PLC news Senior School | Junior School | Early Learning Centre www.plc.vic.edu.au | Friday 21 August 2020 | WEEK 6B PLC CALENDAR TERM 3 WEEK 7A Monday 24 August 12:55pm Tournament of Minds 2:45pm Year 11 Leadership announcements Tuesday 25 August 1:10pm Chemistry Olympiad Wednesday 26 August 3:45pm Dressmaking - Virtual Thursday 27 August 3:45pm Dressmaking - Virtual Friday 28 August VCE Year 11 Geography Field Trip - Virtual 1:10pm Biology Olympiad WEEK 8B Monday 31 August 12:55pm Tournament of Minds Wednesday 2 September 3:45pm Dressmaking - Virtual Thursday 3 September 3:45pm Dressmaking - Virtual Sunday 6 September FATHERS’ DAY Contents The Pen 1 From the Director of Christian Ministries 2 Senior School News 4 Learning News 5 Sport 6 Music 8 Junior School 9 Community 12 PLC United 14 Early Learning Centre 15 The Pen We have passed the midway mark! No, not of lockdown – though that too – but we are now more than half way through Term 3. Three weeks till your girls begin Term Break. Each year at around this time we elect the Student Leaders for the following year. These girls will follow in the footsteps of students such as our exemplary 2020 School Captain, Tash Tian and Vice Captain, Britney Pham who have ridden the waves of this year with sustained optimism. Their ability to create new ways of doing things and initiate quickly and effectively has been inspirational. We’ve seen this time and time again from so many of our current school leaders. I’m excited to say that next week I will be announcing who will be the new School Captain and Vice Captain, as well as the other Captains. Thank you to all who undertook the process of applying and preparing for these roles, and for all the Year 11 girls for voting. In interviewing our future School Captains this week, the panel and I were greatly impressed and inspired by the girls’ passion for looking to lead collaboratively and to serve the school, their strong values and the great sense of belonging they have as a PLC girl. I hope you enjoy getting to know each of the new leaders throughout 2021. I’ve been struck lately by the flourishing blossoms around the College and neighbourhoods at the moment. This signal of new life reminds us that even in times of hardship that there is still growth and great beauty that surrounds us. While I’m very much hoping that next year if not indeed next term we are able to return to some sort of normal, it is important to look for the positive in what our whole community is learning, and how the support we are showing for one another reinforces our Christian values that are foundational at PLC . Recently some of our Year 8 girls were lucky enough to have participated in a Q&A with Witi Ihimaera, the author of The Whale Rider which was made into a film in 2002. We are fortunate that Mr Wetherell had the resourcefulness and courage to ask Mr Ihimaera to do this, and even more fortunate this best-selling author agreed. We may be tired of online meetings, but this could not have happened without it! Mr Ihimaera also took the opportunity of asking Mr Wetherell’s class to participate in a writing exercise for a new project, relating to how COVID-19 can bring people together through shared experiences and supporting one another, even across the world. Our thanks to Mrs Lynch and the Library staff who put together a fantastic Literature Festival that was held this week. Once again our girls were able to have virtual presentations by authors including Old Collegians Anna Morgan and Rebecca Lim. The festival was officially opened by Ursula Dubosarsky, Australian Children’s Laureate for 2020–2021, who recalled a PLC speech in which the audience was asked to “Think of life as a yum cha trolley”; I think there is much to be said for trying new things and risking disappointment if not failure in the knowledge that you might make great strides forward. As it is National Book Week from 22–28 August, Ursula also promoted us to read widely, discover books we love, and be curious. For those interested in her talk, visit https://wyse.plc.vic.edu.au/homepage/9728. Once our library re-opens I hope that many of our girls will embrace the opportunity to explore new literature.
Transcript
PLCnewsSenior School | Junior School | Early Learning Centre
www.plc.vic.edu.au | Friday 21 August 2020 | WEEK 6B
PLC
CALENDAR TERM 3
WEEK 7A
Monday 24 August 12:55pm Tournament of Minds2:45pm Year 11 Leadership announcementsTuesday 25 August1:10pm Chemistry OlympiadWednesday 26 August3:45pm Dressmaking - VirtualThursday 27 August3:45pm Dressmaking - VirtualFriday 28 AugustVCE Year 11 Geography Field Trip - Virtual1:10pm Biology Olympiad
The Pen 1 From the Director of Christian Ministries 2Senior School News 4Learning News 5Sport 6Music 8Junior School 9Community 12PLC United 14Early Learning Centre 15
The PenWe have passed the midway mark! No, not of lockdown – though that too – but we are now more than half way through Term 3. Three weeks till your girls begin Term Break.
Each year at around this time we elect the Student Leaders for the following year. These girls will follow in the footsteps of students such as our exemplary 2020 School Captain, Tash Tian and Vice Captain, Britney Pham who have ridden the waves of this year with sustained optimism. Their ability to create new ways of doing things and initiate quickly and effectively has been inspirational. We’ve seen this time and time again from so many of our current school leaders.
I’m excited to say that next week I will be announcing who will be the new School Captain and Vice Captain, as well as the other Captains. Thank you to all who undertook the process of applying and preparing for these roles, and for all the Year 11 girls for voting. In interviewing our future School Captains this week, the panel and I were greatly impressed and inspired by the girls’ passion for looking to lead collaboratively and to serve the school, their strong values and the great sense of belonging they have as a PLC girl. I hope you enjoy getting to know each of the new leaders throughout 2021.
I’ve been struck lately by the flourishing blossoms around the College and neighbourhoods at the moment. This signal of new life reminds us that even in times of hardship that there is still growth and great beauty that surrounds us. While I’m very much hoping that next year if not indeed next term we are able to return to some sort of normal, it is important to look for the positive in what our whole community is learning, and how the support we are showing for one another reinforces our Christian values that are foundational at PLC .
Recently some of our Year 8 girls were lucky enough to have participated in a Q&A with Witi Ihimaera, the author of The Whale Rider which was made into a film in 2002. We are fortunate that Mr Wetherell had the resourcefulness and courage to ask Mr Ihimaera to do this, and even more fortunate this best-selling author agreed. We may be tired of online meetings, but this could not have happened without it!
Mr Ihimaera also took the opportunity of asking Mr Wetherell’s class to participate in a writing exercise for a new project, relating to how COVID-19 can bring people together through shared experiences and supporting one another, even across the world.
Our thanks to Mrs Lynch and the Library staff who put together a fantastic Literature Festival that was held this week. Once again our girls were able to have virtual presentations by authors including Old Collegians Anna Morgan and Rebecca Lim. The festival was officially opened by Ursula Dubosarsky, Australian Children’s Laureate for 2020–2021, who recalled a PLC speech in which the audience was asked to “Think of life as a yum cha trolley”; I think there is much to be said for trying new things and risking disappointment if not failure in the knowledge that you might make great strides forward. As it is National Book Week from 22–28 August, Ursula also promoted us to read widely, discover books we love, and be curious. For those interested in her talk, visit https://wyse.plc.vic.edu.au/homepage/9728. Once our library re-opens I hope that many of our girls will embrace the opportunity to explore new literature.
PLC Newsletter 2
From the Director of Christian Ministries
Recently I read Erwin McManus book ‘The Last Arrow’. Erwin is a Speaker, author and Lead Pastor of Mosaic Church LA. https://mosaic.org/About
Mosaic Church is set up as a light to Hollywood and to provide a place to belong to those who have no one. It is to testify to the goodness and greatness of who Jesus is and to be transformed by the Holy Spirit. He has a lot of great insights so I thought I’d share a few here.
Firstly a question to think about in relation to the chapter ‘Refuse to stay behind’
Are you going to be a pioneer or a settler? I’m not sure what that looks like for you but let me encourage you, that you are not alone on the journey. In the Psalms we read that God can refresh your soul and lead you in the right path for His glory. Even though you may be walking through a ‘darkest valley’ moment God can lead you through it. Seek him out and learn from Him and learn from others who can testify to the goodness and greatness of God as well.
“More often than not, the journey to where God wants to take us requires that we travel further than we ever expected. Like the early pioneers who began in New York and Boston determined to make it to San Francisco but instead chose to settle in Oklahoma and Missouri, we may have become settlers far too soon. Now if you are supposed to be in Oklahoma or Missouri, that’s a good thing. But if you simply gave up because the journey was longer and harder than you expected, then you became a settler when you should be a pioneer. Many of us choose comfort over destiny, would you choose safety over opportunity, would you rather settle for less than sacrifice more?
Well done to the PLC Chess team who placed second in the 2020 Chess Australia 11 August Secondary Open Tournament.
Congratulations to all students, staff, Old Collegians and family members who are currently racing their way to the House Castles in Scotland. This is a community physical activity challenge that has girls earning double kilometres for taking family members with them while they participate in just about any form of exercise. Stirling is currently slightly ahead and is passing through the Karlamilyi National Park in WA. Atholl and Balmoral are not far behind. It is not too late for all houses to catch up as there is still a long way to go! This week should see us all head out of Australia towards Jakarta. The route allows us to visit many of the PLC boarder’s homes along the way and the boarders have submitted some photos and comments about home for us all to enjoy. More details and how to join in can be found in the Sport section of the newsletter.
To our Year 12 girls, I hope you enjoyed having your Onesie Wednesday. I also want to wish you and the Year 11 girls undertaking assessments at this time the very best. For some of you this means coming back to the College, and I want to send a particular thanks to your parents for being the chauffeurs required to deliver you here safely as required. We understand the added pressure that last minute changes put on parents, and appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we meet these new government guidelines.
Before I leave you with a reading that reflects the PLC values, a reminder for Prep to Year 12 parents and all girls from Years 5–12 to complete the LEAD Satisfaction Survey if you haven’t already done so. These surveys provide you with the opportunity to shape the direction of PLC.
Mrs Cheryl PenberthyPrincipal
The Pen
Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic,
love one another, be compassionate
and humble.1 Peter 3:8 | NIV
https://dailyverses.net/1-peter/3/8
PLC Newsletter 3
If you are feeling a little stuck in this lockdown, perhaps the advice below might be helpful.
From his chapter ‘Act Like Your Life Depends On It’
“It makes me wonder how many times we choose to remain in our desperation rather than allow it to drive us to the abundance that awaits us . And of this I am certain: what-ever God has for us. Whatever promises he longs to fulfil in our lives, what ever riches may await us, (not talking about material wealth), we will find them only when we choose to cross enemy lines and surrender ourselves to life. (Erwin is referencing the story of Jesus healing the ten lepers in Luke 17 and the one who came back to say thank you).…..Sometimes we blame God for his lack of concern, while all the time what’s missing is our urgency. We expect God to act but we never take responsibility to act ourselves, which is why so many of us never get down to the last arrow. (The Last arrow is a reference to 2 Kings 13).
What prayer could you pray today to seek God out for the peace, purpose and abundance he has in store for you?
From the chapter ‘Standing your ground’
“You can’t fight the future but you can create the future. Faith is the fuel of the future and if God is the God of yesterday, today and tomorrow, then tomorrow should fill us with inexplicable hope.”
From the chapter ‘Battle Ready’
“Don’t make the mistake of living your life waiting for good things to happen-make good things happen. Be faithful in the small things that do not matter to you as much as the big things connected to your hopes and dreams. Remember that Jesus laid out this principle for us: it is the person who is faithful in the small things who will be entrusted with bigger things……
So many of us are trying to get ‘there’, wherever ‘there’ might be. But when you get ‘there’, we’re not ready for it. If we take short cuts, we’re going to get ‘there’ before we’re ready. Whatever God has planned, we need to be prepared for it.
The great tragedy would be to live your life waiting for that moment to come instead of living your life preparing for when the moment comes. In God’s economy, nothing is wasted. Everything you do today that seems insignificant will find its significance. You should never see any task as too small for you. If small is what you are entrusted with, that’s your stewardship. Striking the last arrow is not only about seizing every opportunity; it is also about being the right person at the right time.”
In this time of ‘lockdown’ what could God be teaching you? What areas of your life do you need to let the Holy Spirit in to refine, empower and refresh you?
Finally
“I am convinced that when we live our lives connected to the One who gave his life for us-when we live fearlessly, courageously, and without reservation-we will come to the end of our own lives and with our last breaths we too will be able to say, ‘Mission accomplished’. And perhaps in that moment, we will hear Jesus whisper into the depths of our souls, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’”
May you know today that God is with you. He has created you for a purpose, be faithful in the small things and the big, your dreams, hopes and passions. Invite him into your life each day through reading the Bible, learning more about Him and through His Holy Spirit that transforms you into who He created you to be. You are much loved. May you know His grace and peace today and all your days ahead as you ‘pioneer’ each day into the certainty of His love and ‘better days’.
God blessNick Curtis
It was a Science Week like no other, as the Senior School celebrated the world of Science during Stage 4 lockdown restrictions.
Question of the day and Favourite videos of their science teachers introduced the students to the weird and wonderful! The questions and videos were designed to stimulate student interest in a diverse array of scientific fields and provide them with resources that enabled them to delve a little deeper.
These included an introduction to their microbiome through the Demodex mites that live on the face, the amazing properties of a non-Newtonian fluid, and the concept that the further away from the ground you are, the faster time passes.
On Wednesday morning students pondered ‘how many molecules make up a car tyre’ and were surprised to learn the answer was ‘one’.
Later in the week Peacock spiders the size of a rice grain were observed conducting their elaborate courtship dances and the Quiz question addressed the critically endangered Plains-wanderer bird and highlighted the wonderful work being done by Zoos Victoria in fighting the threat of extinction.
During Form Assembly on Friday many classes ‘zoomed’ together to answer the Mammals of Australia quiz and later in the day the sun came out, just in time for some Year 7 classes to test their handmade sundials in the backyard!
No Science Week celebration at PLC is complete without a staff quiz. In a year where the important work of scientists has been very much on display, the theme for the staff quiz was Australian Scientists and their contributions to Science.
Senior School
Science Week @ PLC
PLC Newsletter 4
PLC Newsletter 5
One of the (many) great things about being a teacher at PLC is that importance is placed on the development of staff. Teachers are given time and support to develop skills and expertise in a range of valuable areas. As staff grow in their various roles, we see the benefits reflected in our classrooms as teachers integrate the most effective, evidence-based approaches to teaching and learning.
At any given time there are a number of staff at PLC upskilling in a range of topics and skills by attending conferences, undertaking long or short term online courses and meeting together with colleagues from around Victoria, amongst other things. This year COVID-19 has thrown a spanner in the works and has led to a reimagining of what staff development would look like. In the Junior and Senior Schools, staff and students (and parents) alike had to very quickly learn how to navigate programs such as SeeSaw, Google Classroom and Zoom. Never before have we had to become so proficient in something in so little time, or be so creative with our teaching and problem solving. There was ample support at our fingertips. Our IT department ran sessions on the various aspects of the tools we were learning to incorporate. Team members worked together to help each other. There was a plethora of online resources available to and by educators from all around the world facing the same challenges. The overall perspective is that we have all learned a lot from this period, much of which we can still use to our benefit when we are back in face-to-face learning.
Here is a snapshot of the training some Junior School staff have chosen to undertake.
Studying the online Harvard University course ‘Developing Online Strategies for Teaching and Learning’ has supported me to design, deliver and facilitate a personalised online program for my students. The importance of humanising the online program within my virtual classroom has been brought to the forefront of my decision making. – Jayde Scoby-Smith (Year Four Classroom Teacher)
Music educators from all around the world are currently seeking innovative ways of providing engaging curricula for students in the remote learning context. Prompted by my desire to improve outcomes for Classroom Music and Music Performance in the Junior School, I have embarked on professional learning in the area of music technology. The school has allowed me the privilege of an annual subscription to an online training course which also includes membership to a community of like-minded music educators from around the world. – Vikki Chan (Junior Primary Music Coordinator)
During staff development days at the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020, Junior School staff were fortunate enough to undertake workshops focusing on oral and expressive language facilitated by speech pathologist, Bronwyn Billimoria. The Prep teachers have been particularly excited to implement a structured expressive language program this year. During distance learning, Prep students have continued to develop their expressive language in various ways with their teachers and classmates on SeeSaw and Zoom. – Miss Clare Conlon (Prep Coordinator)
The development we have taken part in, whether internally at PLC or externally, has been incredibly authentic and relevant to our students’ and staff immediate needs, and there are many elements which we hope to continue utilising in the future.
Hannah Bangah Junior School Head of Staff Development Year Six Classroom Teacher
Learning News
Senior School Distance Learning Survey Link https://forms.gle/LpkXD6pH5C37ntx86
Parent Teacher Interview Survey Link https://forms.gle/oy47525NvWh6XCuM8
We hope parents in the Senior School will take time to complete these surveys on Distance Learning and Parent Teacher Interviews held by Zoom. We appreciate the feedback you provide and thank you for
taking the time to provide your responses.
INTERNAL SCHOLARSHIPSApplications are invited for Internal Scholarships for current Year 7 – Year 11 PLC students. Details and the application form
have been emailed to all PLC families this week. Applications must be received no later than Friday 11 September.
Late applications will NOT be accepted.
If you did not receive the letter and form please email [email protected] with a valid email address to receive a copy.
PLC Newsletter 6
Sport
PLC Race to the CastlesWe are coming to the end of week 4 of the PLC 2020 Race to the Castles! This week’s results will see most of the Houses out of Australia and on the way to Indonesia. If your House is behind there is still plenty of time to catch up! Even small amounts of kilometers add up so get your runners on and join in! A good team effort can make a world of difference to a week’s results. All information about how to get involved, for those who have not quite made it yet, and all up to date results can be found on the Wyse Sport site https://wyse.plc.vic.edu.au/homepage/5234.
So far there have been many students, staff, Old Collegians, brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents and pets involved and many different physical activities logged. These have ranged from hip hop dancing and cardio workouts to the more traditional methods of running and riding. All activities are accepted due to the inclusion of the new conversion table. All participants can now use the following table to convert their sweat into kms.
Results at the end of Week 3
PLACE HOUSE TOTAL Average weekly Number of Old kms number of girls who Collegians who have participated so far have joined in*
* Old Collegians who would like to join in the race must have a relative currently enrolled in the College and therefore have a Wyse login account
House positions at the end of Week 3. You can also follow each house’s progress on the interactive map on the Wyse sport site.
PLC Newsletter 7
Where are we now in the race?We have now visited all of the Aussie Boarder’s homes and this week we have photos from home from Ellie who lives in Warrnambool.
Ellie’s favourite things to do in Warrnambool are going surfing with friends and family and jumping off the end of the breakwater (1).
Ellie’s home overlooks the Hopkins River (2).
There is a place in town called ‘The Gap’ and it’s a challenge that locals do to try and fit through a small gap between the two buildings and get all the way to the other end. The gap gets narrower as you go along and by the end it is only about 30cm wide. A lady was trapped once and needed to be rescued (3).
More information and photos can be found on the Google Earth Project at https://wyse.plc.vic.edu.au/homepage/9606
1.
2.
3.
Welcome to Warnambool
PLC Newsletter 8
CL ARINET ZOOM SOLO CONCERTS
Junior Zoom Concert
Monday Lunch Zoom
Monday After School Zoom
Wednesday Zoom Concert
Friday Lunchtime Zoom
MusicInstrumental Music LessonsNumerous studies have been done over the years to demonstrate the many benefits of learning to play a musical instrument. Amongst these are the discipline of developing a regular practice routine; perseverance to master a newly-introduced skill; comprehension of a whole new language; concentration and focus; improved spatial-temporal skills; and confidence that comes through performance. There is also a proven link between studying music and improved mathematical skills.
Now that we are in Stage Four restrictions parents can see first-hand the added benefits of their daughters undertaking music lessons and the skills that are involved. Thanks to our dedicated team of music teachers, lessons have gone on uninterrupted and have taken on a new focus as we have moved again to distance learning. One of the challenges presented during this time has been teaching our young string players (and their parents!) how to tune the instrument, a skill not usually covered in the early stages of learning, but essential when face-to-face lessons cannot happen. Another challenge has been for those students who require a piano accompaniment for their solo pieces, and the piano staff have come to the fore by providing recorded accompaniments for students to rehearse with in preparation for video exams.
Overall, music lessons continue to be a positive experience for students, as well as providing a chance for them to move away from their screens. Teachers have been creative in coming up with online concerts and forums, giving the girls the ability to communicate and make music together. We are all eagerly awaiting the time that our music ensembles can get back together again, but in the meantime it’s great to see that our girls are still so engaged and gaining much enjoyment through making music.
Clarinet Zoom Solo ConcertsClarinet students from the Junior and Senior school recently performed in a series of Zoom Solo Concerts.
Performance is an important part of the process of learning an instrument. Unfortunately, concerts and AMEB examinations have been put on hold during the current restrictions. Instead, clarinet students were put into small groups and invited to perform their prepared pieces in a supportive and affirming Zoom concert.
The concerts featured beginners through to advanced clarinet students and were a testament to the great work done by these musicians during lockdown. Congratulations to all of the students who performed in these concerts.
Mrs Nicole ThomsonHead of Woodwind
Speech LessonsLike everyone else, our Speech teachers have adapted to giving lessons via Zoom, with a large number of girls preparing for AMEB exams later this year.
Angela Ding performing a scene from A Midsummer Night’s Dream under the guidance of Ms Gabrielle Keenan.
Rita Lin working on a scene from Macbeth.
PLC Newsletter 9
Junior SchoolCyber Safety Project Webinars for ParentsDigital media and technology is evolving at a rapid pace bringing with it new and exciting opportunities. The temporary shift to Distance Learning has brought about many positive outcomes including fast tracking the girls’ knowledge and understanding of the online world.
All Junior School families were sent details about a series of three ‘On-Demand Parent Webinars’ being offered to parents for two weeks from Wednesday 19 August. Each webinar runs for 30 minutes and will be available for their viewing for 14 days from the release date at times that are suitable.
These sessions provided by the Cyber Safety Project aim to provide parents with the insights and practical resources to help support and manage online safety in the home. as well as important information about popular social networking and online gaming platforms available to young people today.
The Cyber Safety Project acknowledge that building a positive and healthy family environment where digital use is encouraged but managed effectively can be a tough balance.
In these Parent Webinars, the Cyber Safety team discuss ways parents can ensure their children are responsible and safe online as well as suggesting strategies to assist them in building positive digital habits. I strongly encourage all parents to participate in this invaluable opportunity.
The link to access the On-Demand Parent Webinars, was emailed to all families on Tuesday 18 August. Please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] with any queries about these parent webinars.
Kids in Philanthropy
PLC Years 2, 3 and 4 families joined together for the first online social event to raise money for a good cause on Sunday 9 August 2020. More than 40 families attended the Kids in Philanthropy ‘Pitch for Change’ event and raised $900 to donate towards 3 wonderful local organisations. It was great to see so many faces after such a long time! Our amazingly attentive and inquisitive PLC girls learnt about the work of 3 different charities, participated in some simple activities to reinforce their knowledge and at the end, voted for the organisation to which they wanted to donate. Their votes determined how much each organisation received at the end of the session.In summary,
• $207 was raised towards Love Me Love You, an organisation that raises awareness about mental health. This money will go towards running their online programs about mental health, strategies, and awareness for the community. During the session the girls wrote on a piece of paper all the things that made them feel sad, folded the paper up into paper planes and threw them across the rooms to set them free.
• $216 was raised towards Creative Art Therapy Australia, an organisation that supports mindfulness and well-being. This money will go towards running their online art therapy classes. During the session the girls drew an outline of their feet and wrote as many words as they could think of that described their own positive qualities.
• $477 was raised towards Eat Up Australia, an organisation that helps feed school-children without lunch. This money will go towards financing the food boxes Eat Up are currently delivering to Victorians during Covid19. During the session the girls created cards of encouragement for the recipients of the food boxes.
Quite an achievement for a Sunday afternoon and what a perfect and meaningful way to contribute to our community. Well done changemakers!
To find out more about Kids in Philanthropy, visit https://kip.org.au or email [email protected]
Thank you to Valerie Sung for organising this very successful event.
PLC Newsletter 10
RobogalsLast week the Year 4 students participated in an exciting Zoom-cursion with Robogals, a student-run global organisation whose aim is to inspire, engage and empower young women into engineering and STEM related fields. The Australian branch of Robogals is a Monash University run initiative providing engineering based workshops for students all over the country.
The sessions were highly beneficial for our girls involving problem solving, teamwork, presentations of ideas and the exposure to engineering. They were introduced to multiple types of engineering and discussed how engineering impacts their everyday life. The girls also participated in an interactive quiz and had the opportunity to apply their understanding through a design element where they designed houses for extreme conditions.
Here is what the Year 4 students had to say about their experience:
Robogals has inspired me to learn a lot more about engineering. If I were to study a type of engineering I would choose Architecture Engineering because I love designing things like houses and I enjoy being creative in any way I can. The experience was better than great! Many girls including me want the Robogals team to come and visit when we are back to school so that we can do robot coding with them! I would rate the Robogals incursion a 10/10. It was very exciting and got our minds thinking creatively!
Charmaine Lo 4C
l’ve always wondered what it would be like to create things that don’t just affect us but the whole world. I learnt today that many creations made by engineers do just that, such as mobile phones and solar panels. Creative solutions like these have made our lives much easier, faster and better. From today’s Zoom-cursion, I am now interested in Architectural Engineering because one of our activities was to create a house for an extreme condition using our imaginations.
Sophie Zhao 4C
I loved the Robogals Zoom-cursion! I didn’t know that there were so many types of engineers but now I know that there are lots of different types of engineers like software engineers, mechanical engineers, medical engineers, electrical engineers and even geotechnical engineers.
Ella Shah 4C
I really enjoyed the Robogals, especially when we went in groups and we had to choose a type of extreme condition surrounding a house. We came up with ideas on how it could survive.
Philippa McLay 4B
I really enjoyed the unspeakably fabulous Robogals. The leader let us think about the best test ever which the really smart engineers must have put a lot of time and effort into designing.
Vanessa Liang 4B
John LawHead of Junior School
JuniorSchool
CALENDAR TERM 3
WEEK 7A
Wednesday 26 August10.00am - 3.00pm Parent Teacher Interview Meetings via Zoom1.30pm JOYCE Club Year 52.15pm JOYCE Club Year 6Thursday 27 August12.30 SRC Zoom MeetingFriday 28 August8.45am JS Prayer Group
WEEK 8B
Wednesday 2 September1.30pm JOYCE Club Year 32.15pm JOYCE Club Year 4
PLC Newsletter 11
Prep 100th Day of SchoolTuesday 4 August 2020 was the 100th day of school for our Prep girls, their families and teachers. It was a celebration of a significant milestone achieved by the youngest students in the Junior School. Whilst this year, there would be no assembly or parent and Year 5 buddy visits to classrooms the true essence of the day remained.
The lead up to the big event was filled with anticipation as each class added a marble to their jar to mark the passing of each school day. This process began in the classroom and continued during Distance Learning with each marble marking another day of learning and growth. Girls also collected 100 items to be shared with their class during their 100th day of school Zoom meeting.
The morning of 4th August began with each girl excitedly opening an envelope filled with special items, carefully prepared by the Prep teachers, to celebrate the day. A certificate as well as a personalised notepad and pen were keepsakes, with an activity booklet, crown, party blower and popper to add to the festivities. The day continued with girls decorating their crown, completing their activity booklet and taking a photo to send to their teacher.
The Prep girls are always a great source of positivity and enthusiasm and this has been no different throughout Distance Learning. Each day the Preps show a zest for life and learning that their teachers hope will remain with them throughout their academic life at PLC and beyond.
Miss Conlon Prep Coordinator
Prep AAmanda
Eva Prep B
AriaPrep C
On the 4th of August, we celebrated our 100th day of school. We celebrated at home. We counted the marbles in the jar with Miss Conlon every day. We were very excited. The whole class shared their 100 items during our Zoom meeting. I made a nice crown. I had a fun day.
Aria Luu Prep C
PLC Newsletter 12
Community
LESSONS & ACTIVITIES
WEBINAR TOPIC 1: Plan, Prevent, Protect
ON-DEMAND PARENT WEBINARS
WEBINAR TOPIC 2: Keeping Kids Safe on Social Media
WEBINAR TOPIC 3: Keeping Kids Safe who Game
Knowledge is power!
www.cybersafetyproject.com.au/PLCparents
PLC Newsletter 13
Dear Parents and Guardians
The Business Office emailed invoices for Term 4 on Thursday 13 August, which are due by Thursday 3 September 2020.
You can also access your statement and pay your fees via Wyse under the “Fees and Payments” tile.
This reflects the rebate the College has provided following the letter from the Chairman of Council and the Principal earlier this month.
Resources for parents to use in talking to your children about the Coronavirushttps://schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-coronavirus
Unsure how to deal with the huge changes in your workplace due to the pandemic? Old Collegian, lawyer and ABC Radio host, Lisa Leong (1989) is currently examining this issue on her regular weekly program “This Working Life” on ABC Radio National, each Tuesday at 11.30am. In this series, Lisa brings together a fascinating array of experts to discuss how to adjust to the “new normal” in a wholistic and productive way.
MANAGING YOUR WORK DURING COVID -19
Community
PLC Newsletter 14
The PLC Prayer Group continues to meet each Thursday from 1.30pm -2.30pm for a time of friendship, support and prayer. The Zoom details are the same each week.
For more information, please contact the Convenor, April Lim, at aprilswlim@gmail.
PLC United
Our Melba Chorale Who could imagine, when our Melba Chorale sang the inspiring song, “You will be found” so movingly at the College Gala
concert last year, that its lyrics would be so meaningful for all of us today. We hope all the members of our PLC community in the words of the song “reach out your hand” for any support you may need and that “across the silence, your voice will be found.”
Melba Chorale’s Performs “You will be Found”https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MrfxzYIqBUKatdjDqOJJJPC7azvyCqVu/view
PLC Newsletter 15
Early Learning
Centre
Remote Controlled ChildhoodsThe environment in which many young children are growing up today is saturated with screen media such as television programs, movies, apps, video and computer games and Internet websites. Children have a rapidly expanding number of ways to access this screen media – including through televisions, computers, and handheld devices such as tablets, smartphones, and video game consoles. In addition, children are exposed to numerous toys and products that are linked to what they see on screens. This media-saturated environment touches most aspects of children’s lives and is a central part of the foundation they are building to understand their world, how it works, how they fit into it, and how they can influence it. Often it affects how they behave and treat one another. It even shapes how they learn and what they want to learn.
Not all media exposure and technology use is inherently negative or passive. There are many positive situations where children use technology to discover, create, learn and share information. This is particularly evident in this time of COVID, lockdown and learning from home initiatives. Connecting with ELC teachers and participating in ELC activities would not have been possible without our weekly online ELC Connect publications, and video-chatting with a grandparent who lives far away is a vital and meaningful way to keep in touch.
Nevertheless, the ever-growing influence of media exposure and technology use means that parents should be knowledgeable about, and pay close attention to, children’s screen-related activities. We need to be aware of how screen time and media culture are affecting children’s thinking, behaviour, interests, and relationships and find effective ways to promote children’s healthy development.
There is a need for parents to balance young children’s exposure to technology with essential hands-on tactile experiences that allow and encourage children to use all their senses and to interact with others. It is imperative that children do not rely too much on technology, but treat it as a ‘tool’, just like a pencil.
