PLC Newsletter Senior School Junior School Early Learning Centre Friday 27 October 2017 WEEK 3B

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1 PLC Newsletter Senior School Junior School Early Learning Centre Friday 27 October 2017 WEEK 3B From the Principal The last fortnight has been a whirlwind of special celebrations and farewells for our Year 12 girls and we have certainly farewelled them in style and with great appreciation of who they are and of all they have contributed to our community. Our celebrations culminated with 3 very special occasions. Last Friday the Year 12 girls enjoyed their Celebration Day with colourful costumes and uniforms inspired by their theme of Flashback Friday. Many of the staff also joined in the fun, coming dressed as a favourite from the 70s or 80s. Following some special House handovers, providing an opportunity for all girls in the House to thank the 2017 House Captains and welcome the 2018 House Captains, the whole school enjoyed a final fun assembly taken by our exuberant Year 12 girls, including their very creative and entertaining video, which featured Playschool s Jay Laga aia, who sang and spoke personally to the PLC Class of On Saturday night over 400 girls, parents, family members and staff enjoyed the delightful Graduation Dinner Dance at the Ivanhoe Centre, for a very special family celebration where we had the opportunity to celebrate with and recognise the young women in the Class of Our final celebration, on Monday of this week, was the formal Leavers Assembly, which is an opportunity for the girls in the Senior School to farewell Year 12 and for them to be individually recognised and thanked by the school. It is also an occasion where we recognise the outstanding academic achievements of many of the girls in the cohort. The Year 12 Coordinator, Ms Watkins, spoke to the girls at this assembly inspiring and encouraging them to seek out diverse experiences and be open to new and unexpected paths, to aim high, lean in and be bold. The morning concluded with a lovely morning tea in the LRC Plaza for Year 12 and their families, which was a special time to farewell not only Year 12 but also their families who have been a much loved part of our school community for many years. I would like to thank Ms Watkins, who has been an outstanding Year Coordinator for the girls for the last 3 years, and the Year 12 Form Teachers and academic teachers for their guidance, commitment and care for the girls and for preparing them so well not only for their examinations but also for their university courses and careers beyond PLC. I would also like to acknowledge the many staff who have worked so very hard coordinating and planning the many special events and celebrations to farewell Year 12. My thanks also to our School Captains Siobhan Chan and Ellen de Waard for their fine leadership this year and for their grace, humility and kindness and warm friendly presence in our community. We wish all of Year 12 well as they sit their examinations and as they pursue their lives and careers post PLC. When our new Director of ICT, Mr Brenton Harty, commenced with PLC in November 2016, he was tasked with the job of conducting a comprehensive investigation and analysis of PLC s ICT systems and provisions and of investigating best practice in schools throughout Australia, with a view to making recommendations for the next steps for PLC in achieving our goals of providing ICT services which are the equal of any other school in the country and hence representing best practice in IT systems, processes and deliverables. Our priorities included the implementation of a suitable Learning Management System, which would result in improved curriculum planning and record keeping as well as the ability to deliver online academic reports, whilst also providing systems which would significantly improve communication and ICT services for parents, importantly including ready access to the school calendar. Mr Harty completed his comprehensive review last term and subsequently made recommendations to me and the School Council, which have been endorsed. We are now well on the way with implementing these recommendations, which will see the introduction of a parent portal and app which amongst other things, will radically overhaul our parent communication, see increased use of electronic forms, provide online access to the school calendar and see the introduction of computerised reports across the school. Senior School Diary WEEK 4A Monday 30 October 3.45pm GSV Senior Cricket Semi Final Tuesday 31 October Year 12 IB Examinations Begin 3.45pm New Year 8-11 Afternoon Tea 3.45pm GSV Water Polo 3 Wednesday 1 November Year 12 IB Examinations Year 12 VCE Examinations Begin GSV Senior Cricket Final GSV Intermediate Sport 3 Thursday 2 November Year 12 IB Examinations Year 12 VCE Examinations 3.45pm GSV Junior Sport 4 Friday 3 November Year 12 IB Examinations Year 12 VCE Examinations WEEK 5B Monday 6 November MID TERM HOLIDAY Year 12 IB Examinations Year 12 VCE Examinations Tuesday 7 November MELBOURNE CUP PUBLIC HOLIDAY Year 12 IB Examinations Wednesday 8 November Year 12 IB Examinations Year 12 VCE Examinations Year 11 Examinations begin 3.45pm GSV Intermediate Sport 4 Thursday 9 November Year 12 IB Examinations Year 12 VCE Examinations Year 11 Examinations 3.45pm GSV Junior Sport 5 Friday 10 November Year 12 IB Examinations Year 12 VCE Examinations Year 11 Examinations Table of Contents From the Principal 1 Chaplain s Corner 2 Senior School Sport 3 Senior School Music 5 Junior School 7 Community 13 Early Learning Centre 19 PLC Newsletter 1

2 From the Principal Mr Harty has written a brief report for parents, introducing our new IT system Wyse and outlining some of the immediate deliverables with the introduction of this system, and an indication of the timeline for the roll out of Wyse and all that it will provide and offer teachers, students and parents. Mr Harty s report is contained in the Community section of this newsletter and I encourage all parents to read it. PLC has always been at the forefront of ICT services and delivery and I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the significant work done by our former Director of ICT, Mr Wayne Rice, which has placed us in the position where we are ready to move forward and embrace the next stage in the delivery of ICT systems. I am delighted with the progress we have made this year in this very important area and am confident that parents will also be encouraged and enthused by this development and the improved services it will offer. I commend Mr Harty s article to you and look forward to the ongoing roll out of these improved services. Elaine Collin Principal Chaplain s Corner Insubordinate is not a word you would normally use to honour a Chaplain or Padre. However, it is exactly the word which has been used to honour Chaplain Alfred Goller, a Presbyterian minister who served as an Army Chaplain during WWI. If you go into the foyer of the Assembly Hall, next to the Scots Church in Collins Street Melbourne, you will see a memorial plaque honouring Rev Alfred Goller and Rev Andrew Gillison, both Presbyterian ministers who lost their lives serving as Army Chaplains in WWI. Each have interesting stories to tell, but today I shall just tell Goller s story; Goller has been nicknamed The Insubordinate Padre. Goller was born in Bannockburn, Victoria in Raised in a Christian family, he attended Melbourne University and graduated with a BA (Hons). After studying for the ministry, he was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1908 and served in country areas such as Birchip and Mia Mia. In the middle of January 1917, Goller volunteered to serve with the AIF as a Chaplain. By the middle of February 1917, he was on the troopship Ballarat heading overseas to the war in Europe. As the ship pulled away, he blew a kiss to his wife and three young children; it was the last time he was to see them. As the ship steamed through the English Channel, it was hit by a German torpedo. While the ship gradually sank Goller searched through the lower decks to make sure no one was trapped below; he was among the last to leave the ship and was given a commendation for bravery in the face of danger. Initially he was attached to training battalions in England. Feeling that he could be of more use in supporting a fighting unit in France, he requested a transfer to the front. Eventually he was posted to the 37 th Battalion. While attached to this unit, he supported the soldiers by being with them in their times of danger and on numerous occasions he scoured the battlefield looking for the wounded from both sides. His insubordination emerged out of a decision made by higher authorities to disband some of the units because of small numbers; the 37 th Battalion had experienced numerous casualties and had fallen from battalion strength to company strength. The plan was to disband the 37 th Battalion and reallocate the men to other units. The men who remained in the 37 th, however, had such a strong sense of loyalty to their unit that they decided to disobey this order. A parade was held on the day that the unit was to be disbanded and an order was given by a brigadier at 10am to fall out and join the new unit. Most of the officers and non commissioned officers fell out and obeyed the order. The men, however, disobeyed the order and stood fast on the parade ground; Chaplain Goller stood with them. The Commanding Officer addressed Goller and said, You can fall out too, Padre. No Sir, Goller replied, If the men ever wanted a Chaplain, they want one now. It was one of those amazing moments in life where the values of honor, commitment and respect for fallen comrades were more import than the act of insubordination which could potentially be seen as mutiny and punished at that time by death. It was an awkward but courageous decision made by both the Chaplain and the men. Many attempts were made to discourage the men from their decision but they remained steadfast and their Padre stood with them. Eventually the authorities recognized the good intent of these men and granted them their wish; they would remain as a unit until the war ended. After this order was given, the 37 th was thrown back into the thick of battle and tasked with helping to breach the seemingly impregnable Hindenburg Line; at one stage, the unit was obliged to charge into machine gun fire. Chaplain Goller was there with the men and sadly was killed as he attempted to rescue the wounded. It was said about Goller that his Christianity was exemplified in his life. Although his term of service was about to end and he anticipated returning back to Australia and his family and his ministry he did not hesitate to share in the risks experienced by the men in his unit. In battle, he like other Padres was a non-combatant; his only weapon was his faith and he used it with great courage. His loss was deeply felt by his men who erected the following words above his grave: Our Padre Semper Idem Passed from Death to Life. Goller s example is an unusual one. However, it does highlight the fact that in life qualities such as loyalty, honour and commitment to each other sometimes need to be placed higher than mere obedience on the scale of ideals worth aspiring to. I m pleased that it was a Presbyterian Chaplain whose life illustrates this and I m pleased that he has been honoured with the nickname The Insubordinate Padre. Charles Green Chaplain PLC Newsletter 2

3 Senior School Sport Sportswoman of the Year Awards In each sporting season coaches award points to all players according to commitment and attendance, skill level, teamwork, enthusiasm and sportsmanship. These points contribute to the Sportswoman of the Year awards at each year level. We congratulate the following students on receiving this award last Tuesday at the sports assembly. Our special guest speaker was former Sports Captain Catherine Phillips (09) who spoke about her career and sport and the nature of balancing both of these competing demands on her time. YEAR 7 SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR 1st Jemima Mellado 2nd Cheryl Lo 3rd Joumana Loudovaris 4th Tiffany Pai =5th Molly May =5th Lucy Vandenboom YEAR 8 SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR 1st Christy Langford 2nd Lauren Taylor =3rd Stephanie Liow =3rd Alicia Savy =3rd Jasmin Krah =3rd Lucy Mariadson YEAR 9 SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR 1st Jordyn Oatley 2nd Joanna Hare 3rd Sarah Hare 4th Wednesday Shiel 5th Annabel Thorn YEAR 10 SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR 1st Erin Page =2nd Hannah Harvey =2nd Simran Thomas 4th Jannice Chiu 5th Caitie Seal YEAR 11 SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR =1st Anke Oatley =1st Emily Davidson 3rd Erin Box 4th Elise Linley =5th Chimmy Adams =5th Nethuli Perera YEAR 12 SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR 1st Bryley Field 2nd Wei Xin Tan 3rd Eliza Morison 4th Andrea Bernabe 5th Phoebe Dolphin PLC Newsletter 3

4 Senior School Sport GSV Weekly Sport Results WEEK 1 Junior Basketball PLC A V Siena WON PLC B V Siena WON PLC C V Siena LOST 2 44 Senior Cricket PLC A V MGGS WON WEEK 2 Junior Basketball PLC A V Strathcona LOST PLC B V Strathcona LOST 6 24 PLC C V Strathcona LOST Junior Cricket PLC A V Siena WON Junior Water Polo PLC A V MGGS LOST 0 10 Intermediate Basketball PLC A V Loreto LOST PLC B V Loreto LOST PLC C V Loreto LOST Senior Cricket PLC A V Firbank WON What s coming up in sport WEEK 4A Monday 23 October Before School Training 6.45am Rowing Fitness 6.45am GSV Swim training 7am Beginner Tennis Squad After School Training 3.45pm GSV Inter Basketball Matches GSV Senior Cricket, PLC v MLC Tuesday 24 October Before School Training 7am Inter Tennis Squad After School Training 3.45pm GSV Junior Basketball 3.45pm GSV Junior Cricket Matches GSV Junior Water Polo, PLC v MLC Wednesday 25 October Before School Training 6.45am GSV Swimming 7am Advanced Tennis Squad After School Matches GSV Senior Cricket, PLC v CGGS GSV Inter Basketball, PLC v SION Thursday 26 October Before School Training 6.45am Rowing Fitness 7am GSV Junior Water Polo 7am Tennis Club After School Matches GSV Junior Basketball, PLC v SMS GSV Junior Cricket, NO MATCHES BYE ROUND Friday 27 October Before School Training 6.45am GSV Swim 7am Tennis Club WEEK 5B Monday 30 October Before School Training 6.45am Rowing Fitness 6.45am GSV Swim training 7am Beginner Tennis Squad After School Training 3.45pm GSV Inter Basketball Matches GSV Senior Cricket, PLC v TBC (Semi Finals) Tuesday 31 October Before School Training 7am Inter Tennis Squad After School Training 3.45pm GSV Junior Basketball 3.45pm GSV Junior Cricket Matches GSV Junior Water Polo, PLC v GENAZZANO Wednesday 1 November Before School Training 6.45am GSV Swimming 7am Advanced Tennis Squad After School Matches GSV Senior Cricket, PLC v TBC (Finals) GSV Inter Basketball, PLC v SIENA Thursday 2 November Before School Training 6.45am Rowing Fitness 7am GSV Junior Water Polo 7am Tennis Club After School Matches GSV Junior Basketball, PLC v LOWTHER HALL GSV Junior Cricket, PLC v KOROWA Friday 3 November Before School Training 6.45am GSV Swim 7am Tennis Club PLC Newsletter 4

5 Senior School Music Past Events Combined Orchestral Workshop The Trinity Orchestra visited PLC recently for a Combined Orchestra Workshop with our Symphony Orchestra. During the afternoon the students worked on two movements from the Dvorak New World Symphony under the direction of guest conductor Mr Graham Lloyd. This is the first time that this event has been held in the new PAC and the visitors were suitably impressed with our wonderful facilities! This event was the final performance for the Symphony Orchestra for Scholars Concert On Wednesday 25 October a number of our music scholarship students presented a concert of solo items in Rehearsal Room 1 of the PAC. A varied program was presented with many of the students being accompanied by our Head of Keyboard, Mrs Edith Ellis. Concerto Applications Students who are currently in Years 10 and 11 who wish to audition for a concerto performance in 2018 should collect an application form from Ms Cummins in the PAC. Applications close on Friday 3 November and the first round of auditions will be held early in Term One, Senior School Bands We have three bands in the Senior School band program Intermediate Band, Concert Band and Wind Symphony. With the Year 12s having recently finished school it seemed the perfect opportunity to place existing band members into their 2018 places for Term Four rehearsals. Any new students to the school next year will have the opportunity to be placed in the appropriate ensemble but otherwise our Senior bands are up and running for another busy year in Flute Concert The End of Year Flute Concert was held last Monday in the PAC Auditorium with a large and appreciative audience. With the flute exams taking place next week this was a wonderful opportunity for the twenty-six girls sitting an exam to have a practice performance in front of a supportive audience. The concert also featured the three flute ensembles. Acorns performed a Tango Chromatique, Barklamb Players performed the Rakes of Mellow, some Harry Potter and a jazzy Movin On and PLC Flutes concluded the program with a beautiful rendition of By Kells Waters. Following the concert, supper was enjoyed in the PAC Foyer. Enrolment for Music and Speech Lessons Application forms are now available for music and speech lessons in Forms may be downloaded from the PLC website and are also available from the PAC and the Junior School Office. Students wanting to enrol for lessons next year are advised to put their applications in as early as possible as it is not always possible to meet all requests, particularly with the more popular instruments. In that case enrolments are dealt with in order of application and students who cannot be placed are put on a waiting list. Students who are already enrolled for lessons do not need to complete another application form as lessons are ongoing unless we are notified otherwise. Notice in writing should be given by Friday 10 November if students wish to stop lessons at the end of the year. Parents/guardians may the Music School Administrator, Ms Kerith Cummins, kcummins@ plc.vic.edu.au. Peter Bartels Barklamb Players performing at the Flute Concert PLC Newsletter 5

6 Senior School Music 2018 Ensemble Rehearsals There have been some changes to the rehearsal schedule for 2018, namely with Chamber Strings and Senior Strings swapping days. Chamber Strings will rehearse on Thursday mornings next year and Senior Strings will rehearse on Tuesday mornings. L Oiseau Lyre is also moving from its current afternoon timeslot to Monday lunchtime next year. The complete list of rehearsals is as follows: ENSEMBLE DAY TIME LEVEL String Orchestra Wednesday am AMEB Gr 1 4 Chamber Strings Thursday am AMEB Gr 4 and above Senior Strings Tuesday am Advanced players Symphony Orchestra Tuesday pm Advanced players Intermediate Band Tuesday am AMEB Gr 1 and above Concert Band Thursday am Established players Wind Symphony Wednesday am Advanced players Senior Stage Band Friday am Advanced players Junior Stage Band Wednesday lunchtime Intermediate players Pipes and Drums Tuesday pm Voiceworks Tuesday am Non-auditioned choir Melba Chorale Thursday pm Advanced choristers, Yrs 7 12 Harmonics Thursday am Yrs 7 9 (auditioned) L Oiseau Lyre Monday lunchtime Yrs (auditioned) Vocalease Tuesday lunchtime Yrs (auditioned) PLC Clarinets Thursday am AMEB Gr 5 and above Licorice Sticks Wednesday am AMEB Gr 2 4 (clarinets) Barklamb Players Thursday am AMEB Gr 1 3 (flutes) PLC Flutes Friday am AMEB Gr 6 and above Brass Ensemble Friday lunchtime Non-auditioned Senior Percussion Ensemble Tuesday pm Advanced percussion students Intermediate Percussion Group Friday pm Girls who learn an instrument outside of school are welcome to join an ensemble. If an audition is required notices will be placed in the Daily Bulletin during the first weeks of Term One. Term 4 Dates Instrument Tryouts For Junior School Any Junior school students who are interested in learning a woodwind, brass or percussion instrument next year should attend the Instrument Demonstrations in Betty Caldwell Hall after school on Thursday 2 November. The session should run from pm and will include instrument demonstrations by advanced students on a range of instruments. Parents are welcome to attend and instrumental staff will be on hand to answer any questions. If you require further details about this event please contact the Head of Woodwind, Ms Gillian Kinnear, gkinnear@plc.vic.edu.au Saturday 28 October 2.00pm Piano Concert for students of Ms Gittins and Ms Yeo RR1 Wednesday 1 November 5.00pm JS Speech and Drama Concert JS Music Room (please note that this time is different from that shown in the School Diary) 1.10pm Piano Trio Performance/Masterclass PAC Thursday 2 November 4.00pm JS Brass, Woodwind and Percussion demonstrations BCH Saturday 11 November JS String Concerts BCH Thursday 16 November 11.10am Double Bass Masterclass for students in Year 4 and 7 PAC Tuesday 21 November 7.00pm Brass Concert PAC Thursday 23 November 7.00pm SS Speech and Drama Concert DDT Wednesday 6 December 7.30pm Thanksgiving and Carol Service Scots Church PLC Newsletter 6

7 Junior School Junior School Calendar WEEK 4A Monday 30 October Environment Week 8.10am Junior Joggers (Prep to Year 2) 8.40am CE Assembly State Track and Field Lakeside Stadium Tuesday 31 October 9.00am Prep 2018 Transition pm String demonstration Year 1 Year 5 & 6 Interschool Sports (home) Wednesday 1 November Huff n Puff 12.30pm Year 6 Captains Meeting 12.45pm JOYCE 5.00pm Speech and Drama Concert JS Music Room (note change of time) Thursday 2 November Running Group 8.40am Music Assembly Prep 3.30pm Concert Band Demonstration BCH 4.00pm Brass and Woodwind Demonstrations BCH Friday 3 November 8.40am Assembly pm Year 3-6 Swimming Sports FJS Sausage Sizzle Lunch Tuckshop Closed Prep Year 2 Teddy Bears Picnic WEEK 5B Monday 6 November Mid-Term Holiday Tuesday 7 November Melbourne Cup Day Wednesday 8 November Huff n Puff pm World of Maths Incursion Year 4 BCH 9.45am Year 6 Camp Manyung departs 12.45pm JOYCE Thursday 9 November No Running Group No Music Assembly Friday 10 November 8.40am Assembly pm Prep Excursion Werribee Open Range Zoo 3.00pm Year 6 Camp returns Saturday 11 November pm String Concert BCH (Miss Bramble) pm Piano Concert JS Music Room (Ms Proietto) pm Piano Concert JS Music Room (Ms Proietto) pm Piano Concert BCH (Ms Proietto, Hui-Ling Yeo & Miss Bramble) From the Head of Junior School Our Year 12 Back to Junior School Assembly, held this year on Friday 13 October, is an annual event we all look forward to. As the Year 12 year comes to an end, prior to their final exams, this Assembly invites current Year 12 girls who have come through our Junior School, invited to come back to Junior School to meet past staff and celebrate the end of their time at PLC. It was wonderful to share their memories of Junior School and was very much enjoyed by staff and students alike. Many of the staff that had taught the girls were invited back to share the morning. The current Junior School girls were thrilled to have the company of the Year 12 students and to share in their love of their time in the Junior School. The Year 12 girls really enjoyed watching a movie of their Year 6 Musical as well as the many photos and stories from their teachers. A sprig of pressed wattle, collected from the PLC grounds, was presented to each Year 12 girl by a Prep student as a momento of their time here in the Junior School. This week has seen our Year 3 girls experience their very first school camp at the Lady Northcote Camp at Bacchus Marsh. Away for one night, for some girls, it is their first time away from home as well. Highlights of this camp include the Giant Swing, catching yabbies and a night walk with torches. The girls arrived back at school on Wednesday, exhausted, but delighted with what they had shared together with their teachers. Cheryl Penberthy Head of Junior School Reminder November Mid Term Break Please note the Junior School is closed for mid term break on Monday November The office will be closed and there will be no staff onsite. Save the Date We would like the 3/4 Choir to save a date : Saturday 2 December. The choir will be performing two fabulous songs at a very special occasion, on stage at the PAC, arriving at 2.00 for a 2.30pm start. Your daughter will receive further details about this event in the near future. Notices this week Mid Term Reminder PLC Newsletter 7

8 Junior School Dates for Term 4 Wednesday 1 November Speech & Drama Concert Friday 3 November Year 3 to Year 6 Swimming Sports Monday 6 November Mid Term Break Tuesday 7 November Melbourne Cup Day Thursday 16 November Year 3/4 Dance Expo (please note new date) Friday 24 November Speech Night Friday 1 December Year 6 Graduation Assembly Friday 8 December Nativity 1.00pm End of Term 4 Junior School Presents Years 3 & 4 Dance Expo Concert 2017 When I Get My Name In Lights 16 November 2017 at 7.00pm in the PAC (Parking will be available in the Senior School carpark) Mrs Cheryl Penberthy, Head of Junior School, requests the pleasure of your company Lamont Book Fair at the Junior School Speech Night Year 2 to Year 6 to be held at the Wyselaskie Hall Senior School on Friday 24 November at 7.00pm (Parking will be available in the Senior School Carpark) Mrs Cheryl Penberthy, Head of Junior School, has pleasure in inviting the Parents of Year Six students to the Year Six Graduation Assembly on Friday 1 December 2017 commencing at 9.30am in the Betty Caldwell Hall followed by Morning Tea in the foyer (Parking will be available on the south side of the Burwood Highway) RSVP: Julie Girdwood jsregistrar@plc.vic.edu.au It is only three weeks until our annual Book Fair arrives at the PLC library. This event will take place from Monday 13th to Friday 17th November so don t forget to mark these dates in your diary. We have invited Lamont Books to supply the books for us again this year. This is a family run business that supplies a wonderful variety of quality fiction and non-fiction books, so there will be plenty of great books from which to make your selections. Shopping at the Book Fair is a great way to support our PLC library as a percentage of the all books sold, is put back into the library to buy books, resources and furniture for our girls. The fair will be open before and after school so there will be plenty of opportunities for parents and students to browse and buy. The Book Fair provides an opportunity to stock up with that special Christmas gift. Eftpos machines will be available so both cash and credit cards will be happily accepted. Happy Book Fair! Anne Walsh Teacher Librarian PLC Newsletter 8

9 Junior School Woodwind, Brass and Percussion Demonstrations Junior School Students in Years 2-6 Is your daughter thinking about learning a Woodwind, Brass or Percussion instrument in 2018? Lessons are available for Junior School students in Years 3-6 on the Free Introductory Scheme. Come to a performance and demonstration of these instruments on Thursday 2 November 2017 from 4.00pm to 5.15pm in the Betty Caldwell Hall, Junior School. Your daughter can talk to students who are already learning these instruments and find out about their experiences. Instrumental teachers will also be there to advise. Parents are welcome to attend. Woodwind: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone Brass: trumpet, French horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba Percussion: including drums, xylophone, marimba, timpani For more information, please Ms Gillian Kinnear, Head of Woodwind gkinnear@plc.vic.edu.au House Swimming Sports Year 3-6 Friday 3 November 2017 PLC Aquatic Centre 10.00am 3.00pm SPECTATORS Parents, Grandparents and friends are warmly invited to attend the Junior School House Swimming Carnival on Friday 3 November at the PLC Aquatic Centre. Parking will be available on the south side of Burwood Highway. SWIMMING GEAR All students must have their own House cap and goggles. All items must be named. House caps and goggles must be purchased prior to the House Swimming Sports. UNIFORM Students may come to school dressed in their House colours (with their bathers underneath) if they are dropped at school by private car. If students travel to school by public transport or school bus they must wear school uniform, and change into their House clothes at school. Students must wear appropriate shoes and socks. MUSIC LESSONS Girls should re-schedule any music lesson during the House Swimming Sports. Primary Girls Chess State Finals On Tuesday 17 October, 15 Junior School girls travelled to Lauriston Girls School to compete in the Primary Girls Chess State Finals. We played in a close competition with over 150 other girls from 36 schools in Victoria. The tournament consisted of 7 rounds, of 15 minutes in length for each player. The PLC girls who competed were Dana Choi, Lynn Shan, Karis Yap, Courtney Pereira, Jennifer Lu, Angela Qi, Sophie Dinh, Josie Wong, Charlotte Wang, Vinudi Epitawela, Jasmine Wu, Yiluo Huang, Mercedes Chai, Maria Yang and Haritha Arulshankar. We all received amazing results. Seven girls: Lynn, Dana, Jennifer, Angela, Vinudi, Jasmine and Yiluo, won 5 out of their 7 games, which placed them 3rd overall, each receiving medals. We were coming 5th during the tournament and so it was a great surprise to hear PLC announced as 3rd! We all found the tournament an exciting and challenging experience. It taught us so much and we must thank all the staff for letting us have this fantastic opportunity. It was inspiring to see the PLC Senior School placed first in the Secondary School Girls Chess State Finals. It is wondrous to imagine that one day, that may be us. Lynn Shan and Jennifer Lu TUCK SHOP CLOSED Please note that the Tuckshop will be closed on House Swimming Sports Day. DISMISSAL At the conclusion of the House Swimming Sports (3.00pm) all students will walk back to Junior School with their class teachers. They will return to their own classrooms to collect their bag and any homework. Dismissal will be as normal at 3.25pm. SSV Division Athletics Congratulations to the PLC girls who competed in the SSV Division Athletics on Thursday 12 October at Knox Athletics Track. These girls previously competed at the District level in September and placed first or second in their event and therefore were invited to compete in the Division Athletics. They all trained hard on various mornings and lunchtimes in the lead up to the competition and performed well in their events. The following girls are to be commended on their motivation and commitment and should be congratulated on making it to the Division level. Ali Seal Maisie Zheng Arunika Wali Margot Whitney Elizabeth Ma Rachel Langford Felicity Wei Sofia Tan Krishni Mahendraraviraj Vivian Le Leni Liu Zara Paynter Lucy Taylor PLC Newsletter 9

10 Junior School The following girls placed first or second in their events at the Division Athletics and progressed through to the Eastern Metropolitan Region Athletics Carnival held at Bill Sewart Athletics Track on Thursday 19 October. Ali Seal Arunika Wali Elizabeth Ma Leni Liu Margot Whitney Rachel Langford Vivian Le SSV Regional Athletics The Eastern Metropolitan Region Athletics Carnival is the last stage before the State level and the competition is very tough. PLC were represented in many events including: Long Jump, Triple Jump, High Jump, 80m Hurdles, Discus, Shot Put, 800m, 1500m and 4 x 100m Relay. All the girls had trained hard on various mornings and lunchtimes in the lead up to the competition and the results showed. Congratulations to Margot Whitney on finishing second place in the 11 Year Old Age Group for Shot Put. She progresses through to the SSV State Athletics Carnival held at Lakeside Stadium, Albert Park on Monday, October 30. We wish her all the best. Well done to our entire Regional Athletics Team. You should all be proud of making it to the Regional level. PLC Newsletter 10

11 Junior School Year 3-6 House Tennis On Tuesday 17 October sixteen Year Five and Six students competed in House Tennis. It was sunny afternoon and the best tennis players in the Junior School showcased their talent. The girls played a round robin style competition, each playing 3 matches in a doubles format. All games played throughout the afternoon earned valuable points for the girls Houses. The standard of tennis was extremely high and very entertaining for the parents who came along to support the girls. Woollahra proved to be too strong and won the House Tennis Trophy. 1 st Woollahra 2 nd Koorinya 3 rd Wyselaskie 4 th Hethersett On Friday 13 October the top three tennis players in the Junior School played off for the Individual House Tennis Champion Trophy. The tennis was fast and entertaining and played in good spirit, with the gold medal match going game for game in a very tight match. Felicity Wei (Yr 5 - Woollahra) finished in first place and was crowned our 2017 House Tennis Champion, defending her title from last year. Final results are below. Well done to all girls. Individual House Tennis Finals: 1 st Felicity Wei (Yr 5) Woollahra 2 nd Vicenta Wheatley (Yr 6) Woollahra 3 rd Lamisse Bilal (Yr 6) Koorinya PLC Newsletter 11

12 Junior School Obstacle Course and Footy Colours Day Towards the end of last term, the Middle Primary girls took great delight in showing their true colours as caring, generous children with a desire to serve others. By participating in an exciting obstacle course around the Junior School, they raised $ with the help of their families and friends. This money was used to purchase 400 bibles for the students at Neno Girls School in Malawi, and to add to this generous gift, the girls in Years 3 and 4 made bookmarks for each student to use in her bible. Not stopping there, the Year 4 girls organised a fun, Footy Colours Day, for all Junior School girls, who kindly donated $830 to the Fight Cancer Foundation. This money will be used to ensure children with cancer continue their education during treatment and recovery. It was wonderful to see such generosity from within our PLC community and a huge thank-you is extended to all, from the girls at Neno and the Fight Cancer Foundation. Friends of Junior School FJS has many exciting events and fundraisers planned for the final term of 2017! The upcoming Teddy Bears Picnic for Prep to Year 2 is always an end of year highlight for our younger girls. To order a sausage sizzle lunch for your daughter to enjoy with her friends on the day please head to: For our older girls, the House Swimming Carnival (Years 3 to 6) is always met with loud cheers and enthusiastic calls of support for on the day. Please remember to order a sausage sizzle lunch for your daughter to enjoy with her friends by heading to: trybooking.com/ FJS will be organising a delicious sweet and savoury stall for the parents. A selection of home baked treats and hot and cold beverages will be available for purchase on the day. Thank you to all the parents who have placed orders for the personalised tea towels designed by all the girls and teachers in the Junior School. The tea towels will make lovely gifts for parents and family members this Christmas season so order yours before the cut off date of Friday 27 October. If you have not yet placed an order for your tea towel keepsake please go to our Trybooking link at: Propelled by the chatter of our girls in the school corridor our Cookie Dough fundraiser is well underway! At only $15 per tub the Cookie Dough makes a unique stocking stuffer or gift this holiday season. Flavours include Caramel Fudge, Choc Chunk, Gingerbread, Shortbread and GF Choc Chunk. To order yours (by Sunday 12th November) log onto: trybooking.com/soyy Our next FJS Committee Meeting will be held on Wednesday 8 November 2017 (at Zouz Café, after school drop-off). Feel free to stop by to have a coffee and a chat as we continue planning the final events and fundraisers of If you have any questions or wish to become more involved with the Friends of Junior School please us at fjs@plc.vic.edu.au or sign up to volunteer at our upcoming events at Megan Allum (GO KOORINYA!) and Claudia Khoo (GO HETHERSETT!) FJS Co-Ordinators 2017 PLC Newsletter 12

13 Junior School Community Mental Health Week Dear parents, the PLC staff and students have recently celebrated Mental Health Week and the Counselling Department has organised several activities aimed at raising awareness about the importance of mental health for everyone. For this reason we are inviting you to think about what additional things you can do enhance your mental health and take care of yourselves. Some suggestions that are well documented include increasing exercise, getting good sleep, journaling gratitude or other life activities, engaging in meaningful activities, connecting to others, or enjoying a spiritual life. We hope you can enjoy this initiative as well. Quote for the day - Life is ten percent what you experience and ninety percent how you respond to it From the Counselling Department PLC Online Uniform Shop You can now order most uniform items from the PLC Online Uniform Shop. Please click on the link below to be taken to the online store, hosted by BigCommerce. When you have clicked on the above link, you will be able to log in or create your account. These links are found in the top right corner of the web page. After creating an account, when ordering you will need to: 1. Provide your billing address (i.e. your home address) 2. Nominate your preferred shipping address. (Items can be picked up from the Senior School, Junior School or ELC, or for an additional charge, posted to your home.) 3. Provide your credit card details via our secure NAB facility. (PLC does not receive or store your credit card details - this is handled entirely by the NAB.) Your privacy is important to us. Details of PLC s Privacy Policy can be found via the link at the bottom of website. PLC Newsletter 13

14 Community From the Director of ICT Wyse For some time, PLC has been investigating best practice in Australian schools regarding the provision of Information Communication Technology (ICT) services for parents, teachers and students. This investigation has been far reaching and involved receiving informal feedback from school stakeholders, assessing ICT services in other schools and developing requirements that would define ICT services which are equal to or better than that provided by any other school in the country. These requirements were investigated with suitable school ICT service providers to finally decide the mix of technologies that could deliver the school s goals. This is an ambitious project that will take several years to complete as new capabilities are rolled out over time. Nonetheless we expect to be able to offer some significant improvements for all users in Our new system will be called Wyse. This name was chosen as it honors the contributions of one of the school s early benefactors John Dickson Wyselaskie ( ) and it brings to mind the word wise which implies scholarly knowledge, good judgment and discretion, all of which are qualities we value and strive to nurture. Students and teachers will be the first to use Wyse from the start of It will replace the school s Intranet and attendance/absence systems and integrate with Google s G Suite for Education. Students and teachers will benefit from the way Wyse integrates with current and potential future cloud services such as the Clickview video steaming service and Microsoft Office 365. Parents will gradually gain access to Wyse during 2018 and can expect the following improvements: The ability to reset your own password An increasing use of electronic forms as we gradually replace paper forms. You can expect to see the school moving to electronic forms for things such as excursion notices, permission slips and codes of conduct. A greatly improved school calendar Targeted delivery of information that is relevant to you The ability to customise how you would like to receive notifications We expect, late in 2018, to be able to deliver a PLC Melbourne App for easy access to Wyse from ios and Android devices The on-line delivery of student academic reports You will be kept informed as Wyse is rolled out, initially through publications such as this but eventually through Wyse itself. When Wyse is launched for parents we will provide a Wyse pop-up help desk at major events including Information Nights and Parent Teacher Interview Evenings to assist you with any Wyse enquiries. Brenton Harty Director of ICT From the PLC Melbourne Archives Celebrate the legacy of former Staff and Students Opportunities to celebrate the legacy of former and current PLC Staff and Students abound in the PLC Melbourne Archive. A donation last week from Lexie Luly, Old Collegian (1940), Head of PLC Art ( ) and recent articles, including a feature article on Margaret Landvogt, PLC Head of Art ( ) in the Burwood Bulletin, Spring 2017 edition attest to contributions of staff within, and beyond, the campus. The PLC Melbourne Archive looks forward to hearing of and collecting stories of former staff and students. Please contact the PLC Archivist, jdyer@plc.vic.edu.au if you have some items to share. PLC Newsletter 14

15 Community Mrs Elaine Collin Farewell Concert EC MRS ELAINE COLLIN FAREWELL Mr Russell Walley, Chairman of the College Council, invites you to a Farewell Concert to celebrate the retirement of Mrs Elaine Collin, Principal of PLC, Saturday 2 December, 2.30pm to 4pm in the Performing Arts Centre, followed by a champagne high tea. To attend jwright@plc.vic.edu.au RSVP: Tuesday 21 November Mrs Elaine Collin Farewell Community Dinner EC MRS ELAINE COLLIN FAREWELL Mr Russell Walley, Chairman of College Council, and Dr Andrew McDonald, President of the PLC Foundation, invite you to a very special PLC Community Dinner to celebrate and thank Mrs Elaine Collin for her service as Principal of PLC, Saturday 25 November, 7pm to 10pm in the Performing Arts Centre. Cost: $55 Dress: Très élégant To attend visit TryBooking RSVP: Sunday 19 November PLC Newsletter 15

16 Community EC MRS ELAINE COLLIN FAREWELL A Farewell Gift for Mrs Elaine Collin After 11 outstanding years as Principal of PLC, Mrs Elaine Collin will be retiring at the end of As is the tradition of the College, we invite our entire PLC Community to make a voluntary contribution towards a retirement and farewell gift for Mrs Collin. If you would like to make a donation, please complete this form and return it to the Development Office, PLC, 141 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC I would like to donate $ towards the Farewell Gift for Mrs Elaine Collin. Please charge this amount to my Visa Mastercard Cardholder Name Expiry Date / Card No. / / / Signature Phone No. PLC Newsletter 16

17 Community HETHERSETT GROUP NOTICE OF 2017 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The Annual General meeting of the Hethersett Group will be held in the Hethersett House Conference Room on Friday 3 November at 8.15am The Hethersett Group is the longest established parent support body at PLC. The group s primary objectives are to support the College in all ways, to foster opportunities for friendship amongst parents, and to raise funds for projects in the Senior School. We welcome any Senior School parent to the committee who would like the opportunity to be more involved in school life. Meetings are held monthly at 8.15am on Fridays. NOMINATIONS To nominate please complete the form below and return to the Admin Office by Tuesday 31 October 2017.! Contact Hethersett Group Secretary Pushparani Paramarajah on or pushparani.paramarajah@gmail.com if you have any queries. The Hethersett Group Committee NOMINATION FORM Return to the Admin Office by Tuesday 31 October I propose (name of Nominee): Phone No: Mobile No: Daughter s Name and Form: For the position of: President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Proposed by: Seconded by: Date: Signed by Nominee as acceptance: PLC Newsletter 17

18 Community ANNUAL PLC CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON The Hethersett Group warmly invites all parents and friends from ELC, Junior School and Senior School to the Annual PLC Christmas Luncheon. Old Collegians and families are welcome. Come lets get together to celebrate, catch up and get into the Christmas spirit!!! Highlights Special Guest Speakers: Kate Stephens and Ade Djajamihardja Topic : Little Book of Hope. Kate Stephens is an Author, Company Director of A2K Media, Asia Film Distributor and Ex-PLC student. Raffle tickets gift vouchers and other prizes to be won Includes a selection of mains, side dishes, desserts, champagne and wine (Non-alcoholic beverages will also be served) Organise a group of friends (max. 8 per table) or allow us to seat you with your year level. Date: Friday, 17 th November 2017 Time: 11.30am for 12 noon start Venue: In the Marquees on PLC Croquet Lawn Tickets: $60 per person RSVP by 9am., 12 th November at or Enquiries: Ling Browne (President, Hethersett Group), M: or plchethersett@plc.vic.edu.au PLC Newsletter 18

19 Early Learning Centre Messages children give us through their symbol making. Stories, pictures, drawings, dancing, singing and playing are ways young children give meaning to their experiences and assist in helping them to figure out who they are in relation to the world and to each other. One of our roles as early childhood professionals is to foster children s lives as artists, authors and friends by providing children with opportunities to draw, dance, sing and play. When children are engaged in self directed experiences they are not copying their world but examining it through imaginative creations. They are manipulating their world to express ideas and feelings about it. As early childhood educators we provide the right environment for these investigations to occur. Rather than fixed worksheets and step-by-step instructions, we provide a room with play corners, dress ups, music, blank sheets of paper, crayons, paints, blocks and other constructive materials for children to invent their world. We teach them to think, not just to recite information, and we talk with children about their drawings and other symbol making efforts to help them reflect upon their processes. This is essential for lifelong learning and develops skills that help children understand themselves as learners and see others as learners also. Our goal is to understand and respond to the children in our care and to be comfortable with multiple perspectives. Literacy, numeracy, scientific thinking and philosophical, musical, artistic, emotional, social and physical intelligence are all there for us to see, if we value children s play, respect their ideas and help children feel good about themselves. The children s symbol making endeavours are windows to their thoughts and assist them in their efforts to read and write. Deborah Hendren Head of Early Learning PLC Newsletter 19

20 Early Learning Centre ELC Dates for the Diary Term 4 Tuesday 31 October PLC 2018 Prep children Transition Session in Junior School Wednesday 1 November Casual Clothes Day for Social Service (Kinder & Pre-Prep groups) Monday 6 November & Tuesday 7 November School & Centre closure for Melbourne Cup Monday 13 November Responsible Pet Program (Pre-Prep Balgonie group) Tuesday 14 November 2018 Kindergarten Parent Information Evening Wednesday 15 November 2018 Pre-Prep Parent Information Evening Pre-Prep Lunch Day Thursday 16 November PLC 2018 Prep children Transition Session in Junior School Thursday 16 November Animals on the Move Mobile Farm (Barra & Inverness groups) Friday 17 November Pre-Prep Sports Day (11am 12noon) Tuesday 21 November Responsible Pet Program (Pre-Prep Carnell & Glengarry groups) Wednesday 22 November ELC Family Picnic pm (All groups) Monday 27 November Christmas Concert (Kindergarten groups) Tuesday 28 November Christmas Concert (Pre-Prep groups) Tuesday 5 December The Runaway Christmas Tree show (All groups) Friday 8 December PLC School Term Program concludes at 12.30pm. Tuesday 19 December Final day for ELC children attending 48 Week Program PLC Newsletter 20