Dear friend of PLC Next week is set to be an emotional rollercoaster as we welcome back our Year 12 students from a week’s break to formally farewell them from school, welcome them as Old Collegians and wish them well for their upcoming exams. This is a week I find particularly tough; while it is wonderful to see how our girls have developed into accomplished, inspiring young women, there is a great sense of sadness as they leave us to venture onto the next chapter of their lives. This feeling is shared by staff and younger students alike, who have grown to see these girls as part of their extended family, the PLC family. In 2017 Goss and Sonnermann, from the
Grattan Institute, produced a paper titled Engaging Students: Creating classrooms that improve learning. The paper outlined what worked best in creating effective learning environments, including having high expectations, strong teacher-student relationships, clarity and structure in instruction, active learning opportunities, encouragement and praise, and consistent corrections and consequences. Out of all of the common approaches listed above, it is the strong teacher-student relationships that I believe truly sets PLC apart from other schools. This extends beyond teaching staff to every member of our community, students, parents, Old
Collegians and so on; creating a nurturing environment where each girl can flourish, but also where it’s difficult to say farewell. We wish our Class of 2017 all the very best for their upcoming exams. We also take this opportunity to thank them for their incredible contributions to the life of our School, and remind them that while exams are important, they will always be far, far more than a number to us; they’re family. Staff MovementsNeesha Flint It is with a sense of excitement and sadness that we congratulate Neesha Flint on being appointed as
Principal of Geraldton Grammar School, beginning at the start of 2018. Neesha has been at PLC for the past 13 and a half years and during her tenure has been Head of Senior School and more recently, Director of Learning. We thank Neesha for her significant contribution to PLC and wish her well for the exciting next chapter of her life. Mark Thomas Following 15 years of dedicated service to PLC, Mark Thomas has made the decision to stretch his wings and share his talents with the Wesley community. Mark begins his new position as Head of Arts – Performance in 2018. He has made an incredible contribution to music at PLC during his time with us, beginning as a Music teacher in 2002, and moving on to be appointed as Director of Music from 2005. Jason Boron Congratulations to Jason Boron who has successfully been promoted into the role of Head of Music at All Saints' College. Jason’s time at PLC dates back to 2012 and he has made a significant contribution to music at PLC, including integrating the Kodály philosophy and implementing the Music Everyday programme. Cathryn Sinclair Cathryn leaves us at the end of the year to accept a promotional position as the Head of English Department at Harrisdale Senior High School. This is a wonderful opportunity for Cathryn to further develop her skills as a curriculum leader. Cathryn has been with us at PLC since January 2015 and has contributed to the College as an
outstanding English teacher and, this year, as a Senior School Learning Co-ordinator. Adele Ribnick Adele Ribnick submitted her resignation at the end of last term and finished with us at the end of the holiday break. Adele has been an excellent psychologist and we thank her for her deep and caring commitment to the wellbeing of our girls. The Wellbeing Services team are taking over her cases. We wish her well as she pursues new opportunities. Welcome BackWe welcome back the following staff from leave:
Anne Smith, Philippa Roy, Graham Catley and Guin Murray. Baby newsCongratulations to Ali Franetovich, Rob Thomson and Buddy who welcomed twins Daisy and Lulu into their family on 27 August. Bianca and Simon Venturi welcomed Asher into their family on 31 August. Asher and Bianca hope to attend a number of the Year 12 events next week. - Dr Kate Hadwen, Principal
Thursday 12 OctoberLighthouse Event - Professor Lea Waters, 7.00 pm - 9.00 pm, Senior School Auditorium. Monday 16 OctoberYear 10 and Year 12 students return Parent Group Review Session, 6.00 pm - 8.00 pm, Senior School Auditorium. Book now Tuesday 17 OctoberParent Group Review Session, 8.30 am - 10.30 am, Senior School Auditorium. Book now Year 12 Final Assembly, 1.15 pm - 3.25 pm, Hugh Baird Sports Centre Parents' Committee Annual General Meeting, 7.30
pm, Scorgie House Boardroom. All parents are invited to attend. RSVP to cande@plc.wa.edu.au for catering purposes. Download the Agenda and Nomination form. Friday 27 OctoberOpen Garden Day, 10.00 am - 2.00 pm. Find out more. Senior School Orientation Day, 8.45 am - 3.00 pm, Senior School. Friday 10 NovemberPrincipal's Thank You Sundowner, 6.00 pm - 8.00 pm, PLC Quad. RSVP now Saturday 25 NovemberParents@PLC "Jingle and Mingle" Christmas Party, 7.00 pm - 12.00 am, Claremont Football Club, tickets $70 (includes cocktail food and live band), cash bar available. Book now Thursday 7 DecemberTerm 4 finishes (Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12), 1.00 pm
Some thoughts for this week: "Lord, make this world last as long as possible."
- Prayer of a young boy in Pakistan "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
- Martin Luther King "There is so much organised hate in the world, but there is also much organised love."
- Abie Sachs "Do you create or destroy?"
- Dag Hammarskjold "With people everywhere,
we affirm God’s goodness at the heart of humanity,
planted more deeply than all that is wrong."
- Iona Community daily prayer - Rev. Gary van Heerden
Arrowsmith ProgrammeIn keeping with PLC’s commitment to personalised learning, the differentiation of student programmes and the wellbeing of all our students, the Arrowsmith Programme was introduced in 2015 as a pilot programme in the Junior School. The Arrowsmith Programme is a Cognitive Programme in which students work on specific exercises, stimulating weak cognitive functions which are causing barriers to learning. Some of our Arrowsmith students have clear and specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia, auditory processing disorder, dyscalculia or ADHD to name a
few. Other students participate in Arrowsmith because both parents and teachers see that they are not achieving the level of academic success that we know they are cognitively capable of. We also have students who access Arrowsmith as an extension programme, extending their capacities to learn, focus, process and function in the classroom. Instead of teaching skills and concepts, the Arrowsmith Programme works to change the underlying capacity that is causing a student to not learn quickly and confidently. It is founded on neuroplastic principles, building and strengthening the neural pathways that make learning easy and automatic. After three years of running the Arrowsmith Programme in our Junior School, we have seen changes and
academic shifts in our students that are both astounding and exciting. Teachers and families have been impressed by the positive gains we have seen in our Arrowsmith students’ NAPLAN results from Year 3 to Year 5. Professionals world-wide are eagerly awaiting the publication of the peer-research that is being released at the end of 2017. Please visit the Arrowsmith website for more information about all aspects of the Arrowsmith Cognitive Programme. Sue Seeber, Co-ordinator of the Learning Enrichment Centre or Carey Bouwer, Co-ordinator of the Arrowsmith Programme are available to discuss how the programme runs in our school setting. Parents of current Arrowsmith students are also keen to share their journey with any parent who may be interested in a discussion. “I’m better at Maths than even the start of the year. I focus better in class. I can understand some hard, tricky stuff. I know how people are feeling, it helps me understand them. When I began Arrowsmith I was off track all the time, now I don’t look around and stop things all the
time.” Year 6 Arrowsmith student. “It’s made me more confident. I used to be really negative, I never used to look for the good in things, but now I do.” Year 5 Arrowsmith student. “I’ve been through the traditional ways of trying to help my son who is very similar to our Year 3 daughter. We put in a lot of hard effort and didn’t see the results we are seeing in her. I think every child deserves this opportunity. We have seen her confidence increase, her reading improve and she is more willing to take risks. I believe she is finally starting to realise the potential she has.” Year 3 Arrowsmith parent. - Louise Peyton, Head of Junior School
Junior School Colour Run - New DateWe have a new date for the PLC Junior School Colour Run. Date: Friday 3 November
Time: 4.30 pm for a 4.45 pm race start. Event will finish at 6.00 pm
Venue: PLC Senior School Oval
Cost: Parent $20, Child $15 (includes sausage sizzle). Book now. Thank you to everyone who has already registered - please retain your tickets to gain entry to the new date. All Junior School parents and children are invited. The afternoon includes the colour run, a sausage sizzle, drinks and Mr Whippy for the children. Over 200 Junior School community members are coming, so don’t be the ones to miss out on all the mess and fun! Please note, parents if you are unable to
run/participate in the event your child can still participate. Please purchase your child a ticket and come along to watch the fun or ensure another parent at the event can supervise your child. Download the Information Sheet.
Innovation & STEM Co-curricular Term 4Tuesday
Minecraft in the Senior Library and Innovation Centre (Year 5 and above)This term we continue the challenges of working in teams to solve problems in Minecraft and foster cooperation. In Minecraft Club, we experiment with different situations and learn from our mistakes to enhance our experiential education. We design new structures, settings from novels, and learn the importance of working together whilst in survival mode. Minecraft Club meets every Tuesday in the Senior School Library straight after school and we finish at 4.30 pm. Wednesday
Coding in the Junior Library and Innovation Centre (Years 3 - 6)With coding being the language of the 21st Century, all students are living in a digital world where computer programmes underlie many things we do. The Coding Club looks at many different types of coding. We work in teams to create coding solutions to problems that we may face at school. We meet every Wednesday in the Junior School Library straight after school and we finish at 4.30 pm. Thursday
Robotics in the Senior Library and Innovation Centre (Year 5 and above)Robotics Club meets every Thursday afternoon to prepare for the Robo Cup Junior Competition. We challenge ourselves by directing a robot to complete several tasks autonomously. This includes following a line, moving around stationary objects, and rescuing objects. The Robotics Club also choreographs dance ensembles for the robot to perform. Students are always welcome to join and no experience is required. Robotics Club finishes at 4.30 pm. Sign up to any of the STEM co-curricular opportunities here.
JUNIOR SCHOOL KEY EVENTSTerm 4 Week 2 Parent BulletinDownload the Latest Parent Bulletin Chapel (Years 3 - 6)Date: Monday 16 October
Time: 8.35 am - 9.00 am
Venue: Heather Barr Memorial Chapel Inter-House Athletics Carnival (Years 1 - 6)Date: Friday 20 October
Time: 9.00 am - 2.00 pm
Venue: McGillivray Oval Years 5 - 6 JIGSSA Athletics CarnivalDate: Monday 23 October
Time: 9.00 am - 2.00 pm
Venue: WA Athletics Stadium Year 4 JIGSSA Athletics CarnivalDate: Wednesday 25 October
Time: 9.00 am - 2.00 pm
Venue: St Hilda's Senior School Orientation Day (current Year 6s)Date: Friday 27 October
Time: 8.45 am - 3.00 pm
Venue: PLC Senior School Junior School Colour Run (new date)Time: 4.30 pm for a 4.45 pm race start. Event will finish at 6.00 pm
Venue: PLC Senior School Oval
Cost: Parent $20, Child $15 (includes sausage sizzle). Book now.
Thank you to everyone who has already registered - please retain your tickets to gain entry to the new date. Pre-Primary Nativity (save the date)Date: Wednesday 22 November
Time: 9.00 am - 10.30 am
From the Head of Senior School A recent survey of young people between the ages of six and 18 revealed what they are most concerned about and showed how these worries change over time. Not surprisingly, in a world full of uncertainty, it appears that childhood may not be the carefree experience it was for many of us. In fact, 73 percent of young people worry about their futures. Girls over the age of seven worry about bullying but as they get older, this is overtaken by concerns about body image with 75 percent of girls aged between 14 and 15 indicating this was a concern for them. Not surprising either, with the influence that the media and high profile role models have on young people today. Who girls go to for support changes with their age as well. Up until the age of nine, parents are the favoured ‘go to’ but after this time, friends become crucially important. Sadly, around a third of teenagers said they would not talk to anyone about their worries. You can read the full, interactive article on the survey here. This information supports a programme that we are planning on implementing next year for our Year 9s. Our Peer Skills programme, which will be part of our Everest Leadership programme is designed to equip the girls with skills to listen carefully and help their friends who seek their advice. It also equips young people to know when and who to refer to in situations they feel they are unable to manage. I thought I would just let you know that I will be taking some Long Service Leave commencing Monday 23 October and returning to work on Monday 13 November. Neesha Flint will act in the position during this time. Your
daughter’s Year Co-ordinators will, of course, remain your first point of contact for any pastoral concerns. I will look forward to resuming my connections with the girls and parents on my return. - Sharon Anderson, Head of Senior School
Student AchievementsCongratulations to Chloe Fleay (Year 7) who has been selected to be a Ball Kid for the Hopman Cup this summer.
PLC Old Collegians’ Association BursariesEvery year the PLC Old Collegians’ Association Inc awards three bursaries. The Olive Cusack Bursary: This bursary recognises a boarding daughter or grand-daughter of an Old Collegian in Year 9 for Year 10. The Dr Vera Summers Bursary: This bursary is awarded to a daughter or grand-daughter of an Old Collegian in Year 10 for Year 11. The Heather Barr Memorial Bursary: This bursary recognises participation and contribution to
PLC and is awarded to “the girl entering Year 12 who most clearly displays the qualities which reflect the principles espoused by Miss Barr”. Each award recipient will receive $5,000 towards tuition fees. Applications close: Tuesday 17 October, at 3.25 pm Visit the website for full details and application forms.
Outdoor Education Co-curricular Term 4Term 4 Outdoor Education co-curricular activities start in Week 2. Classes should have already appeared on each student’s timetables. Please refer to the information letter for activity times as the timetable may be inaccurate. If you feel there has been an enrolment error please advise outdoored@plc.wa.edu.au. Late enrolments are still being accepted in most activities. To check availability or download the information letter, which includes the enrolment form,
please see the Co-curricular page. There is always a little bit of movement at the start of term as girls finalise what sporting teams they are in. If your daughter can no longer attend her activity please advise outdoored@plc.wa.edu.au as soon as possible as there are some girls on waiting lists for certain activities.
Art Club Co-Curricular Term 4 (Years 7 - 9)The Visual Arts Department is offering Art Club after-school co-curricular classes in Term 4 to students in Years 7, 8 and 9. In this class, students will have the opportunity to explore the mediums of drawing and printmaking. Day: Tuesdays
Time: 3.30 pm - 5.00 pm
Teacher: Hildegarde Apel
Classes: Seven weeks commencing 17 October
Programme: Creating a three-colour lino print featuring native flowers. The print could be turned into a framed artwork or used as Christmas cards.
Class size: 18 students maximum
Cost: $50 If your daughter is interested in taking part in this course, please print the permission slip, complete the details and return it to View Street Reception or email the signed permission form to hilde.apel@plc.wa.edu.au by Monday 16 October.
Innovation & STEM Co-curricular Term 4Tuesday
Minecraft in the Senior Library and Innovation Centre (Year 5 and above)This term, we continue the challenges of working in teams to solve problems in Minecraft and foster cooperation. In Minecraft Club, we experiment with different situations and learn from our mistakes to enhance our experiential education. We design new structures, settings from novels, and learn the importance of working together whilst in survival mode. Minecraft Club meets every Tuesday in the Senior School Library straight after school and we finish at 4.30 pm. Wednesday
Electronics in the Senior Library and Innovation Centre (Year 7 and above)Love + Fashion + Technology = Wearable Electronics Come and have fun designing and applying your own wearable electronics! We will learn how to apply the components to garments, code it and let it shine! Starting Wednesday 18 October 3.45 pm in the Senior Library and Innovation Centre, Discovery Room. This co-curricular activity will take the students through a project where they will design their own pattern and sketch it into the fabric and then apply the electronic components to suit the intended design on the garment. They will learn about: - Micro-controllers.
- How to apply the parts to the garments.
- How to upload code to the micro-controller.
- How to manipulate and personalise the code to set the desired visual outcomes.
Thursday
Robotics in the Senior Library and Innovation Centre (Year 5 and above)Robotics Club meets every Thursday afternoon to prepare for the Robo Cup Junior Competition. We challenge ourselves by directing a robot to complete several tasks autonomously. This includes following a line, moving around stationary objects, and rescuing objects. The Robotics Club also choreographs dance ensembles for the robot to perform. Students are always welcome to join and no experience is required. Robotics Club finishes at 4.30 pm. Sign up to any of the STEM co-curricular activities here.
Community & Service Learning
Sportslink - Term 4 Co-curricular Years 10 - 11Sportslink is an inclusive programme designed to teach basic sports skills and confidence to children with disabilities from 7 – 12 years of age. The service focus of this Term 4 Co-curricular programme for our Year 10 and 11 girls is in helping young children with disabilities. Student volunteers will work with participants to: - Have fun.
- Develop motor and sport skills.
- Develop friendships.
- Provide a positive opportunity to engage in physical activity.
- Make a transition to community sporting groups.
Permission slips are available from Wellbeing Services or online here. Also, if you know any local children with disabilities who may be interested in joining the programme, please share the flyer with their parents. Tangoroa Blue Beach Clean up this WeekendMarine debris, in particular plastic, is one of today's major environmental challenges. Please help us be part of the solution by joining the Tangoroa Blue Beach Clean Up on Saturday 14 October 8.30 am to 10.30 am at Cottesloe or join the Cottesloe Coastcare group on Sunday 15 October 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm at South Cottesloe. Click here for further details.
Career NewsThe latest edition of Career News is filled with loads of interesting information on everything from Universities, TAFE, Colleges and transitioning to tertiary education, to study hacks and careers quizzes.
On Sunday we conducted the ABC@PLC orientation and we were lucky to have some of our current Year 7 girls helping out. For more Boarding House news and photos download Boarding House news below.
SENIOR SCHOOL KEY EVENTSPLC OCA Bursary Applications CloseDate: Tuesday 17 October, 3.25 pm. Details here Year 12 Final AssemblyDate: Tuesday 17 October
Time: 1.15 pm - 3.25 pm
Venue: Hugh Baird Sports Centre Year 12 Valedictory Service and DinnerDate: Thursday 19 October
Time: 6.00 pm - Service commences
Venue: Junior School Swim & Recreation Centre and Hugh Baird Sports Centre 2018 Prefects Induction Service Date: Friday 20 October
Time: 8.30 am - 9.30 am
Venue: Junior School Swim & Recreation Centre
PLC community are welcome to attend this event. Senior School Speech NightDate: Thursday 7 December
Time: 6.00 pm - 9.00 pm
Venue: HBF Stadium. More details to be sent in Term 4.
Open Garden Day - Volunteers needed!Volunteers are an essential part of Open Garden Day - without the support of many PLC parents, the event would not be a success.
Helping with all aspects of the event, from the café to the marketplace, to the gardens, there are various roles and shift times available.
We will endeavour to roster parents with children in the same year groups together so that you can volunteer alongside parents from the same cohort.
By donating your time to assist at Open Garden Day, you will also gain free entry to the gardens before and after your shift.
Register to volunteer now
Help us Bake!
1) Café Cakes Bakers are needed to help bake delicious treats for the café and market stall, so if you love to bake this is the role for you!
A recipe will be provided and a cake board can be collected from the Boarding House the week before Open Garden Day. Completed cakes should be dropped at the Boarding House on Thursday 26 October. Please email Kristen Kestell on kkestell@me.com if you can help.
2) Cupcake Market Stall We need your help to fill our cupcake market stall. Donations of any homemade cupcakes are very welcome – we can provide you with a recipe or you can use your family favourite! Please email Kristen Kestell on kkestell@me.com if you can help.
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