Dear parents and caregivers,
Term 2 is well underway and it is great seeing the students engaged in their learning. Many eventful and interesting activities took place in the last two weeks and we would like to thank our teachers and support staff for their dedication and hard work.
- Our Scholastic Book Fair created exciting vibes in our school library and made our students more eager to read books. A special thanks goes to our Literacy Coordinator, Samantha Collins and her team for the excellent organisation and set up of the Book Fair.
- Our Year 2 students enjoyed their excursion to the Uleybury School Museum where they witnessed how schools operated in the 1800s. Our Year 7’s enjoyed their excursion to Cleland Wildlife Park, whilst our Year 11/12 soccer enthusiasts enjoyed a friendly interschool game against Pinnacle College. The Stage 1 Biology class also enjoyed a hike to Morialta Conservation Park, where they saw some breathtaking views as they observed diverse ecosystems.
- Junior Primary, Primary and Secondary assemblies were very successful and celebrated students’ achievements and skills. Leadership was a focus for the Primary & Secondary assemblies this week and it was an opportunity for us to celebrate our students’ leaders for their initiatives and bright ideas.
Snapshot of these memorable events will be found throughout the newsletter!
Also, we would like to thank all the parents who are actively using all of our school apps. Our communication is only good if it reaches you. Please make sure the following apps are downloaded on your phones:
Communication Routes
Thanks for your cooperation and we look forward to continuing to work together for a better outcome to your children’s learning journey.
With blessings, Chris Riemann and Racha Hammoud Makki
Heads of Schools
Head of Primary
Assalamualikum dear Parents,
We are fast approaching half way to Term 2.
I want to thank all the parents who are communicating with their children’s class teachers through ClassDojo. It is very important to keep that communication for teaching and learning to be most effective. The parents’ first contact should be your child’s teacher with any questions or concerns.
Some great news for our Primary School is the selection of the House Captains and Vice Captains. These leaders will be involved in house points, sports day, other sporting activities and more leadership responsibilities.
The SRCs are preparing a Blanket Drive Project which encourages us to give back to the wider community. It is a project which will give an opportunity for Primary students and their families to donate new blankets to give to the homeless who desperately need them for this winter.
The Custodians have already started to help all Primary students during prayer times. They help with encouraging students to arrange their shoes, place them nicely outside the hall, come in to the prayer hall respectfully, sit down in straight lines and handle many more responsibilities around prayer time.
Last but not least, the Primary Book Fair took place and ended in week 4. It was great seeing the parents before and after school coming and visiting the Book Fair. It was a fantastic opportunity to buy books that the students love to read as well as various types of stationaries.
Finally, I encourage all parents to communicate with their children by asking them about their school day. It is very important to keep the lines of communication open and encourage our children to share their day with us. May Allah keep our relationship with our children strong and blessed.
Khuda Hafiz, Assalamualaikum and take care.
Regards
Head of Secondary
The term is moving very quickly as we approach the end of Semester One. Secondary students continue to have many opportunities to learn and be active, many of which were celebrated in our recent assembly. A range of exciting excursions, particularly in science and sporting activities have been enjoyed by students across the year levels. More of these are coming up. The Year 10 camp is just around the corner. We ask that parents encourage students to return consent forms to activities so that they don’t miss out.
In our assembly, we also celebrated our student leadership. Student voice is important for any school today, hearing the opinions of the students across any number of areas is critical to maintaining a vibrant connected school where the students feel empowered in their own learning. Our College Captains and Vice Captains have already served us well and done us proud at the Iftar dinners and various roles around the school. Our Leadership Advisory Team have met with the Principals to discuss a range of issues and potential initiatives. Our House Captains and Vice Captains demonstrated their leadership skills at Sports Day in Term 1. At the assembly, all the Leaders and the SRC member from each class received their badges which we hope they wear with pride on their blazers.
We took the opportunity of the assembly to recognise and celebrate students that had received A grades in all their subjects. These students were awarded with Outstanding Academic Achievement awards for this accomplishment. It requires hard work and a commitment to all subjects, even those that may not be your favourites to achieve this outcome. Congratulations to Zahraa Al-Samewetli, Muntazir Banglawala, and Mohammad Falfally.
We also celebrated the initiative of the Custodians; it has been a positive initiative to begin each morning sharing prayers that are broadcasted throughout the Secondary School. The initiative of a 'Weekly Trivia' quiz that encourage students to reflect on and understand Islamic teachings and customs, has been received well, with over 100 responses in the first week.
As the term marches on, exams are not far away. For many of our students, this will be their first exam. There is an Elevate webinar on June 7th, and parents/caregivers will receive an email about it, which provides guidance on how to support your children for exams and we encourage you to tune in. Exam timetables will be published soon, but a reminder that Year 10 Semester exams begin in Week 6, Year 11 Semester exams are in Week 7, Year 7-9 Semester exams are in Week 8 and Year 12 Trial Exams are in Week 10. We encourage all students to do their best and take the opportunity to demonstrate their learning.
Faith in Our College
Salam Alaykom,
I pray this message finds you all well.
Alhamdulillah we find ourselves nearing the middle of the term and the beginning of Dhul Qida. Along with our learning experiences rooted in the Islamic tradition, we have introduced a few new activities to help cultivate and foster an awareness of God. This includes a monthly catchup where staff are invited to discuss different topics related to the faith as well as a chance to get together and develop relationships. Also, a weekly Islamic trivia for the Secondary School, which is being led by our own students where weekly questions are asked with a chance to not only develop knowledge of different Islamic ideas and concepts, but also to win a canteen voucher! Another initiative I would like to mention is our 'Morning Announcements'. These morning announcements in Secondary School work similar to the Morning Circle in primary where students begin their day with God.
We pray every day brings us closer to Him and that we all can work on refining our souls and character as we eagerly await the Hajj season.
With duas,
From our student leaders
Salam Alaykum everyone,
Quran
Starting the day off right is key to having a successful day, and our school has the perfect way to begin the morning. Playford college students now start the day off by reciting the Quran, allowing us to connect to our faith, and put our hearts and minds at ease. It is a great way to start the morning with a sense of peace, clarity, and purpose.
Soccer
Our students recently took part in a thrilling soccer match between Playford College and Pinnacle College. The enthusiasm of the students was palpable as they cheered on their peers during the match. The girls showed a great deal of skill and teamwork, demonstrating that their hard work and practice had paid off. The opposing team put up a good fight, but the girls managed to win a game, much to the delight of the spectators. It was a great moment for everyone involved and will be remembered for a long time.
Building Extension (Phase 2)
A new school project, is on its way! It's thrilling to think about all the possibilities that the new building could bring. From new classrooms to more space for extracurricular activities, the new building will be a great addition to our school. It will give our students more opportunities to explore their interests and get involved in the things they're passionate about. We can't wait for the new building to be finished so we can start using it to its fullest potential!
Weekly Trivia
School trivia about Islam is a great way for students to learn more about this important religion. This is a great way for our secondary students to have to increase their knowledge. The benefits for students include furthering their understanding of the religion, its history and having an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge in a competitive environment. To make the activity more exciting, we are offering a $10 voucher to the winners of the trivia. So, get ready for some fun and educational trivia about Islam!
From our School Captains: Nazish and Ayuba
PRIMARY SCHOOL UPDATES
Foundation
Morning Sentence Writing
This term, the foundations have been working on 'morning sentence writing'. A picture is given as a prompt for students to independently write sentences about the picture through sounding out words.
Students have also been learning and writing split digraph 'a-e' words in sentences.
Year 1
In Math, Year 1 students have been exploring and learning about length and area. Students have been estimating and measuring things in the classroom through an inquiry approach to learning. They did this by making play dough snakes, estimated the length and measured it with blocks and counters!
Year 2 - Uleybury School Museum Exursion
Last week, the Year 2 students visited the Uleybury School Museum, at One Tree Hill. They participated in an 'old-time' lesson and played 'old-time' games. The excursion supported their HASS learning, as the students learnt about the history of a significant building and the student life in the past!
Below are snapshots of the educational day out!
Learnt how to write in calligraphy, with a quail and ink!
Played 'old games', including the sack race!
Other games including a horse race!
Played Quoits!
Played old styled Zumba!
Looked at artefacts at the museum!
Used the telephone!
Played old-fashion cart racing!
Wrote on blackboards with chalk!
Had a class in a very different setting to their own classroom!
Presentations in front of class!
The principal at the Uleybury School Museum!
More artefacts!
Tried on the Uleybury girls uniform!
More ink calligraphy!
Making sure hands are all clean after play!
Year 3
In Math, the Year 3 students are working on measurements and 3D shapes. On Monday, students learnt about the length of a blue whale, and using a 1m string that they measured, students determined the length of a whale on school grounds! Students also worked in pairs to create 3D shapes with toothpicks and clay, through determining the length, width and depth!
Year 4 - Mini Memories of the Week
The year 4’s worked collaboratively to solve their fractions work in a Numeracy lesson.
The Year 4 students participated in a Guided Reading session where they dive deeper into the novel 'Charlotte’s Web'.
The Year 4 girls from 4L and 4J take shelter from the rain!
Students from 4L enjoyed the sunshine while reading 'Speedy Sloth' for National Simultaneous Storytime.
Year 5 - Urrbrae Wetlands Excursion
Last week, the Year 5 students went on an excursion to the Urrbrae Wetlands as part of their science learning. After researching and learning about adaptations and classifications of different animals, students applied their learning in real life!
Below are snapshots of the educational day out:
Year 6
In English, the Year 6 students have been analysing newspaper articles to understand the language used in the media. Students worked in pairs to practise reading with fluency and expression.
The Year 6 students also worked with the Foundation classes in making a banner for National Sorry Day. This buddy activity allowed students to understand about history and to honour the Indigenous Peoples of this land.
SECONDARY SCHOOL UPDATES
Stage 1 Biology - Morialta Conservation Park Excursion
On a cold, wintery day in Week 3 the Stage 1 Biology class ventured to Morialta Conservation Park for a hike in the bush. Although they got rained on, they saw some breathtaking views, spotted koalas, and observed the incredible diversity of ecosystems and plant life there.
Art - Shape and Form
In Art, the Year 7 students have been learning about shape and form. Students started with sketching out a shape, and through shading, the shape became more complex. Students learnt that shading adds value and shadow, and hence, a circle becomes a sphere and a square becomes a cube etc.
Science - Cleland Wildlife Park Excursion
On Wednesday, the Year 7 students journeyed to Cleland Wildlife Park. As part of their Science class, students applied their learning and knowledge of different animals to real life! Students took notes about different animal genus; that is, a taxonomic category ranking used in biological classification about species families.
Below are snapshots of the eventful day, that included patting and feeding kangaroos, patting a lizard, echidna, snake and koala and seeing Tasmanian devils and dingos from afar!
Science - Year 9 Practical
Last week, the Year 9 students completed an experiment for their topic on atoms. Students conduced flame tests to determine the compound that produces the specific flame colour, as well as testing ions for conductivity.
Food and Hospitality
Food and Hospitality has been thriving in Secondary School. Students in Years 7-10 continue to flourish in their culinary skills! After cooking up a storm in the home economics room, students judged their final products on criterias of appearance, aroma and taste!
The community hUB
In the Community Hub, sessions on Faith are still continuing with Playford College's Sheikh Ghulam Haidari on Tuesday and Wednesday (2-3pm). This time would be convenient for families, as they can pick children up from school after. We request all the families to attend as learning about everyday faith is important and beneficial for everyone. Sheikh is also available for consultation.
We encourage parents to attend these beneficial and insightful sessions!
Counsellor's corner
Understanding Adolescents and their needs
Adolescence is the life stage between childhood and adulthood which includes three main phases:
- Early adolescence from age 10 to 13
- Middle adolescence from 14 to 17
- Late adolescence from 18 to 21.
More importantly, the brain and body are subject to many different changes/developments that significantly affect the way adolescents and teenagers interact with the world. Parenting can be challenging when the child goes through this stage of life, thus it is essential to understand what the children go through, in order to meet their needs at this stage of life.
Key developmental stages during adolescence:
- Physical development: the most noticeable changes such as the sudden growth of the body, body hair, cracking voices and many other changes which lead them to seek for privacy.
- Brain development: In adolescence a part of the brain called Amygdala is well developed, Amygdala is responsible for emotions, impulses, aggression, and instinctive behaviour. However, another part of the brain called the Pre-frontal cortex is not developed completely until 25 of age. This area is responsible for one’s capability to solve problems, plan and think about the consequences of actions, and control impulses. As a result, adolescents often rely on their emotion to make decisions or to solve a problem. Therefore, in early adolescence, children tend to have black and white thinking, they see everything as wonderful or awful, perfect or very ruined, as their pre-frontal cortex is still in progress.
- Social and emotional development: Adolescence is a time of exploration, experimentation, and decision-making in order to build their self-identity and independence. Therefore, adolescents tend to act on impulse, engage in dangerous or risky behaviours, misread or misinterpret social cues and emotions and are more likely to be influenced by their peer groups.
Some Adolescent’s needs:
- More open conversation by listening rather than telling. Adolescents often feel uncertain at this stage of life as some people treat them more like adults, while others treat them more like children. Furthermore, some parents treat their adolescents more like children and expect them to deal like adults which may cause them confusion and stress.
- Avoid comparing them to other adolescents, as every teenager is unique and has their own challenges.
- Acknowledging and validating their life challenges, particularly emotional and social challenges.
- They should be encouraged gradually to make their own decisions without their parents' influences, even if they are not cognitively mature enough.
- Understanding the significance of relationship in adolescence including family connection, friendship and their relationship with their teachers.
- Avoid making judgements about adolescents by accepting the mistakes they make and offering support and guidance whenever they need.
- Encouraging adolescent to pursue their own interests, and praising them when they achieve something.
Ultimately, adolescence is not easy, but with parents' patience, compassion, and guidance, it can be a steppingstone to a nourishing life.
With blessings ,
term dates
31/05/2023 – Year 7/8/10 Vaccinations
09/06/2023 – Year 10 Exams Commence
12/06/2023 – Monarch’s birthday (Public Holiday)
13/06/2023 - Year 11 Exams Commence
20/06/2023 – Years 7-9 Exams Commence
26/06/2023, 27/06/2023 and 30/06/2023 - Parent/Teacher Interviews (Secondary School)
28/06/2023 to 29/06/2023 - Eid Al-Adha (Holy Day - No school) *(To Be Confirmed)
03/07/2023 - Year 12 Trial Exams Commence
07/07/2023 – End of Term 2
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