Links - Term 3 Week 5 Dear Friend of PLC From The International CaptainAs a languages learner, I have to admit that it is very difficult to learn a new language! I remember when I learnt how to speak English in China; I didn't think it was that difficult to be honest, but the first time I had to speak English in a foreign country, I really struggled. I asked myself...why? I finally found the reason later. Only knowing a few words and sentence structures is not enough. You have to know the culture of that language and this is what makes languages so amazing! It's like a treasure box; the more you learn, the more you find out about its culture. RespectAlong my learning journey, l have found that respecting every language is the basic rule that everyone should follow. There’s not a specific language that is superior to others - every language should be treated equally. ExtendDid you know that it is estimated that one language dies out every 14 days?! What can we do to stop this? We need to learn about it. It doesn't need to be a well-known language. You can ask your Indigenous friends or family members if they have a home-town language and learn from them. I know it might be hard during the process, but it's worth it. The joy that you get during this process will soon replace the difficulties that you’ve faced. There is a culture behind every language and there is hope behind every culture. That is the hope to achieve the extension of cultural context and inheritance. To those who are currently learning a language, I want to say a huge congratulations and thank you for “saving” that language! PLC Languages WeekNext week is Languages Week! There will be an International cuisine menu at the Junior and Senior School canteen all week, as well as lots of fun activities.
- Stella Chen, International Captain From Languages Teacher, Sue TredgetBuenos dias, bonjour, ni hao, buongiorno, apa kabar, guten tag, goei dag, bom dia, gode dag and g’day!Next week is Languages Week and how fitting that it coincides with the start of another great annual event this weekend, the Tour de France! The PLC Language Department shares a passion for languages both in our classrooms and in our lives beyond school. We come from a diverse mix of backgrounds and between us have lived and worked in many countries including China, Japan, England, Ireland, France, Spain, Bulgaria and the United States. Exploring other cultures and languages has brought us immense joy as well as opportunities to work, travel, make friends, forge connections and discover the world. Among the broader staff community at PLC, many languages and cultures are represented. For example, Geetha Nair speaks Malay; Philippa D’Sylva is of Belgian heritage and speaks French, while Simone Fleay is a former Head of Languages and Japanese teacher. Angelica Franco-Alvarez is Colombian and her first language is Spanish; Rev Manie is proficient in various languages, Anna Hu parla Italiano and Marlene Ong speaks Malay, Hokkien and Mandarin! Kshamta Trisal speaks Hindu, Urdu and other Indian dialects; Janine Nicholson, Allison Mackenzie and Doug de Kock speak Afrikaans while Bauke Snyman is an award winning Afrikaans playwright. The enormous cognitive benefits of second language learning and the impact it has on brain function are well documented. Bilingual children demonstrate greater creativity, cognitive development and divergent thinking than monolingual children. Learning a second language has also been shown to improve proficiency in one’s first language. Those who are competent in more than one language regularly outscore their peers in tests of both verbal and non-verbal intelligence. GraceGrace is a concept that is present in most of the world’s religions. In essence, it focusses on the Divine treating people differently to what they deserve – giving them another chance and an opportunity to make things right when they have not done the right thing. It encourages us to do the same as we interact with others. In addition to this, grace is a perspective that is larger than us and teaches us to appreciate our connectedness. Grace reduces the space between us as we deliberately overlook the negative and leverage the positive. It focusses more on what we share and less on the differences. May God’s grace enable us to live freely and encourage us to treat others with grace. - Rev Manie Strydom, Chaplain Senior School Free Dress DayFree Dress Day will be held tomorrow, Friday 28 August! The girls are invited to wear free dress in the theme of ‘a walk in the bush’, along with a touch of purple to acknowledge and support Wear it Purple Day which celebrates diversity and young people from the LGBTIQA+ community. Participating in Free Dress Days is optional. Students who wish to participate will need to have made the $10 contribution which covers all three Free Dress Days. Trybooking tickets are still available here for anyone who was unable to contribute in Term 1 or Term 2. Further information on the theme can be found here. Celebrating the World of BooksThis week’s Book Day and the parade were a joyful start to the week. The array of costumes was as diverse as our community and our students' reading interests. This day is one that is a real highlight of the school year. My thanks to Ms McGurk for so efficiently running the high-energy parade! Outdoor EducationOur Year 5s left for their Outdoor Education Programme yesterday. These students will be testing themselves against the programme, which is a great opportunity to experience success out of their comfort zones. We all know that pressing on, demonstrating grit and determination is a critical life skill that we all must develop if we are to experience success. It is when out of our comfort zone, whether at Outdoor Education or when facing a difficult mathematics problem, that those skills are so very important in moving us further. As parents, it can be difficult to see our children in these testing or trying times, however, we know it is important that they find the inner strength to overcome obstacles. Languages WeekNext week, we are celebrating Languages Week! The Junior School will host lots of fun activities including, The Masked International Singer Competition; French, Chinese and Egyptian cooking classes/tastings and an international lunch menu for the week. Menu choices will be available online through Flexischools from tomorrow afternoon. Orders can be placed over the weekend or prior to 8.00 am on the day of order. All orders must go through Flexischools so parents will need an active account. We look forward to celebrating all of the languages represented at PLC and sharing the importance of learning a second language next week! - Richard Wright, Head of Junior School Junior School Upcoming EventsJunior School Assembly - Years 1 to 6 (hosted by Year 3)Date: Tomorrow - Friday 28 August Languages WeekDates: 31 August - 4 September Chapel Years 3 to 6Date: Wednesday 2 September Fathers' Day BreakfastDate: Thursday 3 September Orientation Day - Current Year 6Date: Friday 4 September |