole-of-school fundraiser activity on the last day of Term 2 (7 July 2023) in support of the Heritage College School Musical – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Students dressed in old fashion clothes and participated in the first ‘Heritage College Grand Prix’. Cars for the race were created and decorated by the Year 11 and 12 students, and everyone who participated enjoyed completing a circuit of the challenging racetrack. Funds collected on the day went towards the School Musical costs.

Issues discussed during Primary SRC Meetings

We raised some issues with the use of ties for girls as part of the school uniform.
We highlighted the need for more handball courts, and some netting to stop balls escaping over the walls of the courtyard area.
We arranged for the length of time the water in the hand basins is turned on to allow sufficient time to wash our hands.
We identified ways that we could contribute to the Heritage College Fundraising activities and assisted where we could.

Issues discussed during Secondary SRC Meetings

We raised the need to fix water fountains in the Secondary area – which have been fixed.
We highlighted the need for improved behaviour on the school buses and respect for older students.
We provided advice on the best types of school lockers we need.
We arranged for access to be granted to Spotify accounts for Year 11 and 12 students for use in the study room.
We provided advice on what constitutes an excellent Buddy Class.
We designed and created an SRC logo for use on all promotional material (thanks to Mitchell Hummel)

We have a few events and activities planned for the remainder of the school year include:

Term 3 – appointment of the 2024 School Captains and Vice Captains

Term 4 - A whole-of-school fun activity to raise funds for the purchase of Heritage College equipment.

We thank all our Primary and Secondary students and School Captains / Vice-Captains for their time, effort, ideas, and contributions to the Student Representative Council.

Trevor Dodson

SRC Coordinator

Upper Secondary - Amy Flood

As part of their investigation into the environmental impact of the Textiles Industry, Year 9/10 students have researched the techniques and resources required to make a sustainable wall hanging. They sourced sustainable fibres to create these woven hangings, acquiring and applying weaving knowledge from the initial warping of the loom, to varied techniques including Rya Knots, Loops, Plain, Basket, and Plait Weave. These fabulous works are the result of slow, reflective and sustained effort, many students enjoyed the focussed and meditative nature of textile arts.

HeLP Awards - Foundation Clark

Chloe Mansfield for writing an amazing recount of her holidays.

Levi Witton for being resilient and adapting to change.

Audrey Hornhardt for showing joy for school and learning each day.

Joel Ward for being a fun and happy personality in our classroom.

Imara Khokhar for working diligently learning to read.

Selina Huang for always doing her best to present beautiful bookwork.

HeLP Awards - Foundation Saxon

Alice Badams for always being a great help around the classroom.

Joseph Atkins for excellent work in hand writing this week.

Anya Yuile for being the first “Super Writer” in our class.

Jesda Smith for awesome work in Read Write Inc. lessons.

Nathaniel Gao for effective team work in Maths lessons.

Rosie Nayathottil for great improvement in your handwriting.

Michael Henriksen for studiously completing your writing independently!

Saoirse Flood for settling into your new class so beautifully!

HeLP Awards - Year 1 Dodson

Lewis Gurd for writing accurate instructions in our location game in Maths.

Edison Mansfield for writing a great list of facts about himself in writing.

Talitha Deadman for doing an amazing job with getting straight back into work in Term 3.

Frankie Jurevicius for always going above and beyond in her writing.

Mia Badams for doing a great job and showing resilience by doing her ‘think mentals’ independently.

Mia Morgan for always looking out for others and helping in the classroom.

Enrique Vainerere-Roncal for doing an amazing job at writing a classifying sentence in his information report.

HeLP Awards - Year 1/2 Bailye

Elijah Nolan for working hard in Maths lessons.

Jessica Sui for consistently responsible behaviour.

Harry Hill for a great, enthusiastic start to Term 3.

Indigo Pillion for being exceptionally kind and caring to her peers.

Hadassah Mansfield for great concentration in her Comprehension group.

Hugo Bain for good work in Maths this week.

HeLP Awards - Year 2 Bruce

Mia Lagowski for demonstrating resilience and determination in Maths.

Emily Nemeth for outstanding effort and neatness in written work this week.

Harlequin Clark for showing effort and creativity in Poetry Writing.

Eliana Badger for excellence in learning in all subject areas this week.

HeLP Awards - Year 3/4 Morrison

Patrick Flood for joining our classroom in a friendly manner and approaching everyday with a can-do attitude. You’re always welcome in our classroom!

Cormac Flood for approaching the challenge of joining a new classroom with a positive attitude and participating in every activity. You’re always welcome in our classroom!

Jamin Todd for showing great focus on your work and improving your handwriting and work. Well done.

Josiah Bain for completing all work to a good standard and taking on every challenge, including editing your work to improve the quality. Well done.

HeLP Awards - Year 3/4 Lagowski/Witton

Archie Thompson for being a responsible and focused learner in all subject areas.

Bentley Hyndman for being a responsible and focused learner in all subject areas.

Jayne Davis-Shugg for 100% in the times tables problems section of think mentals.

Joash Hammond for an interesting and exciting presentation on the holidays.

Sophie Perks for working diligently in Maths in our unit on time.

Asaph Mitsos for excellent cursive handwriting during our handwriting lesson.

Zebedee Phillis for thoughtfulness and diligence in all subject areas.

HeLP Awards - Year 5/6 Hauser

Levi Hammond for reading 9 books in the holidays and writing book reports for them.

Zoe Lamont for the extra effort you put into your literature studies this week.

HeLP Awards - Year 5/6 Ryan

Frederick Knowles for creating a beautifully detailed map based on Nim’s island in excellent time.

Aurora Burney for a creative approach in her map design, making a shark-shaped island with great detail.

Abigail Henriksen for keeping her tray tidy consistently and willingly helping to keep the classroom clean.

Charli Jurevicius for initiating classroom clean ups, using her spare time to show responsibility and care for class resources.

Boaz Mitsos for demonstrating resilience this week after being unwell, keep up the positive attitude Boaz.

Noah Crispin for always having a polite approach and taking time to say good morning every day.

Alexis Pillion for confidently sharing thoughtful ideas during class discussions.

Rosa Gore for being a responsible planner who always hands in her homework book completed and on time.

Sarah Samuel for sharing important lessons for us from the life of Esther during Bible study.

Student Wellbeing

Term 3 at Heritage focusses on Resilience as part of the Heritage Learner Profile. Resilience is the ability to manage and learn from difficulties and to bounce back from adversity. It is an essential skill for coping with life’s ups and downs, and the challenges that we all inevitably face.

In Primary, our students are learning about ‘Resilient Bible Characters’ like Jesus, Ruth, and Esther, and how they coped and learned from difficult situations. In Secondary, the Musical cast are preparing for the challenges of acting and singing in front of a large audience, requiring courage, confidence, and resilience. Our Year 12’s are managing competing priorities, completing assignments and preparing for exams, as they navigate the last full Term of their schooling.

Some other examples of challenges our students have encountered are illness, an accident or death of a loved one, family conflict, changes within their year level or friendship group, preparing for exams or performances, and coping with disappointment.

Building resilience enables children to cope with the effects that stressful situations may have on their wellbeing, to not only bounce back from setbacks but to even bounce forward. These skills allow a child or young person to face tough times, learn from them and then apply the skills to different scenarios as they journey through adolescence and into adulthood.

The following are some skills which help to build resilience, and ideas on how we can teach these skills to our children:

Emotional awareness: the ability to articulate their feelings, manage them, and respond in a healthy way. Encourage children to talk about how they feel, acknowledge their feelings, and discuss ways to express feelings. Build their empathy for the feelings of others by teaching them ways to respond and reach out.
Connection: having meaningful relationships with family members, peers, and others. Make quality time with your child to connect with them about their interests and any concerns they have. Encourage friendships and relationships with others that are positive and supportive.
Optimism: thinking positively about themselves and their future. Show children how a positive mindset can change their perspective. Teach them to not catastrophise, usually it won’t be the end of the world! Show them how to adjust and come up with a Plan B. Reframe negative self-talk to show them that there is silver lining to every cloud.
Responsibility: the ability to make decisions and problem-solve, to build autonomy and independence. Provide opportunities for children to take age-appropriate risks and make decisions. Encourage them to take on more complex tasks around the home. Allow them to make mistakes and learn from them. Don’t solve all their problems, encourage them to come up with possible solutions and discuss the outcomes of each.

Jen Dodson

2023 TERM 3 KEY DATES

July 31-September 29

August 22nd & 24th Year 10-11 Course Counselling
August 25th Scholastic Book Fair
August 25th Whole School Book Week Sausage Sizzle
August 30th Dad's/Grandpa's/Special Uncle's Coffee Morning
August 31st Father's Day Stall
September 1st Student Free Day
September 2nd Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Dress Rehearsal
September 5th Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Evening Performance
September 6th Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Matinee Performance
September 7th Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Evening Performance
September 12th Primary Lunch Day
September 12th-15th Year 10 Camp
September 21st Music Performance Night
September 22nd Secondary Mid Semester Reports Published
September 25th Secondary Lunch Day
September 26th Northern Senior Concert
September 28th Year 7-11 3 Way Learning Conversations
September 29th End of Term 3

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