InFocus Edition 2 2021

GoodShepherd InFocus

The Good Shepherd

Lutheran Primary School

53-57 Plymouth Road

Croydon Hills Vic 3136

Phone: (03) 9726 2900

Email: goodshep@gslps.vic.edu.au

Web: www.gslps.vic.edu.au

Principal

Mr Greg Schneider

InFocus Editor

Mrs Penny Soong

From the Principal

I have been so impressed with the level of resilience in our students. Instead of focusing on what they have missed out on, they have embraced with enthusiasm the opportunities put before them.

2021 has been a challenging year.

Challenging for parents, students and staff members. I wonder, at this time last year, did we expect another year of lockdowns and extended periods of Remote Learning? Or were we quietly hoping that 2021 would return to pre-COVID normal?

Despite the challenges, it would be disappointing if we allowed them to define our year. In fact, 2021 has been a year in which the characteristics of creative thinking, collaboration, persistence and a positive outlook have come to the fore. I have been so proud of how our community; staff, students and parents, have met the challenges with determination to make the best of the circumstances we have found ourselves in.

The experiences we have all lived through these past two years have highlighted for me how incredibly important it has been to be resilient. Resilience gives people the psychological strength to cope with stress, disappointment and hardship. It is the mental reservoir of strength that people are able to call on in times of need to carry them through. Resilient individuals are better able to handle adversity and grow through the challenges in their lives.

The interesting thing about resilience is that it is not a “you have it or you don’t” sort of thing. We all, at various times in our lives are confronted with adversity. We all deal with setbacks and challenges, whether they be large or small, in different ways. How we deal with adversity can play a significant role in not only the outcome, but our longterm psychological health.

Resilient people are not simply optimists who see everything through rose-coloured lenses; they experience negative emotions that come with adversity, just like the rest of us, but their mental outlook allows them to work through these feelings and recover.

There is an enormous amount written about the importance of resilience and how to grow your resilience. However, there

is nothing like experience. How can we become resilient if we never have to deal with disappointment, anxiety, uncertainty and a feeling of lack of control?

This past year has helped me reflect on the importance of resilience. I have been so impressed with the level of resilience and the development of resilience in our students. Instead of focusing on what they have missed out on, they have embraced with enthusiasm the opportunities put before them. They have remained positive, cheerful and hopeful. They have treasured the opportunities to learn together and have fun together.

It has not been an easy year for our School parents. The challenges confronted by our parents have placed stresses on families that at times have tested their endurance. Yet our School parents have also demonstrated great resilience. Many parents have shared with me the renewed sense of appreciation they have for the little things in their lives.

I recently read an article on resilience published by the Harvard University Centre for the Developing Child. It stated that the single most common factor in children who develop a high level of resilience is that they have at least one parent or caregiver or respected adult in their lives who demonstrates and models a high level of resilience. As parents and teachers, the way we approach challenges, setbacks and adversity, sets such an example for our children.

Thank you to students, staff and parents for your support, cooperation and understanding as we have together met the challenges of this past year.

May you have a very blessed Christmas with those whom you love, and safe and relaxing holidays, and we look forward to a wonderful 2022.

Greg Schneider Principal

Community News School Captains

Congratulations to our School Captains for 2021.

Term 1 Mathew Gleeson and Abigail Vanderjagt

Term 2 Ryan Ye and Kiara Grant

Terms 3 and 4 Michael Zeng and Lena Miller

Congratulations

Staff Farewells Welcome

Clinton Ruyg

Kathryn de Wal Year 5 Teacher

Amanda Flanagan Extended Leave

Jess Bentley Year 5 Teacher

Kathryn de Wal

Kristy Chappell Teacher Assistant

Marie-Clare Stamford

Trish Smith

Jess Bentley Parental Leave

Tamara Kipping Parental Leave

Claire Kempster

Eliza Black

Ms Kara Large (Year 5 Teacher) and her husband Kenny on the birth of their daughter Cleo on 19th August.

Mrs Amanda Biggs (Year 5 Teacher) and her husband Shaun on the birth of their son Henley on 31st July.

Swimming Carnival

On Monday 6th December students in Years 3 to 6 participated in the House Swimming Carnival at Croydon Outdoor Memorial Pool. This event is well supported by the students and when they realise the pool is heated it is hard to get them out!

The weather was fantastic which only added to the wonderful atmosphere of the day. Students participated in a Freestyle event and then had the choice to enter more events. The Noodle Relay and Boogie Board events were the most popular.

Karora House got off to a great start and were leading early, however the strength of Angara pegged them back to take first place overall. Karora finished second, followed by Iluka and Talpa.

Congratulations to all students for participating and trying their best in every event. Special mentions go to Mia Gu (3JS) and Connor Joy (6SM) for setting new School records, and to our Year level Age Champions.

New School Records

Mia Gu set new School records in the Freestyle, Backstroke and Breaststroke Connor Joy set a new School record in Butterfly.

Age Champions

Year 3 – Mia Gu, Caleb Jungfleisch

Year 4 – Isla Chivers, Andrew Kolb, Liam Joy

Year 5 – Amity Evans, Jayden Zou

Year 6 – Colleen Zeng, Connor Joy

Angara House Captains

New Record Holders

Year 3 Age Champions

Year 6 Age Champions

Year 5 Age Champions

Year 4 Age Champions

Camps

Year 4 Camp

Our Year 4 students had a wonderful camp at Weekaway in Lancefield. ‘Weekaway’ aims to provide students with a worthwhile educational, living and learning experience.

Weekaway Camp is nestled in the quiet Benloch Valley just 1 hour north of Melbourne. It is set on 72 acres of bush and open grassland and is equipped with numerous multipurpose facilities and activities for our students to enjoy.

Our students participated in five main activities. These included Damper Cooking, Archery, Canoeing, Flying Fox, Hut Making and an Initiatives Course. Over the three days, students were challenged to co-operate with one another, show consideration for their peers, work together as a team and learn new and exciting skills. The students also gained an appreciation of the natural environment and they loved watching the kangaroos jumping around the campsite. It was fabulous that the Year 4 students were able to enjoy a camp this year and create lasting memories and experiences.

Year 3 Camp

On a drizzly Wednesday morning at the start of August, our Year 3 students headed off on their first School Camp. We dodged the dark rain clouds to enjoy some morning tea and a play at Lilydale Lake, before continuing on to the campsite in Yarra Junction.

Year 3 Camp gave the students a range of unique opportunities where they could:

• foster co-operation and community spirit

• build social skills while broadening and consolidating friendships

• develop an appreciation of the natural environment

These aims were achieved through the students taking part in:

• a variety of group orientated adventure, problem solving and lateral thinking activities

• a range of environmental activities

• a range of activities involving co-operation and team building skills. Group activities on Wednesday and Thursday included the flying fox, making and cooking damper on an open fire, exploring the biodiversity of insects in and around the lake (aqua ponding), taking on the low ropes course, hut building in the bush, archery and a photo hunt around the campsite.

On the first night we went for a bush walk through the campsite and just got a few marshmallows toasted before the skies opened up with rain.

Due to a snap lockdown announced on Thursday afternoon, we needed to pack up early and get home. Despite having to finish Camp early, we were able to enjoy a giant game of Scramball in the gym while we waited for the buses to arrive.

Middle School Virtual Showcase

The Middle School Production has taken a number of detours and turns this year resulting in the unfortunate decision to abandon the live Stage Show and opt for a recorded (via Zoom) Showcase of talent that honours the efforts and rehearsals of our amazing and enthusiastic Years 3 and 4 students.

BOTS - The Musical

The Robo Warriors, The Byting Bulldogs and The Circuit Breakers go head-to-head in the BOTS Robotics Competition where teams and their (singing and dancing) robots are all vying for the top prize!

Amidst the coding, building, and fierce competition, two members from rival teams befriend one another and throw everything off-balance.

Will their collaborative spirit sabotage their teams’ chances of winning?

This musical invites humans and robots alike to discover the power of technology and teamwork!

Please enjoy some images of the very different production making process below. This includes Individual Zoom recordings, costume displays, Zoom choir recordings and something we are very proud of: Our ‘BOT’ Team logos. These Logos were designed entirely by the students!

Around the School Prep 100 Days of School

On Tuesday 3rd of August 100 Prep students celebrated 100 Days of School. This year was our first year where 100 Preps participated in our special day. Lots of collaborative and creative learning took place. Students dressed up as if they were 100 years old too. There were wigs,

glasses, walking sticks, shawls and walkers galore!

We enjoyed many hands-on activities which were based on the number 100. Some of our activities included; threading beads to make necklaces, drawing self-portraits, creative writing as well as many maths tasks.

Year 1 Excursion to Hays Paddock

As part of our Integrated Studies Unit ‘Places and Their Features’ Year 1 students went on an excursion to Hays Paddock.

The students spent time exploring the park to see for themselves which geographical features were classified as natural, constructed and managed.

We developed the idea of active citizenship as students were prompted to further consider how places can be cared for and who provides this care.

We enjoyed a picnic lunch as a cohort and each student received a special 100 Days cupcake, which was delicious!

The Prep students have grown in confidence and independence as the year has progressed and a wonderful day was had by all.

Year 2 Sleepover Day

On Thursday 2nd December the Year 2 students enjoyed a Sleepover Day at school. Usually the Year 2 students would have an overnight sleepover at school to prepare for Year 3 camp. To ensure the 2021 Year 2 students had a similar experience, the teachers organised a fun day at school for them to enjoy.

The students came to school in free dress, with their pyjamas, pillows and sleeping bags. The students were divided into four smaller groups and spent the morning rotating around four different activities. These activities included a game of continuous cricket, decorating a pot and planting some seeds in it, making a Christmas wreath and exploring the school grounds through a scavenger hunt. We were blessed with beautiful weather so we could conduct many of the activities outside.

In the afternoon, after a feast of pizza and paddle pops/icy poles, the students changed into their pyjamas. The classrooms were filled with excitement and smiles as they set up their sleeping bags and pillows. Once the students were all tucked in we enjoyed a movie and popcorn.

This experience teaches the students some of the skills they will need for their first camp in Year 3. These skills include packing an overnight bag, looking after their clothes and belongings after changing into their pyjamas, setting up and packing away a sleeping bag and engaging in group activities with their peers.

The Sleepover Day was a wonderful success and a highlight of the year for the students.

Year 3 Science Incursion

Our Year 3 students participated in an incursion led by Hands on Science. Each class enjoyed a 90 minute workshop that was specific to our Physics unit and further developed their collaboration, communication and inquiry skills. Students learnt how to make predictions, conduct experiments and draw conclusions.

The hands on and collaborative approach to this workshop promoted student engagement. The areas of particular focus were: sources of heat (friction/movement, burning and electricity), types of heat transfer (convection, convention and radiation) and how atoms react to heating up (move faster) and cooling down (move slower). A favourite activity for many was

heating up a small bimetallic concave disc by rubbing it on a surface, pushing the disk in, placing it on the table, then waiting for the metal to cool down enough for the metal to return to its original shape and snap to send the disc jumping off the table.

Year 5 Smoothie Bar Incursion

The Year 5 students participated in an incursion in which they created their own smoothie company and became a ‘Smoothie Boss’.

They needed to utilise the knowledge they gained throughout our Integrated Studies ‘Media and Advertising’ unit to ensure that their company would be a success. This incursion challenged the students to be creative, apply their collaboration skills and test their problem solving abilities. They began by creating a catchy company name and logo to attract customers.

Students then engaged in product development as they created a fruity recipe, taste-tested it and further perfected their smoothie product. Finally, each group created a marketing campaign to entice customers to buy their smoothie. In the afternoon, students pitched their product to their peers with a flashy presentation and video advertisement. The students were enthralled with the entire program. It was lovely to see them all working together and cheering each other on throughout the incursion.

Year 6 Funtastic Week

ALWS Walk My Way

Glorious weather and a 6km walk through the beautiful Croydon Hills area were the backdrop for the Year 6 Mini Walk My Way on Monday 22nd November.

The Year 6 students were encouraged to raise $6 each and as a Year level we set a target of $700 to raise money for ALWS and help supply school materials for refugee children in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya. It costs $26 to help provide these much-needed supplies for one child for a

Trivia

Did you know that there are 206 bones in the human body? That the song ‘Never Gonna Give you Up’ was sung by Rick Astley and that the largest organ in the human body is actually the skin?

Year 6 students tested their trivia knowledge on the Wednesday of ‘Funtastic Week’. They participated with energy and enthusiasm for the duration of the session and are to be commended for their attitude and behaviour on the day. Students brightened the gym with vibrant costumes and fancy dress. M&M costumes, Super

year. Together, with the Good Shepherd community, we have raised an incredible total of $8,229, enough to support 316 children! A massive effort!!

Thank you to all who sponsored, donated, supported and encouraged us in this endeavour.

Walk My Way is an initiative of Australian Lutheran World Service, the overseas aid and development agency of the Lutheran Church.

Heroes, The Amigos, Pixies, Boys in Black and Christmas Helpers were some of the themes represented. The giant blow up dinosaur costumes caused much merriment and the Junior School students loved seeing them pass by their rooms. Categories from ‘General Knowledge’ to ‘Movie and Music’ themes were covered. A spirit of friendly competition was held and teams jostled for a win. Mini games broke up the trivia rounds for a bit of fun and laughter. Paper planes were created and flown to a target, a ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’ game challenged students until the lone

Minion Amelia stood victorious with her arms raised after the final challenge. After a ‘Four Corners’ Game, Ayden from the ‘Diplodocus’ Dinosaur table walked away with points and a prize.

It definitely was the day for the Minion table as they came in first place. ‘Oh No! Our Trivia Table is Broken’ and then the Superhero table were very close behind. Congratulations to all our students. We hope the day hope the day was a memorable one.

Colour Run

The Good Shepherd oval was transformed into an amazing course of obstacles and challenges for our Year 6 Colour Run.

Staff were placed at 7 stations around the course where they cheered and encouraged the students whilst showering them with different coloured powders, which was a lot of fun and extremely therapeutic. Some of the challenges that the students navigated whilst being doused with powder were: Balloon blow, hop and pop, commando crawl, paper plane challenge and domino building.

Mr Andrew Leske, our resident DJ and announcer kept the students entertained and motivated with his trendy playlist of songs and well renowned sense of humour. Sounds of laughter, squealing and excited chatter could be heard echoing around the course for the duration of the run.

The students ended the afternoon with a well deserved icy pole and reminisced over their favourite moments and their newly acquired ‘colourful hairdo and makeup’.

Year 6 Funtastic Week

Adventure Park Geelong

Who wouldn’t want to be at a water park on a sunny 26° school day?

The Year 6 students made the two and a half hour bus trip down to Geelong to be greeted by blue skies and a park full of rides that would be difficult to get through in a day. The students, and some teachers and parents, were able to enjoy rides that catered for the adrenaline junkie as well as for those who enjoyed a more leisurely setting.

We were lucky that the park was fairly quiet which meant short queues and therefore more rides, which equated to more fun. An exciting, fun and unforgettable day was had by all. The Year 6 students are to be commended for their excellent behaviour and wonderful manners on the day.

Congratulations to our wonderful Year 6 students. Your sense of compassion, fun and adventure during our ‘Funtastic Week’ has created memories that will last a lifetime.

Year 6 Graduation Dinner

The Year 6 Graduation Dinner is always a special occasion for our Year 6 students and staff and this year was certainly no exception.

Our Graduation Dinner Committee put on an incredible “Around the World” event where students visited places like Disneyland, Hollywood, Mexico, Paris, Sydney and the sunny beach. As the students were welcomed to GSLPS Airlines by their Captain, Mr Schneider, the smiles and amazement on their faces were evident.

The students and staff had a wonderful night that provided memories that will last a lifetime. It was abundantly clear just how close this group have become. It was heart-warming to see how genuine their care and respect for each other is. We wish them all the very best for the future.

PTFA Carols

After being postponed due to a storm our PTFA Carols evening went ahead on Monday 6th December.

It was a beautiful evening with a large turnout of families and friends who lay picnic blankets and chairs on the School oval to listen to our students sing Carols.

This was our second time holding the Carols evening and was once again a successful and relaxed evening which was enjoyed by all.

End of Year Service and Graduation Ceremony

One of the highlights of our School year is the End of Year Service and Graduation Ceremony. This is an opportunity for our School community to come together and celebrate the year that has passed, farewell our Year 6 students, departing families and staff members.

As was the case with many of our traditional annual events this year, we were uncertain if the End of Year

Service and Graduation Ceremony would go ahead and in what capacity.

We were grateful to finally be able to inform our Years 5 and 6 students and their parents that they could come together for this special occasion.

Congratulations to our Graduating Class of 2021. You have overcome many challenges this year. It was a privilege to watch you graduate from Good Shepherd and begin the next chapter of your lives.