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Term 4, Week 7
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Finishing Well
As the year begins to draw to a close, we celebrated with our Year 12 Class of 2019. The students enjoyed both their Formal and Graduation last week, marking the completion of Senior School.
Changes for 2020
There are a number of staffing changes for the 2020 School Year, which are outlined in this fortnight’s newsletter. We are looking forward to all that the new year will bring for the Primary and High School.
Thailand Service Trip
Our team of Senior School students and teachers touched down in Thailand early this week. After settling in, they are already busy serving the community there – read what they’ve been up to during their first few days.
Mr Peter Thomson, Principal
Calendar
The Front Page
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
All About Change
Our recent Transition Days in Primary and High School are reminders of the inevitability of change. We all respond to change differently. We either learn to adjust, or we continue to struggle and resist change.
Parents and caregivers can play an important part in helping their children adjust to change. Sometimes the mention of the word “change” can cause many students to feel uneasy. We often find ourselves resisting change, perhaps because of the perceived risk or fear associated with it. So, how can we help our children through the changes of next year?
Parents can help children to adjust to change by simply sitting down and having a conversation with them. Identify any areas that your son or daughter may be struggling with and help them work through it. Try and focus on all of the good things to come. Remember, they are watching you for your response. If they hear positive comments coming from their parents, then perhaps next year may not be so scary after all.
Primary School Teaching Staff changes for 2020
In the Primary School, there are a few changes to announce for next year, including a few year level teaching changes.
- Mr Nigel Austin will no longer be teaching Year 4, and will join Miss Susan Dix in teaching Year 6 for one day per week. This will give Mr Austin more time to support students and staff in his role as Upper Primary Co-ordinator.
- Mrs Elaine Priest will be replacing Mr Austin, teaching Year 4 for two days per week.
- Miss Johannah Petrie is already well known to parents and students through previous short-term teaching appointments, and we would like to officially welcome Miss Petrie to a permanent position, replacing Mrs Emma Barnard in Year 1. Mrs Barnard has reduced her time to one day per week in the Library, so that she can spend more time supporting her family.
- Mrs Clare Wright will continue to teach Junior Primary Library for one day as well as two days per week in Year 2, alongside Mrs Kerry Schlotfeldt.
Several Primary School teachers will be on maternity leave during 2020. Mr Daniel Thorpe will return to the Primary School to teach Digital Technologies, in place of Mrs Banh, and we also welcome Mr Andrew Bloomfield, who will take Mrs Robinson’s PE classes. Mr Bloomfield will teach PE in Year 3 – 6, and Health in Year 3 – 4.
High School Teaching Staff changes for 2020
In the High School, we are pleased to welcome two new teaching staff members to the college community for 2020
- Mr Aidan Stanley will predominantly teach Year 8-10 Science and Mathematics, in addition to Year 12 Christian Living, and a Jackson Community.
- Miss Rachael Cursaro will also be part of the school community in 2020, taking over Mrs Jones’ English classes, during her maternity leave. Miss Cursaro will also teach Middle School Humanities.
While it is exciting to welcome new staff, we are sad to say farewell to Mr Matthew Howarth who will be leaving us in a few weeks time to take up a Head of Senior School position at Maitland Lutheran College. We also farewell Mrs Dee Blucher, who has taken up a position teaching at Glenunga International High School. Mrs Gauthier will be on leave during 2020, with her second child due very soon, and her classes will be covered by existing staff.
We are looking forward to introducing our new staff members next year, and pray that our departing staff will have every success in 2020.
Mr Peter Thomson, Principal
Summer Soulstice
Thursday November 28, 6pm – 8pm
on the Cedar College Gazebo Lawns
Bring a picnic tea, rug and chairs for a fun night of live music on the High School Lawns.
Christmas Chapel
Friday November 29, 8:50am
in the Main Auditorium
Join the Primary School for their Christmas Chapel, featuring children being cute, amazing acting from teachers, and a special morning tea for parents and friends!
Week 4 News and Notices
Student Free Days, Term 4
Please note that Friday December 6 is a Student Free Day for all students.
The final day for High School students is Thursday December 5, and for Primary School students is Wednesday December 11.
2019/2020 School Fees
Thank you to those families who have finalised their school fees for 2019. If you have not yet done so, please contact the Finance Office or make a payment directly to the school’s bank account, please include your Family Reference Number (shown on the Fee Invoice, which was sent to you) so we can ensure that the payment is allocated correctly.
We will be emailing out the 2020 Fee Schedule by the end of this week. We will also be launching a new online web-based payment system for families who would like to pay their school fees by instalments. Further details will be made available early in the new year.
In the Bag Donations
Did you know that there are many Teens in Adelaide who do not have access to basic hygiene products? This Christmas, we are supporting the work of Share the Dignity and Anglicare assisting teenagers who are homeless or disadvantaged. If you are able to help, you can donate hygiene items, or something special, in the boxes in the library and we will create bags to distribute to disadvantaged Teens in time for Christmas. Please see Mrs Emma Shaw for further information.
2019 Year Books
One copy of the 2019 Cedar College Year Book will be available for each family (usually the youngest child) on the final Primary School day of Term 4 – Wednesday December 11 . High School students may come in on this day to collect their book, otherwise they will receive it on Get Ready Day. Additional copies may be ordered from the Primary School Office, at a cost of $15 each. Year 12 students will each receive their own copy.
End of Year Graduations and Awards Evenings
Please take note of the following dates and times for upcoming graduations and awards & celebration evenings. Due to seating capacity in the Auditorium, some events will be issued with tickets in order to be fair to all families.
Junior Primary Celebration Evening – Tuesday December 3, from 6:30pm.
Due to seating restrictions in the Auditorium, the musical “Lights, Camel, Action!” will be presented twice. A Matinée Performance, especially for grandparents and extended family, and the Celebration and Awards Evening performance for parents and immediate family. To ensure that all families of Junior Primary students have equal opportunity to attend the Celebration and Awards Evening, we are sending out 3 tickets to each family, based on the maximum number of people we can safely seat in the Auditorium.
Year 9 Graduation – Thursday December 5, from 7pm
Year 6 Graduation and Upper Primary Celebration Evening – Tuesday December 10, from 6:30pm
Term 4 Canteen Menu
Please note that the final day for lunch orders will be Monday December 9 (Week 9). The Canteen will not be taking lunch orders on the final day of school (December 11).
News from Thailand
Thailand Service Trip
Cedar’s Thailand Service Trip team, consisting of ten Senior School students and four staff, arrived in Thailand this week and will spend one month supporting the work of four projects in different areas within Thailand.
The following is a brief update from Miss Kerry Spriggs, on behalf of the Service Trip team.
“The team has now been in Thailand for two full days and we are all having a great time. On Sunday morning we met up with our drivers and we started our trip up to Chiang Rai. Along the way we stopped at some hot springs and the famous White Temple. The students had a variety of reactions to the White temple from “it’s amazing” to “it’s very strange”. We then continued to Chiang Rai where we spent the evening at the night market learning how to barter.
The next day was our first project day. We met The Way Foundation staff along and enjoyed devotions together, and our first experience of singing a worship song in Thai. Another highlight for many of us was praying together as Thai and Aussies. We then went to the foundation’s agricultural centre, which is a farm, where we had fun shredding banana palms to make organic fertilizer.
In the days ahead, we will be going to a local public primary school, where we will be teaching the students about Christmas, Australia and the English language through games, songs and crafts. We will be working with around 70 Junior Primary children for the whole morning.
Please continue to pray for the Service Trip team, as we minister within in a range of different locations and contexts over the weeks ahead.
Miss Kerry Spriggs, Thailand Service Trip Leader
Dates this Term
TERM DATES 2019/20
Term 4 – Tue 15 Oct – Wed 11 Dec
Term 1, 2020 – Tue 28 Jan – Thu 9 April
Term 2, 2020 – Tue 28 April – Fri 26 June
We will continue to have a three week break between Term 2 & 3
Term 3, 2020 – Tue 21 July – Fri 25 Sept
UNIFORM SHOP 2019
Regular opening hours during Term:
Monday 8:30am – 4:30pm
Wednesday 3pm – 5:30pm
Thursday Extended Opening Hours:
TERM 2 – Weeks 1-3, 3pm – 5.30pm
TERM 4 – Weeks 1-3, 3pm – 5.30pm
PRIMARY SCHOOL ASSEMBLY
The Primary School Assemblies and Chapels are held on Fridays at 8:55am. Parents and caregivers are welcome to attend, and tea & coffee is available beforehand in The Terrace. Odd weeks are Chapel.
Week 7 – Special Christmas Chapel, parents welcome
Week 8 – Student Free Day
Primary School News
Remarkable Robots
Last week, Cedar’s Primary School Gifted and Talented program hosted students in Years 2-5 from Tyndale Christian School and Kings Baptist Grammar School, for a hands-on LEGO Robotics Workshop.
Along with the visiting students, 24 Cedar students who had shown an aptitude for skills such as logical thinking and problem solving, essential for basic programming, were selected to join the 42 visiting students.
Upon arrival, students were randomly grouped together to work on two different tasks. The first task, to create and program a robot called Milo, was designed to introduce them to the basics of building and syncing the robot to the iPad. The next step was to create a simple program using the WeDo 2.0 application to control and move the robot.
Building and Problem Solving
The second task was one of 8 possible guided projects, which required the students to build anything from a helicopter winch to a dump truck or even a tadpole. Groups were asked to document their progress with images, videos and explanations, detailing any problems they encountered and how they solved them.
There was a great buzz of energy around the room as the students worked together to build and program their robots. Some of our Year 6 students provided invaluable support locating missing LEGO pieces or troubleshooting technological issues. Overall, the workshop was a resounding success and we look forward to being able to continue building connections with the Gifted and Talented staff and students at these schools into the future.
Miss Susan Dix, Primary School Gifted & Talented Co-ordinator
Whole School News
On the Stage
Although the year is drawing to a close, the Drama department has been busy producing two short productions, involving students in the Middle and Senior School.
Revisiting Rapunzel
The very talented Year 9 ensemble delivered a fantastic play entitled, Rapunzel Uncut, written by Sue Murray.
Directed by Year 9 student, Zayd, this slapstick version of the much-loved original, delighted the packed house with its colourful characters, unique set design and high calibre of actors.
Modern Macbeth
On the same day, Year 10 students performed their rendition of Shakespeare’s eponymous tragedy, Macbeth. The reimagined script, positions Macbeth as a corporate trader in the 1980’s where power dressing and stock exchange markets are at the centre of the plot. Themes of power, ambition and greed play out in this highly entertaining play where swords are swapped for ‘brick’ mobile phones and henchmen don back-combed wigs!
Mrs Anna Briggs, High School Drama Teacher
Senior School News
Congratulations Class of 2019
The Cedar College Year 12 Formal is the highly anticipated finale to the school year, following the completion of exams.
Weather conditions necessitated a last-minute venue change. The premiere location of the Hickinbotham Hall at the National Wine Centre, in Adelaide, proved to be a spectacular venue for the special night.
Guests were finely dressed and well groomed, and enjoyed the company of friends and teachers, many of whom were from their Primary School days. The banquet-style meal was enjoyed by all, as well as hundreds of photos of individuals, couples and groups. Many old classes reunited with their teacher for one last class photo, before the dance floor filled and the night eventually drew to a close.
Graduation Night
The Year 12 Graduation, held on the following evening, was an opportunity recognise student achievement and celebrate the end of schooling for the Class of 2019.
Awards were presented for Academic Merit, Academic Honours and Academic High Honours, based on Grade Point Average (GPA) results. Along with these academic awards, those students who have displayed Christlike qualities and service to the College community, were also recognised.
The Principal’s Gold Medallion symbolises the completion of Year 12 at Cedar College, and was awarded to each of the 66 Year 12 students on the night. The evening also featured the presentation of the Caltex Best All Rounder Award, to Luke Cook, the Year 12 Tabor Adelaide Award and the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Long Tan Youth Leadership & Teamwork Award, to Hanna Lienert, and the male Sportsperson of the Year, to Marcus Wirth.
The Class of 2019 included 19 students who had spent their entire 13 years of schooling at Cedar College. It has been encouraging to see the growth that has taken place in the lives of all of our graduates. We wish each student every blessing and success as they venture into further education and career pathways in the years ahead.
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