House Swimming

Last Friday 16 February the Middle and Senior School girls came together to compete in House Swimming across the day. There were many events for people to compete in, not to mention the funniest events which were the boogie board and boat relay.  

The Year 12 girls (Class of 2018 ) took every opportunity to celebrate as it was their last house swimming event ever and all jumped in the pool with noodles, crab blow up rings and much more. The points were very close all day and when it was coming to the end every race counted.

The last part of the day we all had to sing and yell out our chants! I thought that Butterss/Cross won the loudest chant. In the end in 5^th place was Mansfield/McKie with 1264 points, 4^th place being Somner/Stewart on 1364 points and then the points were very close between 1^st 2^nd and 3^rd with 3^rd place being Butterss/Cross on 1542 points and with a 2-point difference Dann/Watt came 1^st with 1548 points leaving Gordon/Grant in 2^nd place with 1546 points.  

by Katey O’Reilly, Middle School Sports Captain

A visit from the Prep Girls’

Today, the Prep girls visited Mrs Riddell and Mrs Faria in the Junior School Office. The Prep girls are very busy making a book each called All About Me. Their books are also include some pages about the members of our school community who help them. Mrs Faria kindly helps them with First Aid, if they have hurt themselves in the playground. The Prep girls also enjoyed asking Mrs Riddell some interesting questions, including “Are you having a good day?” from Evelyn O, “Why are you called Mrs Riddell?” from Ritisha and “What are your cats’ names?” from Matilda. It was a lovely visit and so exciting for the Prep girls to go into Mrs Riddell’s Office with her and with Mrs Faria. The girls wanted to thank you Mrs Riddell and Mrs Faria for being such an important part of our school community.

 Christine Campbell – Prep Girls’ Class Teacher

Letterland Talk to ELC-Year 2 Parents

We had a terrific turnout at our Letterland information Talk this morning, where Helen Kirkland (Learning Enhancement Coordinator for ELC to Year 6)  explained in great detail how the Letterland program supports literacy development. Helen taught us more about phonological awareness and its importance in building firm foundations for future literacy development. Research indicates sound phonological awareness is a strong predictor in gauging future reading success. The program has been used at Tintern extensively in the Early Learning Centre to Year 2 over many years – it is a much loved program by us all!

Letterland Talk to ELC–Year 2 Parents

We had a terrific turnout at our Letterland information Talk this morning, where Helen Kirkland (Learning Enhancement Coordinator for ELC to Year 6)  explained in great detail how the Letterland program supports literacy development. Helen taught us more about phonological awareness and its importance in building firm foundations for future literacy development. Research indicates sound phonological awareness is a strong predictor in gauging future reading success. The program has been used at Tintern extensively in the Early Learning Centre to Year 2 over many years – it is a much loved program by us all!

From the Principal

This week we have a special guest introduction from Jason McManus, Vice Principal.

I think, therefore I am.

Decartes’ famous philosophical proposition, states that because we are capable of conscious thought, we know we exist. It puts thinking at the centre of our existence, indeed as very proof of it. We are what we think.

A school exists largely to develop thinking. It encourages, shapes and refines thinking in all its teachers and students. Tintern Grammar has always prided itself on having a culture that venerates rich and deep thinking, but as part of one of our key strategic projects in our Strategic Plan group focussed on optimising the growth of our learners, a group of intrepid teachers are piloting a professional learning collaboration into the Harvard Project Zero Cultures of Thinking.

I will be coaching a Professional Growth Partnership team, facilitated by Mr Steven Lo and Ms Beth Cain, in an action research project to learn more about how we can create better cultures of thinking in our classrooms for our students.

I am looking forward to working with these innovative educators as we explore this together and look forward to reporting back to you in more detail over the coming months and years.

Parents of students in Years 7-10 will have recently received (or will soon) an email from their child’s English teacher outlining our wide reading program and the importance of regular reading to the improvement of comprehension skills, throughout secondary school years. The letter called for parents’ support in encouraging regular reading at home as one of the best ways to support your child’s growth in academic and social/emotional learning.

As children’s author Jackie French said to The Guardian this week, “By the time your child is 18 hopefully they will have lived 10,000 lives in the books that they have read. They will have met 100,000 people with all of those outlooks, all of those differing outlooks as well. They’ll all have gained empathy, they’ll have gained understanding, and they will have gained the ability to cope with complexity in a way that television and daily life can’t [facilitate].”

When we read we think, we reflect, we imagine, we empathise, we understand, and we grow as people and as learners. While technology undoubtedly enhances modern learning in many ways, reading is still the bedrock of education as it has been since classical times.

The power of words was a theme used most effectively by our School Leaders in a recent secondary assembly. As part of our Digital Citizenship project which is rolling out this year, the Leaders made an incredible video showing us the power we all have to affect others negatively or positively when we use words, whether in the real world or online. You can find the Respect Video on the homepage of the MyTintern portal, available at this link. Please note you will need to login to the portal to view the video. It is well worth a look.

The Leader’s video demonstrates that every time we use language we make choices that will determine how those words will affect others. If we are what we think, as members of a school of empathetic and reflective thinkers, we will be best placed to ensure these choices are good ones. Factis Non-Verbis.

Chaplain’s Corner

During the holidays we were away with my sister and her family, and my brother-in-law carefully pulled from his wallet a Powerball ticket he had bought prior to Christmas, he carefully began looking through the numbers to see if he had won, and so began the conversation, if I won the lotto I would… and we each chimed in with our ideas, his first thing would be to ring his boss to say he wasn’t coming in to work on Monday. I wonder if your family has ever had that conversation? Because you ultimately find the things talked about are what you envisage your best life would look like. But standing there in the beach house having this conversation, I was instantly reminded of a speech I heard former World Vision CEO give. I only remember the first minute in which he said, If you are sitting here, if you were born in Australia, if you live in this country, you have won the lottery of life. Your access to education, fresh water, healthcare, peace, democracy, freedom, this all means you have won the lottery of life.

On Australia Day my husband received his Australian citizenship. Did you know the monetary value the government places on Australian citizenship is currently at $600,000, that is estimated amount it will cost the government per citizen healthcare and the old age pension – $600,000. So we really do live in the lucky country, whether we were born here, or become citizens – we have already won the lottery.

So what does that mean? I think it means we all have a responsibility. A responsibility to live our best lives.

There is a Bible text from Micah chapter 6 that reads,

What shall I bring to the Lord, the God of heaven, when I come to worship him?
Shall I bring the best calves to burn as offerings to him?
Will the Lord be pleased if I bring him thousands of sheep or endless streams of olive oil?

No, the Lord has told us what is good.
What he requires of us is this:
to do justice and to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.

This text is more than 2500 years old. It speaks of even if you have thousands of sheep or rivers of olive oil; all which equates to great wealth or ‘winning the lottery’, What should you do? What does God require of you? And the answer comes,

to do justice and to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.

By living in Australia, it is, in the words of the Bible reading as though we have thousands of sheep and rivers of olive oil at our disposal, we have so much.

We have won the lotto of life, and now it is our responsibility to live lives which do not take that for granted. We all have a responsibility to live our best lives, how will you do that?

by Alison Andrew, School Chaplain

Music Matters

Musical treat on the horizon – Wednesday 7 March

If you would like to hear 15 of our most talented musicians performing in a feast of beautiful music, make a note in your diary of this date: Wednesday 7 March 7.00pm. Every second year we present a ‘Preliminary Concerto Concert’. Students select one movement from a concerto to perform with piano accompaniment. An external adjudicator then selects the best four, in their opinion, to continue on to perform at a showcase event in June, at which the four works are performed with orchestral accompaniment. This is always a wonderful musical event, featuring some outstanding musical moments. Download the flyer to learn more.

Ensembles settling into rehearsal routines

Our Year 7-12 Ensembles have started rehearsals for 2018, but most are still welcoming new members. If you are new to Tintern and interested in joining a choir or instrumental ensemble, please check out the table below and feel free to come along to try out a group before making a full commitment to it. Even if you are not a new student, you’re still welcome to jump on board! You will be made to feel welcome and you will meet many like-minded musicians who enjoy getting together to rehearse and perform music on a regular basis.

If you are unsure as to which group you should join, please come up and introduce yourself to Mrs Feenane in the Music Office and she will be able to help you, or she will guide you to a music teacher who will be able to advise you.

MONDAYS

TUESDAYS

WEDNESDAYS

THURSDAYS

FRIDAYS

by Alison Bezaire, Director of Music

Sport Matters

House Swimming

On Friday 16 February the annual House Swimming Competition was held at Tintern. With a new format this year the Girls’ and Boys’ carnivals were held on the same day. The girls swam from 8:40am – 12pm. The boys swam from 12:10-3:20pm. The House spirit and participation level of the students was fantastic. The score throughout the Girls’ carnival was extremely close all day with only a few points separating the first three Houses. It all came down to the final race with three Houses that could still win the carnival. The participation and enthusiasm in the Boys’ carnival was just as strong. The students displayed great House spirit and competed to the best of their ability. The scores were also close all day.   

 The final results for the girls were:

The final results for the boys were:

Year level champions will be announced at assembly on Friday 23 February.

A big thank you to all of the staff for their assistance in running the carnival.

National Championships

Best of luck to Courtney and Mitchell Snowball who are both competing at the national Mountain Bike championships on Friday 23 to Sunday 25 February in Armidale, NSW. Courtney will be competing in the Junior Women XCO and Mitchell will be competing in the Cross Country Orathon and Cross Country Eliminator events.

Mitchell McGovern competed in the VICS event for Round 4 at Lake Mountain, Mitch finished 13^th in his group with a time of 10min 24sec.  He was under a minute off from the 1^st placed rider.  It was a 4.5km TT up Lake Mountain. Round 5 was at Sandown last Friday and it was a Team Time Trial.  Mitch was in a team with three other boys from different schools.  This “Mixed Team #6” ended up 5^th out of 24 teams in the Senior Boys’ division and rode very well. Well done, Mitch!

Cross Country Skiing

Year 12 student, Phoebe Bridgford recently competed in three cross country skiing events in France.

In her 25km race Phoebe finished 198^th out of 401 competitors, 61^st out of 156 women and 8^th in her age group. In her 10km skating race, which is her preferred discipline in cross country skiing, she finished First Place in her age group, 8^th out of 16 women competing and 29^th out of 46 competitors. In her final race, the 9km Classic, Phoebe finished second in age group, 14^th out of 28 women and 27^th out of 51 competitors. In a field of women who largely live in the snow and have far more training opportunities, Phoebe should be very proud of such fantastic results as we certainly are.

Well done, Phoebe!

Tintern well represented at show jumping competition last Friday

On Friday 16 February, four Tintern Grammar Equestrian Team members competed at the ISJ Summer show at Ayr Hill. Jess Van Bremen (Year 10) competed in the ‘Improvers’ class (75cm-85cm) and was very successful placing 8^th in the Grand Prix and 10^th overall!

Angelica Collins Spurling (Year 8) and Odette McCallum (Year 5) also did very well in their classes, considering each had well over 50 riders in them. As for myself, my horse, Henry, could have tried a little harder to concentrate on the jumps in front of us instead of his girlfriend, Pip, back at the float. The equestrian team has had a very promising start to the year and we are now looking forward to our Demonstration Day on 23 March and our Horse Trials on 29 and 30 April.

by Darcee McCallum, Equestrian Vice-Captain 2018

Equestrian Team gearing up for two big events

On Friday 23 March, our team will be presenting an Equestrian Demonstration showcase on the hockey oval at Tintern during lunchtime (weather permitting). A World Challenge group will be having a sausage sizzle on the Hospitality deck, so do come along and support our riders and World Challenge crew.

Our riders also are well into their preparations for the Tintern Grammar 2018 Inter-School Horse Trials Championships at Wandin Park. These will be held over the weekend of 28 and 29 April. For further information, check out details on the school website or the Facebook event.

by Alison Bezaire, Equestrian Coordinator

Community Matters

Community Group News

Movie Under the Stars – Saturday 17 March 2018

Don’t miss the 2018 Movie Under the Stars on Saturday 17 March 2018. This year we will be presenting Sing, a feel good film suitable for the entire family. The gates open at 6pm and the movie will commence at 7.30pm (dependent on lighting). You can watch the trailer here.

This event, organised by the Tintern Parents Group (TPG), is run every second year and is an exciting evening out for our School families. Bring your own blankets or chairs and picnic hampers. Or enjoy a delicious variety of food offered by our community groups; including a sausage sizzle, popcorn, fairy floss, lollies, ice cream and delicious coffee. There will also be glow sticks for sale!

Tickets are:

• Family $26 (2 adults & 2 children)
• Adults $10
• Child, student & concession $5

Book now through Trybooking: https://www.trybooking.com/UEQU

For any enquiries please contact the TPG on parentgroup@tintern.vic.edu.au or Community Relations on 9845 7877. We look forward to seeing you there!

Friends of Music Committee (FOM)

At Tintern, we are proud of our music students and we feel it is important to provide them with opportunities to perform and develop their talents and passion for music. The Tintern Grammar Friends of Music is a group of parents, staff and friends who are interested in providing support and encouragement to the school’s music students and Music Department.

Each year the Friends of Music holds several major events, including the Jazz Night and Munch with the Musos, as well as a number of smaller fundraising activities. These events allow us to contribute to the Tintern Grammar Music Program, as well as bring the school’s music community together in a social context.

At their AGM last week the FOM committee thanked their members for another wonderful year; highlighted by many incredible events. All positions remain the same into 2018, with everyone continuing on the Committee into 2018:

• President: Tim Oldmeadow
• Vice President: Allana Bettess
• Secretary: Melissa Settle
• Treasurer: David Apsey

General Committee Members:

• Rosemary Bennett
• Jane McAsey
• Tracey Muirhead
• Louise Schultze
• Kelli Green
• Anne Antoniou
• Paul Barby
• Mary Carew
• Jacquie Casey
• Friederike Church
• Lisa Edwards
• Kesta Fleming
• Debra Fryer
• Alison Bezaire (School representative)
• Jan Wagner (School representative)
• Anne Bortolussi (School representative)
• Rowan Kidd (School representative)

If you are interested in joining the FOM Committee, or would just like to be involved in one of their many wonderful events, you are very welcome to attend their next meeting on Wednesday 14 March at 7pm in the CM Wood Centre Common Room. For enquiries please contact Community Relations on 9845 7877 or communityrelations@tintern.vic.edu.au.

Return to Tintern – Celebrating the Class of 2017

We were very pleased to welcome back the Class of 2017 on Thursday 8 February for their first ever function as Tintern Grammar Alumni.

A wonderful group of students and their families came to celebrate with us in the Hawthorn Room. There were delicious canapés and drinks available, with a wonderful atmosphere of joy and excitement. We wish them well as they embark on the next stage of their lives after school, and on to University study and their careers.

Mr Fry took this opportunity to thank the parents who have now finished their time at Tintern for all their support and volunteering over the years. Special thanks were made to the following families who have now finished at Tintern.

‘This is Me’ – Georgia Hayden (YG 2015) and TJ Lacey (YG 2011)

There was much excitement in the Boys’ Junior School Monday 12 February as we welcomed alumni Georgia Hayden (YG 2015) and TJ Lacey (YG 2011) to assembly to share their ‘This Is Me’ journeys. Georgia’s talent and passion led her to be cast as part of the famous Moulin Rouge and TJ’s wonderful character, drive and passion that amongst other achievements saw him starring in the Dance Academy TV series and movie, and the lead role in Strictly Ballroom the Musical. TJ and Georgia spoke to the students about their journeys from Tintern Grammar to performers with careers they love. They also gave advice to the boys to follow their passions, be resilient and never give up on their dreams.

Thank you TJ and Georgia for joining us to share your inspiring ‘This Is Me’ story.

Tintern Grammar presents South Pacific – Then and Now!

Although a lot has changed over the last 31 years there are some things that remain timeless. One of which is the Couth Pacific Musical. Last performed by Tintern students in 1987, a new cast, crew and musical performers will again entrance us with their incredible show.

Tickets are selling fast – to book yours, or for further information, please visit the Karralyka website by selecting here!

Presentation Ball – Save the Date

Year 11 families, please note the 2018 Presentation Ball will be held on Saturday 15 September. The Presentation Ball is a wonderful opportunity for young people to receive modern dance instruction whilst having fun and experiencing a formal presentation to family and friends. This is often their only opportunity to have access to such an event. More details will be available shortly. Please email presentationball@tintern.vic.edu.au if you have any questions.

The next meeting for the Tintern Parent Group is to be held on Thursday 8 March @ 7.30pm in Kennedy Cottage, Community Services.

All parents are welcome to attend and be a part of the Tintern Parent Group.

We look forward to seeing our old and many new faces at the meeting.

Please click here to upload the Agenda and the Nomination form

Community Committee dates 

• Tintern Parent Group (TPG) –Next meeting: Thursday 8 March 2018 7.30pm Kennedy Cottage Co-Presidents: Haidee Wallace and Leeza Crowe
• Friends of Music (FOM) – Next Meeting: Wednesday 14 March 2018 7pm CM Wood Common Room President: Tim Oldmeadow

• Friends of Young Farmers (FOYF) – Next Meeting: Wednesday 21 March 2018 7.30pm CM Wood Common Room. President: Joy Ashfield
• Friends of Equestrian (FOE) – Next Meetings: 21 February 2018 7.30pm Kennedy Cottage  President: Sandra Garland

Community Group Fundraising

Tintern Grammar Photo Albums

The TPG is also continuing to offer 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. 

Principal’s Drinks with Middle Schools’ and Senior College Parents

We hope to see you all at our upcoming Principal’s Drinks with Middle Schools’ and Senior College Parents on Wednesday 7 March 2018, 6.00PM – 7.30PM in the Year 9 Courtyard.

Drinks and nibbles will be provided. Please RSVP via Trybooking: https://www.trybooking.com/TSHD

Early Learning Centre News

Happy Start to 2018.

The children in the three rooms have been enjoying getting to know their new classmates and teachers.

We are observing many positive happy friendships emerging.

They are also enjoying getting to know the beautiful environment on offer here at Tintern Grammar. Even on the super-hot days, the children are asking if they can go outside. The natural environment has led to many wonderful engaging play situations as the children dig for worms, go on a safari hunt and dig for treasure in the sandpit.

Inside the rooms, the staff are teaching the children about the expectations of the class and the children are learning about the new routines.

We hope that the timetable that came home, is of assistance when the children ask, “What am I doing today?” We also hope that the children are now developing independence in packing their bags each day and using the timetable as a checklist for what needs to be packed daily.

Some children can be upset about being left at school. The following are some tips that might help:

• When you first arrive at school, assist your child with their daily routine jobs, Drink bottle to the trolley, record book away and bag into the locker. Then assist them to settle into a favourite activity such as play dough or block play. Engage with them for a few minutes.
• Saying Goodbye: Be honest with your child and tell them that it is time for you to leave. Let them know that you will be back. Even though there may be a few tears, often when parents are out of sight children will settle happily into activities and the tears will ease.
• It’s best to not drag out the goodbye as this often increases the separation anxiety.
• Be positive and happy yourself. Children can sometimes sense when their parents are upset or worried and this might lead to an increase in their anxiety.
• Feel free to call the School anytime to check on your child’s progress. Our staff will also call you should your child continue to be really upset and not able to settle.
• All the staff at Tintern Grammar are committed to ensuring your child has happy experiences at school.

Most children settle after a few weeks. If you are concerned about your child’s separation anxiety, please speak to your teacher or Kristin De Vos, the ELC Co-ordinator.

by Kristin De Vos, ELC Co-Ordinator & Teacher

Coles Sports for Schools vouchers

We did not register for the Coles Sports for Schools program this year, however, as quite a number of our Junior School families have been bringing in vouchers, we have instead decided to collect these on the behalf of our local primary schools and will share with them.

Please drop any vouchers into the Tintern Junior School reception.  

by Amanda Faria and Debbie Quirk, Tintern Junior School Administration

This is Me

Our This Is Me theme is complemented and reinforced by special ‘guests’ at our assemblies. Last week, past students Georgia Hayden and TJ Lacey shared their journeys in the world of Performing Arts, with Georgia having recently finished as a member of the Moulin Rouge Cabaret in Paris, and TJ, amongst many other roles, starring in the Dance Academy movie.

Both spoke about their commitment, the resilience they have had to display and the importance of respect and confidence when dealing with others. They were both wonderful ambassadors for Tintern, and lovely, warm and genuine young adults. Yesterday, Nicolien van Vroonhoven-Kok, former political assistant to the Dutch Prime Minister and advisor on financial issues. Most importantly, Nicolien moved to Australia with her husband and five children (aged 6-14) in January. The challenge of moving from her hometown where she has lived her whole life, raised her lovely family and established a strong and inspiring career, is one that has required enormous resilience and confidence. It was a pleasure to have her share her This Is Me story with us.

Last Tuesday’s Pancake Day and Wednesday’s House Swimming Carnival were two most enjoyable events in our Boys’ Junior School, while the opportunity to come together and share in the success of Scotty James provided us with moments that our boys will remember for a long time. We gathered together on Thursday morning, as our whole Boys’ Junior School, to ‘reflect and have closure’ and discussed that Scotty’s four years of hard work led to a BRONZE MEDAL… he aspired for Gold, however, Bronze is a wonderful achievement. He still has the opportunity to work hard and maybe reach his goal, but often we can’t achieve what we want, but there is no shame or should not be a sense of failure with this. The manner in which Scotty smiled, waved and then emotionally embraced his family was inspiring!

House Swimming Carnival – Congratulations to Grant House

On Wednesday 14th of  February the Boys junior School House Swimming Carnival begun. It was great to see the competitors from every House trying their best throughout the day. during the Carnival there was a huge interruption with Scotty James’ half pipe final about to begin. Everyone had to head down to the Southwood Centre to watch the event. Everyone was very patient and flexible and did a great job. Back to the pool we went to finish our House Swimming competition. The end result was tight but the winner was Gordon/Grant.

Overall it was a great day !!!

By Connor Bastin and Will Kenny

This is Me!

We have launched our new theme for this year and I am getting the sense that many students and families are connecting very well with the key message!  Have you ever watched small children, you will notice just how free they are. How little they care about what others think of them. They are happy and in the moment. They are their true natures. They don’t care if people think that they are silly while they dance in the playground for everyone to see.  Try looking at this link which was shown at the Information Evening – some adults reflect what they liked to play when they were children – there is a twist at the end – it is quite profound and helps guide us as parents and educators, to understand the importance of play to be our true self – Favourite thing to play as a kid.

As we get older we start to play roles to fit into society. We can suppress our true nature and creativity out of fear of what others think. This year we are working with the children to enjoy just being themselves, giving them some strategies to take more risks and not worry so much about what others think.  We are aiming to give them a toolbox of ways to believe in themselves. In that context, we know that the best way to motive students is ensuring that the emotional well-being is strong and on track for their age and stage. We aim for them to build skills to respond to most situations. The teachers are also doing a wonderful job reinforcing this theme in the classrooms.

Try this Ted Talk  How School Makes Kids Less Intelligent by Eddy Zhong  – he was only 16 years old when creating a highly successful company! I don’t agree with the title (as he is obviously not talking about Tintern!) but the real message is very deep and certainly something to think about as we support our children ‘being themselves as they grow up’.

Foundation Assembly

Jessica Stuchbery in Year 2 did a great job reading a prayer at the Foundation Assembly on 2 February.  Well done, Jessica!

Leaders in the Junior School

Last week we inducted our new Leadership team for 2018. Our new captain Katherine Howell gave a most polished speech at the Investiture Assembly.

Congratulations to all the Year 6 girls who presented themselves extremely well when receiving their Year 6 badge. They have already proven to be excellent role models and support to the younger girls in the Junior School. Given the quality of our Year 6 girls this year, it is fortunate that there are still other opportunities for others to take leadership roles during the year.

2018 Year 6 Leaders

• • School Captain – Katherine Howell
  • School Vice-Captain  – Anika Mulemane
  • Leader – Scarlett O’Connor
  • Leader – Nesreen Taher
  • Cross Captain  – Ava Cantor
  • Gordon Captain  – Charlotte du Blet
  • Mansfield Captain  – Rose Rostron
  • Somner Captain  – Coco Butterfield
  • Watt Captain  – Jessica Fettell

It’s a Big Year for Year 3!

It is a big year for our Year 3 girls. They have welcomed new classmates – Naomi, Starr and Jackie.  They have moved from the small I J Day (Prep-Year 2 Building) to the bigger Colebrook Wing. They have just experienced the Intensive Swimming Program and the big and exciting (and loud) House Swimming Carnival.  All the girls have settled in very well indeed… perhaps with the occasional visit down to the Prep-Year 2 playground when they have a moment! One of the last activities they did before finishing in Year 2 was…

The girls (in November 2017) were excited to welcome a number of parents and a grandparent to the classroom to begin learning how to make an appliqued cushion. They selected a pattern to applique, transferred their pattern onto Vliesofix paper then ironed (with parent assistance and supervision) the paper onto their chosen fabrics. After checking to make sure each piece was in place, they cut their shapes out with careful confidence. Next, the girls spent time peeling the backing paper from their shapes and positioning their fabric pieces carefully onto their cushion fronts, before another iron to affix their pieces in position, and then each girl was ready to sew! Most of the girls had never used a sewing machine before, so they were eager to begin. Our parent helpers were happy to guide each student in their attempts and today, the girls completed their cushions and enjoyed using them in the classroom, before happily taking their finished masterpieces home. Well done to all the girls for trying a new skill, listening carefully to all instructions and acting so responsibly in the classroom with the sewing machines and other equipment. Mrs Campbell

 A great preparation for trying new skills and activities which is what they are doing this year under the guidance of Ms Dang!

Fantastic Friends 2018

Last Friday, the Year 5 and 6 girls underwent training in preparation to be a 2018 Fantastic Friends Leader. Students volunteer to spend lunchtimes mentoring the Prep – Year 2 girls, offering themselves as play buddies, problem-solving mentors, teaching positive play strategies and generally building relationships and role modelling. Many skills are learnt and practised and the girls daily demonstrate the compass points, whilst developing their own leadership skills and helping to make their school community a better place.

by Kelli Green, Fantastic Friend’s Coordinator

Chinese Music Magic in Assembly

Chinese students share the universal language of music with Tintern Middle School students as 24 children from a Chinese Primary School in Guangzhou visited Tintern last week to take in the sights and sounds of our School. The children attend a primary school with a population of 3,000 children, so they found Tintern quite captivating with its rural setting and small classes. They usually have anything up to 45 children in one class.

The children and their teachers enjoyed a tour of the Girls’ Junior School and loved the play equipment and our school grounds. After morning tea, they watched a game of baseball on the oval with Mr Kenny and enjoyed a visit to our farm. A select group of their musicians (they have a band of 67 members back home) participated in a workshop on Monday afternoon with Mrs Clarke and then joined together with our Concert Band to play through some pieces as a massed ensemble on Tuesday afternoon. They also performed at the Girls’ Junior School Assembly on Wednesday morning.

This was a wonderful opportunity to welcome visitors from overseas to our school and allow our students to mix and create musical magic with the visitors. Despite the fact that the visiting children spoke little or no English, there were few barriers, as the universal language of music allowed all of the students to communicate on an equal footing in the rehearsal room.

Thanks must go to Mrs Clarke for organising this event, Mrs Riddell for her generosity in showing the visitors around the school, Alec Chen (Year 9) and Marcus Chen (Year 9) for assisting with language interpretation and Ella Watt (Year 11) for supervising the visit to the farm.

Hard work pays off!

Mia (5A) and Aisha (3A) Heinrich have spent many years perfecting their equestrian skills.  More recently they have had great success in recent shows.

Mia competed in Barastoc Horse of the Year – this is a very big show and all the elite show riders attend!

• Mia got top 5 rider out of a very strong class of 21 riders. 
• She then went on to win champion owner rider horse of the year.
• The judges commented on her sportsmanship and encouragement to others.
• Over the holidays, Mia attended another big show and went into her Rider class with 18 other riders.  She was aiming for champion or runner up to qualify for Grand Nationals 2019. After an hour long class and been judged by three judges, Mia was called in as runner up rider of the Year 9 to 12 y/o.  She is off to Grand National 2019 for her rider class!  This is a fantastic achievement! 

Aisha just before Christmas competed in a big competition for first ridden pony, this is a class based on a pony best suited to a child.

• Aisha went into a very strong class of 22 other ponies and rode amazingly well.
• She was awarded champion first ridden pony!
• This qualified her for Grand Nationals this March!

The girls work so hard to achieve these goals, and we are all so proud of them. Congratulations Mia and Aisha! These are certainly great achievements!!

Girls’ Middle School News

Term 1 is now in full swing and it sure is a busy one! Our Year 7 girls have settled in so quickly that it feels as though they have always been with us. They have loved learning how to light Bunsen burners in Science, create short stories in English, design a unique clock face in Design Technology, and wrangle sheep down at the Farm.

Our Year 8 and 9 girls have been busy preparing for their camps taking place 26 February – 2 March. The girls have much to look forward to as each camp presents them with opportunities to challenge themselves and develop their independence, resilience and skills in the outdoors. They will test themselves whether they’re completing a high ropes element on Year 8 camp or having to be self-sufficient on the Year 9 bushwalks, whatever challenges presented to them they will be well supported by staff and their peers and I look forward to hearing stories to share with you all upon their return.

Remember, all the important Year 8 and Year 9 Camp info is on Year Level Pages on the MyTintern Portal if you need a copy.

Our House Swimming Sports on Friday morning was a great success. Participation was high and the support and encouragement students gave each other throughout the day was impressive. It was an exciting morning cheering on our keen swimmers working to break records and our less serious novelty events are always fun to watch. A big congratulations to Watt House who were the eventual overall winner. Well done to all girls involved in the day.

In the afternoon after swimming, we implemented the start of our Digital Citizenship Program with a unique student forum. The students were given different resources to generate conversation about what is a healthy and functional community, appropriate and respectful online conduct and challenging some of the current social norms regarding social media use. The forum was run by Senior School students and was designed to give the Middle School students an opportunity to have their thoughts and ideas heard by the School. Students were then encouraged to identify the benefits and challenges facing young people when online.  It was a great opportunity for our young women to talk openly with each other about some of the more complex issues facing their generation as digital natives, with our older students able to mentor our younger students about respectful online behaviour.

Thank you to all parents who attended our Middle School Information Night recently, it was fantastic to see so many of you there. If you were unable to attend, the information presented is available through the Year Level pages on the myTintern Portal. We hope you can join us for the Principal’s Drinks with Secondary School Parents on Wednesday 7 March, 6.00pm – 7.30pm in the Year 9 Courtyard. Please RSVP via Trybooking.

Boys’ Middle School News

It’s been great to see a lot of excitement and energy around the school as the start of the year has progressed. Watching the boys from the Middle School out a lunchtime mixing with different year levels, mixing with the girls, playing sport and the old-fashioned chasey is a wonderful sight.

From a classroom perspective whilst wandering the corridors, I am hearing conversations around Pythagoras’ Theorem, short stories in English, cells and microscopes in Science, plus much more. It’s also great to hear them talking about homework, upcoming assessments, etc. in a way of ensuring they are prepared and organised. This is something that we will continue to help teach, reinforce and guide our boys to ensure they are developing good skills and habits, as well as being able to best demonstrate their understanding of concepts when required.

We have had a large focus on internet safety early in the year with Safer Internet Day being Tuesday 6 February. Our Middle School leaders spoke a lot about this during their assembly last Wednesday, alerting boys to hotlines for help, acceptable behaviours and the importance of looking out for each other. This is something that will continue to be a real focus as the year progresses.

Tying in with this was a Digital Citizenship program we ran on Friday 16 February. This program had our boys working in their House groups under the guidance of Senior College boys to provide feedback and responses to topics and questions about internet usage and about the positives and risks of social media. It was great to allow the boys to talk openly about their thoughts and experiences regarding social media, with this information to be used by the student leaders and staff to help further reinforce respectable online behaviours.

Our Swimming Sports Carnival last Friday was also a great success with all boys participating enthusiastically and to a high level. It’s a great House event full of fast racing and competitive events, as well as some fun novelty events that allows all students to participate to a good level. A big congratulations to Butterss House who were the eventual overall winner. Well done to all boys involved in the day.

Also, we hope you can join us for the Principal’s Drinks with Secondary School Parents on Wednesday 7 March, 6.00pm – 7.30pm in the Year 9 Courtyard. Please RSVP via Trybooking.

Joshua Choong’s Piano Performance

Joshua Choong gave a wonderful piano performance at a recent Boys’ Middle School assembly.

Belle is Back

Last week Belle returned to school and the boys were thrilled to see her.

She will be coming each Friday this term and will be in the playground during recess.

Belle loves to interact with all of the boys and will take part in many different activities with them. She is based in the Year 5 Classroom, so feel free to come in for a pat before school if you wish. When you come by, you may see Belle sitting with the boys, sleeping or just wandering around the room interacting with the boys.

She is a certified and trained Therapy dog and continues her training weekly. Belle is a 16 month old Labrador who lives with my family. She makes a positive impact on many of our boys and it is wonderful to see. I look forward to you all meeting Belle at some stage.

by Jenny Steffens, Boys’ Year 5 Teacher

Club Tinwood – Pool Party fun. Tuesday 27 February

Club Tinwood is an activity group that meets throughout the school year. It is for Year 3 – 6 girls and boys from Tintern Grammar Junior Schools’.

Club Tinwood will take place on designated afternoons from 3.30pm to 5.15pm either here at Tintern or a pre-arranged external venue, in which case transport will be organised.

Club Tinwood offers members the opportunity to mix together whilst taking part in a range of fun activities, organised and supervised by Junior Schools’ staff.

The first Club Tinwood activity for 2018 is… Tuesday 27 February 2018. A Pool Party followed by a sausage sizzle for afternoon tea.

Join with your friends and splash around at our very own Tintern Pool. Jump off the diving board, play water polo, dive for the rings…and then enjoy a sausage sizzle.     

Alumnus Scotty James (YG 2013) Wins Bronze at the Winter Olympics

Scotty James Wins Bronze

Since term began we have been discussing Scotty James’ (YG 2013) upcoming Snowboard Halfpipe Olympic campaign with eager anticipation and excitement, and as a School community we were beyond thrilled for him when he was announced as the flag-bearer of the Australian Olympic team. What a wonderful honour to not only represent your country but lead your teammates in the Opening Ceremony at a Winter Olympics.

Scotty performed extremely well in his two qualifying heats, with his best run scoring 96.75, placing him second going into the Final to be held the following day. The atmosphere was electric as our Junior girls and boys came together to watch the Final, cheering and supporting Scotty as loudly as they could. Following his three final’s runs he placed third, bringing home the bronze medal – a fantastic outcome!

Scotty has achieved so much in his snowboarding career and now adds an Olympic medal to the list. He is a fantastic role-model for our students, showing amazing passion for his sport and such dedication and commitment to his snowboarding career. We are so proud to call Scotty a Tintern alumnus and are very much looking forward to welcoming him back to Tintern Grammar later this week.

Tintern Grammar Alumni Olympians Come Together in PyeongChang

In an amazing coincidence, Alumna Avenue of Excellence inductee and Olympic Cycling Gold Medallist, Kathy Watt (YG 1982) contacted our Community Relations team to share that she had been commissioned by the Australian Olympic team to photograph athletes at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. We were lucky enough to have Kathy share photos she captured of Scotty during his Olympic campaign with us. Enjoy Kathy’s photo gallery below.

A very big thank you to Kathy for sharing these amazing photos and providing us with unique glimpse into the Winter Olympics.

Avenue of Excellence

Both Scotty James and Kathy Watt are two of our inaugural inductees into the Tintern Grammar Avenue of Excellence. Visit the following link to learn more about them, the other inductees and the Avenue itself: https://www.tintern.vic.edu.au/community/avenue-of-excellence/

Showing our Support for Scotty

We were also very fortunate to have Channel 7 and 9, as well as the ABC, join us to capture all the excitement at Tintern Grammar during the final, with the footage shown to Scotty later in the day after his medal ceremony.  Enjoy the Channel 7 segment.

Senior Art Tour – Art Gallery of NSW & Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA)

Very early on Friday morning, 29 students and three staff embarked on a day of art and adventure to Sydney for our annual Senior Art Tour. We were excited to see the myriad of works on offer and were left tired, but inspired and exhilarated, by the scope and variety of artistic expression we experienced. The Art Gallery of NSW hosts a collection of modern and contemporary works that are displayed in expansive, light-filled spaces, offering stunning views of Sydney and the harbour. We explored the Rembrandt and the Dutch golden age exhibition, which showcased masterpieces from the Rijks museum works of art by the greatest Dutch painters of the 17th century. The variety of works on show from the renowned national collection of the Netherlands included a rare painting by Johannes Vermeer and a room dedicated to one of the greatest minds in the history of art, Rembrandt van Rijn. were breathtaking and visually striking, as we wondered at the amazing detail and rich, saturated colours. Rembrandt and the Dutch golden age presented a glimpse of Dutch society during an era of wealth, power and cultural confidence in which the art of painting flourished like never before.

Artists of the time observed the beauty of the day to day life around them, as well as great landscapes and dramatic moments at sea; transforming these scenes into vivid and compelling paintings that delicately captured these precious moments with great skill and an immense attention to detail. An example of this would one of the paintings Jan Davidsz de Heem called ‘Still life with flowers in a glass vase’ which is so detailed to the extent that we are able to see the insects on the flower petals.

In contrast, our exploration of the exhibition Robert Mapplethorpe: the perfect medium celebrated one of the most renowned photographers of the 20th century, an artist who understood the medium’s ability to alter perceptions and push boundaries. Featuring over 200 works, including floral still lifes, portraits and figure studies, Mapplethorpe captured and shaped an era with portraits that immortalised the cultural idols of the 1970s and 1980s, including his lifelong muse Patti Smith, fellow artists Cindy Sherman and Louise Bourgeois, actor Isabella Rossellini and musicians Debbie Harry and Philip Glass. Whether he was photographing a figure, or a flower, Mapplethorpe pursued what he called ‘perfection in form’. The legacy of his unflinching quest for beauty has left behind the photographical wonders produced in his work and a stand against social norms in art and other areas.  

After a lovely lunch at Circular Quay, we ventured to MCA. Located on one of the world’s most spectacular sites on the edge of Sydney Harbour, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) hosts a variety of exhibitions that challenge the boundaries of art and explore the current forms of expression from local and international artists.

A highlight of our tour was the work of Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist, who has achieved international renown as a pioneer of video art and multimedia installations. Her dazzling, large-scale installations incorporate video, sculpture and performance and often envelop viewers in vibrantly coloured projections of light and music to create immersive environments that involved all the senses. Some installations such as the underwear chandelier and the room of crystal lights were favourites among students and teachers due to the humour they brought and the interesting atmospheres they created, whilst other installations were a bit of a mystery such as the hole in the carpet that showed a video found in Rist’s area called ‘The Apartment’. We were left stunned and amazed!

by Rachel Waud, Head of Visual Art & Design  & Jocelyn Ch’ng,  Year 11 IB Visual Art

IB Visual Art Opening Night

Tintern Grammar was proudly represented by 2017 IB Visual Art graduates Meg Swain and Vicky Wang. Their exceptional artwork was selected from a range of Victorian and Tasmanian IB Diploma World Schools, and represented the highest achieving work in the state. It was an outstanding accomplishment that each student had works selected to be included in this prestigious exhibition. Quite an achievement! The opening featured an inspirational address from guest speaker, artist Tim Bateson, who captured the artistic journey undertaken by the artists with insight and a sense of awe.

Opening night was a wonderful event, attended by Meg and her parents, as well as Visual Art Teacher Rachel Waud and Principal Brad Fry.

The exhibition is open each day (including Saturdays and Sundays 1-5 pm) until Sunday 4 March 2018.

TPG Movie Under The Stars – Saturday 17 March

Don’t miss this fun night out with friends and family! A great opportunity to get to know your year group and community members. Join us for the TPG Movie Under The Stars on Saturday 17 March on the Tintern Main Oval (with CM Wood Centre the wet-weather location), Gates open at 6:00pm, with the movie to start at 7:30pm (sunset lighting dependent).

BYO blankets or chairs and picnic hampers. School community groups will be selling sausages, popcorn, lollies, fairy floss, cold drinks and glow sticks.

Ticket prices:
Adults $10 Child
Student & concession $5
Family $26 (2 adults & 2 children)

Purchase your tickets via the following link through Trybooking: http://bit.ly/2018MovieUnderTheStars

Tintern Grammar Presents South Pacific – Tickets selling fast, purchase yours now!

Tickets to Tintern Grammar’s 2018 production of South Pacific are now available to purchase for the general public via the Karralyka Centre’s website.

Dates & Times:
Wednesday 21 March 2018 at 06:30 PM
Thursday 22 March 2018 at 07:30 PM
Friday 23 March 2018 at 07:30 PM
Saturday 24 March 2018 at 07:30 PM

Ticket Prices:
Adult $30.00
Concession $22.00
Child $22.00
Family (2 adults & 2 children) $85.00
Wednesday preview evening all tickets $12.50

To stay up-to-date with South Pacific news, follow our Facebook event.

About South Pacific:

Set in an island paradise during World War II, two parallel love stories are threatened by the dangers of prejudice and war.

When Nellie, a nurse from Arkansas, falls in love with a mature French planter, Emile, she learns that the mother of his children was an island native. Unable to turn her back on the prejudices with which she was raised, she refuses Emile’s proposal of marriage. Meanwhile, the strapping Lieutenant Joe Cable denies himself the future he wants with a Tonkinese girl because of the same fears that haunt Nellie. When Emile is recruited to accompany Joe on a dangerous mission, Nellie realises that she must seize her own chance of happiness, and is forced to confront her prejudices.

Uniform Reminder

Blazers remain the outer garment for both winter and summer uniforms unless the temperature is either forecast to be above 30 degrees (so blazers will not be brought to school), or has risen above 30 degrees during the day despite not being forecast to do so (so blazers will not be required to be worn home). Please refer to the Uniform booklet on our website for more information. It is available via this link: https://www.tintern.vic.edu.au/enrolments/uniform-shop/ 

Georgia Hayden (YG 2015) and TJ Lacey (YG 2011) share their This Is Me Stories

There was much excitement in the Boys’ Junior School on Monday 12 February as we welcomed alumni Georgia Hayden (YG 2015) and TJ Lacey (YG 2011) to assembly to share their ‘This Is Me’ journeys. Georgia’s talent and passion led her to be cast as part of the famous Moulin Rouge and TJ’s wonderful character, drive and passion that amongst other achievements saw him starring in the Dance Academy TV series and movie and have the lead in Strictly Ballroom the Musical.

TJ and Georgia spoke to the students about their journeys from Tintern Grammar to performers with careers they love. They also gave advice to the boys to follow their passions, be resilient and never give up on their dreams. Thank you TJ and Georgia for joining us today to share your inspiring ‘This Is Me’ story.

Cassie Dods (YG 2017) heads to Pittsburgh for the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair

Congratulations to alumna Cassie Dods (YG 2017) who has been selected to attend the international version of the BHP Billiton competition, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, from Friday 10 to Tuesday 22 May 2018 in Pittsburgh, USA. Intel ISEF, a program of Society for Science & the Public (the Society), is the world’s largest international pre-college science competition.

The winners will be announced during the Fair on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 May. Well done, Cassie and good luck!

Learn more about the award here.

Caitlin Spears (YG 2011) performs at the Fringe World Festival 2018!

Congratulations to Alumna Caitlin Spears (YG 2011) who is performing her 2017 Melbourne Fringe Festival show, Cactus and the Mime, in Western Australia as part of Fringe World Festival 2018! Cactus and the Mime has received rave reviews! Read the latest review here: https://fourthwallmedia.wordpress.com/…/fringeworld-2018-c…/

Turning into Teens – Emotionally Intelligent Parenting Program

Parking Restrictions

As it is the start of the School year, it is timely to remind all families that strictly enforced Maroondah Council restrictions for parking and student “drop off” apply outside the administration entrance to the School in the cul-de-sac which is at the end of Alexandra Road. Restrictions that apply in this area and in other areas around the School are well signposted and Council Officers regularly check all restricted areas in the interest of the School’s neighbours and to ensure safe traffic control and movement around the School.

Parents and guardians of Tintern Grammar secondary students are advised that student “drop-off” is best arranged in the PE Centre/Bus Bay car park. However, please be aware that right-hand turns from Loma Street into the School are clearly signposted as being illegal and drivers run the risk of being booked by Council Officers if they make such right-hand turns. This is also a particularly dangerous manoeuvre which is likely to result in collisions with cars or buses making the correct turn from Morinda Street into the School or continuing around the curve from Morinda Street into Loma Street.