Lion's Roar 17 May 2019

lion’s roar Educating successful women of tomorrow in a Christian Environment

TERM 2 • 17 MAY 2019 • VOLUME 321

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FROM THE PRINCIPAL Mrs Nicola Taylor Principal This year our focus as part of the AIS Program we are involved in has been the continued implementation of the Learning Journey@PLC Armidale. It could be argued that if our focus is on ‘student learning’ we should minimise student involvement in things that take them out of the classroom. That is, assuming that student learning only takes place in the classroom.

One characteristic of many Independent Schools is the learning experiences provided for students alongside or outside of those of the classroom. There are no end of activities and programs a school could add to its prospectus, so how do we decide what to offer?

Firstly, it might be helpful to distinguish between co-curricular and extra curricular. These two terms are often used interchangeably, but there is a subtle difference between the two. Co-curricular are connected in some way to the learning of the classroom, often to reinforce, supplement or strengthen skills, knowledge and concepts.

Extra-curricular usually refers to things that may be very worthwhile experiences for students to take part in but bear little direct link to the curriculum or key areas of learning. These are often the programs that community or social groups provide. It is good to encourage our students to take part in them, but they are outside what we may choose to offer as a school As we enter Eisteddfod season, with the commencement of our winter sport program, Matilda rehearsals, debates, mock trials and academic competitions these are each providing experiences with direct links to the curriculum. Experiences which complement the classroom programs, allowing students to be challenged, stretched or recognised for their accomplishments all of which in turn further strengthens the learning.

In particular, I wish to commend our girls for their inclusive sportsmanship evident at numerous matches around the grounds last weekend as well as at our own Athletics Carnival. Congratulations to those who have already participated successfully in the Eisteddfod this week and best wishes to our choirs and other participants in the coming weeks.

Congratulations to our Mock Trial participants in Years 10 & 11 who demonstrated their skill in argument by winning both cases in the first two rounds of this new program on offer at PLC Armidale. Congratulations also to our Stage 5 debaters who won a very challenging debate earlier this week on the sensitive topic of accepting refugees, setting the tone for the tri-schools debate where we were successful in two of the three debates entered.

A huge thank you to all of our staff who are involved in the co-curricular programs we offer either by leading, assisting, attending, supporting or simply being gracious about the variation to routine of these programs especially during the Eisteddfod and sporting season.

It is with delight that I am able to announce a combined schools concert which PLC Armidale is organising and hosting as a Drought Relief fundraiser in support of not only our own families affected by the devastating weather pattern we are experiencing but also in support of many across our region which appears to be more impacted than other areas even in our own state.

On Friday 9 August, PLC Armidale and PLC Sydney will combine to hold what we trust will be a signature event showcasing the quality of student performance in both schools but also as a mark of our commitment in support of community. Please save the date for this special occasion. It would be wonderful to have a show of support from as many College families, especially our Boarding Community on the night. More details will be provided in coming editions of the Lion’s Roar.

Thank you to our P&F, especially the Ball Committee chaired by Mrs Jo Crowley for their organisation of the very successful Autumn Ball held last weekend. The warmth of goodwill and enjoyment of those in attendance was evident belying the otherwise chilly temperature of the evening. It was delightful to share the evening with so many of our Boarder families as well as past, present and prospective members of the PLC Armidale community.

UPCOMING EVENTS MAY - JUNE 2019 EVENT

DATE

IGSSA CROSS COUNTRY

17/05/19

BOARDING EXPO - DUBBO

17/05 - 18/05/19

EVENT

DATE

YEAR 10 EISTEDDFOD SPEECH AND DRAMA

23/05/19

AIS ANNUAL BRIEFING 2019

23/05/19

YEARS 7, 8, 9 - MYAT

20/05/19

PRIMARY DAY EISTEDDFOD SPEECH AND DRAMA

24/05/19

BOARDERS’ CHAPEL

20/05/19

COLLEGE COUNCIL FINANCE MEETING

20/05/19

YEARS 9, 10, 11 AND 12 EISTEDDFOD SPEECH AND DRAMA

26/05/19

K - YEAR 2 CHOIR TO CHORAL EISTEDDFOD

21/05/19

COLLEGE COUNCIL MEETING

27/05/19

YEARS 7 AND 8 TO CHORAL EISTEDDFOD

21/05/19

EISTEDDFOD - CHOIR NIGHT - BEL CANTO & SENIOR CHOIR

21/05/19

WELLBEING FLOURISH DAY STAGE 4

29/05/19

YEARS 3 - 6 TO EISTEDDFOD

22/05/19

SANDON PUBLIC SCHOOL ATHLETICS CARNIVAL

29/05/19

JUNIOR SCHOOL CHAPEL

23/05/19

FOUNDATION MEETING

30/05/19

YEARS 5 AND 6 MATHS OLYMPIAD

23/05/19

JUNIOR SCHOOL CHAPEL

30/05/19

YEARS 7 AND 8 EISTEDDFOD SPEECH AND DRAMA

23/05/19

NORTH WEST HORSE EXPO - COONABARABRAN

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BOARDERS’ CHAPEL

27/05/19

YEAR 9 DA VINCI DECATHLON STATE TITLES

www.plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au

28/05 - 30/05/19

31/05 - 4/06/19

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UPCOMING EVENTS 2019 For enquires, please contact info@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au

JUNE JUNIOR SCHOOL LEARNING JOURNEY Friday 21 June 2019 • 2.30pm PLC Armidale Junior School For more information and to RSVP please email: juniorschool@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au

AUGUST

Let it Rain SAVE THE DATE Friday 9 August

SAVE THE DATE... ‘LET IT RAIN’ CONCERT FOR DROUGHT RELIEF A very special musical community event!

Friday 9 August 2019 • 7.30pm Lazenby Hall UNE PLC Armidale and PLC Sydney are teaming up to present a combined concert for drought relief.

More details to come

OCTOBER OGU REUNION Friday 18 - Sunday 20 October 2019 • PLC Armidale Music Alumni Event • Tickets $25 www.trybooking.com/BBWGK For more information and to RSVP please email: OGU President, Kathie Marquardt kathie@marquardtconstructions.com.au or Shona Eichorn, Director of Development development@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au

Let it Rain

SAVE THE DATE - Friday 9 August FOR A VERY SPECIAL MUSICAL COMMUNITY EVENT PLC Armidale is teaming up with PLC Sydney to present a combined concert for drought relief. at Lazenby Hall, UNE from 7.30pm.

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PLC ARMIDALE NEWS

Staff News

Mrs Shona Eichorn Director of Development Attention ALL Year 9 - 11 students!!!

This week we farewell Mr Bill Hyman who has undertaken a short-term contract with us in the Humanities faculty. We wish Mr Hyman well in his future endeavours.

All PLC Armidale students in Years 9, 10 and 11 who are interested in exploring and developing their leadership skills are encouraged to attend the Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia (AGSA) and YLead annual youth leadership conference for girls, which is to be held here at PLC Armidale on July 18 and 19, during the next school holidays. This is the very first time this conference is being held outside a metropolitan area. More Information can be found in this edition of Lion’s Roar or by going to:

Our recently appointed Head of Teaching and Learning Mrs Lorna Ahern joins us in Week 5. We look forward to Mrs Ahern’s contributions both to the whole school leadership position she will undertake as well as to Senior classes she will teach in Business Studies and Economics.

www.agsa.org.au/events BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE …

Our PLC Armidale Foundation is offering an amazing opportunity for two students from PLC Armidale (one day student and one boarder from Years 9 to 11) to attend this exciting conference by providing each a ‘scholarship’ to attend.

Term 2 Lunch Menu

INTERESTED? ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS:

The Term 2 Lunch Menu can be found on our website under the Current Families tab.

Please click here:

http://www.plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au/ current-families/dining-plc-armidale

1. Write a short letter of application to the PLC Armidale Foundation, outlining why you would benefit from this opportunity and how you would share the information you learn from the conference with your peers at PLC Armidale.

2. Applications must be submitted to Mrs Shona Eichorn in the Development office, by FRIDAY 31 MAY. 3. Applications will be assessed by members of the PLC Armidale Foundation and the Principal, and may involve an interview with prospective candidates.

Stories to Tell?

Photos to share?

4. Successful candidates will be advised by Friday 14 June.

Please ensure that you discuss this opportunity with your parents and contact Mrs Eichorn should you need to know more specific details.

Our students are involved in so many activities both in and out of school hours and we do our absolute very best to keep on top of all the information we receive, and then promote.

Boarding Expos & Field Days in 2019 ‘Tis the season for Boarding Expos and Field Days around the greater region.

Again this year, PLC Armidale will be well represented commencing with the first Boarding Expo which will be held in Dubbo on 17 & 18 May and next term in Tamworth on 26 and 27 July. We will also be attending the Mudgee Field Days in the holidays on 12 and 13 July, as well as Agquip in Gunnedah from 20 to 22 August. If you live or have family and friends who live in these areas, please call in and see Sally or Shona at the PLC Armidale stand.

Should you have a news or a photo to share, please send directly to development@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au (until further notice). Please also appreciate that not every single photo which is submitted will be used.

Mrs Sally McCook • Enrolments Manager enrolments@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au

Mrs Shona Eichorn • Director of Development development@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au

Miss Amy Chiu • Pathways Administrator achiu@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au

and introducing... Mrs Renee Jones • Media and Communications Manager • communications@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au

Student Absence or Exemption from Attendance 2019 Under the NSW Education Act, school attendance is compulsory until the age of 17. As a school, we have a Duty of Care responsibility to see that students enrolled at the College are in a regular pattern of attendance unless there are special circumstances making this difficult.

To streamline our process of notifying the College when a student is absent, parents are asked to bookmark and use the online forms found on the College website:http://www.plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au/current-families/notification-of-absence If permission is being sought for a period of absence longer than five consecutive school days duration a separate form is to be used, also found on the College website:http://www.plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au/current-families/request-for-leave These online forms are received by our receptionists in the Junior and Senior school with our attendance records on Edumate adjusted accordingly. Parents are asked to use these forms to ensure that notification of absence, or requests for exemption from attendance are actioned promptly.

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SENIOR SCHOOL Mrs Anna Caldwell Head of Senior School What a fabulous start to the term! Congratulations to everyone who participated in the Athletics Carnival with such enthusiasm and thank you to all the staff, parents, old girls and UNE students who helped run all the events. It was a fabulous day and so good to be back on our own track.

MYAT and NAPLAN This year’s NAPLAN testing has concluded for students in Years 3, 5, 7 & 9.

I congratulate the girls on their mature and calm approach to the examinations this week and remind parents that NAPLAN results are just one of the myriad of tools that we use at PLC Armidale to know, guide and challenge each individual learner.

MYAT will be sat next Monday 20 May.

Eisteddfod This week also saw the start of the 2019 Eisteddfod with our girls performing in numerous music events held at NECOM and Lazenby Hall. With both the Music and Speech and Drama Eisteddfod’s, please remember to contact the school in writing (email) to notify of any /all absences from school due to individual performances.

Sport Uniform The school sport uniform is to be worn for all PE lessons and sport training before, during and after school. Long black skins/sports leggings are permitted to be worn under their shorts during winter as an extra layer. Girls are to wear white sport socks for all PE lessons. It is not hygienic or appropriate to wear the long winter green socks or stockings.

Mock Trial Round 2 Success

Winter Uniform

Last week, PLC Armidale hosted Round 2 of the NSW Law Society Mock Trial competition against St Colomba Anglican School (Port Macquarie).

The criminal case was presided by Natalie Scanlon. As the prosecution, PLC Armidale was represented by Jessica L (1st Barrister), Thurkka J (2nd Barrister), Alice B (instructing solicitor), Charlotte L (witness), Lilli-Rose M (witness) and Eva F (magistrate’s clerk). The magistrate’s decision resulted in an acquittal with PLC Armidale winning by a very narrow margin in the scoring of this round. We would like to sincerely thank St Colomba Anglican School who made the trip to Armidale for the day. Ms. Scanlon’s expertise and advice shared with both teams was also greatly appreciated.

Well done girls!

Can you please check that your daughter’s skirt is the correct length (mid calf), that she has a jumper and blazer with her everyday and if she is cold, she may wear her Track Jacket over the top. Track jackets may NOT be worn without a jumper and blazer on underneath. All girls with hair reaching below the collar are to have it tied back with a ribbon in their hair. Their shoes are to be polished regularly. Your assistance in encouraging the girls to wear their uniform correctly and with pride is greatly appreciated.

Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award GOLD AWARD Congratulations to Hannah Croft (Class of 2017) who has completed and achieved her Gold Award. We look forward to the Gold Award Ceremony in Sydney.

BRONZE QUALIFYING ADVENTUROUS JOURNEY JUNE LONG WEEKEND Letters and information have now been sent home in preparation for this.

We will leave on Saturday morning 8 June and return late afternoon on 9 June. This is the Queen’s Birthday Long Weekend.

Compliments, Concerns or Complaints?

PLC Armidale welcomes feedback. To enable us to continually improve our school we encourage suggestions from parents, students, community members and staff.

Please submit any compliments, concerns or complaints here: http://www.plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au/current-families/compliments-concerns-complaints

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JUNIOR SCHOOL Mrs Fiona Wake Head of Junior School I would like to thank all of our students, staff and Mothers for their attendance at our Mother’s Day breakfast and Chapel service last Thursday. The room was filled with happy chatter, gift giving from the heart and appreciation for one of our most precious gifts – our Mums. To top of this celebration, Sunday greeted us with sunshine and opportunity to gather with loved ones for a comforting meal or an outing, allowing time away from the routines and chores that can be so demanding of our time.

I myself was greeted with loving hugs, a comforting roast and a delicious layered chocolate Mother’s Day cake topped with raspberries and cream. The dinner table became rather quiet for a whole two minutes whilst this was devoured with candid pleasure. A little nap in the sun to help digest the overindulged was a necessity to top off a wonderful relaxing day, of which I was truly grateful.

NAPLAN I was so impressed with how our students approached MYAT and NAPLAN testing this week. The girls over several weeks have been preparing for these tests. They have been sharing in conversations about finding perspective and not creating anxiety or stress for themselves throughout this week of National testing.

As communicated from previous years, NAPLAN is only a ‘one off’ test and we ensure that multiple assessing techniques are used at PLC Armidale to gain a broad understanding of where our students are situated academically.

Sydney Eisteddfod - NOT in 2019 Thank you for responding to the Expression of Interest communication regarding our 3-6 Choir’s attendance at the Sydney Eisteddfod. As communicated by Matthew Minter earlier in the week, our students will not be attending the 2019 Sydney Eisteddfod. We appreciated your response to this expression of interest and hope to revisit this as an option sometime in the future during a less busy time.

Thank you!

• Our students who ‘always do their best and have a go’, as they participate in the many events an Athletics Carnival provides. I am humbled time and time again by our students who display sportsmanship, graciousness in defeat and excitement for their friends who succeed on the track or during their field events. The staff and I continually voice aloud our appreciation of our PLC Armidale Junior School and how blessed we are to be working with such lovely children and lovely families – ‘we have the best job in the world!’.

• For your support of the PLC Performs and In-house concerts last week.

Congratulations to Mr Sam Jacometti and Mr Matthew Minter for their hard work and coaching of our students in their Musical endeavours.

• I would like to also recognise and thank Mr Sam Jacometti for his work with the Junior School during Connie Dunham’s absence. Sam is greatly respected by our staff, students and parents and we are so grateful for the spark and fun he brought to our music program. Sam your guitar and singing voice throughout our corridors will be greatly missed. I encourage you to continue to serenade at your own will. Sam will continue to work at PLC and be very much a part of the Junior School as he continues to accompany our choirs and also as a parent of Lucinda in Pre Kindergarten.

Thank you everyone!

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JUNIOR SCHOOL MOTHERS’ DAY BREAKFAST

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JUNIOR SCHOOL

continued

FEATURE CLASS: YEAR 4 Writing The girls in Year 4 love writing and enjoyed the opportunity to write to their mothers thanking them for the many things they do. Here are a few things we were thankful for… * I love you baking with me on the weekends. Grace Ruig * Thank you for letting me go to a beautiful school (PLC). Mila Vanzella * You always put me first. Anais Dettwiler * Whenever I need you, you’re always there. Amaal Shahid * I love when we read at night and you help me with words I don’t know. Grace Robertson * You encourage me to do the things I’m not sure about. Yolanda Hao * I love that you always cheer me on at sport. Mikalee Barton * You always spoil me. Kate Loxley * I love that you look after four children without help. It is amazing. Meg Earle * You do so much for me. Annie Wake * Thank you for making dinner for me every night. Amelia Webb * You always help me with my homework when Dad is away. Ava Notley

Science in Stage 2 We’ve continued our geological study from Term 1 and are spending more time with our stage 2 friends in Year 3 to complete some scientific investigations into what makes up rocks and what happens when rocks are exposed to water erosion. In our most recent investigation we used rocks that were made in Mrs Hey’s kitchen using sand, bicarb soda, water and corn flour. Once the mixture was heated in a saucepan it then combined to make what looks like dough. The dough was then divided into small rock shapes and then placed into the oven for two hours. We placed three home-made rocks into 3 separate jars before adding water. The first jar we simply observed if there was any change to the rock. The second jar we shook for one minute and then observed any changes. Finally the third jar was shaken for two minutes before we made our observations. We recorded our findings in our science journals. We’re at the stage now where we will repeat this experiment again to collect more data and see if it is the same a second time.

Reading in Year 4 We have been reading the story of Tom Appleby, Convict Boy by Jackie French this term. This links with our History unit. What a pleasure it is to share in a novel together. We have been transported back in time to when Tom was sent to Newgate Prison in London for stealing one pound, two shillings and a threepence halfpenny, as well as a guinea and a handkerchief. Whilst Tom was in prison, he helped the prison midwife and another prisoner, deliver a baby. In court, the judge decided not to hang Tom but to send him on the Scarborough ship to Port Jackson, Australia. Through Tom’s experience we are learning about the hardships endured by the convicts on the first fleet.

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BOARDING Alison Spencer Head of Boarding The Boarding House changes gear as we head into the winter terms with a very busy sport schedule. Winter is also the time of year when the desire to hibernate can become very strong and the boarder’s benefit from the provision of additional planned activities. This term we are incorporating a craft activity on Sunday’s schedule. So far the girls have tried their hand at making cement pots which are being planted with succulents, and they have also tried Shibori dyeing, which is a Japanese traditional dyeing technique similar to tie dyeing. This technique uses wooden shapes, dowel and string amongst other things to resist absorption of dye in some areas and create geometric designs on the fabric. These dyed fabric squares will be used later in the term in a bag making workshop. Other planned crafts for this term include candle making and lip balm making. We hope they resemble the inspiring pinterest pictures!

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SPORTS REPORT AROUND THE GROUNDS Mr Peter Le Surf Director of Sport Winter sport is upon us and the weather last weekend did not dampen the enthusiasm of the PLC Armidale girls competing.

Friday evening saw our girls, in very cold conditions and after a busy day at the Athletics Carnival, lineup for Friday night Rugby. PLC Armidale currently has two teams playing on a Friday evening, an Opens and Under 16 team.

They are very determined to make this a successful sport at PLC Armidale and would encourage any girls wanting to ‘have a go’, to come along to training on Monday afternoons.

Athletics Carnival Results After a few years of preparation, the PLC Armidale Oval was ready to take on the Athletics Carnival. The track was hard and fast and it made for some good competition.

Congratulations

The overall winner of the carnival was Macquarie Guild while Forrest Guild took out the Marching Competition.

Congratulations to Lilly McCook (Year 10) who recently competed in the 2019 Tamworth 8 hour Mountain Bike Team Challenge. Lilly competed in the ‘Fast & Furious’ loop where she was awarded a jersey for being the fastest female in this category.

AGE CHAMPIONS WERE:

This follows on from Lilly successfully finishing the challenging ‘Tour de Rocks’ a 255km Mountain Bike ride from Armidale to South West Rocks to raise money for cancer research.

Lilly was one of the 50 student riders in the 2019 event and is pictured here with her riding partner Gen C.

8 years Nylah Webb

13 years Chiyo Brown

9 years Kate Loxley

14 years Lucy Young

10 years Anais Dettwiler

15 years Isabella Watts

11 years Sophie Young

16 years Imogen Dellow

12 years (Junior School) Lily McCosker

17 years Mia Tindale

12 years (Senior School) Scarlett Loxley

18 years Sarah Miron

Congratulations to all girls who took part and earned points for their Guild.

I would also like to thank the P&F for running the canteen and thanks to all parents who supported on the day.

Netball After a washout in the first week of netball, the girls finally got on the court last weekend. The results from round 1 were as follows: PLC 1 def NEGS 1 41-36 PLC 4 drew with ACSC Pegasus 26-26 PLC 5 def ASC Rockets 43-19 PLC 6 def by ACSC Thunderbirds 11-15 PLC 7 def by ACSC Fever 4-50 I look forward to catching up with everyone on the sideline throughout the winter sport season.

Winter Sports The winter sports of Netball, Hockey and Soccer have started. There have been sign up sheets on the sports noticeboard for a few weeks. If your daughter is wanting to get involved, please make sure they have placed their name on the sign up sheet.

CHANGES IN 2019 For Netball, Hockey and Soccer in 2019, there is now a requirement to go online, register and pay before we can place you in a team. This is different for 2018, where you needed to register, however payment was made at the end of the season, and placed on your school account. You can use your active kids voucher in this registration process, so please make sure you have this ready.

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WHOLE SCHOOL ATHLETICS CARNIVAL 2019

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WHOLE SCHOOL ATHLETICS CARNIVAL 2019

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JUNIOR SCHOOL SPORT Mrs Lucy Donaldson Junior School Sport Coordinator PSSA Cross Country Well done to the 23 Junior School girls who competed at the PSSA Cross Country Carnival on Friday 3rd May. It is fantastic to continually see the enthusiasm of our girls to represent their school - and they all do it so well! Mrs Hey and myself were so impressed with their running, sportsmanship and impeccable behaviour.

A special mention to the following girls who placed in the top 15: 12/13 Year Girls: Lily McCosker 3rd, Flurin Dettwiler 4th, Annabelle Pennington 5th, Zoe Webb 9th and Amelie van der Werf 13th 11 Year Girls: Sophie Bailey 1st 10 Year girls: Anais Dettwiler 5th 8/9 Year Girls: Kate Loxley 2nd Our 12/13 Year Girls were also the overall winners of their age group - an amazing effort.

Netball & Hockey Netball and Hockey are both underway and again it is so great to see so many of our girls getting involved. This season we have four Junior School Netball teams and five Junior School hockey teams. Despite the freezing conditions on Saturday for the start of the season, the girls were keen to get back into it or begin their Netball / Hockey journey - not sure that was the case for the parents on the sideline!

Training schedules have been emailed out and team lists are on the Junior School sports noticeboard. Please remember to let your daughter’s coaches know if they will be absent from training or games.

Reminder to have the Skoolbag app downloaded so that you will receive weekly draws, reminders and cancellations.

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SPORT

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PLC Armidale SPORT SUPPORTER’S GROUP (SSG) PURPOSE & PHILOSOPHY The Sport Supporter’s Group (SSG) was established in 2017 to build community across the entire College on the sports sidelines and through special events, as well as raise monies to specifically assist families with the costs of various nominated sporting activities, such as IGSSA participation and sports tours. It is open to all parents, particularly those who are enthusiastic about sport and their daughter’s participation in sport.

OPERATION The SSG is an informal group for all passionate sporting parents which sits outside the P&F and Foundation. It was initially organised

by Development & Sport, but from 2019 will report directly in to and be co-ordinated by the Development office. In its inaugural year, PLC Armidale parent, Mr Grieg Stier (father of Chloe, our 2018 Head Prefect), was the nominated President of the SSG. In 2019, we will again be seeking a leader, along with a team of enthusiastic parents to drive the SSG projects. In fulfilling its goal of building community and raising dollars, it will conduct one activity per term.

MEETINGS The first meeting of the SSG will be held next Thursday 23 May in the Board room from 6pm. Meetings for the Terms 3 and 4 will also be held on the Thursday of Week 4 eg. 15 August and 7 November.

Activities - the plan would be to host one activity each term, which may or may not involve fund-raising. For example, at the past two Starry Night of Sport events, auctions of special items were held to generate some funds and interest!

TERM 2 ACTIVITY Our first opportunity to raise some dollars is THIS SATURDAY! Hockey New England has offered sports clubs to organise the BBQ/canteen at the regular hockey competition and has designated this Saturday 18 May as the date for PLC Armidale!

Therefore, we are URGENTLY seeking parent volunteers to run our BBQ this Saturday. College staff will order the food and items for sale, along with a float, but we desperately need assistance from parents who can give of their time throughout the day, along with someone to co-ordinate the BBQ, given staff are away at other PLC Armidale events this weekend.

COMMITMENT The SSG requires as little or as much as you are prepared to give, and can be as fun as you’d like to make it! So, if you’re in to sport, then this would be the perfect group to get involved with.

Further information may be obtained by contacting: Shona Eichorn, Director of Development, via email development@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au or 6770 1733

CATTLE TEAM Judy Miller Cattle Team Coordinator Warialda Show Report After a cold day at the Athletics Carnival last Friday, the team headed off to an equally cold Warialda to prepare for the Saturday events.

The results were consistent, with Paris Whibley placing 2nd in the over 15’s paraders and Meg Kealey placing 1st in both the under 15’s junior judging and paraders competitions. The Red Poll and Simmental cattle also placed 1st in their respective breed groups. On another note, PLC Matilda gave birth to her first calf last Wednesday 8 May. The calf is an Angus x Simmental heifer, as yet unnamed.

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MUSIC MR MATTHEW MINTER Director of Music In House Concert: Congratulations to all of the following girls for your outstanding performances at the In House Concert on Wednesday 8 May. Mia Emanuel, Isla Biffin, Amelie Vanderworth, Harriet Minter, Lola Ferguson, Isabelle Taylor, Lily Graham, Kyana Ping Kee, Nathea Ping Kee, Holly Dauparas, Chiyo Brown, Emma Dauparas, Charlotte Thomas, Crystal Dai, Abigail Thompson, Clare Warwick, Sarah Hughes.

Mia and Isla both gave world premieres of works that had been composed for them for their HSC performance.

PLC Performs On Wednesday 8 May PLC hosted our annual PLC Performs Concert. This preEisteddfod concert is a wonderful opportunity for school ensembles to have a dress rehearsal prior to the competition. There were many great performances on the night and congratulations to all girls involved. The event was well attended by family and friends and thank you to all the Music staff who have contributed so much towards preparing our ensembles. I would particularly like to thank our ensemble directors Mrs Joanna Fairs Wu, Mr Robert Jackson, Mr Phil Oxley and Mr Sam Jacometti and accompanists Ms Li Ling Chen and Mr Warwick Dunham.

The generosity and expertise of the team of musicians who have worked with the girls in the build up to the Eisteddfod is highly appreciated.

Eisteddfod!

The Eisteddfod has begun! This week the String ensembles and the individual string events have been taking place. Congratulations to the PLC Cello Ensemble on their first place in the Bowed String Ensemble, up to 8 players, Years 7 to 12.

Congratulations also to the PLC Junior School String Ensemble for their first place in the Large Ensemble for Bowed Strings Years K-6. Senior Strings and the PLC Armidale Piano trio were both awarded a second place in their section and Silver Strings did very well to come third in their division against much older girls from other ensembles.

Well done also to the girls who have performed in the solo sections. A full summary of results will be included in the Lion’s Roar at the conclusion of the Eisteddfod. Just a reminder for any girls attending individual events, or community ensembles, they are required to contact the school and organise leave for their events.

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MUSIC 2019 Armidale Eisteddford DATE Tuesday 14 May Wednesday 15 May

Tuesday 21 May

TIME 1pm

Tuesday 4 June

PLC Piano Trio

ST74 Ensemble on any bowed instruments K - 6

PLC Silver Strings

ST76 Ensemble on any bowed string instruments 3 - 8 players, Year 7 to 12

PLC Cello Ensemble

ST78 Large ensemble on any bowed string instruments K - 6

PLC Junior Strings

ST80 Large ensemble on any bowed instruments 7 - 12 ST81 Large ensemble on any bowed instruments (open)

PLC Senior Strings

9.30am

CH01 Choir - non competitive K - 2

PLC K - 2 Choir

12.45pm

CH03 Choir, unison, K - 6

PLC 3 - 6 Choir

CH06 Choir, Year 10 and Under

PLC Polly and the Anna’s PLC Year 7 and 8 Choir

CH08 Vocal Ensemble Open

PLC Bel Canto Ensemble

CH09 New England Choral Championship

PLC Senior Choir

CH10 Choir, Non Competitive, Open

PLC Staff Vocal Ensemble

CH05 Vocal Ensemble K - 6

PLC Treble Makers

CH04 Choir, Two Part, K - 6

PLC 3 - 6 Choir

EN07 Class Ensemble Year 9 and 10

PLC Pathways PLC Year 9 and 10 Music

EN08 Class Ensemble Year 11 and 12

PLC Year 11 and 12 Music 1 and Year 11 Music 2

EN27 Jazz Ensemble Years 7 - 12

PLC Jazz Ensemble

EN19 Any instrumental group, open, non-competitive

PLC Wind Ensemble

EN20 Any instrumental group with contrasting instrumental families

PLC Orchestra

EN04 Class Ensemble Years 3 and 4

PLC Year 4 Class Ensemble

Composition Night

PLC Elective Music Students

1.30pm

9.30am

9am

1.15pm 6pm

Wednesday 5 June

ENSEMBLE

EN14 Chamber Music Year 8 and Under

6pm

Wednesday 22 May

EVENT

9.30am 4pm

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PLC ARMIDALE production of

Book DENNIS KELLY

Music & Lyrics TIM MINCHIN

Licensed exclusively by Music Theatre International (Australasia).

All performance materials supplied by Hal Leonard Australia.

UNE ARTS THEATRE

30 OCTOBER - 2 NOVEMBER

PASTORAL CARE Paula Goode Pastoral Care Coordinator The Five Ways to Wellbeing: connect, be active, take notice, keep learning and give; are a set of evidence-based actions which promote people’s wellbeing.

Whilst not claiming to be the biggest determinants of wellbeing, it’s a set of simple things individuals can do in their everyday lives. The five ways to wellbeing are integral to many activities that we care about and enjoy.

Why be active? Physical activity has a wide range of health benefits – for your mind and body, and for your social and emotional wellbeing. As well as improving your overall physical fitness, being more active can have the following physical benefits such as reduced risk of physical health problems as our bodies adapt to stress. We all have different reasons for being active. The types of activity we do usually fall under these headings: • Physical activity - This can describe anything we do that involves moving our bodies.

• Exercise - Any physical activity could be considered exercise, but when we talk about doing exercise we usually mean activities we do deliberately for fitness or training, rather than something that’s part of our daily routine.

• Sport - Sport usually refers to physical activities we do on our own or in a team for competition or fun. People working in the sport and leisure industries use the word in its broadest sense, including activities such as tennis, athletics, swimming, keep-fit or Zumba classes. Some sports are more about skill than any physical exertion.

The Athletics Carnival last Friday gave the whole school a chance to become active for part or all of the day – great participation at this event despite the cold.

This term also means Netball, Hockey, Soccer and other Winter sports are in full swing – a high five to all who are partaking in the training routines and sport each weekend.

This week, I share two articles from Parenting Ideas this week, one is a Mother’s Day Message (Happy Mother’s Day all our PLC Armidale Mums, hope you were shown a little bit of gratitude for all that you do and are!) and the other relays positive parenting techniques to encouraging teens to listen to you.

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POSITIVE PARENTING

PASTORAL CARE

insights Mum’s the work

by Michael Grose

Watching my own children become parents is an unexpected parenting joy.

Not in the light-hearted ‘your-turn-has-come’ way where older generations delight in watching their own children endure the same sleepless nights, naughty toddler behaviour and teenage rebelliousness that they experienced as parents.

The joy for me lies in watching my adult kids protect, teach, nurture and support their children, in the timehonored way that parents have done for generations. This work, also known as generative parenting, was outlined

by American psychologists and researchers Dollahite, Hawkins and Brotherson in the 1990’s.

Also known as mother work (and father work), generative parenting refers to the instinctive activities of parents that enable the next generation to survive and thrive. These activities range from providing kids with food and shelter and other basic needs through to developing more complex skills in their kids such as working with others, adapting to change and developing the resourcefulness needed for full independence.

Like most parents my daughters want to be the best parents they can be so they both devour parenting books, attend courses when they can and join online chat groups for support and ideas.

But it’s their mother work, their instinctive work, that’s their most potent parenting force. Here’s why.

Mother work is protective When my eldest daughter visits our house she does a quick reconnaissance trip through each room, lifting errant blind cords and removing heavy objects, to make our house safe for her two boys to move around. The protective side is strong.

Mother work is educative When my youngest daughter patiently explains to her exuberant young three year old that she needs to allow other children to share her toys, she is doing important teaching work. That requires super patience.

Mother work is nurturant The safety my daughters provide when they wrap their arms around their children when they’ve fallen and hurt themselves comes naturally to them.

parentingideas.com.au/schools

We're a Parenting Ideas school

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Mother work is supportive The emotional support these young women provide to their children when they’ve been upset by the thoughtless or rough behaviours of siblings and friends is often hard work. But they are up to the task.

My daughters’ mother work will continue well into their children’s teen years and beyond. The nature of the work will change with each developmental stage but the intent of the work –to nurture, protect, teach and support – will stay the same.

Men can do this work too, but they do it differently. When a mother instinctively protects she generally draws her child closer before searching out the source of fear. There’ll be lots of cuddles before she puts a nightlight on to ease a child’s fear of the dark.

When a father instinctively protects he’s more likely to eliminate the source of fear, and skill his child up to fend for themselves. He’ll prove there’s nothing to be scared of when the light goes out, and show his child how to turn on the light when needed. Both are valid approaches, and are indicative of the gender differences in child-rearing.

This Mother’s Day, it’s my daughters’ instinctive mother work that I’ll celebrate, as that is real magic of parenting.

Happy Mother’s Day.

Michael Grose Michael Grose, founder of Parenting Ideas, is one of Australia’s leading parenting educators. He’s the author of 12 books for parents including Spoonfed Generation and the best-selling Why First Borns Rule the World and Last Borns Want to Change It. His latest release Anxious Kids, was co-authored with Dr Jodi Richardson.

parentingideas.com.au/schools

We're a Parenting Ideas school

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PLC ARMIDALE OLD GIRLS’ UNION

A SPECIAL ALUMNI

Mothers’ Day BRUNCH

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P&F ASSOCIATION AUTUMN BALL 2019 Thank you to everyone who supported the P&F Autumn Ball.

Oh, What a Wonderful Night!

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COMMUNITY

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COMMUNITY

Warwick Dunham Steve Thorneycroft Steve Tafra Sarah Thorneycroft Dave van Tongeren

GET TIX AND INFO AT trybooking.com/BBXOR ADULT $39 UNDER 20 $20

19:30 FRI 24 SAT 25 MAY 2019 TAS HOSKINS CENTRE ARMIDALE 02 6770 1700

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Photo by Tom Barrett on Unsplash

New arrangements of epic rock Sky, Pink Floyd, ELP, and more

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COMMUNITY

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