From the Principal

History, legacy and new uniform!

After last year’s survey and subsequent consultation with our students and the broader community, we are well on the way to establishing our new uniform to be completely introduced for Term 1, 2019. The day uniform items will be a common jumper for students in Prep – Year 11, the new Senior College blazer and tie identifying their senior status within the School, and our new unified sports uniform. I am very pleased with the results and when seen as complete, it is a terrific, contemporary look! It is exciting to see the results of our process to this point and I am eager to see it begin to appear next year.

Designing a new uniform is a challenging process and within the brief we have looked to design a uniform that reflects our combined school, Tintern Grammar, and honour our past heritage. The colours of blue, white, green and maroon have each been incorporated to reflect our historical legacy. We have sourced a new supplier who will provide high quality clothing at a very reasonable price point. Our new uniform will be phased in over a two year period and in 2019 all students will be wearing the new Tintern Grammar uniform. We are aware that there is a significant cost to families when purchasing uniform items. So the timeline for implementation should mean that in general, new pieces need not be purchased until your child has grown out of existing pieces or progressed within the school. (Primary or Secondary) and current Year 10 students will not be required to purchase any of the new items if they are not needed through growth or wear.

I have shown samples of the new sport uniform, together with the small changes to the day uniform, to our secondary students and staff this week. Overall, the response was overwhelmingly positive with a few suggestions of small improvements. As part of the consultation process we are looking at making a few minor changes. Following student feedback we are looking at redesigning the rugby jumper. I’ve asked our students and our staff for their input in the development of this and I’m looking forward to their responses. I would also welcome your feedback on all the uniform items.

In this edition of the Principal’s vlog, there is a slideshow of the latest designs.

• Prep to Year 11 pullover (the only whole School change to the day uniform)
• New Senior College tie and the braided blazer for Senior College students (the current blazer will be able to be modified at a very small cost).
• Sport uniforms, separate for Prep to Year 2 and Year 3 to Year 12.
• ELC uniform, including the winter jacket requested by a number of parents.

As always, I am keen to hear your feedback so please email principal@tintern.vic.edu.au and title your email – Tintern new uniform. I am a little daunted regarding my ability to reply in a reasonable timeframe to every email sent, so I would appreciate your patience. In particular, I seek your suggestions for the rugby jumper, knowing that it requires further development.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the collaboration with our whole community on this uniform project. Once our consultation is concluded, I really look forward to the phasing in of the day uniform changes and the new sport uniform from 2017 through our transition period.

Factis non Verbis

Bradley Fry
Principal

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

Music Matters

Year 8 Performing Arts Night, 15 June

On Wednesday, 15 June, the last Wednesday of Term 2, the 8B girls and 8E boys performed at the Year 8 Performing Arts Night. The theme set for the dances, drama and music was ‘An Instructors Manual.’

The girls performed 3 dances, ‘How To Be A Heartbreaker’, to the song Heartbreaker by Marina and the Diamonds, ‘How To Be Lady Gaga’, to a mashup of Lady Gaga songs, and ‘How To Keep A Secret’, to the song ‘Secret’ by the Pierces. Each dance was choreographed by a pair or group of students who took ideas from the whole group. Each of the dances were introduced or concluded with a piece of drama relating to the theme of the dance. The scripts were written by script writers and, again, incorporated the ideas of the other students in the form.

The girls also presented 3 musical items, using their music as their Instructor’s Manual. The first piece used either classroom percussion instruments or instruments that we learnt in private music lessons. This piece, ‘Gypsy Medley’, was arranged by Sergei Golovko who accompanied us during the item. Sergei is a world famous Russian percussionist who visited Tintern at the beginning of Term 2 and gave a wonderful concert. We were very excited to welcome Sergei back for our concert and to hear him play a few of his concert items again. Our second piece was ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’. Audrey Middleton, Eva Corcoran and Charlie Johnson sang the vocal parts, and the rest of the class played the boom whackers, as well as the piano and vibraphone. The final musical item by the girls was the theme from ‘James Bond’ and also featured the boom whackers.

 We all had butterflies but we were proud of how we all performed on the night.

by Emily Vandenbroeck, Year 8

On Wednesday 15 June, the Year 8 8E boys took part in the Year 8 Performing Arts Evening under the theme of ‘An Instructor’s Manual’. The night kicked off with a memorising performance by Sergei Golovko. It was really amazing and particularly interesting, and reminded us of the where we drew the inspiration for our own performance. Some of his instruments were most unusual, including a curved sword which he tapped and flipped around to make clanging sounds in different tunes. It was interesting to have a taste of Russian culture and music from Mr Golovko’s home.

Our musical performance was a medley of Russian melodies. It went very well, with every member of the class showing off new musical skills. For the drama performance, we performed ‘The Evolution of Dance’. It definitely took some learning but in the end it was fantastic on the night we got some good laughs out of the crowd. Preparing for the performance was challenging, but I think at the end people patted each other on the shoulder and were happy with what they have done, and had a good laugh.

by Jeremy Yuen-Love, Year 8

Stories in the Wall

During the recent June/July holidays, Year 10 student, Brianna Oldmeadow, participated in an exciting composition project run by the Arts Centre Melbourne. Stage one of the project saw playwrights Amelia Evans and Dan Giovannoni sent into three Victorian Primary Schools to guide children in writing new plays on the theme Bush Tales. Nine of these plays were selected and professionally recorded in the Arts Centre Melbourne’s arts learning space, The Channel. The next stage involved Victorian Secondary School students, who were nominated by their schools, working as either a composer or sound designer to bring the primary students’ stories to life. Brianna was chosen to work as a sound designer. She reflects on her experience at The Channel with the following comments:

The project was a lot of fun. I was paired with another person who was the chosen composer, and we worked together to make both a sound track and to add sound effects. We used Sony Acid software and used the sound effects in The Channel library. Lachlan, my partner, used GarageBand to compose a soundtrack, and he did an incredible job of it too. 

We had from about 9am until 3.30pm on Wednesday (6th July), but since we had not finished, I came back in on the Friday (8th July) and finished it at about 2.30pm. I had to wake up at about 5am both days in order to get driven to the city because of the disruptions to the train lines that week. Good thing my dad works in the city!

This was a really fun experience, plus the mornings at Southgate were gorgeous. I learnt about how directors will use sound effects and music to their advantage and make a really interesting scene. Despite the early wake-ups, I really enjoyed working on a sound track for a story and can’t wait until they release it at the Arts Centre.

by Brianna Oldmeadow, Year 10

The completed sound stories will be available for all to hear around the foyers of the Arts Centre Melbourne and online in September 2016. Each story is loaded onto an iPad which is then installed into an individual booth. I hope that if you are in the Arts Centre during September, you will pop in and listen to Brianna’s Story in the Wall.

by Anne Bortolussi, Secondary Music Teacher

Sport Matters

Pierre De Coubertin Award

Congratulations to Anjali Lobo (Year 12) who was presented with a Pierre De Coubertin Award at a Olympic Committee ceremony at the MCG during the holidays.

The Pierre de Coubertin Awards are named after the founder of the modern Olympic Games and take place on an annual basis to recognise senior secondary students who demonstrate attributes consistent with the Olympic Movement through participation and commendable behaviour in sporting activities.

Anjali was nominated by the school for consistently displaying the Olympic ideals of endeavour and sportsmanship and for her outstanding participation in Tintern athletic and sporting teams during her senior year.

Community Matters

Welcome to Term 3. The Community Relations team hope you all enjoyed a break from the usual routine. Term 3 is already shaping up to be a very busy term for our Community Groups; Presentation Ball classes, Parent Trivia Night, Spring Celebration, Fair Planning, Reunions for our past students and of course Father’s Day stalls for our younger students. If you would like to get involved with any of our community groups please contact Di Lacey in the Community Relations Office.

Parent Trivia Night – Saturday 30 July

The new Tintern Parent Group invite all members of the Tintern Grammar Community to join us for our annual TRIVIA NIGHT.

To be held in the CM Wood Performance Centre on Saturday 30 July 2016 @ 7.00pm.

At only $12 a head, this always entertaining night is a wonderful way to join together with other members of our school while having many laughs.

You can click here to find out more or to book a table.

We would love to share this wonderful evening with you.

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. Please contact the Community Relations office if you have any venue ideas or would like to assist our volunteer coordinator, Lisa Vecchio.

Fancy owning a piece of Tintern’s Musical History? 

With the purchase of new Tintern Grammar Music Banners in 2016 has come the opportunity for members of our community to purchase and own a little piece of memorabilia – decommissioned Tintern and Southwood Music Banners (pictured). 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

Our Friends of Young Farmers invite you to join them for their annual Spring Celebration on Friday 2 September from 3pm to 7pm. 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.

Year level functions

Your parent representatives have begun organising year level parent functions for Term 3. Please support their efforts when you can.

Year 2 Girls: The parents from the Year 2 Girls class welcomed the family of new student, Emmy Zhou with an impromptu coffee morning at drop off. Thank you to Mrs Campbell who set up for the occasion.

Year 5 Boys: Parents from the Year 5 boys’ class enjoyed dinner at Komuni in Bedford Road East Ringwood during the holidays. It was a great night where they enjoyed delicious food, lively conversation and lots of laughter.

Year 6 Girl Parents: Dinner at the Turtle Den Chinese Restaurant has been postponed to Saturday 3 September, 8 Railway Avenue, East Ringwood, 7:30pm – 11pm $41pp Banquet Dinner, BYO Wine. Please RSVP with any dietary requirements to Kirsten Jones kirstenjonescreative@gmail.com. We’d love to see you there. The more, the merrier! 

SOBA boys continue with Parma tradition

Our past male graduates will continue their Parma night tradition on Monday 22 August 2016 at the Blackburn hotel. All male past students are invited to attend this night and can register their attendance here. It is a great opportunity to catch up with Southwood friends as well as past and present staff. For all queries please call SOBA president, Ivan Yeung 0407 524 785, email supergnuey@gmail.com or alternatively contact the Community Relations Office on 9845 7877, email paststudents@tintern.vic.edu.au.  Look forward to seeing you there!

5 Year Reunion for YG 2011

Graduates from our YG 2011 will gather at ‘Beer DeLuxe’ in Federation Square for their 5 Year reunion on Saturday 13 August. The event will start at 5pm for drinks and nibbles. Past and present staff are invited to attend. We look forward to hearing about their night and seeing the photos

Entertainment book 2016/2017 Still available!

Book and Digital Memberships are still available for the 2016 | 2017 Entertainment books. 20% of all sales goes towards our Tintern Parent Group fundraising goal for 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 11 August 7.30pm, CM Wood Common Room, President: Loraine Allender
• Friends of Music (FOM) – Next Meeting: Tuesday 16 August 7.00pm, CM Wood Common room, President: Tim Oldmeadow
• Friends of Young Farmers (FOYF) – Next meeting: Tuesday 2 August 7.30pm, Kennedy Cottage, Community services. President: Joy Ashfield              
• Friends of Equestrian (FOE) – Next Meeting: Tuesday 26 July 7.30pm Kennedy Cottage, Community services. President: Gabby McCallum

Save

Save

Semester 2 – a great start!

It seems amazing that second semester has begun. The ELC is an exciting place for all concerned, the students, staff and parents alike.

The students experience a myriad of activities such as visits to the farm, Letterland activities, Music, Library, PMP, incursions, buddies and let’s not forget events like the Big Breakfast which is always such a success. Perhaps the best of all is making many friends and enjoying the outdoor space which offers so many opportunities for creative play. One thing you can be sure of is that all these exciting activities will continue into Semester 2.

It is wonderful to see the great development of all the children as they grow in confidence and participate in all activities with such enthusiasm. Our team of staff work together so magnificently to ensure the smooth running of the centre. Led by Amanda Cooke, our very able ELC Coordinator, the teachers and assistants are very committed to a consistent approach from one year level to another. 

Our Boys’ and Girls’ Prep teachers, Mary Whitcher and Claire McDonald, are also involved in working with the ELC staff to get to know the children and assist with transition arrangements into the Junior School.

The building (now 5.5 years old) is proving to be everything we had hoped:  a light, inviting, spacious and welcoming building which seems to instil an upbeat feeling in all who enter it!  This is no overstatement;  it really is most exciting to see the enthusiastic vibes coming from the staff, parents and children.

Thank you to our parents who give ongoing support and very encouraging feedback.  We are all very grateful. It is always wonderful to see the children happily enter the building each morning.

Tintern Grammar Fair – 22 April 2017

The Tintern Fair Committee are starting their preparations for next year and are seeking expressions of interest from enthusiastic and committed individuals. Start to clean out your cupboards for second hand clothes, books and toys; donations will be accepted in the New Year. If you have any thoughts or suggestions on how to enhance our Fair or would like to be more involved please email fair@tintern.vic.edu.au or contact our Community Relations Office on 9845 7877.

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 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
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

Semester 2 – a great start!

It seems amazing that second semester has begun. The ELC is an exciting place for all concerned, the students, staff and parents alike.

The students experience a myriad of activities such as visits to the farm, Letterland activities, Music, Library, PMP, incursions, buddies and let’s not forget events like the Big Breakfast which is always such a success. Perhaps the best of all is making many friends and enjoying the outdoor space which offers so many opportunities for creative play. One thing you can be sure of is that all these exciting activities will continue into Semester 2.

It is wonderful to see the great development of all the children as they grow in confidence and participate in all activities with such enthusiasm. Our team of staff work together so magnificently to ensure the smooth running of the centre. Led by Amanda Cooke, our very able ELC Coordinator, the teachers and assistants are very committed to a consistent approach from one year level to another. 

Our Boys’ and Girls’ Prep teachers, Mary Whitcher and Claire McDonald, are also involved in working with the ELC staff to get to know the children and assist with transition arrangements into the Junior School.

The building (now 5.5 years old) is proving to be everything we had hoped:  a light, inviting, spacious and welcoming building which seems to instil an upbeat feeling in all who enter it!  This is no overstatement;  it really is most exciting to see the enthusiastic vibes coming from the staff, parents and children.

Thank you to our parents who give ongoing support and very encouraging feedback.  We are all very grateful. It is always wonderful to see the children happily enter the building each morning.

Saxophone Success

Last weekend Eve Ferrie (4A) competed in the Ringwood Eisteddfod playing the saxophone. She  was thrilled to come second in the Woodwind 10 y/u section. This was particularly impressive as she only took up the instrument in February!  Eve also played very well in our Assembly this week.  It is wonderful to see her love of the instrument and how committed she is to her music!

Snowboarding Success!

Over the last few weekends, Rose Rostron (4A) has competed in snowboarding competitions: the free-ride series rail jams (receiving two firsts) and the inter-school trials rider-X (receiving third). This is a terrific achievement.  Rose’s hard work and commitment is certainly paying off!  

Ringwood Realm Library visit Prep-Year 2

Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 girls enjoyed a most interesting and engaging excursion to REALM Library on Monday 18 July. It was a marvellous opportunity for the girls to explore this fabulous resource in our community and so close to Tintern.

The Library staff conducted three different sessions including a tour where we were able to enter the off limits area in the book returns/sorting room. It was fascinating for the girls to see the conveyor belt which scanned each book and decided which bin to send the book to –  reserves, other branches, re-shelving etc. The parents who attended were pretty impressed to see this too! Other activities included listening to a Graeme Base Picture story, learning about the travelling literary Dromkeen exhibition and engaging in some new educational apps using the Library iPads.

We do hope that the girls are inspired to re-visit this beautiful new centre with their families as it has so much to offer. If you have not had a chance to visit with your family, we do encourage you to take advantage of this wonderful Library space.

by Mary Whitcher, Prep-Year 2 Co-ordinator

Premier’s Reading Challenge

   Premiers’ Reading Completed challenge Premiers’ Reading Challenge 2

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 2- 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 to go 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 Boys’ Middle School

As much as I love the holidays and the opportunity to spend some time with my family, it’s also always a fun time to see the boys returning to school after a break. They are almost always excited with plenty to talk about and stories to share, whilst also being bleary eyed as for many it may be the earliest they had woken up for some time.

Semester 2 brings with it the opportunity for the boys to reflect on how they went in the first semester and on how they may improve in terms of their results and their efforts. It also brings a group of new subjects; new subjects for the boys include History, Geography, Drama, Music, Health, Religion, Art, DT, etc, as well as our Year 8 and 9 boys beginning new electives. As I always talk about with new parents or touring groups, the Middle Years are a challenging period of time for everyone, especially the boys. Motivation, enthusiasm, excitement, towards school is hard for the boys to conjure up, as we are battling against what they deem more important things such as games, sport, social media and sleep. Having these subjects mix around and expose our boys to many different areas of learning is important in helping to provide forms of motivation or interest to them during these developmental years.

We have just briefed our boys on subject selection which has just begun for next year. For Year 7s and 8s, this is elective options for next year, a chance to choose subjects outside the normal curriculum that are in areas of interest to them. For Year 9s it is also about elective options for next year as well as the potential for them to start looking at VCE options and potential pathways for themselves in their coming senior years.

At our assembly this week we focussed on understanding the risks of social media by providing the boys a video from A Current Affair showing the dangers of social media if not used correctly and the risks of unwanted attention from the people with the wrong intentions. As parents the advice is to still ensure your children are using social media that is age appropriate, that it is supervised and that you endeavour to have an open relationship that allows you to see their accounts, see their ‘posts’ etc. If you ever have concerns about anything regarding, then please do not hesitate to contact us for some suggestions or support. To watch the video from A Current Affair, please click on the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPk3pGCKOmw

Foundation Assembly

On Monday 18^th we had our annual Southwood Foundation assembly in the CM Wood Centre. It was fantastic to hear some great reflections from some of our current students as well as an old collegian. For a lot of our boys, their journey through Tintern/Southwood has only been for a short period of time and for them to hear these stories helps to build their feeling of belonging to a pretty special place.

Sport

Our Year 8/9 Sport has continued this term with a number of our teams starting the term off well with a win. With approximately 4 games left there are a number of teams still with a chance to make finals. Our Year 7 boys will officially begin their competition in the EISM with our four teams; AFL, Soccer, Basketball and Table Tennis each beginning competition next week. We all look forward to watching these boys give their best efforts in all of their games.

News from Girls’ Middle School

Term 3  is upon us and what a busy and eventful start we have had! It has been great to welcome students back over the past two weeks and to hear them share stories about their varied experiences over the break. As we begin a new semester the Middle School girls have been asked to reflect on the feedback received in their Semester 1 reports and devise some academic goals for Semester 2. Pastoral Mentors have been working with students on these goals and will continue to support and encourage them towards achieving these goals in the coming months.

It is an exciting time for students who are looking forward to next year as we have had information presented to them about elective offerings for years 8-10 (2017) through assemblies and the subject showcase evening. Electives are a great opportunity for students to explore their interests and passions in a range of areas. With so many electives on offer it can be hard for students to choose which ones to study! Please encourage your daughter to speak with relevant staff or students in older year levels if they have questions. Subject selections are due on Sunday 31 July.

The Bendigo Show was held last weekend and a large number of Middle School girls took part in this event. The weather was fantastic and the atmosphere very positive as our Young Farmers enjoyed this unique experience.  

Semester 2 – Class Captains

Congratulations to the following girls who have been appointed to the role of Class Captain for Semester 2.

The girls were presented with their badges in our Week 1 Assembly. I am sure they will grow in confidence and expertise while completing their duties throughout the semester.  

Prep Healthy Eating!

Dear Prep families,

Something to make you smile on a rainy day! Thank you all for providing such a delicious healthy feast.

Regards,

Mary Whitcher, Prep Teacher

Year 9 Young Farmers at Bendigo Show

The Tintern Young Farmers eagerly arrived at school on Thursday morning last week, ready for the 2.5 hour bus trip to Bendigo. We were only ten minutes into the trip when the eating of the slices began. Maya Watt, the Young Farmers Captain, made some Afghan Cookies from a recipe which was passed down from Stephanie McDonald, a previous Young Farmers Captain. A new tradition has started! 

Once we arrived at Bendigo we sorted out our sheep and put them in their pens and fed them. We then went to the shops to organise supplies as we had to self-cater in our cabin groups. The Big 4 caravan park where we stayed was really good. It had a jumping pillow and a huge indoor play centre which we all enjoyed playing on. 

On Thursday night went to bed early as our buses were leaving early the next morning. Friday was judging day and the atmosphere was buzzing. Daisy Macmillan, our other Young Farmers captain, prepared the sheep beautifully, clipping them with the hand shears. Our Romney were judged at 1pm and the East Friesians at 2pm. Our judge for the Romneys was Mr Hugh Taylor from the Doughboy stud in New Zealand. Mr Taylor has used Elmo, our ram, for some of his progeny. The rams were up first; Elmo (328) took out champion ram and our young shorn ram was reserve. Mr Taylor was very impressed with our sheep. Next it was the ewes’ chance; 456 was champion and Miss Universe (318) was reserve. Hugh said it could have gone either way and he was very impressed with their condition going into lambing. The East Friesians were next. The judge was Brayden Gilmore. It was a tough choice between Rascal (320) and Bart (501) for the champion ram. This time Bart, our young ram, took out champion, but the judge described them both as ‘the best examples of the breed’. For the ewes, it was between 515 and 409 for the champion title. The little ewe 515 took out champion, so, on this occasion both our young sheep were crowned champions. After the judging, we fed our sheep for the night and headed back to our cabins. 

Saturday was our quiet day. Most of us helped other breeders to show their sheep. We also visited the Merinos and Corriedales and learned how to judge them. Professor John Hickford from Lincoln University in New Zealand hosted a talk with 6 people who had different careers in agriculture. It was very informative and all our students who attended the talk thoroughly enjoyed it. Saturday afternoon we walked around the Showgrounds and bought heaps of thick, woollen socks which are perfect foot attire for sheep shows! 

Sunday’s activities began with Junior Judging at 8.30 am. It is usually quite hard for us to judge sheep that we aren’t familiar with but we all did a great job. We had to judge Corriedales which are sheep that we don’t have. We had 4 minutes to judge 4 sheep, then 1 minute to write notes before speaking to a judge about how we ranked the 4 sheep. If you make it in to the top ten, you are given the opportunity to speak on a microphone and tell the audience about the features of each sheep which led you to your decision. Congratulations to Zoe Forbes in Year 8 who came 8th in her division. 

At 10:00am we had our first interbreed class which was the ASSBA Objective measurement class. The senior students had to quickly race back from Junior Judging to clean faces and make sure they were prepared. We had two entries. This is a class for rams and uses their measurements. We didn’t place but the interbreed classes are always good to enter to gain experience. The schools’ interbreed competition was at 1:00pm. We had 4 sheep in the competition. There was 13 schools from all different schools in Victoria and New South Wales. The first class was the ram class. We had Elmo and Bart entered. Bart placed 2nd out of 13 sheep and Elmo sadly didn’t place. The second class was the ewe class. We entered 456 for the Romney ewe and 515 for the East Friesian ewe. Our Romney ewe came 2nd against 12 other schools’ sheep. Next was the pair class, in which we entered 456 and Elmo in a pair for the Romney’s and Bart and 515 for the East Friesians. We didn’t place in this class but we were highly commended for our pairs.

After an exciting and busy day we packed up our sheep, loaded them onto the trailer and headed home.

by Ashlea Cross, Year 9

Duke of Edinburgh Award News

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is an internationally recognised award that invites young people aged 14-25 to realise their ambitions and to change their world. Run in over 130 countries, the Duke of Ed is designed over three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. To achieve each level, young people create their own unique program of activities over a set length of time across four Sections:

• Service
• Skill
• Physical Recreation
• Adventurous Journey

Young people challenge themselves by choosing activities that spark their interest in each Section and setting their own goals. The Duke of Ed is about individual choice; young people tailor their Award and develop their career aspirations as they forge skills that go beyond academic success.

An exciting component of the award is the ‘Adventurous Journey’ which can either take the form of a journey or an exploration. In April we featured an article on a group of students who undertook a section of the Great Ocean Walk as a Silver/Gold practice journey. In the article below, Year 10 student, Caitlin Howley, describes her 5 day ‘exploration’ of the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute. Caitlin is currently working towards achieving her Bronze Award. I had the pleasure of meeting up with Caitlin at the Murdoch Institute half way through her program and was impressed by the wealth of experience she had already gained. As part of the Duke of Edinburgh requirements, Caitlin also had to organise all meals and accommodation near the Institute and this provided the added experience of living independently. Caitlin writes the following about her week:

Established in 1986, the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute is the largest child health research institute in Australia and is based at the Royal Children’s Hospital.

I attended a week (20 – 24 June) of work experience at the MCRI. Although this was a work experience program, I also have another work experience placement arranged at a different place later in the year. Therefore, I was able to use my week at the MCRI for the ‘Adventurous Journey’ component of my Duke of Edinburgh Award. This component of the award requires participants to challenge themselves through the experience of learning more about the wider environment. I fulfilled this requirement by learning about the research conducted at the MCRI.

On the Monday, we had an introduction to the MCRI and a tour of the building. My highlight of the day was viewing cells through a microscope worth $700,000!

From Tuesday till Thursday I participated in hands-on research group placements with another work experience student. We spent time with a different research group each day.

Our first placement was with the research group Neurodevelopmental Genomics. The group is currently researching mutations that occur in the genes linked to Rett Syndrome. This syndrome is the second most common cause of intellectual disability in females after Down Syndrome. We were able to visit the PC1 Cell Culture Lab where a research scientist ‘fed’ some cells which were being cultivated for experiments. 

On Wednesday my partner and I worked with the Respiratory Diseases Research Group. We participated in various lung tests at the RCH’s Respiratory Clinic. These tests assist patients by assessing the efficiency of the lungs.   

On Thursday, we were with the Developmental Imaging Research Group. We looked at some MRIs of the brain using special software. The research of this group focuses on conditions such as epilepsy.

On Friday, we had a tour of the Victorian Clinical Genetics Services. In the afternoon, we participated in a simulation workshop at the RCH and gave a presentation about our week at the MCRI. 

This week gave me invaluable insight, not only into the work and research conducted at the MCRI, but also into the career of a medical researcher. I realised that, although I do not specifically know what career I am striving towards, my week at the MCRI has confirmed that I will follow a career in the medical research sector. It was incredible to be able to observe the passion and dedication that all the staff shared, whether they be researchers, scientists or even administrative staff. Before my time at the MCRI, I knew that I wanted a career in medical science/research but was not really aware of the diversity of work and research in that area. Spending time with individual research groups really opened my eyes to the diversity and range of research. I now know that I may want to follow a career in neuroscience/neuropsychology where I could work on research projects or maybe even work in epigenetics which is an area I didn’t even know existed prior to this week. This week has also allowed me to become more independent and has made me realise what it will be like for me physically to enter a new work environment on my own. I realise that the environment at the MCRI is perfect for me as everyone at the MCRI was accepting and accommodating.

by Caitlin Howley, Year 10

I congratulate Caitlin on her initiative in organising this wonderful learning opportunity and I encourage other students to think big when organising their Adventurous Journey component of their Duke of Edinburgh Award.

By Anne Bortolussi – Secondary Music Teacher

Year 7 Science

Gravity, Newtons, friction and magnetism have all been part of the Forces unit Year 7 students are currently covering in Science. A real-world application of this topic is investigating how the shape of the wing of an aeroplane enables it to fly. To assist with our learning, all students made a standard ‘robocopter’. They then chose one aspect of their robocopter to change (their variable), built their new robocopter then tested them under controlled conditions. This activity is a very accurate example of how scientists work – making observations, putting forward an hypothesis, testing their hypothesis while controlling variables, and accurately recording their results in a written report.  While the boys had fun, they were learning through hands-on experience.

by Anthea Watkins, Year 7 Co-ordinator

News from Year 10

The Year 10 students have returned to school with their usual energy after a busy end to Semester 1. The employer Work Experience evaluation forms are currently being received by the Careers Department and students will receive a photocopy next week.

In pastoral sessions we are busy providing the background information to assist students with the subject selection process as we realise that this is an important decision for them. The final subject selection individual interviews are occurring with the Careers staff. Mrs Chris Millgate-Smith provided a clear overview of the VCE English options on Monday 18 July and Mr Jason McManus explained the online process on Tuesday 19 July in preparation for the Subject Showcase on Wednesday 20 July. An electronic copy of the Senior College Course and Subject Guide 2017 can be found on the Portal under the Useful Information folder at: http://portal.tintern.vic.edu.au/homepage/3858

A copy of the Year 10 Supplement in the Herald Sun has been ordered for all students to allow them to view the pre-requisite subjects for tertiary entrance in 2019 and pastoral time has been allocated on Thursday 21 July to review this material.

Congratulations to Peter Cobb

During the recent holidays Peter travelled to Sydney for the Under 15 Years National Fencing Championships along with around 400 young Fencers from not only Australia but New Zealand and Singapore. Despite an ongoing injury that affected his preparation, Peter was awarded second or Silver in the Individual Under 15 Years Epee event and gained another Silver result as part of the Victorian Epee team.

As a result of these outstanding achievements, Peter has been invited to become part of the Australian National Under 17 Years fencing team that are expected to compete in the World Championships in Bulgaria early next year.

by Heather Ruckert, Year 10 Co-ordinator and Careers Consultant

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Our diverse world

Mr Fry’s Assembly with all secondary students on Friday 15 July was centred on the theme of ‘Our Diverse World’. This theme will be a repeated focus addressed by our Student Leaders and various guest speakers across Term 3 as we focus on respect and compassion for others both within the Tintern community and in the wider Australian and World communities. A highlight of this Assembly was the speech given by one of our International Student Leaders, Bill Chen of Year 12. Bill addressed all Years 7 to 12 students and secondary teaching staff on his experiences as a student coming to Australia from China to commence Year 10 at Tintern just over 2 ½ years ago. He had all of the audience imagining how hard it would be for any of us finding ourselves in a different culture with very limited experience of the language that everyone else is using around us; a wonderful real life example of the value of respecting diversity and showing respect to those around us. A copy of Bill’s heartfelt speech is below.

To be honest, when I was told to have this speech in front of you all, I was terrified. I have never had any speech in front of this many people, not to mention in English. But then I thought, well… it’s a great opportunity to show you all what it’s like to be an international student. So here I am.  

As most of us know, being a high school student is never easy, but being an international high school student can be even more challenging. It took me a great deal of embarrassing situations to help myself learn the hard way of how things work here in Australia. Even after knowing that moving to another country where I don’t speak their language is daunting. I was still determined to move to this unknown continent. Because I knew I would get a better education and a better future in Australia. However, it was not an easy journey. I had never encountered any other cultures before. The Australian society has a lot of differences with Chinese society. For example, I have to say a lot of please and thank you to the people around me here, in my cultural, though it is very polite to do so, people usually don’t say this much polite language. After using these language became a habit of mine, I started doing so in Chinese. Well…. guess what happened the first year I went back to China. Yes, I became the politest person in the town. Every friend who talked to me would give me this look like saying is that still the Bill I knew.

It was not too challenging to adjust to the new culture, it was very hard for me to learn the new language, though. As you see that English is not my first language. And I can’t tell you how many embarrassing situations have happened to me, just too many. So I stopped counting a long time ago. When writing this speech I was immediately reminded of this cringe-worthy story that happened to me in my first year at Tintern. I was in my geography class, I was asked to read a passage from the textbook. It was about boundaries, sea, barriers, and this word, “choked”, suddenly popped out, and I was like what is this word I’d never seen before. And the silly person that I was then, decided to pronounce it as “cooked”. The class immediately bursts out of laughter and I just wanted to hide under a rock.

Some of you might think that it isn’t a big deal. But it was for me. It wasn’t just about mispronouncing one or two words, it was about not being able to express what I wanted to say. I had a lot of ideas and thoughts that I wanted to share but I didn’t know how to say them and it came out either oversimplified or just didn’t make sense at all. When I was having a discussion with some of my friends, I was not confident enough to propose a solution even if I thought it might be the best option, just because I was afraid that I would look stupid. And this problem stayed with me for quite a while, it took me one year to finally realize that it’s okay to make mistakes here and there. Cause then I can learn from my mistakes. As a saying says: If you worried about falling off a bike then you will never get on in the first place. I started to push myself beyond my comfort zone, and of course it wasn’t easy. But every time I succeeded to talk in front of the class or to express my ideas, there was a sense of accomplishment as if I won a prize. Even if I made any mistakes, I was already satisfied just by being brave enough to deliver my thoughts to people. Slowly but steadily, I definitely gained a lot by making mistakes and being brave. Well, at least, I can now pronounce choked correctly. After all, we’re all here to learn.

Although it wasn’t easy, I truly believe that being an international student has been an interesting journey. All those things that I talked about before, may have been about myself, but it is actually a common problem to almost every international student. What I want to say is that, to all international students out there facing this problem, just be brave and confident, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, cause in the end, it is all going to be worth it. And I want to say thank you to my friends and teachers who have been accepting, kind and friendly. You have totally made this journey much easier for me.

Thanks for listening.

News from Year 11

The Year 11 students have returned from their holiday break and have “hit the ground running” for Semester 2. Last Tuesday they all received a self-reflection sheet to fill out, requiring them to respond to their reports from Semester 1. This was given as a means of helping them to reflect on their level of engagement, what academic areas they had success with in Semester 1 and where there is room for improvement. They were asked to take these home and have them signed by their parents and then return them to their Pastoral Mentors. Hopefully the document has led to some valuable discussions both at School and at home.

In other news, Celebration Evening singing practices have commenced and the students have already impressed the staff with their willingness to channel Jersey Boys and make Frankie Valli proud. By the night of Monday 10 October, they will undoubtedly impress the entire school community.

by Nick Stefanac, Year 11 Co-ordinator

News from Year 12

The Year 12 students have made a very positive start to their final full term of formal schooling. Last week, the students were busy catching up on holiday adventures and events before settling back into their classes and the school routine. This week I have been most pleased that the majority of students are using their study periods effectively and are supporting each other well.

This term we expect Year 12 students to be focused on their studies and, moving forward, we would anticipate students being proactive in starting examination revision and initiating meetings with subject teachers if required. They will also be busy preparing for many important and significant events, such as Celebration Evening (Monday 10 October) and the Year 12 Breakfast.

Finally, formal photos have arrived! If photographs were ordered prior to Thursday 14 July, these have been delivered to school and should now be at home. If you have not ordered photographs and still wish to do so, Kathy Watson is still taking orders. Please see the e-mail I sent out in the final week of the holidays for login details.

by Jen Tsai-Bove, Year 12 Co-ordinator

Club Tinwood # 3 Mini Golf @ Maroondah Golf Park

Our latest Club Tinwood adventure saw 82 Junior School girls and boys enjoy an afternoon at Maroondah Mini Golf. The 36 hole indoor/outdoor layout proved to be very challenging for some, with the maximum stroke allowance of 10 shots per hole being easily reached on many occasions. Yet despite par seldom being achieved, there was much laughter, a true indication of the enjoyment of all who participated in our most recent Club Tinwood afternoon. Special mention to Kye Bertram who was able to ‘bounce back’ from a close encounter with a golf ball.   

Bee Bots

What type of jobs will the Year 5s be doing in another decade? This question can only be described as perplexing. One thing we do know is that technology is pivotal in our lives and teaching computer programming will give our students the best opportunities to be skilled for the future job market. Therefore, the Year 5s began to experience how to write algorithms to program their Bee Bots through a very detailed procedural text. The Bee Bots (A robot in the shape of a bee) had the algorithms programmed into them so they could travel from point A to point B, avoiding any obstacles!

The boys found this hands on activity a great deal of fun and their algorithms were thoroughly detailed to create a successful procedural text.

Following on from this some boys have chosen to take up on an opportunity to participate in the NCSS Python Programming Competition. This is a challenging program that enables students to work with algorithms and the Python Program (What Google uses). This will develop their understanding of how to use Python to develop their computer programming skills.

Whatever the future holds for these boys we can be sure technology will play a big part!

by Mr Lee White, Year 5 Teacher

Junior School @ Lunchtime

Some of our Junior School boys at ‘play’ during lunchtime last Friday.

by Jen Sloane, Year 2 Teacher

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Southwood Foundation Assembly

Our Southwood Foundation Assembly is always a very special occasion, as it provides a wonderful opportunity for us to celebrate the birth of Southwood, and the vision and commitment of the School Board, staff and families in ensuring that boys are an integral part of Tintern Grammar.

This year we were particularly delighted to welcome back Kirk Kinne, a foundation student, commencing at Southwood in Year 4 1999. Kirk spoke fondly of his Southwood years, and highlighted the special, close bond that still exists amongst the Southwood boys. He especially highlighted the close relationship that existed between staff and students.

Jack Taggert, a current Year 3 boy, displayed wonderful confidence as he shared his recent journey to Villers Bretonneux, where he was able to visit the Victoria School, and present the Principal with a Southwood Book and an AFL football. Villers Bretonneux has a special link with Australia, as it was on the 25 April 1918, when over 1200 Australian diggers gave their lives while defeating the German army and hence winning back the village for the French people. When the war had finished, the school children of Melbourne raised finds to help rebuild what became known as The Victoria School.

Our School Captain, Michael D’Addazio, spoke with passion about his Southwood days, and we were delighted to hear from max Hutchinson as he outlined the highlights of his journey from being a prep boy, to now as a Year 12 boy. As has now become tradition…a unique video created and produced by our Year 12s, this year’s entitled “We Didn’t Start The Vibe”, provided much mirth.

Our Assembly finished with our Prep-Year 12 boys, arm in arm, singing a rousing rendition of The Southwood Boy song…always a very emotional moment.

I am sincerely appreciative of the effort made by the many parents, boys and friends who participated in our Foundation Assembly.

From the Head of Senior College

From the commencement of Semester 2, our Senior College Year Level Co-ordinators, Pastoral Mentors and subject teachers have been reminding students of three specific goals: firstly, to focus on their academic performance and thus do their best at all times; secondly, to be mindful of the Schools’ values in respecting the diversity of our community and the feelings of others at all times, and thus to be the best person they can be at all times; and, thirdly, to focus on their own personal appearance in their school uniforms and thus to look the best they can at all times and thereby show respect both to themselves and to the School.

School Uniform

In terms of School Uniform it is thus timely to remind families and students of the Winter Uniform requirements, as follows. A more complete policy has been sent to families and advised to students at the start of the year.

• Apart from inter-school and recreational sports days or House Sports days, the School Blazer is the outer garment to be worn to and from school during the Winter season
• On inter-school sports and recreational sports days only, students are expected to wear full correct sports uniform to and from school
• On House Sports days students are expected to wear full correct sports uniform to and from school to which they may add appropriate articles in House colours
• In winter months blue school tracksuit pants should be worn – leggings must not be worn to and from school
• The navy blue Senior College jumper may be worn by Years 10 – 12 students (Year 12 students may instead wear their Year 12 jumper), but jumpers are never to be worn as the outer garment to and from school
• All students are to be wearing ties in Winter; ties must be done up correctly
• Long hair is to be tied back
• Shirts are to be tucked in
• Girls winter skirts must be worn to an appropriate length, combined with dark blue tights or full length dark blue hose
• Boys should be wearing long pants
• Scarves, if worn, should be navy blue

In terms of respecting diversity, we commenced our Term 3 Principal’s Assembly with the Theme of our Diverse World and were delighted to hear wonderful presentations from our two International Student Leaders, Bill Chen and Fei Wang

Whilst academically all Senior College students have been given time to reflect on their Semester 1 reports with a view to ensuring that they improve their performance, in keeping with their own individual talents and strengths. Apart from providing the important teacher feedback, the Semester 1 reports have provided the opportunity for students to recast or reconfirm goals for Semester 2.

On Wednesday 20 July, I was delighted to see so many Year 10 and Year 9 students and their parents at our Subject Showcase Evening on Wednesday 20 July at which all of our Year 11 subject offerings were outlined. I remind all students that their online subject choices for 2017 are to be submitted no later than Sunday 31 July and that the 2017 Senior College Subject Course Guide is available online on the Portal.

With kind regards to all,

Life Cycles

The Prep boys are learning about Life Cycles this term. Our Literature focus has been on The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. The boys have engaged in many varied activities from creating a butterfly life cycle with pasta shapes to retelling the story using the programmable Beebots. We have also been watching a couple of caterpillars munching on some tasty green leaves over the last 2 weeks. The boys were very excited to be able to observe the biggest caterpillar forming a chrysalis right before their very eyes! The chrysalis has now changed from green to black as it develops into a butterfly. It is lovely to watch the excitement as the boys arrive at school each morning looking for any changes.

by Claire Macdonald, Prep Teacher 

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News from the Careers Department

Maroondah Careers Group Expo (Years 9 to 12)

Tintern Grammar is part of the Maroondah Careers Group and this year we are hosting our Careers Expo at Box Hill Institute’s Lilydale Lake campus on Tuesday 2 August from 4.00 to 8.00pm. This is a wonderful opportunity particularly for students to speak with representatives from the Universities, TAFE sector plus other organisations such as Victorian Police and Gap Year providers. Year 12 students are also welcome to attend as it is efficient use of their time to ask final questions and make comparisons between institutions but it is not a substitute to attending Open Days. A copy of this flyer with a location map can be found on the Careers Page of the Portal at http://portal.tintern.vic.edu.au/homepage/12925/

Year 9 Subject Selection Careers Support

The Year 9 students have been emailed inviting them to have an informal chat if they have any questions about their subject selections following the Subject Showcase Evening on Wednesday 20 July. They can also request an individual meeting using the Careers Department email – careers@tintern.vic.edu.au

Year 9 students are welcome to attend any of the following sessions:

• Thursday 21 July at Recess in M6
• Friday 22 July at Lunchtime in S53
• Tuesday 26 July at Lunchtime in the Careers Room (near Senior College Reception)

Tertiary Open Days

August is a busy month for the tertiary sector and most institutions hold their Open Days during this time. It is becoming increasingly common for students to pre-register online to ensure that they can attend particular seminars or workshops so it is important to commence planning early.

Some Tips to Maximise the Value from Open Days…

• Check registration requirements prior to Open Days
• Plan the day using the institution’s Open Day Guide which is available beforehand from their website noting the timing of information sessions
• If a course includes an interview/folio presentation as part of the selection process (e.g. Design related courses), students may well be asked about experiences or impressions gained at Open Day.
• Prepare questions for staff and students such as course requirements, industry placements, employment opportunities or study abroad opportunities
• Consider the general environment, for example, rural or urban, city or suburban, large or small, range of clubs or societies, student support services and transport

A comprehensive list of Open Days can be found on the VTAC website or http://www.vtac.edu.au/opendays.html

RMIT is an example of a University that is using an Open Day personalised planner.

RMIT Open Day

Sunday 14 August             10.00am to 4.00pm         City/Brunswick/Bundoora

Create your own personalised planner at www.rmit.edu.au/openday and enjoy such activities as racing cars, virtual reality, fashion shows, courtroom experiences. During Open Day at RMIT, there is a Women in Engineering Event at 1.15pm providing an opportunity to hear presentations from females working in a variety of engineering related fields. (Location: Building 80 Swanston Academic Building, The Cinema, 445 Swanston Street Melbourne)

CareerNews Number 10 – 15 July 2016

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

Reminders

1. Open Day Reminder
2. Get the Most out of Open Days
3. Year 12s – Application for Courses
4. Monash University News
5. La Trobe University’s Aspire Program
6. Deakin Information Sessions
7. More than your ATAR at ACU
8. Are there Regulations when Employing a Child?

You can access CareerNews by selecting the Careers tab.

by Heather Ruckert, Year 10 Co-ordinator and Careers Consultant

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Chaplains Corner

⁵ The Lord is your keeper;     
the Lord is your shade at your right hand.

⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day,   
 nor the moon by night.

 Greetings! We are well and truly in the midst of winter, so it may seem strange that I am writing about the sun, shade and the moon.

 Above are the next two verses from the School Psalm, Psalm 121. And in each Chaplains Corner this year I am exploring what this ancient text is about. And then we come to these verses, and they too are quite interesting. ‘The Lord is your keeper’ – what is meant by the word ‘keeper’ here? In our society the only time we tend to hear the word keeper is in relation to a ‘zoo keeper’, and very few other professions refer to the role of ‘keeper’, I can only think of sport, a goal ‘keeper’, a wicket ‘keeper’. The dictionary describes keeper as one who manages or looks after something. But the Hebrew word here for keeper means so much more, it is about care and provision. And it’s a central theme to our School Psalm, so much so it is repeated six times within the Psalm.

The sun shall not strike you by day – Heat stroke and even death was a real issue for the people of Ancient Israel, so the idea that God will shade you from the rays of the sun was very comforting.

Nor the moon by night – equally, protection and shade from the ‘moons’ rays was sought. They were believed to make people crazy, thus the word we have now – ‘lunatic’.

Protection and care – This Psalm reminds all who hear or read it that we are kept by the creator of the universe. Our needs and life are very important to the source of all life.

May you consider what the implications of being ‘kept’ are and what that could mean in your life.

by Alison Andrew, Chaplain

Louise Hearman (YG 1980) has won the Archibald Prize for 2016!

We would like to congratulate one of our past students, Louise Hearman (YG 1981) for being awarded the 2016 Archibald Prize for her portrait of Barry Humphries. Please click here to read more!

Key Dates Term 3 2016