From the Principal

Principal’s Vlog 

Our Year 6 Upcycled Entrepreneurs!

Many of you will be aware that our Year 6 Girls have just run their “Upcycled Market” again in 2015. This is a terrific example of the inventiveness and entrepreneurship of our students, but also taps into a growing group of young female entrepreneurs who are making their mark in the business world – both in Australia and overseas.

In her article entitled “Young Female Entrepreneurs should not be a rare breed”, Minister for Women, Sen. Michaela Cash speaks of the growing band of successful young female entrepreneurs.

Here is a brief excerpt:

“I learnt how each of their businesses started in the same way—with one simple idea.

These women took a leap of faith to turn their ideas and initiatives into tangible outcomes, consolidating their talents into successful business ventures.

They are part of a growing worldwide force of female entrepreneurs tapping into new local and global markets and exploiting new niches.

It is women like Gen, Jess and Nikki and the many before them, who have forever altered the way in which women participate in entrepreneurial activities around the globe.

Ernst and Young has identified that female entrepreneurs own about a third of all businesses in the world and in the next five years, the global incomes of women will grow from US$13 trillion to US$18 trillion—almost twice the growth in GDP expected from China and India combined.”

A number of very significant Tintern alumni are notable members of this group. Three examples are:

• Lee Furst – winner of the Telstra Victorian Business of the Year Award
• Jo Wheaton – founder of lipstick empire, “Shanghai Suzy”
• Sarah Jane Young – noted blogger and social commentator

While our Year 6 girls begin this project with more modest goals, who knows where these might lead them in the future if they can be brave and also take that leap of courage and faith. Tintern has an astounding history of producing academics, doctors, politicians and researchers. Now we are seeing a new generation of achievers lighting the way to a possible future for our current and future students and more power to them!

For those who may wish to read it, the full article can be found here:

http://www.mamamia.com.au/career/changing-the-face-of-innovation-senator-michaelia-cash/

Factis non verbis

Sport Matters

Middle School Sport

Tintern Year 7 students have enjoyed the opportunity to compete in EISM Summer Sports throughout Term 4 and the season has just concluded. It was wonderful to see that every single student was a member of a team and some took the opportunity to switch sports when others were absent. All students represented the school well and made excellent progress in developing their skills, knowledge and sportsmanship. Many students were playing sports that they had not previously played at a competitive level, which was great for them to experience. Congratulations to our Girls Tennis ‘A’ team who won the Premiership and our Girls Volleyball ‘A’ who finished Runners Up.

The Spring Season of EISM Sport has also recently concluded for Year 9 Girls and Year 8/9 Boys. Once again, every student was a member of a team and represented the school well. Girl’s sports included Badminton, Hockey, Table Tennis, Ultimate Frisbee and Volleyball whilst the Boys competed in Indoor Cricket, Indoor Soccer, Netball, Touch Rugby and Volleyball. Whilst they didn’t bring home any Premierships, all teams tried very hard each week and improved significantly during the season.

There is no EISM Sport for Year 8 Girls during Term 4, however, the girls were kept busy running their own sporting competition as part of our SEPEP program. The girls organised the entire competition of European Handball from coaching and managing teams, to umpiring and publicity. The season culminated with an exciting Grand Final (won by Gordon) and celebratory food and drink in House colours.

Following our recently successful House Swimming carnivals, students who achieved excellent times were invited to join the school’s EISM Swim Squad for 2016. These students have been training at school on Wednesday and Friday mornings for the past four weeks. This will lead into Term 1 next year and the EISM Championships in late March. Congratulations to all students who were selected in this squad and for the commitment they are making.

Boys Junior School House Swimming

Our Swimming program culminated on Wednesday with our Prep-2 Fun Swimming morning, and our Year 3-6 House Swimming carnival. Both events were spirited, energetic and provided an opportunity for all boys to display the confidence and skill learnt during swimming lessons.

For our Prep – Year 2 boys, events such as the Submarine relay, cork scramble and boogie board relay saw them participate in group activities, with the support and encouragement of their peers, and the many parents present. Freestyle sprints individualised to meet each boy’s ability were also on offer.

Butterss were again the Champions (fourth year in a row) in our 3-6 Carnival. This is always a most enjoyable afternoon for our boys. Traditional events such as sprints, relays and medleys are complemented by Inflatable Boat races, ball relays and boogie board races.

Dann House pushed Butterss until literally their last event, but the strength overall of Butterss swimmers’ led especially by Kaidin Dalzotto and Nick Reilly, was outstanding.

We congratulate all boys for their most positive and confident involvement in our Swimming program, and thank Mr Johnstone for his organisation.

Music Matters

‘Music Technology Beyond the Classroom’ Elective Excursion

The girls in the Year 8 and 9 Music Technology elective class had spent many weeks composing original pieces of music to be played on the Federation Bells. This was a challenging task, because the bells were tuned to many unusual notes and sounds, and they had to adapt their ideas to make them work on this unusual instrument. All the composition work was done on a computer at school, and then performed live at Birrarung Marr on 16 November. There was also an opportunity for the girls to play the bells live from an iPad App, which was very exciting.

After the Federation Bells experience, the girls then walked to the Scots’ Church, to witness and learn how the organ operates. After Dr Robin Batterham the assistant organist at The Scots’ Church, had demonstrated his musical skills, the students went in groups to tour the inside of the multi-million dollar organ. There were thousands of different pipes varying in size and shape. To finish off Dr Batterham performed a modern piece which he thought was relevant to the current world events affecting people today. In organ music there are three lines (or staves of music) instead of the usual two we see on piano music. This is because there are keys on the floor which are played with your feet. The students would like to thank Mr Kidd and Mrs Bezaire for taking them on a city musical experience.

By Carla Di Pierro and Isabella Murphy, Year 8

Tintern’s Concert Band performs to great acclaim at Federation Square

Our Year 7, 8 and 9 students were exemplary musical ambassadors for our school last Thursday 19 November. The Concert Band performed in the Novice Band section at the Victorian School Music Festival at Deakin Edge. Adjudicator, David Jones from Brisbane, was highly complimentary about the very mature sound that our band produced. He felt that their intonation was excellent and they produced beautifully rich and sonorous tone colours. He commented on the well-developed technique of our musicians and the attention paid to detail in the music, which is a particular credit to the ensemble’s conductor, Mrs Lisa Clarke. Mr Jones then spent some time working on stage with our students in a live tutorial session. Our students responded very well to working with a new conductor, once they got used to him. He challenged them to watch him carefully for subtle changes of phrase shaping and variations in tempo. Mr Jones so enjoyed the responsiveness of the group that his parting comment was, “I could conduct this band all day!”

I was very proud of our students, as were the many Tintern parents who were able to attend the performance at 5.20pm, which was very convenient for those who worked in the city. Well done!

Not only did the Concert Band perform on Thursday afternoon. The night before they were entertaining parents of incoming Year 7s at the Information Evening and they were back on stage in the CM Wood Centre on Sunday at ‘Munch with the Musos’! We thank this dedicated team of musicians for their commitment to the ensemble and also thank their parents for the wonderful support of their musical endeavours.

Music and fabulous food to Munch – who could ask for more?!

A bumper crowd of well over 300 students, staff, parents, family and friends packed the CM Wood Centre on Sunday morning for our annual Friends of Music ‘Munch with the Musos’ event. Now in its eighth year, this event is a relaxed and festive musical occasion. It is unique for the fact that it brings together our boys and girls from the Junior and Middle Schools, in particular, who work together to present a delightful array of musical treats, many with a Christmassy flavour (yes, it’s only around the corner!). Many thanks to the music staff who prepared the students for these performances.

Setting up and running such a tremendous undertaking would not be possible without our hard-working team of parents on the Friends of Music Committee. President, Tim Oldmeadow, was a jovial host on the day and the FOM team made special mention of the wonderful support provided by Kathy Green, departing parent of Year 12 student, Brendon Green. Kathy has given many years of loyal service to the school in many ways, not the least of which has been her 10 years with the FOM Committee. We thank Kathy for her good humour and no-nonsense approach to all tasks to which she turns her hand.

Little Archive winners at the MCC/FREEZA Battle of the Bands

On Friday 20 November, at EV’s Youth Centre in Croydon, the Maroondah City Council and FREEZA ran a schools’ Battle of the Bands event. Our own ‘Little Archive’ (Brendon Green, Rory Shepherd, Zoe Stephenson) represented Tintern and were up against ‘Infamy’ from Aquinas College, ‘Sea of Trees’ from Ringwood Secondary College and two more bands from Melba and Norwood Secondary Colleges. We were thrilled to receive the news late on Friday night that the three judges, with a tough decision on their hands, had decided to award first place to ‘Little Archive’! Judging criteria included presentation of the band, musicianship, originality of material, interpretation of covers and potential of the act. For their efforts, our group were awarded a recording deal at new local recording studio, Realm in Ringwood. Congratulations Zoe, Brendon and Rory – we’re very proud of your efforts and can’t wait to hear the tracks you lay down at the studio! 

Community Matters

End of year Parent lunch – Tuesday 8 December

When time allows, we know that many of our parents and guardians enjoy visiting the school to attend assemblies. Our final day of school on Tuesday 8 December will be packed with many assemblies and special events that we invite you to attend and enjoy. With this in mind, our Southwood Parents Club have offered to host a special end of year lunch for all families who wish to remain on site for the various events, or for those who wish to come along and catch up with other families. 

Schedule of the day – Tuesday 8 December

Below are just some of the activities that are planned for our students, and our parents would be welcome to attend any or all of these.

7.30am                Girls Year 6 Graduation Breakfast (CM Wood)

8.45am                Boys Junior School Family Christmas Morning (Hamilton Centre)

9.15am                Boys Middle School Ironman competition (Oval)

10am                    Girls Junior School Final Assembly (Colebrook Hall)

11am                    Combined Middle Schools Assembly (CM Wood)

11.30am             Tintern Parents Last Day Christmas Lunch (Compass Café)

1.30pm                Girls Prep – Year 2 Christmas Concert (CM Wood)

2.50pm                Boys Prep – Year 9 Farewell Assembly (Hamilton Centre)

If you are interested in joining the lunch, please download the flyer here or contact Community Relations on communityrelations@tintern.vic.edu.au    

Friends of Music: Munch with the Musos

Last Sunday 22 November Friends of Music held its annual “Munch with the Musos” a thoroughly enjoyable event filled with music and singing provided by very spirited students from across the school. This year’s event continued the wonderful festive tradition, where only the stand out musical performances were able to interrupt the hubbub of happy chatter across the 300 plus crowd. We were once again kindly supported by Croydon Bakers Delight who helped ensure no one was left feeling hungry!! A huge thank you to Alison Bezaire and the Music staff for working so hard to create the wonderful program and to the students who performed so well. Thank you also to the FOM committee and their families who so willingly gave up their time to make many sandwiches and help the morning run smoothly. Thank you to those who were so accommodating and patient as we worked to shuffle a few chairs to get people sitting together. As we head into December, Friends of Music wish you all a very Happy Christmas and look forward to us all sharing the love of music together again in 2016! Friends of Music always welcome new members, so contact Di Lacey or the music office for more information!

Second Hand Book sale – Tuesday 1 to Friday 4 December 2015

Thank you to everyone who is assisting and supporting the Second Hand Book Sale; an activity such as this one cannot take place without the valuable assistance of parent volunteers. Special thanks are extended to Joy Ashfield, who has once again coordinated the sale. Students in Years 9 – 12 can drop books for sale at Kennedy Cottage from now. Students in Years 7 and 8 can drop their books at the Glass House, Cullen Library on Tuesday 1 or Wednesday 2 December. All Second Hand forms and information is available on the School portal or School web page. Alternatively contact the Community Relations Office 9845 7877 or email communityrelations@tintern.vic.edu.au. Volunteers who donate at least 3 hours of their time will receive priority purchase and selling of their textbooks through the Book Sale. If you are able to assist, please contact Joy Ashfield on joyashfield5@bigpond.com

Mangoes will be here on Tuesday 1 December

Thank you to everyone who has supported the Mango fundraiser. You will receive an email shortly confirming collection will be next Tuesday 1 December from the Hamilton centre – Boys Junior school.

Year Level Functions

Thank you to all our parent representatives who have organised some wonderful events throughout the year, they are still busy organising end of year social events; please continue to support their efforts when you can.

ELC families will enjoy dinner on Friday 27 November at Sapporo Japanese Restaurant, Mitcham and then a family get together at the Wattle Valley park in Burwood for the Tramways Band – Christmas Magic Jazz in the park on Sunday 20 December

Year 6 boy families will enjoy a get together at Stiggants reserve, Warrandyte on Sunday 29 November.

Year 6 girl families will enjoy their graduation high tea party on Sunday 6 December at Café Orchard in Park Orchards and then on Tuesday 8 December an end of year celebration bowling at Forest Hill.

Year 3 girl families will enjoy a break up party at Ringwood Aquanation on Tuesday 8 December after school

Some recent events include:

Year 2 girls parents enjoyed a morning catch up this Friday 27 November at Emjay café in East Ringwood.

Year 9 parents enjoyed catching up at the new Eastland town square on Thursday 12 November

Year 7 parents enjoyed a morning catch up at the beautiful Warren Glen nursery café in Warrandyte on Friday 20 November.

Various other year level functions 

Year Level Parent Representatives

What are they? What do they do?

Now is the time to consider a role as Year level parent representative for next year.

Year level parent reps are a vital link between the school and parents at each Year level. Every year level or class should have at least one representative who will make themselves known to other parents across the year. The primary responsibility of the parent reps is to co-ordinate parent social activities throughout the year. The Year level parent rep should make every effort to meet all the parents at their Year level and should a new family arrive during the year, the Parent Rep is asked to make contact with the family, invite them to have coffee and meet other members of the year level. The parent and friend groups or the Community Relations Office may call upon the parent Reps to assist with sourcing volunteers for events or activities. We also encourage our parent reps to be available to answer any questions from our new incoming 2016 families. If this sounds like you please call or email Di Lacey in the Community Relations Office.

A huge thank you is extended to all our 2015 Parent reps and if you would like to continue in the role please contact Di Lacey in the Community relations office on 9845 7877 or email communityrelations@tintern.vic.edu.au.

2017 Scholarships Now Open

Tintern is pleased to offer scholarships for students entering the following year levels in 2017:

• Junior School Scholarships for Years 4 and 5

• Year 7 Academic Scholarships

• Year 7 General Excellence and General Excellence – Music Scholarships

• Senior College Scholarships for Years 10 and 11

Applications will close on Friday 29 January 2016. Scholarship testing will be held on Saturday 6 February 2016 from 8.30am – 12pm. 

Please note: Scholarships are open to all internal and external students. Scholarships are available to Australian residents only. All decisions regarding scholarships are final. 

For more information, please contact the Admissions office on 9845 7878 or email admissions@tintern.vic.edu.au

Mr Pyjamas going for a walk!

Elin in the 3 year old Early Learners class is taking Mr Pyjamas for a walk!

Or is it Mr Pyjamas taking Elin for a walk?

Hannah in Pre-Prep A is following closely behind!

Please see the video below to view Mr Pyjamas going for a walk!

It’s Orientation Time in the ELC…

Early Learners and Pre-Preps have enjoyed the orientation sessions for 2016. This is an exciting time for these children! For some of them this is their first time in an educational environment which leads into more regular times away from Mum and Dad. This can be both a scary and exciting time and we try to help the children feel as comfortable as possible.

Here are some photos of the new Pre-Prep B students for 2016. Some are coming from the current Early Learners (3 year old) class and so are familiar with staff and the new classroom. Others are beginning at Tintern and are meeting their new friends for the first time.

by Amanda Cooke, ELC Coordinator/Pre-Prep B Teacher

Shared Reading Time!

The Prep girls had a lovely shared reading time with the Year 7 girls last week. The Year 7 girls’ English classes worked hard to produce delightful picture story books to read to the Prep-Year 2 girls. The standard of both the stories and illustrations was most impressive and the I J Day girls were a most appreciative audience!

Year 6 Upcycled Market Success

At last after weeks of hard work, planning, discussion, budgeting and redesigning, the Year 6 students held their Upcycled Market, selling handmade items which were repurposed from resources largely destined to be landfill. What a great fun way to learn about finance, supply and demand and the basic principles of the real world free market by running your own small business! From colourful festive bunting, to pencil wraps, mobile phone charger pockets, hair accessories and stationery organisers, there was something for everyone.

Congratulations to all students for their fabulous team work and engagement in their learning. It looks like our target of $888 will be reached, so after more thorough research and discussion, the students will donate all of this profit to charity.  Learning is fun and rewarding at Tintern!

by Ms Green and Ms Dang, Year 6 teachers

Year 3/4 Camp

The boys in Years 3 and 4 have just spent three wonderful days at Camp Manyung, Mt Eliza. The weather was perfect and so were the boys! It was a most enjoyable time as the boys happily joined with their peers in a fun and encouraging environment away from home. Various activities and challenges focusing on group dynamics, problem solving, resilience, communication, trust and teamwork were made available to the boys and they all graciously accepted those challenges. On day one, they had a beach carnival, went for a swim, rode the giant swing and enjoyed a trivia challenge and watched a movie. The next day they tested out their balancing skills on the low ropes course, tried their hand at archery, had another swim, attempted to find all the markers when Geo Caching, ventured out on a night hike and watched the rest of the movie. After a fabulous night’s sleep they played some initiative games and learnt a new game called ‘Ga-Ga’. The food was delicious and thankfully there was plenty of it as the boys were ravenous at each meal. The boys were most helpful when it was time to set the tables and serve the food and they even vacuumed the dining room afterwards – for some this was also a new experience! We have come home with many fond memories and a great feeling of fulfilment.

by Maria Lumsden, Year 4 boys Teacher

Year 6 take to the skies

One of the highlights of the year for our Year 6 boys is their Flight excursion to Coldstream airport.

Having spent a term studying the Principles of Flight, researching famous aviators, listening to presentations from those with careers in aviation, and making an efficient and effective Balsa Wood plane, the opportunity to actually fly a plane is grasped with great enthusiasm, some trepidation and ultimately, wonderful resilience.

After group instruction and a close up inspection of the planes, each boy then climbs aboard a Piper Warrior Plane, buckles up and under the tutorage of a qualified instructor, heads off into the wild blue yonder.

Every boy breathlessly describes the experience as one of their most memorable, and for many, it serves as the catalyst for future pursuits.

Thank you Year 6

As we head to the end of year, and times of celebration, transition and reflection, we especially thank and recognise our Year 6 boys and their families.

Whether their Southwood journey has been one of a year, or longer, each boy has contributed significantly to the life of our school.

Our annual Year 6 Transition Dinner is to be held next Wednesday evening, in the CM Wood Centre. At this Dinner, each boy delivers a presentation about his Southwood Journey, including highlights and memories. They also prepare a Compass point reflection, choosing one of our eight values, and writing about ways in which our school has helped develop this point through opportunities, and reflect upon role models that they see ‘walking the walk’ (Factis Non Verbis!)

The depth of thinking that our boys have displayed in their writing, and their appreciation of their parents, school and families, is heart-warming and a credit to them.

For five of our Year 6 boys, Bailey, Lachlan, Riley, Connor and Seb, the night formally brings to a close a journey that began in Prep in 2009! We sincerely thank them and their families.

On the last day of school, Tuesday 8 December, we finish the year with a special Prep-Year 9 Southwood Boys Assembly.  At this occasion, we will be thanking all of our boys and families, and paying special recognition to a number of staff who will be leaving at the end of the year. Parents and friends are warmly invited to join us in the Boys Junior School Building for this lovely occasion.

Cybersafety talk

This morning our Year 5 and 6 girls and boys participated in a discussion on Cybersafety, presented by Christina Windisch, Barrister & Solicitor, and mother of Jack in Year 2.

Christina outlined the issues associated with misuse of electronic media, the importance of understanding that users leave a ‘digital footprint’, and then outlined legal issues such as the age at which children can be held accountable and charged, definitions of bullying, harassment and stalking, and ultimately, the consequences for deliberate misuse. Her key point of ensuring that electronic communication is used with positive intent, and the importance of blocking and reporting those who offend, was carefully considered by our boys and girls.

We were most appreciative of Christina’s presentation and the time that she gave us.

Girls Middle School News

This week has been an exciting one in the Girls Middle School as students work towards their final assessments for the year. Our Year 9s have successfully undertaken their first set of examinations and have begun to look towards Year 10 as they have taken part in transition classes for 2016, meeting their teachers and classmates and preparing for the courses they will study next year.

We welcomed Year 7 (2016) to secondary school at their final Orientation Day on Wednesday 18 November which was followed by a Parent Information Evening. It was a fantastic day and students were very excited to find out their Form groups and Form teachers for 2016. The girls participated enthusiastically in activities that helped to familiarise them with the secondary school environment while learning more about the opportunities and offerings available to them next year. We look forward to the girls joining us in Term 1 next year!

Our Year 9 girls visited CERES last week to build on their understanding of Fair Trade and Organic Farming, while Year 9 Outdoor Education and Music Technology students both attended excursions.

On Sunday I attend the Munch with the Musos event which was a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together and listen to some pieces that featured students from across the Junior, Middle and senior Schools.

You can read about some additional performances by our students in the 8/9 Music Technology Elective and Concert Band who have had a very busy week!

On Wednesday we enjoyed the spectacular Year 8 Performing Arts Night with the dramatic theme of “Move on Up, Get on Down”. Students performed some entertaining pieces; particularly the Poi which was developed after their World Music Workshop on Polynesia.

Next week our Year 9s will be heading away on Summer Expeditions to various locations around Victoria and Tasmania as they take part in their final Year 9 Camp.

A reminder that from 2-4 December our Year 7 and 8 students will be taking part in a new initiative for 2016 – the eYp or ‘End of Year Program’. Throughout the three days girls will be working in House groups on a comprehensive and engaging project. The project topics are still ‘top secret’ but there’s going to be plenty of opportunity for students to demonstrate their skills in creativity, teamwork and collaboration as well as test their thinking skills.

Tintern students in Europe

French Exchange students arrive in Bordeaux

All the French Exchange Students and accompanying French Teacher, Jean Florent left for France on 24 November. They have now arrived safely in Bordeaux and are with their host families.

Jean Florent has reported that all the students coped very well with the long trip. He mentioned that the reunion with host families in Bordeaux was very emotional and that the students were delighted to see their host ‘brother’ or ‘sister’ again.

Please see the Exchange Portal Page for more photos. http://portal.tintern.vic.edu.au/homepage/8259/

We will update more photographs on this page as they are received!  This is a great start to the exchange.

German Exchange

Seven of our students are off to Germany for their exchange. We look forward to sharing updates with families as they come to hand. 

Shakespeare in the Park – a Year 9 performance

Watching a teenage boy run around in a dress on the oval is not anyone’s idea of a typical Wednesday afternoon, but on Wednesday 25 November, this is exactly what the Year 9 level did. As part of our extensive study on Shakespeare’s famous Romeo & Juliet, the Year 9s were asked to form small groups within their English classes, in order to adapt a scene from the well known play. Choreography, props, costumes, and performing skills were aspects we were to focus on, and it was recommended that we add our own twist to the story.

Throughout the experience, we had an enjoyable time working together in order to produce the best possible interpretation to present to the class. After they were performed to the class, it was up to our English teachers to select those who would then present their plays to the year level at a combined gathering. Twists such as bogan Capulets and Montagues, the Bachelorette of Verona, the Kardashians in Shakespeare, the traditional, and many others were presented as genres ranged from comical, to ridiculous, to romantic, to tragic.

Overall, it was a popular topic and an excellent opportunity for the students to see each other’s hidden dramatic skills. Many laughs were had, with all students exiting the performance alive, thankfully not meeting their characters’ fate.

by Lauren Higgins and Holly Fryer, Year 9

Young Farmers Sleepover

On Friday evening Young Farmers celebrated another successful year with the traditional sleepover at the Tinternwood Farm. It was an opportunity for us to say thank you and good bye to our loyal Year 12 Leaders, Stephie McDonald and Olivia Bridgford. These students have all given six years’ service to the Young Farmers group. After enjoying a sausage sizzle and lots of yummy cake the students played chase, football and some enjoyed a game of cards around the camp fire.

A lot of fun was had by all and all students retired to the floor of the outdoor education centre well after their usual bedtime and having consumed far too much sugar.

Thank you to Gavin, Miss Wall and Miss Cutter who helped me with this event.

by Di Grochowska, Girls Year 7 Co-ordinator and Young Farmers Co-ordinator

Year 9 Girls Hockey

From the first game we played we knew we could become a great team. We all had our strengths and weaknesses but every game we pulled together whether we were winning or losing. Every one of us tried our best regardless of the hot weather, rain and even thunderstorms. It wasn’t only about hockey, the journeys to venues were full of fun, singing, laughs and even a flat tyre on the freeway. Gabi, Miss Constable and team players were all encouraging of each other. From the first whistle of the first game to the last whistle of the last game everyone put 110% in. We lost 3 games for the season but also had some wins and draws. We improved lots and all had a great season.

by Yasmin Lobo, Year 9

Year 9 Girls Caving

The Outdoor Ed girls went caving at Britannia Creek Caves in Yarra Junction assisted by Mr Cleeland, Mr Klan and Corinne. We set off for an afternoon of adventure through darkness and mud. Many people were unsure and anxious but with the first few small gaps to climb through, everyone started to enjoy the experience more. With many challenging turns and rolls, we came across ‘Chinaman’s drop’ where we had to commando crawl a few metres above a 3 metre drop. A lot of girls were hesitant and full of fears, but from the support, encouragement and team work from our peers, we all successfully completed it.

Making it through the remainder of the caves was eventful. From dropped phones into the water (Mr Cleeland) to dodging wet feet, everyone tried their hardest and enjoyed the experience. The adventure was different for everyone. Whether people were afraid or being underground or the small spaces to travel through, everyone gave it their best and overcame all challenges they faced. Another highlight would be the environment and its fauna and flora with one of the most memorable parts being the glow worms. Sitting in a crevasse in complete darkness, we could admire the hardly ever seen beauty of this underground environment. Whether you were looking forward to the activity or a little apprehensive, everyone left with the great feeling of accomplishment and another challenging but rewarding experience gained.

by Tara McAsey and Isabella Wright, Year 9

Orientation Day Year 7 helpers do a great job!

Last Wednesday the final Year 7 2016 orientation day took place and it was a day full of excitement and activity. What probably made it memorable for the Year 6 girls was the Tintern famous fashion show and “What if’s”. The fashion show was absolutely fabulous – there were lights makeup and music! The hosting was performed by Ashleigh Dowling and Angel Tully who put together witty commentary as the students strutted down the catwalk. Year 7 students displayed how our Tintern uniform should be worn and what may be inappropriate. This was followed by several groups of students from Year 7 performing some delightful sketches about things that might go wrong in 2016 and how to deal calmly with these events. For example “What if I lost my MYKI card?” and “What if I forgot my padlock combination.” Finally, the Year 6 students were treated to a guided tour with their Year 7 guides of our wonderful Tintern buildings and grounds. In the evening, during the Parent Information night, I had five delightful Year 7 volunteers to speak about their Year 7 experience.

A very big thank you to all my Year 7 students who did such a fantastic job.

Year 7 Rhythmic Gymnastics

In other news from Year 7, I was invited by Miss Constable to visit her physical education class. The students of 7A were nearing the end of their unit on rhythmic gym and were practising their final routines for assessment. The students were very happy to perform for me and I was so impressed by their abilities to remember a complex sequence of movements. Above is a photo of them all together with the ribbons which were used as props in their gym routines.

by Di Grochowska, Girls Year 7 Co-ordinator and Young Farmers Co-ordinator

Year 9 Camps

At Tintern, our three part Camps Program at Year 9 provides a structured sequence of outdoor experiences that allows students to challenge themselves both physically and mentally, ultimately building resilience and self-confidence. While words like resilience may get thrown around in varied contexts these days, I mean it in the truest sense of the word: asking students to pack all their food, water, clothing and shelter into a hiking pack and head off into the wilderness for 3 days of hiking at Wilsons Promontory is a very real way of building resolve and helping students understand that, during this interesting time of adolescence, they do have personal strength within them to keep pushing through adversity. This 3 day hike also allows friendships to form, ensuring all students have a strong support network of peers around them as they begin their Year 9 experience.

The beauty of running our program in three parts is that it allows students to implement the lessons they have learnt on camp into their lives back at school. After the bushwalks in Term 1, our Winter Camp experience in Term 3 at Camp Howqua is the next progressive step in our experiential learning program. The students are presented with a range of adventurous, challenging and risky activities. While all the preparation, checks and balances assure that the ‘real risk’ is taken away, the perceived risk of travelling down the Big River in a raft with 5 of your peers creates a sense of fun and excitement. It also reinforces the concept that risk taking behaviour is all around us, however, by educating ourselves on safety and the possible consequences involved, we are able to make more informed choices in our life when confronted with the idea of risk.

Next week, the girls will complete the final instalment of the Camps Program by undertaking their Summer Expeditions. This year will see students sea kayaking at the Gippsland Lakes, white water rafting on the Mitchell river and rock climbing at the sea cliffs of Freycinet. It is great to see students taking responsibility for these trips, helping to make decisions regarding travel route, weather, the timing and structure of the day and also for looking after their peers. By letting students take more control over the preparation and structure of the trip, they are learning the valuable lesson of action and consequence: if they choose to begin cooking dinner later in the day, doing their dishes in the dark becomes challenging. If they choose to wake up late, they may have to paddle in windy conditions. If they don’t follow their meal plan for the week, they may have to get creative with their food choices. This is the perfect way for the students to conclude the Camps Program and their Middle School journey as they can transition into their life in the Senior College armed with self-confidence, resilience, comradery and tenacity. It has been a pleasure working with the students this year, watching them create memories on these camps that will last a lifetime and I look forward to sharing stories, pictures and videos with families upon our return.

Year 8 – Days for Girls

Over this past semester our Year 8 girls have been investigating what life is like for girls in situations very different to our own, such as those who experience poverty, forced child labour, etc. They have been identifying what is ‘normal’ by our standards and what is ‘fair and not fair’ in terms of access to basic human rights. As part of this we are working towards our end of year social justice project ‘Days for Girls’. Days for Girls is a not-for profit social justice project that helps girls regain dignity, health, and equality in educational outcomes through providing access to sustainable feminine hygiene products for girls across 77 developing countries. Our Year 8 girls have already shown significant support and excitement about being involved in this project.

To assist in this project we are seeking donations of:

• Brightly coloured fabric in cotton and flannel (preferably darker colours and with no animal or human faces on them for cultural reasons). It can be basically any size from 30cm wide to several metres.
• Brightly coloured new face washers
• Travel sized soaps
• Large (Gallon) sized zip lock bags.
• Girls new underwear (size 8-14)
• Financial support towards the cost of shipping the kits.

If anyone is able to help in anyway by supplying one or two of these items that would be wonderful. Thank you to those who have already given generously!  

On 1 December the Year 8 girls will be spending the entire day creating these kits. Our girls will be cutting out the patterns, sewing the kits and bags to hold them in and assembling the kits. This day can be a powerful tool to enabling the girls to understand at a deeper level how different their lives could be in different circumstances, and helps them to appreciate how blessed they are. It builds compassion and empathy in our young women, and I have already been so impressed by how many of the girls have made donations from their own money, and have invested time sourcing donations from their grandparents sewing cupboard, friends who work at fabric stores, and generous neighbours. 

If you would like to know more about this you can visit the website http://www.daysforgirls.org/ and any donations can be brought to the Middle School Co-ordinators office prior to 1 December.

Sheep haltering and training at the farm

During a recent 7A Agriculture lesson the students were given the opportunity to halter some sheep and parade them on the grass in front of the Outdoor Education centre. Gavin had chosen the young ewes from last year’s lamb drop for the purpose. Some of these ewes were somewhat reluctant to take a little exercise on the end of a rope; however, 7A were tenacious in their endeavour to persuade these ewes that this was a great idea. The result was a lot of fun with some students having to train their ewe to walk on a halter and some getting the easy option of a ewe that had already been to a show.

by Di Grochowska, Girls Year 7 Co-ordinator and Young Farmers Co-ordinator

Orientation Year 1-6 Students in 2016

We had a marvellous day on Tuesday.  Our new 2016 girls and their Tintern buddies enjoyed many activities together which included a visit to the farm, swimming and time in the classroom with their new teacher. Thank you to our buddies who did a very good job caring for their new friend throughout the day.

Boys Middle School News

Trying to keep track of all the different activities that are occurring across the Boys Middle School is extremely challenging; not just for us, but also the boys and the families. In the last few weeks the Year 8 boys have been focussing on leadership opportunities for next year with the boys who have applied for Middle School Captain performing their speeches at the most recent assembly. At this assembly for all Middle School boys Mr Fry attended and gave the boys a presentation on what leadership is, how it is applied in school, and also on the expectations on the leadership team for next year. He went on to reiterate to the cohort that leadership, whether you are in a titled position or not, is something that all boys will be given the opportunity to show and to develop through their schooling journey. At the same assembly, Gavin Choong of Year 9 played a piece of music titled Moonlight Sonata – 1^st Movement by Beethoven. It was an amazing piece, please see the video below.

Part of their opportunities to show leadership included their participation in the Year 7 2016 Orientation Program on Wednesday 18 November. All Year 8 boys were involved in touring the new boys around the school, showing them key aspects of the grounds and where to find many different building, classes and people. A group of Year 8s also assisted in providing our new boys with a performance on key aspects of Middle School. It included a number of little ‘skits’ regarding key ideas around what to do when… They showed things such as when you forget your lunch money, when you forget your PE gear, when you haven’t been able to do homework, etc. It was organised completely by the boys and it was fantastic. It certainly made the new Year 7 boys feel very welcome and help to build their excitement around 2016. That night at the Parent Information session we had our Middle Schools Concert Band perform two pieces. Please see below a video of the performances.

Our concert band have been very busy of late, also playing at Victorian Schools Music Festival at Deakin Edge. Click here for more information and some photos.

Our Year 9 boys have experienced their first exam period with English, Science and Maths happening over three days. It was a great experience for them as they look to move into the Senior College next year with some mixed emotions as to how they went in each of the exams. It provided them with an opportunity to reflect on how they approached their study and what they could do in the future to help improve this. Around this our boys have been preparing for their Summer Expeditions which will see a group climbing at Mount Arapiles and two groups white water rafting down the Mitta Mitta River in Gippsland.

A group of Boys in our Outdoor Ed class also spent three days on a Canoeing Camp to Lake Eildon. For more information please click here.

The week prior to camp was spent in transition for the Year 9s where they were introduced to their pastoral teachers for next year as well experienced a large number of their subjects for next year including most core subjects, as well as any of the VCE options or electives they may have chosen for next year.

Our Year 7s have been busy with a number of activities. Both form groups are currently collecting food for disadvantaged families in our area. If you happen to have some non-perishable items as well as toys for families of the following make up:

• Family 1: Asylum seeker family, single parent, 4 year old, 3 year old boy, 2 year old girl, 1 year old boy and also pregnant!
• Family 2: Aboriginal family, 13 year old girl, 12 year old boy, 10 year old girl, 4 year old boy, 3 year old girl, 3 month old twins (boy and girl).

Mitch Isbel (Form Captain of 7D) organised a World Vision fundraising event for families in third world countries on Wednesday 25 November to help purchase chickens and goats for them.

7E went on an excursion to Ceres as part of Geography. For more information, click here.

At lunchtime on Tuesday Mr Mansour organised a grid iron (touch version) for a group of Year 7 boys which was a lot of fun. 

From 2 – 4 December our Year 7 and 8 students will be taking part in a new initiative for 2016 – the eYp or ‘End of Year Program’. Throughout the three days the boys will be working in House groups on a comprehensive and engaging project that covers a wide variety of areas and different skill sets; academic, dramatic/performance, artistic, engineering, collaboration, etc. Stay tuned for more information on this very soon.

Year 9 Lake Eildon Canoe Camp

On Monday 6 November the Year 9 Outdoor Education class consisting of 6 students, teacher Mr Cleeland and freelancing Outdoor Education teacher, Corrine, set off for Lake Eildon. The purpose of the camp was to enhance students understanding of the outdoor environment and hone the canoeing skills that they had been practicing during class. When we arrived at Lake Eildon, after a grueling bus drive, everyone was very eager to hop in the canoes and paddle away. Unfortunately for us, we had to carry our gear in the canoes providing very good incentive for not capsizing the boat. The weather was perfect, warm with very little wind, which was greatly appreciated by the whole group. If anybody tells you that you can’t eat good food while camping, pay them no heed, as we all very much enjoyed our home made pizzas on the first night of camp.

The next day as we paddled out onto the lake, the wind picked up a bit, forcing us to make use of all of our canoeing skills. At one point we even used a tarp as a sail to propel ourselves along, to limited success. We set up for our bucket lunch on Crocket Island. A bucket lunch consists of bean mix, shredded cheese, salsa, apple, corn chips, guacamole, salami and whatever else we could find, all mixed up in a bucket. It was unexpectedly delicious. Later in the afternoon we all went for a short but steep walk up what we dubbed Crash Car Hill, which earned its name due to the abundance of tyre tracks that appeared to be trying to summit the rocky and dangerously slippery hill. We were rewarded with a stunning view of Lake Eildon and its surrounding areas once we reached the top. To cool off after the tiring walk we took all of our gear out of the canoes and paddled out to have a bit of fun.

The result of this was the unfortunate capsizing of Mr Cleeland’s canoe as a certain student attempted to board it unsuccessfully (unless, for some inexplicable reason, this was their goal in the first place). By this point everyone was quite wet and very tired, so bedtime came a bit earlier than normal. The next day, a tired, but very satisfied group of now seasoned canoers, packed up their gear and headed back to Tintern, to enjoy their exams the very next day! As you can imagine, they were absolutely thrilled. A special thanks to Mr Cleeland and Corrine for putting in as much effort as they did, to make the camp as interesting and exciting as it turned out to be, as this was definitely appreciated by all of the students attending.

by Hamish Ensor, Year 9

Year 7 Geography Excursion

A couple of weeks ago the Year 7s went on an excursion to the Blackburn Lake Sanctuary for geography. When we arrived at the lake we learnt about the volunteers Julia, Anne and Sue who along with others help to monitor the lake. First we went with Anne and Sue down to one of the waterways that flow into the lake. We learnt how you can gauge the quality of water by finding out what bugs are in the water and despite water looking brown it does not mean that the water is dirty. We also learnt about turbidity testing which gauges the quality of water by looking at how many particles are in the water. Next we went with Julia through the lake and learnt about its history. We learnt how they had planted reeds and curved the river to slow down the water so that pollutants would fall to the bottom. We also learnt that before it was a sanctuary Blackburn Lake used to have swimming lessons and concerts. Overall we learnt a lot about how the lake was maintained and how humans can create artificial lakes to preserve nature.

by Fintan McCrave, Year 7

Valedictory dinner

The Valedictory Dinner on Tuesday 24 November was held at Leonda and was a significant occasion for our Year 12s, their families and teaching staff.

The evening provided a wonderful opportunity for parents and students to celebrate together with great food, dancing and the sharing of memories. This is the last official school event for our Class of 2015 and representatives from TOGA and SOBA addressed the students and invited them to continue their association with the school as members of the alumni.

There was the presentation of a gift by our Year 12 Tutors to our 2015 leaders to acknowledge their significant contribution to the school over the past year.

A special thank you to Maria Connor for her meticulous preparation in making this such a memorable evening.

Year 10 Social

The Year 10 Social provided a wonderful opportunity to relax and celebrate the end of examinations on Thursday 19 November. Tintern has enjoyed a long tradition with Alfred’s Homestead in Warrandyte and the Manager was once again greatly impressed by the behaviour of our students. The students ate and danced the night away with some novelty prizes organised by Rebecca Fitton and Anneliese Tauro.

Academic Transition Classes

Academic transition classes commenced for the Senior College on Tuesday 24 November and the new 2016 Year 10 students had their first experience of life in the Anderson Centre before refurbishments commence on the interior of the building over the summer holidays. While the renovation works will create some inconveniences for students for the remainder of the transition program in terms of room allocation, it will be an exciting new space for students to utilise next year.

News from Careers

SMS Results and ATAR Service

Students completing a Units 3 and 4 study may register to get their VCE results and ATAR by SMS. Please note that Year 11 students will only receive their study scores. Further information can be found at: http://www.vtac.edu.au/sms

Year 10 Work Experience 2016

Current Year 9 students are reminded that the holiday period is an ideal time to investigate possible Work Experience opportunities for next year. The dates for the Year 10 Work Experience Program in 2016 are from Monday 13 to Friday 17 June or the week prior to the holidays.

Tertiary Snapshots

The fortnightly CareerNews has concluded for the year and the following provide some course information for consideration:

William Angliss

William Angliss has launched two new Bachelor Degrees for 2016. The first is a Bachelor of Food Studies that incorporates the complexities of healthy, sustainable and ethical food production from the agricultural sector to the consumer. The second new option is The Bachelor of Resort and Hotel Management with the opportunity for an international placement or professional practice in the fourth year. William Angliss will be a partner provider to Box Hill Institute at the due to be reopened Lilydale Campus in February 2016.

RMIT

The RMIT Science Experience is for students entering Year 10 in 2016 who wish to immerse themselves in the wonder of Science by conducting experiments, field trips and experience life at a University. The dates are the 19 – 21 January and the cost is $115 with further information found at http://www.scienceexperience.com.au/

Monash University

If a Year 12 student who intends to apply for Monash University experiences some form of disadvantage that has affected their studies after the SEAS closing date of 6 October 2015, then they can complete the Monash University Special Entry and Access Scheme form found at https://www.monash.edu/admissions/help/seas.

METEC Driving Course

A group of 30 Year 10 students participated in the optional METEC Driving course held on a private property in Kilsyth. The course involved a combination of classroom activities and practical driving including a night drive and some heavy rain provided an additional challenge on the evening of Friday 20 November. Parents were also invited to an evening seminar that included a presentation from a Victorian Police Officer. The second day on Monday 23 November provided the opportunity for some students to complete their Learners Permit.

Chaplain’s Corner

The Myer window in Melbourne, colourful Christmas cards, crib scenes on mantels or billboards and school concerts are precious expressions and pictures of the special Christmas season. Our Iconic pictures of Christmas arise from many places and are expressed through a wide variety of forms, mixed with stars, tinsel, reindeer, Father Christmas, snow on windows and garden lights. We may also have readily come to accept the images of a bush Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere. The characters in the Christmas story are the same: the caring Mary, the patient Joseph, the rough Shepherds, the three Magi, ourselves and those we love.

Each year, far from our Christmas, hundreds of thousands of people travel to the ancient country of Israel to visit her many wonderful and mysterious holy sites. Amongst these is a lovely church in the Arab town of Bethlehem. Beneath this comparatively new church is a large crypt said to be the birthplace of Jesus. Local tradition, which encourages tourism, suggests that the place where the birth of Jesus took place was actually a cave, cut out of the side of a hill rather than a stable. Within this Bethlehem crypt there has been created an iconic picture of the first Christmas. This Christmas for which we carefully prepare and that we celebrate in 2015.

I look forward to the carols, the tree and the gathering to make merry at Christmas. From the cupboard below our house, the decorations that have been part of our family life, will once again see the light of day and brighten our lives. There are memories of other times past, loved people and moments that make this festive season a precious time of life. There is also the excitement of giving and receiving gifts. These are expressions of our love for each other and the desire to joyfully give and receive.  Above all I treasure the iconic gathering of family and friends around the Christmas table in the telling of stories and events.

These mixed Christmas images are the icons of life into which we are invited to look and to share our gift of love with God’s world. Here we can re-discover the reality of pain and joy in the birth of the Christ Child, the gift of God’s love to the World. In the bustle and the festivities of the Christmas season we may even venture to pause and look again at the manger scene, to be touched by the mystery of it for us. You may even venture to visit your church or that of others where the Christian family will gather around candles at the icon of Jesus or the Holy Table to share the community life which is found in Christ as child and Saviour. Here the stories of his family are retold with the struggles of Mary and Joseph and their joy in the birth of their child. The angels and shepherds will once again visit the stable and the wise men will bring their gifts to celebrate the Christ Child. Jesus will be present as God incarnate, made Human, and invite a response to him in weakness and strength.

Your picture of Christmas may most likely incorporate some of these family scenes and the gathering of loved ones around the Christmas tree to share gifts and the offering of a special Christmas meal at table, on a beach or in a park. This year the joy of Christmas may also be tinged with some sadness with the absence of a loved one through distance, separation or loss. For many Christmas will only be a fleeting glimpse of the Holy Family and what might have been, coupled with loneliness and the loss of hope. Their pictures of Christmas will be seen through a window but with little chance of touching and sharing in the festivities.

As staff and students conclude the school year we look forward to some rest and relaxation. As we rapidly move towards the end of this year with the many celebrations that mark the conclusion and transition of our community may we journey together in faith and love. May we seek to offer light in darkness. May we find some time and space to reflectively prepare for the Christmas festivities, together with, the changes that lie ahead for our School Community. As we gather together this Christmas, in homes, distant places, on beaches or elsewhere may we know the true joy to be found in the Christ Child.

As you share in the iconic pictures of Christmas this year my prayers will be with you as we go our separate ways. As we journey once more to the manger we are invited with gracious humility to gather and pay homage to The Christ. May we share the fragile nature of this world and excite in the making and telling of our own Christmas story. As you become the iconic picture of Christmas may you continue to live as a precious part of God’s wonderful creation, knowing that you are truly loved by God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  

Grace, love, joy and peace to you all

Key Dates

December

Friday 4 Dec – Tintern Junior School End of Year Concert (Speech Night), CM Wood Centre, 7:30pm–9:30pm 

Monday 7 Dec – Southwood Junior School Speech Night, CM Wood Centre, 7:00pm–9:30pm 

Tuesday 8 Dec – Term 4 Finishes