From the Principal

Happiness, health and safety for young people in a world of online access

It will not be news to you that our daughters and sons inhabit a world very different from the one that we knew when we were at school. Much of this change has made the world a safer and happier place. We are better protected against disease and road trauma, we are better educated and have information at our fingertips and we have greater understanding of ourselves and others across the world than ever before. Technology and the digital world has brought all manner of great opportunities, knowledge and access to the world of a young person, but it has also brought its own challenges and burdens. One of these is the subversive cancer that is pornography.

For many young people their first exposure to pornography is accidental and unintended, but all credible research says that the vast majority of boys and most girls have witnessed pornography by the age of 13. This is very different to 20 years ago.

What they view, accidentally or deliberately, is also far different from the pornography of the past and recent research indicates clearly that its effects on their views of the other gender, their management of their relationships and their own health and wellbeing, are being negatively shaped by it.

I write both as a Principal and as a father of two adolescent children. This is a journey that you, I and all parents are walking together, but until now, a journey walked largely in silence. Put simply, it’s time we talked about it as a community.

Below you will see that on 31 October, we are inviting all parents of students in Year 7 to 12 to come to an information session and discussion forum on this fraught topic. If you are a secondary parent, you will receive an invitation and Trybooking link for this evening by email. I urge all secondary parents to attend, to listen, to question and to contribute. This is too important for our children for us to turn away from, regardless of how difficult the topic is, how hard the conversations will be and how challenging it will be to try to partner with our children on this.

For parents of younger children, while we welcome your attendance, however, we will conduct an age and stage targeted session for Junior Schools’ parents later this term.

Details:

Parent Information Evening – Young people and pornography

Myths, facts and how we can help young people to develop healthy relationships

Pornography is not new, but it has never been so accessible. Exposure among young people is widespread. In fact, for many young people, it can be more difficult to avoid pornography than to see it.

Pornography presents a distorted view of sex and relationships. Despite this, many young people’s sexual understandings and expectations are being shaped by the images they – or their partners or peers – see online from a young age.

Pornography is an issue that cannot be ignored. Tintern Grammar is committed to equipping students for healthy social and sexual development, in partnership with their parents. We hope all parents of Years 7-12 students will join us for an interactive special information session to explore:

• What do parents need to know about pornography and young people?
• How can parents support their children to grow into a sexuality that is both safe and respectful?
• What is Tintern Grammar doing to support students’ healthy development?

Please join us on 31 October at 7 pm in the CM Wood Performance Centre to tackle this scourge together. Please book via Trybooking here.

I really hope you can attend, engage with this very difficult issue of our modern world and contribute to an increased awareness, understanding and plan of action, for all of us.

Factis non verbis

News from Year 12

Today marks the end of formal education for our IB students and they celebrated with the annual IB lunch. On October 22 the VCE Year 12 students will also be able to celebrate their completion classes. On October 23 all Year 12 students will come together for a festive and delicious breakfast followed by the Valedictory Service. These occasions are very significant in the lives of our final year students. The Valedictory Service will be our final opportunity as a whole school community, including Prep to Year 11 students as well as staff members and parents of Year 12 students, to celebrate their journeys at Tintern Grammar. It will be a time to reflect on what has been and a time to embrace moving forward.

After the celebrations, students will quickly move into ‘study mode’. It has been most pleasing to see the dedication that students and staff have applied to examination revision and preparation so far. We expect to see this continue throughout the ‘SWOT VAC’ period. 

IB students are due to commence their exams on Monday 29 October. The examination period for Year 12 VCE students will officially begin on Wednesday 31 October. Students are encouraged to carefully read the timetables and ensure they give themselves plenty of time to get to their exams.  All VCE and IB examinations will have concluded on November 21. This is also the date for our final event for Year 12 Class of 2018, the Valedictory dinner.

News from Year 11

The Unit 3/4 examinations are fast approaching and those Year 11 students who are undertaking them will need to start their “plan of attack”. There are several online sites that give advice on exam preparation, with ample sleep, a healthy diet, and appropriate preparation being key. This also applies to the Year 11 Examinations, which will commence on November 19. As the Friday 16 November is a study day and students are not required at school, it would be an excellent idea to review all the required information pertaining to their exams and plan accordingly.

I look forward to seeing students and parents at Celebration Evening this Saturday at Robert Blackwood Hall, where the efforts and accomplishments of our group of young people will be acknowledged.

News from Year 10

The students have returned to school with their usual energy and settled quickly back into the daily routine. I am grateful for a number of Year 10s who volunteered to assist with our Twilight Tours on Thursday 18 October and we are all looking forward to the Year 9/10 Production to be held on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 October.

The Mentor groups have commenced presenting their House Community Action Project or House CAP during level assemblies this week. We have been introduced to “Motivational Mondays”, the importance of men’s mental health, the significant work of the Sunflower Foundation and observed footage of the Year 10 students teaching the Grade 1 girls the skills of AUSLAN or the Australian sign language.

This term the students have the option of completing some study or a sporting activity during our usual Wednesday afternoon of senior sport. They will also be participating in a mock job interview with appointments set for each week during this term.

Thank you to Mitch Isbel who designed our Year 10 Social invitation that will be distributed to students and further information sent to families on Monday 22 October. The event will be held on Thursday 22 November at Gardiners Run in Chirnside Park from 7.00pm to 10.30pm.

News from the Careers Department

The focus in Careers has been with the Year 12s as they finalise their tertiary preferences, explore apprenticeship training or discover opportunities in the workforce. Year 9s have also been reminded to find a Work Experience placement as soon as possible as this has also become a competitive process for students.

It is important to highlight key information contained in the latest edition of Career News Number 30 including the ‘Pathways Beyond School’ events that focus on apprenticeships and traineeships at Swinburne TAFE in Wantirna and Box Hill Institute Lakeside Lilydale Campus. Entry is free and please use the original document saved on the Portal to access the booking links.

The other key information is the list of tertiary change of preference support for the Year 12 students. Career News Number 30 includes the dates, contact details and hyperlinks for students to access support following VCE results on Friday 14 December until the closure of the change of preference period on Wednesday 19 December. IB students must also access assistance during this time.

CareerNews

Career News Number 30 is now available on the Portal at http://portal.tintern.vic.edu.au/homepage/14962/ and includes the following items:

Career News Number 30

• Farewell message to Year 12’s
• Dates to Diarise in Term 4
• VTAC 2019 Key Dates
• Holmesglen Institute Student Showcase
• Changes to Entry Requirements into Bachelor Degrees at William Angliss
• Study Assist
• Tax File Number
• Low Income Healthcare Card for Australian Students
• Bachelor of Media Production at ACU
• Pathways Beyond School Information Evenings
• Change of Preference (COP) Dates & Contact Details for Year 12’s

News from the Senior College

In the last week of Term 3 we announced our 2019 Student Leadership Team. The process for selection was rigorous and the strength of candidates was phenomenal. All staff involved in the process were tremendously impressed by the calibre of student applications and high level of interest in formal leadership positions. At our Celebration Evening this weekend the School Captains, Vice-Captains, Leaders and House Captains will be formally presented to our community. I look forward to working with these students next year and know they have some great initiatives and plans for our school.

As we begin the final term for 2018 it is a time of mixed emotions for students and staff in the Senior College. For our Year 12s it is a time of sadness as they complete their school journey, some of whom have been part of the Tintern Grammar community for 14 years, but for most students they are ready and excited for what the future ahead holds (post exams), even if it is an unknown at this stage.

Upon their return to School last week, and after a holiday break that involved practice examinations, revision and hopefully some activities to help them unwind and recharge ahead of their final examinations, Mr Fry spoke with our Year 12s about the final weeks of schooling. Students were asked to look after themselves and each other during what is a stressful time and were also reminded of how much influence they hold over their results as they enter these final weeks before examinations. If this time is used carefully and productively, students may make a significant impact on their final examination result, best summed up by Mr Fry quoting C.S Lewis “you can’t go back and change the beginning but you can start where you are and change the ending”.

On behalf of our Class of 2018 and the wider learning community at Tintern Grammar, I think it’s important to acknowledge and thank the families of our Year 12 students. The last two years of school are challenging for our VCE and IB students. The whole family is affected during this time and provide so much support to Year 12 students; giving them encouragement, unconditional support, emotional energy and guidance, as well as recognising when it’s necessary to step back and allow these young adults to make their own decisions and their own study plans.

As all families would be aware, this year’s Celebration Evening is this Saturday 20 October at Robert Blackwood Hall – with a prompt 7pm start. This is a very special evening which enables us to celebrate all of the wonderful achievements of our Tintern Grammar students. It also provides an opportunity for the School Community to farewell our Year 12 Class of 2018 before their final examinations commence.

Our Year 10 and 11 students are also fast approaching their examinations, which begin on November 19 they and are encouraged to implement good study habits over the start of this term. Students should reflect on their work practices in the lead up to their Semester 1 examinations and consider some strategies for improvement. These could include:

• concentrating and working effectively in class during Term 4
• seeking teacher support and clarification where needed
• beginning examination preparation early
• factoring in and planning ahead to manage any work, sporting and social commitments that may coincide with exams/preparation
• changing study routines to focus on understanding of content
• increasing the number of hours spent on homework and revision

Last term Mr Fry wrote to families to introduce SchoolTV, a new ongoing resource that is now available to our parents online. Although it is new to our community, I can already see the enormous potential this resource has to help support parents and staff and ultimately benefit students. SchoolTV aggregates information from many great resources such as BeyondBlue and ReachOut, amongst others, providing a single stream of independent factual information that saves parents time and the confusion of searching online across multiple sites for information. At this time of the year, I think it is timely that parents of Senior College students consider the resources available in the ‘exam jitters’ edition which includes expert interviews, fact sheets, parent quiz and recommended apps. It answers questions such as ‘what students can do the night before or the morning of an exam’, ‘is cramming helpful’, ‘how important are practice exams’ and gives advice on how to deal with stress, and much, much more. I encourage you to visit https://tintern.vic.schooltv.me/ and click on ‘Go to Topics’ to see the resources available to you.

Chaplain’s Corner

If you have ever been to an emergency department, you will be familiar with the system used to assess the order and priority in which patients are seen. Triage, where the most serious patients, those with the greatest need are seen to first. So a broken arm is considered less urgent than a suspected heart attack and so on.

The term triage comes from the French verb trier, meaning to separate, sift or select.

However, back in WWI, triage was slightly different, because as wounded soldiers were brought in, and medical resources were scarce, it was up to the doctors to efficiently ‘colour tag the wounded’.

The system involved three colours of tags, red, blue and yellow. Red stood for hopeless, nothing could be done to save them. Blue indicated that the only chance a person had was if medical assistance were given immediately. And a yellow tag meant that the wounded soldier would make it even without treatment. So, because medical supplies were limited, only those people with blue tags received medical attention.

There is a story that one day a soldier named Lou was brought in. He was severely wounded and one leg was blown apart. The doctor who examined him tagged him with a red tag, indicating that his case was hopeless, and left him to die. But a nurse noticed that Lou was conscious and began to talk to him. After getting to know him better, she couldn’t just let him die, so she broke the rules and replaced his red tag with a blue tag.

He was transported to the hospital in the back of a truck and spent the next several months recuperating. Lou lived and the nurse he had met became his wife. Although minus one leg, he was able to lead a happy and full life because someone broke the rules and changed the tags.

I think from the moment we meet a person or a student we begin our own sort of system of triage, our own system of assessing, ordering and prioritising. Sometimes this system works really well, but sometimes it doesn’t and we end up limiting what the people around us are capable of based on limits we put on them.

Jesus saw the world around him differently, the value he placed on people’s lives and the kindness that he extended was life-changing.  Where there was limits, he broke them and freed people from what enslaved them, from a past they wanted to be free from to an illness that had caused them to be outcast and excluded. When Jesus saw people, he saw their potential, much like the nurse in this story, not their limits.

So perhaps we need to consider ‘blue tagging’ everyone, seeing their potential, and then giving them the support to achieve it?

Meet Tintern Grammar’s Governance (‘The Board’)

What has four engineers, a cartographer, and a cluster of marketers, lawyers and IT specialists, as well as some high-flying educators? 

It is not a very hard riddle.  The answer is Tintern Grammar’s Governance. 

Here are some more facts: 

• Between the Board and its committees, there are three PhDs (and another is on the way!)
• Three members own and run their own businesses, and many run businesses for others. 
• Two are employed by universities and one by a professional body.
• One is quite unsuccessfully retired. 
• All are volunteers and receive no other benefit for their commitment
• All are high performers.

Tintern Grammar’s Board comprises eleven members. All of these are on one or more of the Board’s three committees: House & Grounds; Finance & Risk, and Governance. 

There are five independent (that is, non-Board) members across the Committees. Of the 16 members, ten are male and six are female.

Six Tintern staff members attend Board and Committee meetings. Some attend one committee, while others attend more than one. The Principal and the Executive Assistant (as Minute Secretary) attending, which totals 28 meetings per year. The Board also meets with Senior Executive staff twice yearly to engage in strategic planning.

In their governance of the School, the Tintern Grammar Board is committed to best practice. The group undergoes annual Board Appraisal and is currently planning an external Board Governance Review to further develop their abilities and performance.

As you may also be aware, the Board and Committee members are committed to the School community and are actively involved in the life of the School, attending numerous events throughout the year.

If you have suggestions to share and are interested in being involved in the governance of Tintern Grammar, please let us know via board@tintern.vic.edu.au.  We plan to offer an information session for prospective governance members in the future.

Greg Hoxley Chair	John Capper Deputy Chair	Eric Choong Board Member	Rosemary Bennett Board Member
Mike Blood Board Member	Alex Danne Board Member	Robert Dark Board Member	Jessica Davies Board Member
Louis Nottle Board Member	Simon Scherer Board Member	Andrew Wilcox Board Member	Ozlem Akgun Nominated Independent House and Grounds
Karen Gately Nominated Independent  Finance and Risk	Jacinta Richards-Wain Nominated Independent Governance	Wendy Smith Nominated Independent Governance	Mal Spears Nominated Independent House and Grounds

by Rev Dr John Capper, Deputy Chair of the Board and Chair of Governance Sub Committee

Sport Matters

Tiarna Byrnes selected in 2018 AFL Indigenous Female U15 Kickstart Squad

Congratulations to Tiarna Byrnes in Year 9 who has been selected in the 2018 AFL Indigenous Female U15 Kickstart squad. This is an amazing opportunity and one which Tiarna has worked extremely hard to achieve, training hard and working her way through three rounds of selections and a training camp in September.

 Well done, Tiarna, and good luck for your match against the Victorian all nations team in December!

Equestrian Team enjoys Clinic during Holidays

 On the second Monday of the holidays, the Equestrian team went to Spring Creek Equestrian Centre for a clinic. We started the day with a fabulous dressage lesson with Samantha Cesnik. Sam worked on different things with each group such as smoother transitions, keeping hands still and everyone enjoyed the lesson. During our lunch break, we had an informative display on the water treadmill. We learnt about the benefits of working the horse on a water treadmill and how it is used as a great recovery tool. After lunch we each had another lesson with Chris Height on cross country. We all had such fun jumping and Chris made us work on technical lines and skinny fences. The students would all like to thank the Friends of Equestrian committee for providing this opportunity for us.

by Lilly Trevorrow, Year 9

Congratulations to Mia and Aisha on their recent successes

The Heinrich sisters have been out and about competing in a range of events these past few weeks. Aisha Heinrich (Year 3) had a very successful outing at Seymour Show, where she won Champion Open Pony and Reserve Champion Rider. Her older sister, Mia (Year 5) had a big win this past weekend taking out Champion Rider in both 9 Years and Under 12, which qualifies her again this year for the Grand Nationals.

Congratulations to both girls on their wonderful successes in these events.

by Alison Bezaire, Equestrian Coordinator

Music Matters

Loads of upcoming musical moments this term!

Never a term goes by at Tintern when we don’t have some wonderful opportunities to see our Middle School and Senior students performing in a range of engaging settings. Some of the musical delights we have on offer this term (all free events) include:

Musical Highlights this week will include the Walton String Quartet playing at the Art Exhibition Opening on Thursday afternoon, our Clarinet Ensemble performing for visitors at the Twilight Tours on Thursday afternoon and the Senior Jazz Combo entertaining all-comers at the Colour Fun Run on Friday afternoon.

Celebration Evening, Saturday 20 October, 7pm, Robert Blackwood Hall

Our Annual Speech Night will include some performance highlights such as the combined strength of our Wind Symphony and Symphony Orchestra presenting an opening work by Australian composer, Graeme Koehne entitled “Forty Reasons to be Cheerful”. We will enjoy an original composition for Percussion Ensemble by IB Music student, Charlotte Menagh, some Polynesian Dancing by Year 8 students, a walk down memory lane with some “South Pacific” numbers and, of course, the rousing finale of a massed medley by the whole school before we farewell our Year 12s to the strains of our school songs.

Twilight Concert, Wednesday 24 October, 5pm, Kelson Room

A relaxed event where soloists air their pieces. Usually about an hour in duration.

Remembrance Day Centenary Community Concert, Sunday 11 November, 2pm, Heathmont Uniting Church, 89 Canterbury Road

Our Intermediate Choirs and Intermediate Jazz Band will perform with other local community ensembles at a concert commemorating 100 years since the end of WWI. Alumna, Caitlin Spears, also will be performing songs from the war eras at this event. Cost of entry is $10

Junior Woodwind, Brass and Percussion Concert, Tuesday 13 November, 5pm, Colebrook Hall

Our younger wind and percussion students will entertain at a twilight event.

Friends of Music ‘Munch with the Musos’, Sunday 25 November, 10am, CM Wood Centre

Another great musical and social event presented by our wonderful parent committee members in the Friends of Music. Junior, Middle School and some Senior School students, members of staff and families get together to enjoy an array of delightful music and entertainment, with a touch of Christmas to add to the cheer and goodwill. Book via Trybooking.

Community Matters

Spring Garden Tour 2018 – Book your ticket now! – Very limited places available

The Spring Garden Tour for 2018 will visit two very special private gardens, the first in Montrose for morning tea, followed by Como Gardens in The Basin. A two course lunch will be served at Mist @ Olinda with a private deck overlooking the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Gardens.

The Spring Garden Tour includes morning tea, entry to each of the gardens, lunch, our regular bus raffles and gift bag.

For a full itinerary please select here.

WHEN:                 Friday 26 October 2018
COST:                    $70.00 all inclusive (transport, tours, morning tea and lunch). 
RSVP:                    Book online here by Monday 22 October 2018

Enquiries to:      Lisa Vecchio 0427 112 253 or email lisa.vecchio@gmail.com or
Di Lacey in the Community Relations Office on 9845 7877 or email communityrelations@tintern.vic.edu.au

Munch with the Musos – Book via Trybooking

Join us for the 2018 Munch with the Musos on Sunday 25 November, 10AM – 12.30PM, in CM Wood Centre. Tickets now available via Trybooking.

Volunteers Needed – 2019 Giant Fair

The Fair committee are busily preparing for next year’s Giant Fair on Saturday 30 March 2019 and today we are looking for parent volunteers to be year level coordinators of the following stalls (please note: year levels listed are 2019 year level):

• Year 1 – Cappuccino
• Year 2 – Craft Activities
• Year 3 – Cakes
• Year 8 – Secondhand Clothes
• Year 9 – Plants
• Year 11 – Sausage / Hamburger Sizzle
• Year 11 – Ice Creams & Roving Choc Tops
• Year 12 – Devonshire Tea

Please email the Fair Committee fair@tintern.vic.edu.au to let them know you’re interested in being a stall coordinator.

The following stalls have already been allocated (thanks to our great coordinators!):

• Pre-Loved Toys & Sports Gear – ELC
• Show Bags – Prep
• Corn / Hot Dogs – Year 4
• Baked Potatoes – Year 5
• Fairy Floss – Year 6
• Hot Roast Rolls – Year 7
• Drinks & Snow Cones –Year 7
• Donuts – Year 8
• Rides Booth – Year 9
• Secondhand Books –Year 10
• Hot Chips – Year 10
• Year 12 – Chicken Skewers

If you are keen to be involved in any way, please email your expression of interest to fair@tintern.vic.edu.au, or contact Community Relations on 9845 7877.

Community Event – Oaks Day at Yarra Glen Races!

Celebrate Oaks Day with our community at the Yarra Glen Races. This event is open to friends and family from our parent, past parent and past student communities. 

Dress to impress and watch the races from the Tintern Grammar Marquee whilst enjoying a complimentary drink and canapés on arrival. Oaks Day is more than just the races with Eastland Fashions and live music all day.

WHEN: Thursday 8 November 2018 at 12:00pm

LOCATION: Yarra Glen Racecourse, Armstrong Grove, Yarra Glen, Victoria

COST: $35 per person
This includes race day admission, drink and canapés on arrival.

Book via Trybooking: www.trybooking.com/XPYI

ENQUIRIES: All enquiries can be directed to Di Lacey and Tegan Martin 03 9845 7877 or communityrelations@tintern.vic.edu.au.

Volunteer Thank You Evening

Thursday 29 November, 7.00 – 8:30PM, Year 9 Courtyard

Join us at this special evening on Thursday 29 November to celebrate and recognise the valuable contributions of our parent and community volunteers. Save the date, booking details will be available soon.

Community Committee Dates 

• Tintern Parent Group (TPG) –Next meeting: Thursday 8 November 7.30pm Kennedy Cottage Co-Presidents: Haidee Wallace and Leeza Crowe
• Friends of Music (FOM) – Next Meeting: Wednesday 24 October 7pm CM Wood Common Room President: Tim Oldmeadow
• Friends of Young Farmers (FOYF) – Next Meeting: Early 2019 TBA President: Jonathan Cross
• Fair Committee – Next Meeting: Tuesday 13 November 2018 7.30pm CM Wood Common Room Fair Convenor: Amanda McKenzie
• Friends of Equestrian (FOE) – Next Meeting: Wednesday 17 October 2018 7.30pm Kennedy Cottage President: Sandra Garland

Community Group Fundraising

North Queensland Mangos

The Tintern Parent Group are once again offering North Queensland Mangos straight from the farm to you!

• A tray is filled by weight and will contain somewhere between 12 large mangoes and 20 small mangoes.
• Cost is $26 per tray.
• Mangoes should be ready for collection in late November/first week of December. The date varies depending on the mangoes ripening.
• All families will be emailed confirmation of the delivery date and collection point.
• Please select here to place your order.
• Orders strictly close on Friday 26 October.

Entertainment Book – Get yours now!

Remember it isn’t too late to purchase your Entertainment Book Membership! For a limited time they are offering free postage of the books.

Filled with up to 50% off and 2-for-1 offers for the most popular restaurants, attractions, shopping, travel and more. The book is current from purchase until the end of May 2019.

With many new offers and all the old favourites the value of this book is incredible!

Please click here to order your 2018/2019 Entertainment book from Tintern Grammar. Books can be collected from Main Reception, or instantly purchase and access a digital membership which can then be used on two separate devices.

Please contact Community Relations on 9845 7877 for further information.

All proceeds raised go towards the fundraising for the TPG for 2018.

Tintern Grammar Photo Albums – Protect your School Photos!

Protect your child’s school photos with a stunning Tintern Photo Album. The TPG is offering beautiful quality made customised ‘buckram’ binders for only $72. The albums are Navy, featuring the school crest and name printed in silver on the front cover and come complete with 10 transparent sheet inserts.

The albums are great for storing:
– The official school photos
– Certificates
– NAPLAN and ICAS results
– Sports and performer ribbons
– Artwork
– Programs from concerts, sports days and special assemblies
– Photos
– Newsletter clippings
– Your own scrapbook creations (as the pages are 30cm x 30cm standard scrapbook size)

In fact, if you think of it like a filing cabinet of memories, over the years it builds up into quite a treasure! Samples can be viewed in the uniform shop and all orders are now taken at this link through trybooking. 

Once you have placed your order, please take your confirmation to the Uniform Shop to collect your Album and/or extra pages.

Michael D’Addazio (YG 2016) Interviews Hamish and Andy over Chess

We are excited to share alumnus Michael D’Addazio’s (YG 2016) recent interview with Hamish and Andy!

Michael is pursuing a career as a radio presenter and takes every opportunity to chase his passion, including a road trip to Sydney to interview the comedy duo for this video! Great commitment and a great result – well done, Michael! We look forward to seeing your next adventure!

Watch Michael’s video Chatting Roadtrips Over Chess with Hamish and Andy below.

Sarah de Witt’s (YG 2009) Mary Eats Cake features on Postcards

We are excited to share that alumna Sarah de Witt’s (YG 2009) tea house Mary Eats Cake featured on Postcards recently.

If you missed it, you can catch up on 9now.

Boys Junior School Assemblies

In our most recent Assemblies, we discussed the All Blacks Rugby Team. In his book ‘Legacy’, James Kerr, having researched the rise of the All Blacks to one of the most successful sports teams in history,  identifies 15 ‘leadership and life’ lessons that can be transposed to organisations and teams to make them successful.

There are four of these lessons that we discussed and identified as being valuable to any group, whether it be a dance troupe, a sports team, a family, or a classroom.

1. Sweep the Sheds.  Taking responsibility, clean up after yourself, don’t consider yourself ‘above’ the role of tidying up, look after yours and others possessions, and model respect for others and one’s environment.
2.  No Idiots (a cruder term in the book) – a belief that team members must contribute positively to a team culture, that those who do not respect others, or who participate in a selfish manner, are detrimental to a team.
3.  Train to Win; practice in a manner that reflects your desire and outcome… training and practice should be done to the best of one’s ability.
4. Keep A Blue Head; maintain a sense of calmness, especially in adversity. While we know that expressing emotions is important, especially for males, channelling anger and frustration and the desire to win in a manner that doesn’t adversely affect ones performance is critical.

School Banking Rewards

In Term 4, two new reward items from our Super Savers range are available to redeem (while stocks last) along with the other rewards offered all year, including:

• Twister Power Handball – Released Term 1
• Secret Scratch Notepad 
• Glow Light – Released Term 2
• Sparkle Glitter Pens – Released Term 2
• Mighty Boom Handball – Released Term 3
• Heat Reactor Pencils – Released Term 3
• Slushie Maker Cup – Released Term 4
• Zoom Flying Disc – Released Term 4

Our School banking student list continues to grow as many are now enjoying the rewards from continuing to bank every Wednesday.

Last day for School banking this year will be Wednesday 28 November – recommencing in the new school year on Wednesday 6 February 2019.

If you have any questions please drop into Junior  School Reception or visit this link. 

2019 Club Tinwood T-shirt Design

We invite all students in Years 2 to 5 to help us design the Club Tinwood T-shirt for 2019.

Club Tinwood is an optional after-school activity group for girls and boys in Years 3 to 6 that meets throughout the school year. The club complements our Parallel Learning model by encouraging friendships across the Junior School and bringing our older Junior Schools’ children together outside of the classroom, providing an opportunity to mix and socialise whilst taking part in a range of fun activities, which are organised and supervised by our Junior Schools’ staff.

In 2018, we enjoyed a Pool Party in the Tintern Pool followed by a sausage sizzle, an energetic session at Jump Deck at Knoxfield and an enjoyable few rounds of Mini Golf at Maroondah Mini Golf with a surprise visit from the ice cream van.

Our last session will be an Amazing Race, sausage sizzle and ice cream van visit on campus on Thursday 22 November.

Drawings for the 2019 Club Tinwood t-shirt design can be drawn on A4 paper and left at Junior School Reception or emailed to juniorschool@tintern.vic.edu.au.

Bandanna Day – Friday 26 October

Each year the Year 6 students support Canteen’s annual fundraiser – Bandanna Day, which supports young people living with cancer. We are going to sell bandannas, which are $5 each, over the next 2 weeks beginning this Monday 15 October. Two weeks later, on Friday 26 of October, the Year 6 students, along with Mr Kenny and Mrs Neilson, run a huge Cops and Robbers game on the oval where all the boys and girls wear their bandannas and join in the fun. We are allowed to wear our bandannas during recess and lunchtimes for the two weeks leading up to Bandanna Day but not to and from school with our uniform. Last year we sold out before the actual day but have ordered an extra box this year so get in early and buy a $5 bandanna to support this wonderful organisation. They are available from the Year 6 classroom before school, at recess and lunch and after school as well.

Many Thanks

The Year 6 Students

Year 8 Academic Challenge Day

The annual Academic Challenge Days are an invaluable way for students to mix with like-minded peers from other schools. Teams are mixed, comprising of eight students from four schools. Each team competes in a variety of disciplines, including ‘Off The Cuff’ public speaking, an Engineering Challenge, Science, English and Mathematics. Teacher input on the day is minimal; students are required to work in a team with group members they have never met, simulating real-world workplace situations.

It was obvious by the level of interaction and productive noise on the day that the students thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Although in such an event there can be no winning school, Tintern Grammar students were part of a team who placed third. In addition, Oliver Dark won the Best Speaker Award for his off-the-cuff speech on a movie he had not seen – Gravity. Well done to all those who were part of this enriching experience.

World Challenge Team 1

Greetings from the Senior College!

My name is Angel and I am part of the World Challenge Team 1. We will be travelling to Nepal at the end of the year and we want your help to make the most of our trip! In order to raise money for our community project work in Nepal at the end of this year, we would like you to order from us at our bake sale (2 November), including delicious spiders and some ‘one of a kind’ bracelets/anklets. By simply indulging in our delicious treats and adorning yourselves in our gorgeous jewellery, you and your children will be supporting a really important cause.

During our trip, we will be spending time with the Seven Women organisation which provides support for women in Nepal who’ve suffered discrimination as a result of their disabilities. We will also have the chance to work closely with a school in Pokhara with the Mother Children’s Art Foundation where we will help build, paint or mend their facilities to give the children the best environment to learn in that we can.

Pre-ordering forms for the bake sale and spider stall will go home with students early this term and we would really appreciate it if you could support this more than deserving cause. Bracelets/anklets will be available for purchase on the day of the bake sale (2 November). Baked goods will be delivered to classes and spiders can be collected just prior to lunch on the same day. Namaste!

Angel Tully, Year 10 Nepal World Challenge Team 1

Girls’ Middle School News

Welcome back to Term 4! It never ceases to amaze me how much a little sunshine and fresh air can brighten up the moods of students and turn their heads with the thought of summer and Christmas being only a few short months away! We have so many things to look forward to this term across the Girls’ Middle School. Our Year 7 girls are working away on their ‘Night of the Notables’ project, which is shaping up to be a wonderful evening on Tuesday 30 October. This night is such a great opportunity for students to show courage in hosting their own stand and representing their notable to parents and teachers, which can be very daunting for our more reserved students. Each year I am amazed that our Year 7’s manage to find new and creative ways to engage their audience and present with confidence.

Our Year 8 girls are continuing to work through their pastoral program, which has a global focus this term. It encourages our students to start to comprehend their place in our world as global citizens. They work towards their Social Justice project, Days for Girls on Thursday 15 November where they create sustainable feminine hygiene products for girls in developing countries. This wonderful project has many layers of value to it, both for the girls who will receive these packs but also for our girls in developing their empathy, social justice conscience and enabling students to feel empowered to help make a difference to others.

Our Year 9 girls have begun their preparations for Summer Expedition where they will be heading off to sea kayaking around the Banksia peninsula, rock climbing down in Tassie and white water rafting along the Mitchell River on 3-7 December. Each of these spectacular locations provides our Year 9 girls with an opportunity to engage at a deeper level with their peers, continue to build on the outdoor education skills they have developed over our extensive Year 9 camping program, and an opportunity to refresh and relax after they have completed their first official exams.  We have been working with our Year 9’s in our pastoral program to assist them with exam revision skills, utilising the Elevate Education group to provide them with valuable training in this area.

A couple of quick reminders about the upcoming weeks. We look forward to welcoming you to our annual Celebration Evening, which is upcoming on Saturday 20 October. Our students have been working hard on their massed singing this year, which is a medley from ‘Sister Act’ and should be very entertaining. On an organisational note, a reminder that all students are expected to attend this compulsory evening, and are expected to wear their full winter uniform. We have also reminded students that this is the ideal opportunity to ensure that their uniform is looking extra spick before they get up on stage on Celebration Evening, so I am hopeful that your daughters will be fervently practicing their shoe polishing skills this coming weekend.

As you may be aware from 26 November until 7 December our whole school will enter into a transition program where each level will move up into their 2019 year level and attend classes that are part of that next year program. We have run them in our Senior College for many years and have made the decision to place them into our Middle School as this style of program has demonstrated it can relieve anxiety for students and provide excitement about learning opportunities that they have to look forward to in the coming year. (NB our Year 9 students will only have one week, as they will be away on Summer Expedition in the final week of transition).

On a personal note, I had a wonderful time away on my long service leave exploring the wilds of Scotland and England. I even squeezed in a visit to our namesake Tintern Abbey in Wales, which is truly spectacular and well worth a visit if you get the chance! Looking forward to working with you all again over this coming Term to help ensure that your daughters have an excellent final term for 2018.

Boys’ Middle School News

Being fresh from holidays is always great, but it’s also amazing how beautiful sunshine makes everyone so much happier. Term 4 has begun and it’s like jumping back on to a fast-moving treadmill – you just have to try and stay on whilst you adjust to the speed! School is such an action-packed place for both students and staff.

At our recent Middle School Boys’ assembly we discussed notions of sportsmanship following the AFL Grand Final and the ability to be both gracious in victory and humble in defeat. We also had our boys reflecting on their life when compared against the people living in Indonesia who suffered from the recent earthquake, tsunami and then volcano. It was a great opportunity for our boys to see that they sometimes need to reflect on how lucky they actually are to live where we do. We also talked about ways in which we as a country and as individuals can be helping in situations like this.

One such way is with events like the one we are holding on the afternoon of Friday 19 October. This will be our second ever Colour Run and is organised by our Senior College students who are going on World Challenge at the end of this year. This will be a lot of fun with the money raised going to a great cause.

A reminder that our Celebration Evening this year is Saturday 20 October at the Robert Blackwood Hall in Monash University Clayton Campus. It is an evening that showcases many of the amazing events that have occurred throughout the year, as well as recognises achievements by students in many areas. The doors open at 6:30pm for a 7:00pm start. Full winter uniform is required for the boys which means long pants and tie.

On Thursday 18 October I have 10 staff attending a session with a lady by the name of Maggie Dent at the Malvern Town Hall. The session is titled “Boys, Boys, Boys” and discusses many issues around boys and young men, the impact we as parents and educators can have on them, plus much more. She is a fantastic ‘champion’ of boys and her ideas and information are really beneficial for all of us to be hearing as we guide these boys into becoming great young men. A recent article of Maggie’s that discusses 5 ‘tricky times’ during boyhood is a really good read. Click here to read the full article. 

2019 sees the end of our change over time between our previous uniform and the new branding/colours. At the beginning of next year our boys need to ensure they are in uniform emblazoned only with “Tintern Grammar.” This includes items such as shirts, school bags, blazer pockets, etc. There is a Years 3 – 9 Boys’ School tie, new sports tops, sports jackets, etc. If you have brought anything in the past few years then it will be the correct type, it is only some of the older items of clothing that some boys may still be wearing (and can do until the end of this year) that need to be changed for next year. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Marianne in the Uniform Shop.

Science successes spanning the Junior and Senior schools this term!

Congratulations to Caitlin Howley and Sharon Li in Year 12 who have both won STAV Science Talent Search Major Bursaries for their reports on their IB Experimental Investigations. Caitlin’s was entitled “How does roasting temperature affect the amount of caffeine in coffee beans?” and Sharon’s was “The antimicrobial effect of garlic on Escherichia coli.” They will collect their awards at the Science Talent Search presentation ceremony at La Trobe University on Monday 29 October. These projects will now be entered into the 2019 BHP Billiton Foundation Science and Engineering Awards. Good luck Caitlin and Sharon!

Congratulations are also in order for Charlotte Davies, Amy Zhang and Kaitlyn Law in Year 5, who grew a crystal to enter into the RACI Crystal growing competition. After patiently growing and measuring their crystal for nine weeks during Term 3, they wrote a detailed formal report of their work, recording their measurements and the shape of the crystal during that time. We are pleased to share that their entry won first prize in the Victorian division of the competition for their Scientific Journal entry. They will receive a Participation Certificates and a small prize for their efforts. Well done, girls!

Duke of Edinburgh Awards Presentation at Assembly

During assembly on Friday 14 September, 19 students received either their Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards. The awards were presented by Stephen Mason, Executive Officer of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award- Victoria and Mr Mahamed Ahmed, Programs and Engagement Manager.

The Duke of Edinburgh program is an internationally recognised award that invites young people aged 14-25 to realise their ambitions and to change their world.

Young people challenge themselves by choosing activities that spark their interest in the three sections of the award – service, physical and skill. They set their own goals and work towards achieving them over the given time period.

The Bronze Award is the first level of the program and involves a 3 – 6 month commitment in the three areas of skill, physical and service plus four days of an Adventurous Journey. The Silver award is a 6-12 month commitment across the three activities and involves a total of six days of adventurous journey or exploration.

The following students achieved their Bronze and Silver awards

Bronze Award:  

Year 11 – Aaron Zhou

Silver Awards:

Year 11 – Eliza Allen, Ashlea Cross, Olivia Cross, Erin Doupe, Matthew Evans, Molly Fleming, Vishnu Pillay, Julia Rosenbrock, Kaitlyn Woodhill, Mitchell Wooller

Year 12 – Daniella Cosentino, Jimmy Cox, Miranda Molnar, Elizabeth O’Dell

The Gold Award is a very significant achievement and highly regarded in the community worldwide. Four Year 12 students received their badge in the assembly: Niamh Lewin, Tara McAsey, Ruby Wensor and Joel Williams. These students did not come through the Bronze or Silver program and commenced with the Gold award, which means that for one of their activities they had to commit to an 18 month program. The other two activities were 12 months each. The adventurous journey component was a minimum of eight days. In addition, each student undertook a residential project, which involved living away from home in an unfamiliar environment with people that they would not normally stay with whilst undertaking an activity for six hours a day. In all four cases, the students undertook projects within a community vastly different from their own.

Niamh Lewin and Joel Williams completed their residential projects just outside of Jaipur in Northern India in a Children’s village as part of the World Challenge program in 2016. They spent six days in the community and their program included helping with lessons at the adjacent primary school, preparing meals in the kitchens and playing with the children during sport time every day. In addition, they undertook two big construction projects – the laying of brick paths around the onsite craft center and the laying of foundations for a covered walkway from the village entrance to the school at the opposite end. The building materials were paid for by funds raised from projects held here at Tintern.

Ruby Wensor also completed her residential project in India during World Challenge. She spent six days at a rural primary school in Haripad, which is in Kerala, a state in Southern India. She spent time playing with the children and helped around the school, painting walls, gardening and helping local labourers with tiling and plastering the classroom. The money spent on refurbishing the school was raised by her team’s colour run, which was held earlier that year.

Tara McAsey spent a week at the Ntaria school for indigenous students in the Northern Territory outside Alice Springs in the September holidays in 2016. She stayed with a local teacher and worked with the students and members of the Indigenous community in order to understand social justice issues. She participated actively in the classroom and was able to learn about community cultural customs, traditions and events in the Western Arrernte Community. She also volunteered at the Hermannsburg Historic Precinct.

For Niamh, Tara, Ruby and Joel these residential projects will remain in their memories forever. Volunteering in such a capacity is a two-way exchange. Whilst these students may have left thinking that they were the ones doing the giving, they returned richer and wiser for their experiences with an understanding and respect for another culture and way of life.

The assembly presentation concluded with a video presentation compiled by Year 12 Gold awardee, Joel Williams, who said the following words after the video about what Duke of Edinburgh program has meant to him:

“Good afternoon everyone. My name is Joel and I enrolled in the Duke of Ed gold award at the beginning of Year 10. I chose to do the program mainly because I love hiking and camping and the adventurous journey component really appealed to me. The Duke of Ed hikes are different to the year level camps. They are much more challenging in terms of distance and terrain and we had to plan them ourselves. During these journeys, I developed friendships across different year levels because of the small numbers participating and I have many happy memories of the great times we shared. I would not have had the opportunity to explore such remote and pristine wilderness areas like the Walls of Jerusalem in Tasmania and the Australian Alpine National Park without the DoE program. Spending time in these environments has made me respect our magnificent country on a deeper level. Having been on five of the six Duke of Ed hikes over the past three years, I now feel confident to plan and execute my hikes in the future. I know what to pack, how to set up tents and tarps, how to read maps and use a compass and what food and emergency equipment to take over a multi-day journey.

Choosing swimming as my physical activity enabled me to keep my swim fitness at a level that would allow me to complete my Surf lifesaving Gold Medallion which I did in September last year, hence why I couldn’t do the sixth  Duke of Ed hike to the Victoria Ranges! Achieving my Surf Gold medallion enables me to work as a paid lifeguard on the Mornington Peninsula over summer. This qualification also gives me extra skills and knowledge to bring to my voluntary role as a surf lifesaver for Gunnamatta, a role that I have been fulfilling now for five years.

For my skill activity, I chose to set up an organic home vegetable plot from scratch. I built the raised garden beds to keep the rabbits out, and set up a greenhouse to plant and raise the vegetables from seeds. Every season of planting, I have made mistakes and lost crops, however, I have learnt from each problem and harvest time is now much more productive.

Even though I have completed my gold award, I am continuing with all three activities, as they are now part of my life.

Completing the residential project at Vatsalya Children’s Village in Jaipur India was certainly a highlight of the award and my life. We spent six days living and interacting with the 60 resident children and my favourite times were meal times where we sat at long tables on the floor in an open-air dining room and playing sport and games with the children every day from 4.00 -6.00 pm.

The Duke of Ed program has been a really positive experience for me. Yes, the record keeping and logging of hours can be tedious, but this forces you to reflect on your activities as you progress through the award and it makes you realise how much you have achieved over the years.”

by Anne Bortolussi, Duke of Edinburgh Coordinator

Alex Achieves Perfect Score in NCSS Coding Challenge

The NCSS Challenge is run for high school students by the Australian Computing Academy at the University of Sydney. During the five weeks of this competition, a set of teaching resources for the Python programming language are distributed to participants together with a set of questions testing this material.

We are thrilled to share with our community that Alex Higgins in Year 9 achieved a perfect score in this competition. The highly challenging and complex nature of the problems presented in this competition warrants high commendation. We are thrilled with this result and congratulate Alex on his outstanding achievement.

Well done, Alex!

Senior Visual Arts & Design Exhibition 2018 Official Opening

Join us for the official opening of the 2018 Senior Visual Arts and Design Exhibition this coming Thursday 18 October, 6.00PM – 8.30PM in the Visual Arts & Design Exhibition space. 

Light refreshments will be served during the evening.

Please note the exhibition will be open to view from Thursday 18 October until Friday 16 November, Monday to Friday, from 8.30PM to 4PM.

Artwork by Myles Carew, VCE Art, Untitled, Acrylic on Canvas

Tintern Grammar Colour Run – this Friday 19 October, 3.30pm onwards

We hope you can join our World Challenge team for a fun afternoon of colour on Friday 19 October, 3.30PM onwards!

The Junior Schools’ run starts at 4.00PM, and will be followed by the Years 7 – 12 run which starts at 4.15PM.

You can run as many laps as you like within 30 minutes and get colour bombed along the way.

Not into running? That’s okay, there will be lots of other activities to enjoy, including the chocolate toss, live music & DJ Kenny, bake sale, BBQ, Mr Whippy, spot prizes, a raffle and more!

Entry costs: $15 per person or $50 for a team of 4. 

Some important notes for students participating in the Colour Run:

• The powder is cornflour and food dye
• They can wear sunglasses to protect their eyes – colour throwers will also be careful not to throw it in students face
• If they have respiratory issues please advise them to take their medications beforehand just in case
• Bring an old pair of white clothes that they are happy to have colour thrown on
• Bring a garbage bag and change of clothes for the car afterwards
• Junior School students must have a parent/guardian at the event

Yarra Junior Football League Female Umpire Come & Try Day