A strong community provides a place of belonging for our students, a place where they feel known, understood, and valued. Relationships are crucial to experiencing this sense of belonging, as they help to shape who children are, and who they can become.

Mrs Sharlene Tirimacco, Junior Primary Co-ordinator

During the week prior, students took part in Mrs Robinson’s cross-country event, around the school campus, and have been preparing for various Sports Day events.

The Upper Primary Students will take part in the long distance events each morning next week, in the lead up to the big day, ensuring that they maintain their energy levels for the main event on Friday.

Sausages, badges available to order

Students are able to order this year’s souvenir team badges from the Front Office, and a fundraising sausage sizzle will be available. Orders for sausages must be placed via the Qkr! app, using the Upper Primary Sports Day Sausage Sizzle menu by Friday March 5. Coffee and tea will also be available for purchase.

Parents and friends are welcome to attend to support their team, with war-cries starting at 8:45am. Please note that there is no cake stall this year, and students will finish at the usual time of 3:15pm.

The Championships, held at Adelaide Aquatic Centre, brought together students from 16 Christian schools around South Australia, who competed throughout the day in individual and team competitions.

The Cedar College swim team produced an amazing effort in the pool, and the students showed great enthusiasm and willingness to participate in as many events as possible. This enabled Cedar to win not just the Championship, but by obtaining a significant lead in the overall point tally meant that Cedar also took home the Challenge Shield.

Highlights and Results

We are incredibly proud of all the students who participated, it was a massive team effort! Some highlights from the day were:

Piper in the U12 100m freestyle, 50m backstroke and butterfly, Shannon in the U14 100m freestyle,  50m freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke, Lachlan in the U15 50m backstroke and freestyle, and Amber in the Open 50m breaststroke, backstroke and freestyle.

Team highlights included the Cedar U12 girls freestyle relay and medley relay, the open girls freestyle and medley relay, and the open boys medley relay

The top three schools where: Cedar College (414 points), Kings Baptist (271 points), Emmaus (243 points).

Thank you to the Cedar PE staff, Mr Josh Fernihough, Miss Kerry Spriggs, Mr Tom Giles and Miss Johannah Petrie, whose efforts in selecting the team and assisting on the day contributed to the day’s success. Finally, thank you to all of our wonderful parents, who came to support the students, and who have invested so much time into their children’s swimming development.

Mrs Bek Robinson, Primary Interschool Sports Co-ordinator

Changes to the Australian Curriculum have meant that the course previously known as Information Publishing and Processing (IPP) has been replaced with the new Film and Media curriculum, while Information Technology has become Digital Technologies, both offering exciting new challenges and opportunities.

Innovation Hub

The two classrooms that were known as Information Technology and IPP classrooms have been renamed as the Innovation Hub, for 2021. But more than just a name change, the Hub has also seen changes to the classroom layout and facilities. These modifications have been made in order to offer a more engaging and accessible experience, particularly for girls who may have previously been unsure about following a Technology pathway through High School.

High School Teacher, Mrs Trudi-Ann Wynn, has been instrumental in researching and establishing the Innovation Hub:

“The major grant we applied for was $40,000 of the Digital Literacy School Grants to set up an Innovation Hub using furniture and equipment that was mobile and encouraged continuity and participation with the new Digital Technology focus in the Australian curriculum. We researched techniques to enhance participation of girls in particular. What is important for all students, not just girls, is to know that the use of technology is in every field and there is an extreme demand for skilled IT workers. Our next steps are to assess the uptake of our new Film and Media courses in Year 10, and the Unity 3D environment at the senior level. We are now trialling a number of programs at Year 7, 8 and 9 levels, including Javascript, A-Frame HTML, HTML and CSS website design, and Unity 3D.

Creative Technologies

The revamped classrooms now feature colourful and flexible seating areas, with a focus on collaboration and innovation. Wireless technology means teachers are no longer behind the desk, but can move around the classroom while projecting, with the help of a portable podium. Some other changes taking place include removing the interior window frosting in order to open up the classrooms, allowing more High School students to see some of the exciting things that take place within the Digital Technologies curriculum.

To further showcase student work, a new screen has been installed outside the Hub, giving students a visual outlet for their creativity. The screen is already displaying a number of short films, created by students studying the new Film and Media course, with the goal to continue to attract more girls and boys to a consider the wide range of career options in the Technology sector.

We look forward to hearing more about how our students create and innovate throughout 2021!

Year 8 students put their knowledge of safe food preparation and handling practices to work recently, as they prepared a meal for an invited family member. Preparing a simple and nutritious meal was a focus of the class, with the three Year 8 Food and Hospitality classes hosting and cooking a 2-course lunch this week.

The meal began with a tasty Thai green chicken curry, and concluded with chocolate self-saucing pudding. The students worked in two teams, preparing the two courses, serving the guests, and clearing and cleaning up upon completion.

A Handy Takeaway

For those family members who were not able to enjoy the meal, the students have access to the various recipes they learn in class, giving them the opportunity to apply what they have learned at home. So whether it’s preparing a healthy meal, or washing up, students can put their newly acquired skills into practice!