From the Principal

Reflection on harassment and violence – education and action for a better world

I was reflecting over the weekend that our school is the calmest and most tranquil school in which I have worked. Our classrooms are quiet, our teachers speak, don’t shout and our students are respectful, kind, caring and thoughtful, about both themselves and others. Exceptions happen but they are few and generally very low key. This is a far cry from schools of the past and shows that our community is both a caring one and reflects the environment we would like our young people to find when they leave us to move out into the world.

In sombre contrast to this are the recent media reports of social media used to demean women, the abhorrent rise of ‘one punch’ street violence and repeated violence against women. These behaviours are saddening elements of our modern life and while they provide an enormous contrast to the culture of our school, we need to ensure that our students take our culture out to the world and not accept those anti-social elements of modern culture. To sustain the values and behaviours we see from our students on a day to day basis, we must be clear on our position on such behaviours – they are just not acceptable, not at Tintern, not anywhere.

Sadly, it is difficult to see anti-social behaviour in society disappearing in the near future. This means we must be even more committed to building and sustaining a steadfastness in our young men and women that all forms of violence are unacceptable in schools and in homes and as communities we need to tackle this together. Cyber violence and harassment is one of the most significant challenges of our modern times and physical violence is an absolute blight on our society. With our students, we will continue to reinforce that it will not solve their problems, and that ‘right through might’ is not accepted in our, or any, healthy community. In our school, cyber or physical violence must continue to be absolutely unacceptable.

The twin aims of schools are learning and growth. Older or younger, we all make mistakes and good schools are places where we help and support our young people to learn from mistakes and become better people through that learning. We need to be able to find the heart to understand and forgive them when their reflections are accompanied by acknowledgment of mistake and a commitment to do better in the future.

At Tintern, we will continue to be philosophically guided by our Tintern Compass while we deliver, review and improve our in and out of class programs in all areas of the school that educate our community’s online and ‘offline’ behaviour and citizenship. We are committed to fostering in our students an understanding of and a commitment to being a good community member online as well as in person.

These are significant challenges for schools. We must scaffold understanding and skills to support the attributes of appreciation of others and self-awareness that our students possess and at the same time we need to strike a balance between understanding and forgiveness and consistent reinforcement of the unacceptability of anti-social or violent behaviour. As a community we must promote more effective, more contemporary and less primitive ways to solve problems and disputes than resorting to any form of violence.

Factis non Verbis

Bradley Fry
Principal

Please view the Video Blog below from our Principal, Mr Bradley Fry.

Music Matters

Singing Soirée

The Singing Soirée was held in the Kelson Room on Thursday 11 August. Students from Year 7 to 12 demonstrated their solo vocal abilities at this annual event. We heard a variety of songs ranging from pieces of the Baroque Period to Broadway, some pop songs and others from Musical Theatre. It was extremely pleasing to see students from all year levels participating in this concert and it was also a fantastic opportunity for them to perform solo in front of a supportive crowd. We would like to thank Ms Bortolussi and Mrs Plumridge for helping to organise this concert and Mrs Clementson for taking the time to rehearse with each performer and accompany them during their performance. It was a wonderful experience for both performers and listeners.

by Alison Yang, Year 12

A Cappella Workshops with the Senior Girls Chamber Choir

The Senior Girls Chamber Choir enjoyed two very special performances and workshops with a local Barbershop Quartet from the East City Sound Chorus. Lyn Barker, Sarah Glass (past parent), Kim Paleg and Joan Schofield performed several of their four part a cappella songs before teaching the chamber choir two works when they visited Tintern Grammar on Friday 29 July and 5 August. Singing in the Barbershop style is a very different experience but our visitors were most impressed with the Chamber choir’s skills in quickly learning music by ear and singing such close harmonies in tune. The quartet also shared some very effective breathing and pitch exercises. It was challenging for our altos, in particular, to sing their part as they took the bass part and had to extend their range downward. We are very excited to announce that the East City Sound Quartet will return to perform at our Choral Concert on Wednesday 14 September. They will sing a bracket of their own music as well as joining our girls in their rendition of the songs learnt at the workshops.

VCE Piano Student, Justin Rocio, takes out 2^nd place at the Melbourne International Music Competition!

Year 12 VCE piano student, Justin Rocio, recently competed in the Youth Category at the Melbourne International Music Competition (Piano) held at Deakin Edge, Federation Square. He performed No. 151 from Mikrokosmos, Vol. 6 by Béla Bartók to gain confidence in performing in public and to practise for his upcoming Solo Performance Recital in Term 4. Imagine just how delighted Justin, his teacher and family were to hear the results and to learn that he was awarded second prize in the category. Congratulations Justin!

Link to Justin Rocio’s Performance at the Melbourne International Music Competition: https://youtu.be/5fdTiTd2E-s

 by Anne Bortolussi, Acting Director of Music

Save

Save

Save

Save

Sport Matters

EISM Winter Finals 2016

Congratulations to our Senior Girls Netball A and Senior Girls Soccer teams who made it through to EISM grand finals last week. Both teams played extremely well on the day but were unfortunately pipped at the post by equally determined opposition. Our Netball A team lost to Aquinas 44-31 and our Soccer team lost to Mt Scopus 1-0. Well done to both teams for their wonderful contribution throughout the season and congratulations to all teams who competed in Winter sport teams this year.

Community Matters

Tintern Grammar Fair 22 April 2017

The Tintern Fair Committee are keen to hear from any members of our community who may be able to help with the following.

Raffle Prizes

• Our Major Raffle generally has 4 to 5 prizes, ranging anywhere from $500 to a first prize valued around $10,000.
• Some ideas might be House appliance packages, holiday destinations, or maybe you can offer a great deal on a new car?
• Participating donators receive exposure to our entire school community and beyond

Sponsorship

• Sponsorship makes a great advertising opportunity for your business! 
• We offer a range of levels of sponsorship, with sponsors receiving recognition of their contribution in a variety of ways.
• The earlier sponsorship is received, the longer we can promote your business for!

Stall Coordinators

• Were you a wonderful Stall Coordinator last time and are keen to put your skills to work again?
• Do you have a specific stall you would like to lead?
• Are you eager to role model to your children that we can all make a difference?
• The primary responsibility of a Stall Coordinator is to put together a roster of helpers for Fair Day.
• Each Stall Coordinator receives an information pack to help them
• You will be helping to make our Fair Day a huge success.  Thankyou!

If you can help in any of these ways, or perhaps with other ideas, please get in contact with our Fair Committee via email to Fair@Tintern.vic.edu.au or call our Fair Convenor, Amanda McKenzie on 0419 313 279.

 Fair Logo Competition

              2017 Fair Logo
             COMPETITION

The Tintern Grammar Fair Committee is offering a $50 Cash Prize for the student who designs the best logo for the 2017 Tintern Grammar Fair. All students are invited and encouraged to submit their logo design(s). The closing date for the competition is Wednesday 31 August 2016. The hand drawn or computer generated logo should be eye-catching, uncluttered, and must include the following information:

• The words “Tintern Grammar” & “Fair”
• The date “22 APRIL 2017”
• A reference to Tintern celebrating 140 years

Keep in mind the logo will be printed in various sizes from as small as 3cm diameter to as large as 20cm diameter, so scalability of design will be a consideration.

Designs should be submitted to the Fair Committee:

With File Format JPG, PNG or BMP
In a CIRCULAR shape
Of Approximate Resolution 1000x1000pixels
Sent by Email to fair@tintern.vic.edu.au
Please include Student Name & Year Level with your submission

No later than 3pm on Wednesday 31 August 2016.

The winner will be selected at a Tintern Grammar Fair Committee Meeting in early September.

Fancy owning a piece of Tintern’s Musical History?

We are continuing to collect expressions of interest for our decommissioned Tintern and Southwood Music Banners. There are a limited number of banners (approximately 30 of each) available at a cost of $50 each. All funds raised will go to the Tintern Grammar Friends of Music who, in turn, support the ongoing work of the Music Departments across the school. Expressions of Interest (EOI) are called for the purchase of these items. EOI close on 16 September. Should EOI outnumber the banners available, a ballot draw of successful bidders will be held at the Friends of Music Meeting on 11 October and successful bidders will be contacted and published in ‘Aspectus’ and on the School portal. To lodge your EOI, please email the Community Relations Office communityrelations@tintern.vic.edu.au, giving your name and contact details, and nominating which banner you would like to purchase (Tintern or Southwood). All Expressions of Interest inquiries to 9845 7877.

FOYF Spring Celebration Friday 2 September 3pm – 7pm at the farm

Only 2 weeks to go for our Friends of Young Farmers annual Spring Celebration on Friday 2 September from 3pm to 7pm. Our FOYF invite you to come to the farm and pat the lambs, inspect the vegies and admire the chooks. Enjoy a free sausage sizzle and toast marshmallows on the bonfire, or purchase a drink or cake (all proceeds to FOYF). For catering purposes please RSVP by Wednesday 31 August to Cath Forbes, Secretary Friends of Young Farmers rcforbes@ozemail.com.au or communityrelations@tintern.vic.edu.au. Park in the bus bay or bush carpark then take a leisurely stroll through our beautiful bushland to the farm. All the details can be downloaded through this link

FOYF Spring Celebration Raffles
4 Wonderful Hampers to be won at the Spring Celebration

Tickets are available at reception or on the day at the farm.
Tickets $2 each or 3 for $5.

“Cuppa and A Chat”

4 Beautiful Bird Mugs
Fabulous Foods Lemon and Coconut Cookies
Fabulous Foods English Breakfast Tea Bags
Fabulous Foods Ginger Black Tea Bags
Morgan and Finch Tea Towel
Cocktail Napkins & A Mother and Daughter Book

“Share With Family”

Maxwell & Williams white platter
2 Bottles of Yarra Peaks Wine
2 Bottles of Red Hill Spice Girls Rub
2 Pkts of Australian Sweets company lollies
1 Bottle of Delicious Caramel Dessert Sauce
1 pkt of Chocolate Coated Freeze Dried Strawberries
Ricci’s Soyaza Sauce (amazing!)
Cocktail Napkins
Morgan & Finch Tea Towel
2 Inspirational Quotes Books
& Don’t forget the yummy Cherry Rocky Road

“Wine Indulgence”

2 Bottles of Yarra Peaks Wine
A Block of Wine infused Dark Chocolate
Cocktail Napkins
A book of Love quotes
6 Placemats

‘Share with Friends”

2 Bottles of Yarra Peaks Wine
Onion Jam from Yarra Valley
Cape Schanck Olive Oil
Zac and Jac’s Dukkah
Ricci’s Bikkies
Victorian Kalamata Olives
Morgan & Finch Tea Towel and dipping dishes
Inspirational Quotes Book
& a Large Platter

An enormous thank you to all those who have contributed to these Hampers.

2016 Garden Tour save the date Friday 21 October 2016

The 2016 Spring Garden tour will once again be running on Friday 21 October – mark this date in your calendars now. We are seeking ‘Garden’ type donations from our community for our famous ‘Bus Raffle’. Please contact the Community Relations office if you can donate goods or would like to assist our volunteer coordinator, Lisa Vecchio.

5 Year Reunion for YG 2011

Graduates from our 2011 Year group met up at ‘Beer DeLuxe’ in Federation Square for their 5 Year reunion on Saturday 13 August. They were joined by past and current staff and even one of their mums turned up! A good time was had by all.

Entertainment book 2016/2017 Still available!

The Tintern Parent Group continue to offer Book and Digital Memberships for the 2016 | 2017 Entertainment books. 20% of all sales goes towards their fundraising goal to put back into Tintern Grammar; please remember to forward this link to all your family and friends! Payments can be made online or you can download the order form here return to the Community Relations office and collect your book.  For more information please refer to the community news on the Tintern portal or contact the Community Relations Office or you can click here to have a look at what is inside. Thank you for your ongoing support.

Community Committee dates

• Tintern Parent Group (TPG) – Next meeting: Thursday 8 September 7.30pm CM Wood Common Room President: Loraine Allender
• Friends of Music (FOM) – Next Meeting: Tuesday 11 October 7.00pm CM Wood Common room President: Tim Oldmeadow
• Friends of Young Farmers (FOYF) – Next meeting: Tuesday 4 October 7.30pm Kennedy Cottage, Community services. President: Joy Ashfield              
• Friends of Equestrian (FOE) – Next Meeting: Tuesday 30 August 7.30pm Kennedy Cottage, Community services. President: Gabby McCallum

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

News for Boys’ Middle School

We are well over half way into Term 3 and I’m not sure if it’s just wishful thinking, but I feel the warmer weather approaching. The days are getting just that little bit longer and the temperature is almost challenging the 20 degree mark – fingers crossed.

The Olympics have no doubt been a big part of your household – almost unavoidable with it all over the TV, newspapers, tablets, etc. There have been some wonderful stories of success and triumph, and not necessarily resulting in receiving a medal, but stories of hard work, discipline and effort – a key message to our boys that success doesn’t always mean standing up on the dais receiving formal recognition but can often mean achieving a goal one has set oneself.

There have been examples of this with some of our own boys in recent times, such as Jake Richardson of Year 8 who recently represented Victoria in the National Karate Championships in the Under 55kg Kumite Division. Jake performed exceptionally well throughout the competition and finished up in third position taking out the bronze medal – well done Jake.

Mitchell Snowball in Year 7 recently competed in the Victorian Schools Cycling Competition in the Under 15s Mountain Biking down at Dromana. In quite a large field Mitchell performed exceptionally well to also finish in 3rd position behind two boys quite a bit older than him. A great effort by Mitchell.

For many boys sport is not their area of strength, for them it might be academics, music or art. The performing arts is a real strength of our school and right at this very moment our boys and girls are auditioning for next year’s musical – Hairspray. The school musical is always something I encourage a lot of boys to get involved in as it provides them with a fantastic opportunity to develop in areas such as confidence and commitment, as well as providing them with a wonderful opportunity to make new friends across both boys and girls and from Year 7 to Year 12.

I need to apologise for the misprint of the author of the article regarding Poetry in Action in an earlier edition of Aspectus. The article was kindly written by Jac Bellfinch of Year 8. Sorry for the omission Jac.

Jac Bellfinch Article

Laura Dreissen Article

ELC Olympics – a great success!

Last week the ELC children enjoyed the ELC Olympics. Over the past few weeks both staff and children have worked hard to prepare for this event. The Olympics have provided many learning experiences covering a wide range of teaching points. Preparatory discussions have included the many and varied Olympic sports, healthy eating, staying hydrated, getting a good night’s sleep, training hard, striving to do the best you can do, being a good winner and coping with disappointment.

This final point was perhaps the most pertinent for our young learners. It was a conscious decision for us as educators to offer 1st, 2nd and 3rd placing rather than giving a medal to all children as is so often the way these days. We did not take this decision lightly and knew that for this to be a success much work was required. For the 4 weeks leading up to the event, educators and children engaged in many discussions about attitude and effort, the importance of trying your best and enjoying yourself, and how to be strong and resilient in the face of disappointment. The children also helped each other learn about what to do when you don’t win and the importance of shaking hands and saying ‘good game!’. As a group of educators we were so proud of the 70 children who not only showed pride and joy in their own experience, but came together as a group of respectful young people to celebrate the success of others.

Preparing for the ELC Olympics and learning about the country they represented also enabled conversations about the wider world in which we are all a part; that being a member of a community is something to be celebrated, as are the similarities and differences between those communities. We will continue exploring these themes throughout Term 3 and into Term 4.

All in all, the 2016 Olympics has been an exciting time! Thank you the parents who helped out and came to watch and cheer- we were so happy and impressed with the large turnout. For more photos please see the ELC portal page.

by Wendy Oates and Amanda Cooke (ELC Coordinator)

Pre-Prep Teachers

Our very own Olympics!

While most people around the world believe that they can only see the Olympics by watching television, going on the Internet or even visiting Rio, they are mistaken!  Here at Tintern we celebrated our very own Olympic Games last Friday. One could imagine that the ancient Greek athletes were pure in mind and body, that they trained and competed for no other reason than the love of physical exercise and fair competition. Our students participated in this same spirit with all our girls/boys enjoying just having a go. The Olympic creed which states:  “… the most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part …” was reflected throughout the whole day.

While the International Olympic Committee was founded in 1894 on the initiative of a French nobleman, Pierre Fredy, Baron de Coubertin, our Olympic Committee, founded in June 2016, consisted of Mrs Hudgell, Mr Viney, Ms Green , Ms Dang, Mrs Agius and Mrs Gluskie. Many weeks of planning resulted in a wonderful day, consisting of an opening ceremony, a special lighting of the cauldron, a rotation of sporting events , and an afternoon fun events with the Junior School boys. The day was all completed by a medal ceremony where Somner House was awarded a medal for the ‘Best House Spirit’.  

The five inter-connected rings of the official Olympic flag symbolise the five main continents and the friendship between them gained by participating in the Olympics. Perhaps we could be bold enough to say that our five school houses which participated represented the five continents of the world.

The Opening ceremony was magical.  It consisted of all students from Prep to Year 6 and a contingent of parents supporting the girls. The ceremony was beautifully led by Year 6 school leaders who did a marvellous job as the MCs. In the spirit of Australia we also sang ‘We are Australian’.

There is 28 sports at the Rio Olympics and about 300 events.  For us, we celebrated 5 sports (wonderfully devised by our Olympic committee) and about 12 events over the day. This was a terrific achievement for all our girls/boys and was expertly run by our teaching staff.

Our memories of this day will last a long time, perhaps a lifetime.

News from the Library

Book Week

An important highlight during term three is Book Week. This year’s theme is Australia! Story Country and students have been listening to each of the short-listed Early Childhood books as part of library lessons this term. As part of the activities planned for Book Week, on Tuesday, 23rd August all Prep – Year 6 Junior School girls will have the opportunity to attend a 60minute session with author/illustrator Adam Wallace.

 On this day ELC students and Prep-Year 6 girls are invited to dress as their favourite character, author or book genre.

An opportunity will be provided on the Thursday in Book Week for weekly library borrowing and all Prep-Year 6 students are encouraged to bring their library bag on this day.

Victorian Premiers Reading Challenge

In Term 2 all students were enrolled in the Victorian Premiers Reading Challenge, a state-wide initiative to encourage school students to engage and read a wide variety of books. Books which students read on their own or have read to them can be included in their final list (30 books for Prep – Year 2, 15 books for Year 3-6). The program concludes at the end of term 3 and certificates are issued by the Victorian State Government in term 4. Students from Year 1- 6 are encouraged to go online and enter books to their individual list of challenge and choice books. All students have the log in details, username and password in their Library book in Book Creator and Year 1 and 2 students have also received a sticker with these details in the back of their diaries. Tintern Libraries also has a copy of the username and password for each student if parents and/or students have any difficulty logging in.

Tintern Libraries Libraries@tintern.vic.edu.au

by Karen Worland, Junior School Library Teacher

News from the Library

Book Week

An important highlight during term three is Book Week. This year’s theme is Australia! Story Country and students have been listening to each of the short-listed Early Childhood books as part of library lessons this term. As part of the activities planned for Book Week, on Tuesday, 23rd August all Prep – Year 6 Junior School girls will have the opportunity to attend a 60minute session with author/illustrator Adam Wallace.

On this day ELC students and Prep-Year 6 girls are invited to dress as their favourite character, author or book genre.

An opportunity will be provided on the Thursday in Book Week for weekly library borrowing and all Prep-Year 6 students are encouraged to bring their library bag on this day.

Victorian Premiers Reading Challenge

In Term 2 all students were enrolled in the Victorian Premiers Reading Challenge, a state-wide initiative to encourage school students to engage and read a wide variety of books. Books which students read on their own or have read to them can be included in their final list (30 books for Prep – Year 2, 15 books for Year 3-6). The program concludes at the end of term 3 and certificates are issued by the Victorian State Government in term 4. Students from Year 1- 6 are encouraged to go online and enter books to their individual list of challenge and choice books. All students have the log in details, username and password in their Library book in Book Creator and Year 1 and 2 students have also received a sticker with these details in the back of their diaries. Tintern Libraries also has a copy of the username and password for each student if parents and/or students have any difficulty logging in.

Tintern Libraries Libraries@tintern.vic.edu.au 

by Karen Worland, Junior School Library Teacher

ICAS Science Results 2016

In the ICAS Science competition this year 6 High Distinctions and 22 Distinctions were awarded to students at Tintern Grammar. These certificates were presented in assembly on Friday, August 19th.

In an exciting development, we have a student who has won an ICAS medal. Oscar De Jong has gained a perfect score in the Year 7 ICAS Science competition and will be presented with his ICAS medal at a public ceremony later this year. This is a great achievement and we would like to congratulate Oscar whole heartedly.

The Science department awards a medallion for academic excellence to the girl and boy who achieved the highest result in each year level. This year the following students gained the medallion: in Year 7 Freya Bryson and Oscar De Jong; in Year 8 Ashleigh Dowling and Jac Bellfinch; in Year 9 Nicolani Susanto and Jared Nottle. Congratulations to all of these students for their wonderful efforts in Science and especially to Nicolani Susanto who has been the top girl in her year level for three years in a row and to Ashleigh Dowling who has been the top girl in her year level for the second year in a row.

Below is a list of all Distinction and High Distinction winners in Years 7 to 9 this year.

Maths Talent Quest (MTQ) 2016: Tintern does it again!

I am delighted to let you know that two of our entries have been selected for the National MTQ. Like last year, we are the only secondary school in Victoria to have two finalists! Best Year 8 in Victoria: Ashleigh Dowling for her investigation titled ‘The Tesseract’ including a model. Best Year 9 in Victoria: Eddie Yu for his story ‘Mathematical Thinking and it’s Limits’ including circle theorems and logic puzzles. 12 Tintern students entered the State MTQ. The process started early in Term 1 and the students have worked hard independently or in teams to investigate a mathematical project of their choosing. It is an excellent learning opportunity and great practice for IB, which requires students to do a mathematical project.

by Julie Tillyer, Teacher of Mathematics

Tournament of Minds

Tournament of Minds (TOM) is offered as a Co-curricular event at Tintern Grammar. TOM is an enriching and rewarding opportunity which stretches the mind, encourages creativity and involves commitment and team-work. Students prepare a Long-Term Challenge (this year’s team chose the Language Literature Challenge) and also complete a Spontaneous Challenge which tests the team’s efficiency under time restrictions. Teams use various performance skills such as comical accents, props, costumes, humour and even poetry to present their solution to the challenge. Our performance was at Mount Lilydale Mercy College on Saturday 20 August and all the team members (Lachlan Bastin, Alice Church, Milly Kenny, James Manson, Brayden Stokes, Ella Watts and Holly Whitfield) are to be congratulated for their efforts in working diligently on TOM, in what is already a very busy timetable.

By Anthea Watkins – Horizon Co-ordinator

How to increase your marks by Andrew Fuller

Please click on the link below to read about how to increase your marks by Andrew Fuller.

how to increase your marks

The University of Melbourne/Department of Mathematics and Statistics School Mathematics Competition

The University of Melbourne School Mathematics Competition has been in existence since 1972. It is wholly organised and run by volunteer staff of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at The University of Melbourne. The competition is of a demanding standard, designed to identify real mathematical talent. Between 3000 and 5000 students enter, and 50 students in each of the Junior (Year 7 & 8), Intermediate (Year 9 & 10) and Senior (Year 11 & 12) sections are awarded prizes. The nature of the problems is different from that encountered in school mathematics syllabi, being less mechanical and requiring a higher level of mathematical insight and creativity. Only the most highly talented mathematical students are invited to participate in this competition. It attempts to identify, reward and encourage high mathematical talent among the school population. Over the years the number of participants has steadily increased from around 2500 students to the current level of approximately 4000 students, all coming from about 120 Victorian secondary colleges.

It is with great pleasure that I can announce that Matthew Xu of Year 8 has achieved a Certificate of Merit and Hollis Huang of Year 10 has achieved an Outstanding Award. Both boys will receive their certificates at a formal ceremony on Saturday, 8^th October at the University of Melbourne. This places Hollis in the top twenty five in the Junior section and Matthew in the top fifty students in the Intermediate section who participated in this competition.

This fine result follows on from successes last year with Ron Chen, Reilly Collins and Eddie Yu, who all received Certificates of Merit, Ron Chen and Holly Fryer who each received Certificates of Merit in 2014 and by Alan Wu who received an Outstanding Award in 2013.

On behalf of the school, I would like to commend all students who participated in this competition, and in particular, Matthew and Hollis, for their excellent achievement.

by Gary Collins, Head of Mathematics
and  Anthea Watkins, Horizon Program Coordinator

A Guide for Students & their families Graduating from Primary School by Andrew Fuller

Please click on the link below to read about graduating from Primary School by Andrew Fuller.

transition

Life Cycles

The Prep boys enjoyed some time down at the farm this week to complement our Integrated Studies topic of Life Cycles.  It was lovely to see the new lambs, especially a set of twins who had only been born a few hours earlier. They were amazed to learn that the mum was only 2 years old.

The boys made the most of the beautiful weather to kick back and enjoy the sunshine, with a very patient sheep as a cushion!

By Mrs Claire MacDonald Prep Teacher

Visit to Tintern by Laura Driessen, Class of 2010

On Wednesday, 3 August Laura Driessen spoke to the Middle school boys and girls about her pathway since completing Year 12 and her studies as an Astrophysicist. She came back again on Thursday 12 August to present to the Year 10 students.

Laura was a highly valued Science student in her years at Tintern and she has continued to build on that promise as she has entered the academic world. She has graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Science (Science Scholars Program) gaining a high distinction and majors in applied mathematics and astronomy and astrophysics. While she was at Monash she received a scholarship to go on exchange to the University of Warwick in the UK. And at the end of her degree she gained a studentship at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research in Perth, then she completed a second studentship at the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON). She is currently halfway through a master’s in astronomy and astrophysics with a merit scholarship at the University of Amsterdam and is about to start a research project in radio astronomy, with a paper that is on its way to being published.

In her talk to the students Laura emphasised the importance of following your interests and being willing to put your name forward for opportunities and ‘have a go’. She also spoke to the students about the importance of co-curricular involvement, in terms of adding valuable detail to your CV. She showed us some fabulous photos of galaxies and, in particular, a photo of the centre of the Milky Way which she took, herself, using radio telescopes in Perth. The Middle School students, in particular, had many questions to ask her at the end of her talk, showing just how involved they were in the presentation.

All who listed to Laura agreed that she is a most impressive young person who provided inspiration to our students.

by Lanna Derry, Head of Science

Friends of Young Farmers Spring Celebration

The weather is improving, the sun is shining and lambs are now being born at our fabulous Tintern Grammar farm! Please add Friday 2 September to your diaries – anytime from 3.30pm to 7pm and join us at the farm for some complimentary sausages, marshmallow toasting on the roaring bonfire and but best of all, a cuddle of our absolutely adorable BABY LAMBS!

Our Young Farmers will be on hand and able to show you about, and tell you what it is that they LOVE about the farm. Here is your chance to spend some quality time in the fresh air and really appreciate the unique part of our school that sets us apart from the rest. We would love to see you and your family and friends on Friday 2 September! What a wonderful way to finish off the week! Looking forward to seeing you there!

by Joy Ashfield, President of Young Farmers

Science Week 2016

This week we have been celebrating Science week, with the theme of ‘Droids, Drones and Robots’. Gavin Choong, 10A, kicked off the week with a lecture on ‘Special Relativity’ to an enthusiastic group of year 7 to 10 students. While the topic was very difficult indeed, Gavin explained it well and kept his audience involved. He clearly has a great future in Science Communication, as well as anything else he wishes to turn his hand to!

On Wednesday, at lunchtime, the Science captains, Maksis Darzins and Simon Pywell, and some enthusiastic assistants, including Jack Dowling, flew a drone over the hockey ground, demonstrating the ability of drones to take photos from overhead. The drone was observed at a safe distance by a keen group of students.

To finish off the week, a group of students met in S32 on Thursday at lunchtime to practice their programming skills with Lego Mindstorms robotics kits. Maksis and Simon presented a summary of the week to the school in Friday’s assembly.

I would thank the Science Captains Maksis and Simon for their enthusiasm and expertise in organising this week’s events and Gavin Choong for his most valuable contribution to the success of Science week.

by Lanna Derry, Head of Science

News from Girls’ Middle School

What a fantastic few weeks just passed in the Middle School. With some warmer weather upon us there is certainly a great feeling about the school! One of the highlight’s of the year for our Year 9 girls is their Winter Camp which was held 2 weeks ago at Camp Howqua. Since returning the girls have shared many great stories!

Last Thursday I attended the Concerto Concert which was a wonderful display of the musical talent of our students. Clarisse Liew of Year 8 played an impressive concerto piece and many Middle School girls participated in the supporting orchestra.

Over the weekend our Tournament of the Minds Team competed at Mount Lilydale Mercy College and our Year 7s continue to investigate their ‘Notable’ in preparation for Night of the Notables.

On Monday our Year 9s participated in ‘Futures Day’ during which members of our alumni and Parent Community shared with the girls insights into their careers. It was an extremely valuable and informative day and we are very appreciative of all our passionate volunteers who came out, prepared sessions and presented with great passion and enthusiasm to our students.

Duke of Edinburgh

Students at Tintern have chosen a range of activities for their skill section of the Duke of Edinburgh Award program. Gemma Bettess and Sophie Cookes of Year 9 are currently undertaking their Bronze award and they have chosen to establish vegetable gardens:

For my Duke of Ed award this year, I chose to grow my own vegetable garden. So far it is going pretty well and I can see a lot of progress. I have been going for about 9 weeks now, and it’s amazing to see how fast everything grows.

Before actually beginning with my garden, I had to do a bit of research. I found out which plants grew best in specific conditions and seasons and I discovered heaps of different designs of gardens. Then we went shopping and actually bought all of the plants and equipment that we needed. My mum helped me build the fence surrounding the garden, and then she showed me how to plant all the different vegetables and herbs. Since then, I have been watering, weeding and building stairs that lead up to the vegetable garden.

I chose to grow my own vegetable garden because I liked the idea of producing actual vegetables after growing them. It’s great to have an end product, and then you can cook with the fresh vegetables or give them to friends and family. I also really enjoyed the whole process of building the garden and seeing all of the herbs and vegetables grow.

I will definitely continue with the garden in the future, even after Duke of Ed. I am really enjoying it and I hope to grow even more new and exciting things.                                                                                             

by Sophie Cookes, Year 9

As part of my Duke of Edinburgh award, I decided to undertake a gardening project as I had never done anything like it outside of school. I also felt that it will be a handy skill to have in the future.

In the beginning, I planted a garden bed with herbs, vegetables, and companion plants, in a recycled pallet. I fed the soil with additional nutrients and plant food to help the herbs and vegetables grow. As a new skill, I decided to start with a variety of vegetables to learn what works well and what doesn’t. This variety included parsley, broccoli, cauliflower, mint, lettuce, chives and spring onions. I have watered the plants and weeded the garden bed – although maybe not as much as I should have! The herbs and vegetables are growing, and we have already used some broccoli, chives, mint and parsley. 

I am learning that the garden bed needs regular care and attention, that the weather affects the progress of each plant differently and that when done properly, gardening can create some great results.

by Gemma Bettess, Year 9

From the Head of Senior College

Interim Reports and Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences

A reminder to all Senior College (and Middle School) families that our student-parent-teacher conferences are scheduled for Tuesday 23 August, Wednesday 24 August and Wednesday 31 August; with interviews available between the hours of 4 – 8pm in the CM Wood Centre  on each of these days. We recommend that students should attend these interviews as part of the crucial three-way working partnership that exists between students, teachers and parents with the aim of enabling students to be empowered by opportunities to reflect, receive and give feedback and thus set learning goals.

Interim reports and the option to book interviews are now open to parents and the Interview Portal will close for bookings at 10am on the particular day of each of the three scheduled student-parent-teacher conferences. Please be aware that teachers have the opportunity via the Interim Reports to indicate that they are requesting an interview.

Concerto Showcase

On Thursday 18 August I had the absolute pleasure to be a member of the audience for our Concerto Showcase which featured our four finalists performing with the Concerto Orchestra and was hosted by Eliza Mignot. Our featured solo artists were: Holly Fryer of Year 10 (Flute) playing Movement 1 from the Flute Concerto in E Minor by Mercadante; Alison Yang of Year 11 (Piano) playing Movement 3 from Piano Concerto No. 2 by Beethoven; Alan Wu of Year 12 (Piano) playing Movement 2 from Piano Concerto No 2 by Saint-Saens; and, Clarisse Liew of Year 8 (Violin) playing Movement 3 from Concerto No. 9 by De Beriot.

The evening was thoroughly enjoyed by all in attendance and was of a particularly high standard. Whilst the focus of the Concerto Concert was undoubtedly the four soloists, the ongoing depth of talent and commitment of so many other students who were part of the Concerto Orchestra to support their peer soloists, as well as the high standard of Music instruction and inspiration provide by our Music staff at Tintern Grammar were all clearly evident.

Illness

Many students and a number of staff members have been ill in the last few weeks with respiratory infections and I therefore take the opportunity to remind all families that if your daughter or son is experiencing a bout of illness it may be prudent both for their own health, as well as for the health of others in the Senior College community, to allow them a few days at home to recuperate. Whilst there may be obvious concerns regarding missed class time, it is often true that a day or so at home resting will in the long term be more beneficial for a quick recovery than prolonging an illness by being “out and about”.

Celebration Evening, 2016

Your daughter/son may well be letting you know that this year’s Massed Singing medley for Celebration Evening is proving particularly enjoyable and our practices on various Wednesday mornings have been highlights for many students and staff. It is timely for me to remind all families to “save the date” for Celebration Evening on Monday 10 October at Robert Blackwood hall, Monash University – this is one of two compulsory attendance events in our School Calendar.

With kind regards to all,

News from Year 10

Congratulations to our Monash Scholars recipients Daniella Cosentino, Caitlin Howley and Emma Scealy (pictured below from L to R) who were presented with their certificates at our recent Principal’s assembly on Friday 7 August. The Monash Scholars program recognises high achieving secondary students and provides a range of benefits including assistance with career exploration, developing personal aspirations, refining study skills and building networks with other young people.

During this week in our pastoral time, we have been focusing on preparing students to undertake a mock job interview at school. Issues for discussion include understanding the purpose of different types of questions, tips for a successful interview experience and some common pitfalls for young people. We are grateful for the support of our Human Resources Manager, Ms Sue-Anne Dias, who will be leading a seminar with the Year 10 students on Thursday 25 August.

by Heather Ruckert, Year 10 Co-ordinator

Year 9 Winter Camp

When we ask students of the Senior College what some of their fondest memories of Middle School are, quite often they refer to the Year 9 Winter Camp as being a highlight for them.

For five days, the Year 9 students attended Camp Howqua, located at the base of the Victorian Alpine Region for a range of energetic and challenging activities designed to develop resilience, leadership and collective problem solving.

Following an early start on Monday 8 August, each Form group joined their teachers in one of Mountain Bike riding, Cross-Country Skiing on Mt Stirling, White-water rafting the Big River, Initiative Challenges or Bushwalking at Sheepyard Flat. Throughout the week students rotated through these activities. Each activity was distinctly different and required all students to build on their skills and in some instances extend or ‘stretch’ themselves outside of their comfort zones. With the focus of the Middle Schools being on ‘change and challenge’, this camp certainly provided plenty of both!

Each evening students and staff joined together for conversation, meals and activities that encouraged light-hearted interactions; be it a trivia challenge or games, there was plenty of laughs and fun times!

For staff, Year 9 Camp offered us so many chances to see and engage with students in a totally different environment to that of the classroom. These interactions enable staff and students to further develop positive relationships. The students’ willingness to participate fully and positively in all aspects of this camp was exceptional. Of particular note was the wonderful way in which students demonstrated the Compass values of respect, responsibility, independence, confidence, commitment and compassion. Throughout the week we received wonderful feedback from camp staff and the community which described our Year 9s in a very positive light.

On the final night of Camp, each form group presented a video of their week which included some of their highlights. These productions were very creative and will give students some great visual memories of their exciting week. A collection of these videos and photos from the Camp will be made available through the Tintern Portal in the coming days.

We now look forward to our third and final Year 9 camp for the year with Summer Expeditions taking place 28 November – 2 December.

News from Year 11

In our Utility time on Monday 15 August, the Year 11 students discussed the concept of mindfulness and meditation, and were introduced to some simple techniques to help them learn how to incorporate it into their lives for even just a few minutes each day.  Quiet time, without distractions, is a challenge to most people today. To find some techniques on how to create time for themselves, we watched a video from Andy Puddicombe, who has taken his experiences living as a monk in Tibet and used them to create a website, Headspace, which helps people incorporate mindfulness in their everyday lives. The students were also introduced to the different apps available to help to practise this themselves.

On Tuesday 16 August, we used our Utility time to allow students to experience using the apps and actually take 25 minutes to explore a meditation of their choosing thus putting into practice the mindfulness techniques discussed in Monday’s Pastoral session.

On the Year 11 Level Portal page, there are several links for the students to explore, which provide the opportunity to learn more about the benefits of mindfulness, and of having quiet time in their daily lives.

by Nick Stefanac, Year 11 Co-ordinator

News From Year 12

We are now at the half way mark for Term 3. This means that Year 12 final examinations are not far away! In preparation for their final examinations all Year 12 students who are taking examinations will be required to sit “mock” (practice) examinations. These will take place in the last (second) week of the Term 3 holidays (26 – 30 September). Students are reminded to keep this week free of commitments, including the Grand Final public holiday on Friday 30 September. The students were given timetables for the mock examinations earlier this week and these timetables can also be found on the portal.

The mock examinations will aim to replicate, as much as possible, the real examinations. This means that students are required to sit the examinations according to the published timetable and only to bring the materials specified by the VCAA or the IB. This opportunity can benefit the students immensely and make the ‘real thing’ a whole lot less daunting. Students are encouraged to take this opportunity seriously and to practise subject specific exam techniques as well as time management and strategies for keeping their anxiety under control.

by Jennifer Tsai-Bove, Year 12 Co-ordinator

From the Careers Department

Scholarships – Year 12 Students

Interested students have been provided with information regarding VTAC scholarships and also some individual scholarship booklets have been uploaded onto the Careers Portal page. Students are encouraged to search directly on the tertiary institution’s website to find current application details and due dates. For example, the Deakin University provides “Ignited Scholarships” aimed to increase female participation in non-traditional areas of study and work from the faculties of Science, Engineering and the Built Environment.

Connecting to VTAC for Families

The Year 12 students have been encouraged to connect with VTAC in order to receive updates and reminders throughout the application, change of preference and offers process via the Blog, Twitter or Facebook. Families can also subscribe from the VTAC homepage at www.vtac.edu.au

Tertiary Open Days

A reminder about the tertiary Open Days and please use the link to the VTAC website to check the dates at: http://www.vtac.edu.au/opendays.html

2016 SpotJobs Career Expo Friday 26 to Sunday 28 August

The focus of this expo is on employment opportunities, training in trades, plus VCE subject specific lectures and free workshops from the Career Development Association of Australia. The Tintern Careers Department has been sent a number of free passes. Please go to http://www.careerexpo.com.au/ for further information including links to the list of exhibitors. Alternately, families can download free tickets from www.careerexpo.com.au

APS Careers in Psychology Seminar

The student committee of the Australian Psychological Society is holding a seminar for aspiring Psychologists with the aim of providing students with insights into the number of specialist areas in Psychology. The seminar will be held on Wednesday 24 August from 6.00 to 9.00pm in Cathedral Hall of Australian Catholic University (ACU) at 20 Brunswick Street Fitzroy. Further details can be found at: www.psychology.org.au/Events/EventView.aspx?ID=16940

AusApp Pathways

A useful free mobile app that allows students to explore apprenticeship and traineeship careers can be found at www.ausapp.com.au  or further information is available on the website www.aapathways.com.au

Career Chats

On Friday 19 August we shall have Shelby Healey (past Tintern student) leading a session in her role as a Swinburne University Student Ambassador in the Careers room at lunch time. This is a wonderful opportunity for Year 11 and 12 students to hear about application requirements, selection of first year subjects, pathways to courses and for Shelby to answer student questions.

CareerNews Number 12 – August 2016

The latest edition of CareerNews is now available and an index of the newsletter includes:

Reminders

1. Remaining Open Days
2. Year 10 and 11 News
3. New Selection Test into Teaching Courses
4. Careers in Psychology Seminar
5. Lots of Year 12 News

All the editions of the CareerNews can be found on the Careers Portal page.

Year 1 visit to Scienceworks

On Thursday 4th August the Grade One boys went to Scienceworks where we were immersed in many wonderful activities related to our topic: Toys and Simple Machines. We had a classroom session on Forces, went into the Lightning Room to talk about electricity and spent many interactive moments in their fantastic exhibitions. It was a wonderful day for all the boys.

by Jenny Steffens, Year 1 Teacher

Hoop Time

Last Wednesday Tintern entered a basketball team in the McDonalds Hoop Time tournament at Ringwood Rings.  We fielded an inexperienced team with a number of the boys that don’t play club basketball.  Despite this we were placed in the All Star Competition and competed really well in all four matches.  It was really high quality basketball and it was really encouraging to see the improvement in each match.  We went down by a narrow two point margin to the eventual grand finalists and showed excellent sportsmanship and teamwork throughout the day.  Congratulations to Lorcan, Mark, James, Will, Krishnaa, Zack, Kasim, Max and Dan for representing the school so well.

by John Bonnyman, Year 4 Teacher

Boys Junior School Olympic Garden

The Junior Boys’ School Olympic Celebration Day began with an Opening Ceremony filled with much pride and enthusiasm for the work the boys had put into developing  their own countries.

As well as each team doing a lap with their team flag and mascot, they carried a shrub, as a gesture mirroring the ‘Green’ environmental theme of this years’ Olympics in Rio.

This week the Prep boys planted the team shrubs with their Year 6 buddies in our own Olympic Garden.

It was lovely to see the patience with which the older boys helped the younger ones and engaged them in the task.

A huge thank-you to Gary and the maintenance team for organising the shrubs and pre-digging the holes for us.

By Ms Claire MacDonald Prep Teacher

Great Success!

Congratulations to Eve Ferrie who is finding great success since beginning the saxophone this year! On Wednesday, Eve took part in the 12 and under brass & woodwind section of the Waverley Eisteddfod. She was the only saxophonist, and was competing against trombone, trumpet , clarinet, oboe and flute players. She played a jazz piece and walked away with the first prize gold medal! The adjudicator commented on her mature sense of rhythm and phrasing.

Two weeks ago, she competed in the 14 and under vocal section of the Waverley Eisteddfod. As the youngest competitor and the only one who has never had a singing lesson, she did extremely well to receive an honourable mention. She accompanied herself on the piano and performed  a wonderful rendition of the song “Misty” by Erroll Garner. Well done to Eve  – she is working hard to improve her skills and the hard work is certainly paying off!

Positive Growth Mindset

In our weekly Assemblies, the Olympics continue to be an excellent source of discussion about values and attitude, and the importance of a Positive Growth Mindset.

We have recently watched the response of Anna Meares, stating how proud and happy she was to receive a bronze medal, and the comments of the Matilda’s coach after their loss in a penalty shootout, stating that ‘We are proud of everyone, we gave it everything”, as opposed to comments in the media that tended to highlight non medal performances as being ‘failures’. If our boys feel that not succeeding is a ‘failure’ rather than an opportun8ityn to try harder, they may well be adverse to ‘having a go’.

Most recently, we have watched the amazing video for the paralympics, with the theme ‘Yes I Can.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzjuQoNM534

What an inspiring message!!

Two of the aspects of a Positive Growth Mindset we talk about are “I can always improve” and “I can learn anything I want to”. Again, the importance of “CAN” is highlighted.  A quote that we share with our boys is ‘Success comes in cans, Failure comes in cant’s.”

Every day we need to encourage and support our boys with a Positive Growth Mindset…if your son uses “I can’t…”, try to steer him towards “I can…” under the umbrella of “mistakes are proof I’m trying”…….

Book Week

As approaches, our Junior School boys are busily trying to match our staff to their favourite book….this is always a fun way of sharing and modelling the value and fun gained from regular reading.

I did enjoy the question that a Year 1 boy asked this morning in assembly.. “How come your fabvourite book changes every year?” A terrific insight into the minds of children, and a wonderful opportunity to highlight that we all have many favourite books!

Literary Techniques

The Year 3 boys have been reading Roald Dahl’s The Twits and ‘George’s Marvellous Medicine. Many of the boys have already encountered these books, and they feel a bit like familiar friends. This provides perfect conditions to introduce new literary techniques such as using Relationship Maps to connect characters, using Story Ladders as a planning tool, identifying use of alliteration, as well using humour and descriptive vocabulary to create mood. The boys have competed a task called ‘Just like…’ which requires you to identify a character’s qualities, justify those qualities with examples from the book and then compare those qualities to yourself, someone you know as well as other characters from other books/films/TV shows. This task has created some wonderful literary discussions amongst the boys!

by Ms Sue Sparkes, Year 3 Teacher

Tintern Grammar Fair 2017

Tintern Grammar Fair 22 April 2017

The Tintern Fair Committee are keen to hear from any members of our community who may be able to help with the following.

Raffle Prizes

• Our Major Raffle generally has 4 to 5 prizes, ranging anywhere from $500 to a first prize valued around $10,000.
• Some ideas might be House appliance packages, holiday destinations, or maybe you can offer a great deal on a new car?
• Participating donators receive exposure to our entire school community and beyond

Sponsorship

• Sponsorship makes a great advertising opportunity for your business! 
• We offer a range of levels of sponsorship, with sponsors receiving recognition of their contribution in a variety of ways.
• The earlier sponsorship is received, the longer we can promote your business for!

Stall Coordinators

• Were you a wonderful Stall Coordinator last time and are keen to put your skills to work again?
• Do you have a specific stall you would like to lead?
• Are you eager to role model to your children that we can all make a difference?
• The primary responsibility of a Stall Coordinator is to put together a roster of helpers for Fair Day.
• Each Stall Coordinator receives an information pack to help them
• You will be helping to make our Fair Day a huge success.  Thankyou!

If you can help in any of these ways, or perhaps with other ideas, please get in contact with our Fair Committee via email to Fair@Tintern.vic.edu.au or call our Fair Convenor, Amanda McKenzie on 0419 313 279.

 Fair Logo Competition

              2017 Fair Logo
             COMPETITION

The Tintern Grammar Fair Committee is offering a $50 Cash Prize for the student who designs the best logo for the 2017 Tintern Grammar Fair. All students are invited and encouraged to submit their logo design(s). The closing date for the competition is Wednesday 31 August 2016. The hand drawn or computer generated logo should be eye-catching, uncluttered, and must include the following information:

• The words “Tintern Grammar” & “Fair”
• The date “22 APRIL 2017”
• A reference to Tintern celebrating 140 years

Keep in mind the logo will be printed in various sizes from as small as 3cm diameter to as large as 20cm diameter, so scalability of design will be a consideration.

Designs should be submitted to the Fair Committee:

With File Format JPG, PNG or BMP
In a CIRCULAR shape
Of Approximate Resolution 1000x1000pixels
Sent by Email to fair@tintern.vic.edu.au
Please include Student Name & Year Level with your submission

No later than 3pm on Wednesday 31 August 2016.

The winner will be selected at a Tintern Grammar Fair Committee Meeting in early September.

Save

Save

Key Dates Term 3 2016