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CedarNewsOnlineTerm 4, Week 9
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
A Decade Concludes
It’s hard to believe that the decade of Teens have finished and we are heading in a new decade of The Twenties!
Epic Celebrations
The final two weeks of school have been filled with Celebration Evenings and special events, as we have celebrated the conclusion of Primary School and Middle School.
Christmas Events
I would like to wish all of our Cedar community a very special Christmas break, and invite you to join us for two Christmas events – the CityReach CarolsAlive (held on the Cedar College oval) on Sunday December 15, and also the CityReach Christmas Eve services, held at 5pm and 6:30pm, in the Main Auditorium. We would love to see you at these special events, as together we celebrate the birth of Christ.
Wishing you a truly blessed and joyful Christmas,
Mr Peter Thomson, Principal
Calendar
The Front Page
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
What a year it has been!
We have completed the new specialist Primary School building, which houses the Science, Art and facilities. Further landscaping will take place over the holidays, with the facility costing just over $760,000, and worth every cent!
The new Primary School facility will benefit Science, Art and CLIC for many years to come. The Primary School staff had their first look through the facility this week, and it is amazing!
Speaking of Amazing…
The Year 6s blew our socks off on Tuesday night as they opened the Upper Primary Graduation evening with a dance spectacular. A huge thank you goes to Laura Carson for her direction and production of this item. Added to that was the amazing work that Amy Webster has done with each of the Upper Primary year levels and their individual productions. The whole night was a huge success.
The other highlight this week was seeing the 57 very nervous, but excited, Year 6s graduating from Primary School into Middle School.
A message to our graduating Year 6 students
Year 6s, Middle School is very different to Primary School. Remember though, our High School teachers care greatly about you and understand what you’re going through, and they are there to help you every step of the way.
Do you remember your first day of Reception? You were nervous and excited at the same time. Now, look at where you are. You made it! Middle School will be the same. Very soon, you will be graduating from Middle School and you will wonder where the time went.
By the time you receive this newsletter, you will have finished Primary School. You will be leaving your Primary School days behind, and that’s a good thing. You have so much to look forward to. So, take a moment and have one last look over your shoulder as you begin your journey into Middle School and remember your time spent here in Primary School. Mums, dads and carers, make the most of these years, because they go so quickly.
Enjoy the break!
I would like to take the opportunity to wish all of our Cedar community a joyful Christmas and a safe and restful holiday, and we look forward to seeing each one back in the new year.
Mr Peter Thomson, Principal
CityReach Carols Alive!
Sunday December 15, 5pm – 9:30pm
on the Cedar College oval
Bring the whole family for dinner with international food, drinks, & ice creams on sale. Enjoy the festive atmosphere from 5pm with face painting, kids rides, bouncing castle, interactive stalls & more! Then settle in from 7:30pm for an evening of fantastic music & entertainment from local artists and more, and the fantastic Fireworks Display. Please note: (1) Fireworks begin at 9:30pm. (2) CarolsAlive! is an alcohol, smoke and dog free event.
Cityreach Christmas Eve
Tuesday December 24, 5pm & 6:30pm
in the Main Auditorium
Come to either the 5pm Christmas Eve Service or 6:30pm Christmas Eve Service, both held in the Cedar College Auditorium (CityReach Baptist Church). You’ll experience great music, Christmas carols, and the real meaning of Christmas – new life through Jesus Christ. Don’t miss out on this very special evening – bring the whole family and celebrate Christmas with your community.
Week 9 News and Notices
Get Ready Day! 2020
As 2019 draws to a close, we’ve been busy getting ready for 2020! Please be on the look out for further information coming to your email inbox in January, regarding our 2020 Get Ready days. Your Get Ready Day helps families get organised for the new school year at Cedar College.
Please take note of your Get Ready Day! below, which is determined by your child’s surname:
Students whose last name falls between A – K Thursday January 16, 8:30am – 2pm
Students whose last name falls between L – Z Friday January 17, 8:30am – 2pm
School Reports
All school reports will be emailed and a hard copy will be available to collect at Get Ready Day! Students who are not returning to Cedar in 2020 will have their reports posted to them.
2019 Year Books
The 2019 Year Books were given to Primary School students (youngest in family) on the final day of school. High School families may come in and collect them on Thursday December 12 or Monday December 16.
Front Office Holiday Closure
Please note that the Front Office will be closed from Tuesday December 17 until Monday January 13.
Term 1, 2020
Student return for Term 1, 2020 on Tuesday January 28. High School students begin at 8:30am, Primary School students begin at 8:40am. Further information will be available on Get Ready Day!
School Holiday Clinics
Cedar College has been notified of several sports clinics taking place over the holiday break. Please note that Cedar College is not affiliated with the clinics, and all enquires should be directed to the respective operators.
VACSWIM is South Australia’s longest running summer holiday program, designed to give children confidence in and around water. Holiday programs will be held at over 120 pool and beach locations. Enrol online at vacswimsa.com.au.
Little Athletics SA would like to advise students of the Dream. Believe. Achieve. Athletics Holiday Clinic in the January 2020 school holidays. The clinic will be taking place over two days on January 14 & 15, at the SA Athletic Stadium in Mile End. The clinic includes a coaching day on the Tuesday and a “Mini Olympics” on the Wednesday. Visit Little Athletics SA for details.
Student Achievement
Some truly outstanding academic achievement was recognised in the final few weeks of Term 4.
Nathaniel (Year 7) was awarded an ICAS Medal for Achievement within the International Competitions and Assessments for Schools Program (ICAS) Science Competition, while Zoe (Year 5) received a medal for Spelling. ICAS is conducted by the University of NSW and medals are awarded to students who achieve in the top 1% of each test throughout Australia. They have only handed out 514 such medals nationwide this year, so this is a significant achievement.
Students in the News
Musical Performance
Two Cedar College students, Zoe Foskett and Eryn Crane, are performing in a musical production run by Pelican Productions, open to the public from Jan 17 – 19 at Westminster College Theatre, Marion. Enjoy the very best of Broadway and the West End in one incredible show. Secure your tickets now at www.pelicanproductions.com.au.
Oil Painting Course
Nicole Clift is a Cedar College graduate who completed her Honours in Visual Art at Adelaide Central School of Art in 2019, working between the fields of drawing, sculpture and installation.
Nicole is teaching an exciting new 8 week course which is ideal for teenagers (aged 13 – 17) who want to learn to paint with oils. Emerging artist Nicole Clift will introduce participants to a range of fundamental techniques for making paintings. For further details visit the Adelaide Central School of Art website.
News from Thailand
Thailand Service Trip
Our Thailand Service Trip students and teachers have just over a week left in Thailand. We have received the following news from Miss Kerry Spriggs, the Service Trip Co-ordinator.
Hi Cedar family, we are all going well and have had a busy few days! We have finished off our time at the Hill Tribe Compassion project. On Saturday we spent the morning running activities for around 300 very excitable children. This was a fun time for all! We also visited some sponsor children that our students personally sponsor, as well as Anapong, who is one of Cedar’s sponsor children. This was a very special time for the whole team. Later that day we had the privilege of handing out 14 gifts on behalf of Cedar sponsors. Sunday took us to a harvest church service, where Josh did an excellent job preaching. Leaving was especially hard as we had all become close to the staff and children. On Monday we visited the Compassion office, where we learnt a lot about what happens behind the scenes.
All students are going well and having a fantastic time. While at times they miss home, they are also having an amazing experience here in Thailand, and the days are very full.
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 coming days.
Miss Kerry Spriggs, Thailand Service Trip Leader
Dates this Term
TERM DATES 2019/20
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
Term 4, 2020 – Tue 13 Oct – Wed 9 Dec
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
Primary School Celebrates
The Primary School has enjoyed an epic two weeks of celebration events, as the school year drew to a close.
Lights, Camel Action!
The Junior Primary students presented a matinée and evening performance of the Musical Lights, Camel, Action!, which they have been working on this term with Performing Arts teacher, Mrs Amy Webster. Featuring angels, shepherds, camels, and talent show hosts and judges, the musical showcased a range of dance numbers intertwined with the Christmas story. Colourful costumes, music, lights and a giant glitter ball made for a spectacular evening of performances and celebrations. The award presentations concluded the evening and was a fitting way to conclude the Junior Primary year.
Dance Spectacular
The Upper Primary students took to the stage the following week for the spectacular Year 6 Graduation and Celebration Evening. The evening gave opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the Upper Primary students, and farewell the Year 6 students, who begin their Middle School journey in 2020.
Featuring dance numbers to hit movie themes including The Lion King and The Greatest Showman, the students wowed the audience with their choreography and acrobatics. Directed once again by Mrs Amy Webster, with some amazing help from dance teacher Laura Carson, the five dance items took the audience on a journey to explore and celebrate the identity we have in knowing God.
Choir in the Community
During the last two weeks of term, the Cedar College Year 4/5 Choir have had the privilege to perform Christmas songs at various community venues. The choir visited the Salvation Army Seniors Group, Tea Tree Plaza, Ingle Farm Shopping Centre, AVEO Crestview nursing home and Northgate Helping Hand. With songs that speak of God’s love and power evident through the Christmas Story, it was a blessing to be able to share the joy and peace that can be found in Him. The students did an incredible job of performing, a credit to the hours of hard work and practise that they put into each song.
The Year 4/5 Choir will be singing for the final time this year at CarolsAlive, on the Cedar College oval, on Sunday December 15.
Middle School News
Finishing Strong in Middle School
Our Middle School students finished the year with a flurry of activity.
Year 7 & 8 Activities
Our Year 7s were inspired by their service seminar and then they set off in small groups to serve within the College. It is a wonderful blessing to have these students so willingly giveback as they helped in Primary School classrooms, supported the maintenance staff and non-teaching staff, and donated care packages. The Year 7s finished their school year with their City Experience, exploring history, culture, entertainment and strengthening students sense of place. The Museum of Design (MOD) was a new elective that became a favourite.
The Year 8s also had a collaborative ending to their year. CedarX is a variation on the TedX concept where our Year 8s have a day to work with peers and a staff tutor to further explore themes around learning engagement and healthy friendships. Students revisited learning from the year and created a presentation for their cohort the following day. The creativity among students supported the vision for each group, and their collaboration while developing presentations was highly effective. Following the presentations, the Year 8s enjoyed some fun challenges with Pastor Jeremy and Pastor Oli, including a memorable Nerf challenge! Students then completed their final day with an invigorating and inspiring session of physical challenges and motivational messages from the Snap Fitness crew.
Year 9 Conferences & Graduation
The Year 9s wound up their Middle Schooling at Cedar by completing their first exams. These exams are a strategic introduction, as we help students develop their capability in this form of assessment. The Year 9s final day is headlined by the Student-Led Conferences. Students meet in small groups, along with an invited parent or family member, to discuss their growth through their Middle School years. This is a highly valued initiative as guests become privy to insights that students often haven’t shared previously, about their learning and growth journey.
The Year 9 Graduation and Celebration evening was the final event on the Middle School calendar, and showcased students’ abilities in the Creative Arts, Technology, Health and Physical Education, while also recognising individuals’ outstanding character and academic achievements this year.
I hope that all of our High School families rest in the assurance that God is with us, as we celebrate this Christmas season. Our prayer at this time is that each one would experience the true meaning of Christmas, and the joy of being loved and adopted as children of the living God.
Mr David Webb, Middle School Co-ordinator
Previous Newsletters
Read all the news from our previous issues