And Our Heads of Schools
Dear parents and caregivers,
Dear parents and caregivers
Playford College has enjoyed a very busy and delightful calendar of events as we move quickly to the end of the school year. Some of these activities are celebrated as follows.
Year 12 Graduation Ceremony and Dinner on November 23rd
The whole day was a great success celebrating all 12 Year 12 students and their exemplary teachers. Beginning at 10am the ceremony was held in the double room in PM building and was full of families, staff and students. Our newly elected College captains and vice captains shared the MC role confidently. Speeches were provided by the Principal, Deputy Principal, Head of Illumination and two students. The College captain's speech was superb. Year 12 Subject Awards were announced and presented by teachers as follows:
Students looked impressive in their graduation gowns and mortar boards. The photo of them throwing up their mortar boards will be cherished by them and the school. More photos further in the newsletter!
Below is 2023 Captain, Ayuba Kenneh's graduation speech to the graduating class, parents, guests and staff.
Staff did a wonderful job to make the classroom space inviting, ceremonial and attractive.
The dinner in the evening was attended by the Year 12 students, at least one representative from each family and over 20 staff. It was a very happy occasion involving delicious food, fun awards and copious photos. Again, the staff created a delightful ambience with colourful and thoughtful decorations. Racha, Marwa and the staff team are commended for their hard work and vision with creating such a congenial atmosphere. All attendees commended the College on providing such a meaningful and pleasant graduation experience.
Primary End of Year Celebration on December 1st
Held in the Shedley Theatre on Friday December 1st to a large and enthusiastic audience, Primary students were outstanding as they happily presented culturally appropriate performances. The celebration recognised our wonderful staff who prepared the students and managed the sound, visuals, costumes, choreography and everything else. The children were superb with their exciting presentations and the audience was very impressed.
Please click the link below for the Playlist of all the End of Year Performances
College Student Leadership Elections
On Tuesday November 21st, the Secondary students and staff were treated to very impressive speeches by 8 Senior students who wanted to be democratically elected by staff and students. The successful elected leaders were:
Captains: Farah Al-Shimari and Abdullah Kabi
Vice Captains: Sofia Jafari and Mohammed Falfaly
They were informed on the next day and compered the Year 12 Graduation Ceremony the following day. Nothing like 'throwing them into the deep water'! The 4 of them will be excellent school leaders during 2024.
Our 2023 Captains and Vice Captains have represented the College, themselves and their families with dignity and strong leadership. We are grateful to Captains Nazish Abbas and Ayuba Kennah and Vice Captains Mohammed Falfaly and Najeeha Zainab. They have welcomed so many distinguished visitors this year.
Early in 2024 we will elect Captains and Vice Captains for Primary. The 2023 Primary School leaders Mohammad (Hassan) Ikhlasi, Afrin Charoliya, Maisam Changize and Zainab Raza have fulfilled their roles very well and the College is grateful for their service and leadership.
Exams and Testing
For the first time, all Secondary students are sitting exams this term. The Year 12 students had mixed responses to the SACE exams. We will see how they have achieved on December 18th. Again, we celebrate our hard working and dedicated teachers. All Year 7-11 students have already completed exams.
In Primary, most students have completed PAT, Literacy and Numeracy tests. This data will be used to influence the teaching and learning program in 2024.
Primary Visiting Day
Over 20 new Primary students were welcomed to Playford College on Tuesday 5th December. After a welcome and introduction by Brother Neyaz, Mr Al-Zubeidi, Mrs Makki and Mr Riemann, the students were joined by buddies who showed them around the school and looked after them for the remainder of the day.
All Primary students were very excited to learn who their teacher would be in 2024 and which friends would be in their class.
As well as these new students, 2 classes of Foundation students will also commence in 2024.
Excursions and Camps
Although it is very late in the year, learning opportunities are still happening outside of the classroom. Our Year 11s and 12s have been invited to an overnight camp to celebrate their excellent year while the Foundation and Year 4 classes are going to the Gorge Wildlife Park and the Road Safety Centre.
Reports
It has been pleasing to read about the exceptional progress of so many students in their reports which will be distributed on the last day of school, Thursday December 14th. Families should be very proud of the attitude, effort and achievement of their children.
Last newsletter
The last newsletter for the year will be published during the last week of school. We will publish the 2024 staff and celebrate the Year 6 Graduation, Secondary Awards gathering and other events.
Community Hub
Secondary staff were very grateful to Zeenat and Community Hub participants for moving Hub activities into community places like the Library and parks to enable our Year 12 students to have a quiet and calm space for their SACE exams.
Imam Ali building
Everyone at the College is delighted with the progress of our new building. We will receive 'handover' before the end of the year and we are looking forward to occupying the classrooms, specialist facilities and new Secondary student toilets from the start of 2024.
Kind regards
Racha Makki, Fiona Thompson, Neyaz Abdulaziz and Chris Riemann
Sports Day
On Friday of Week 5, the Primary students enjoyed a spectacular Sports Day! Alhamdulliah, the weather was beautiful, and students enjoyed undertaking a plethora of events and activities. As always, this day was an opportunity for Playford College students to develop teamwork, cooperation and sportsmanship. Below are snapshots of the day!
Faith in our College
With the name of Allah,
Salam Alaykom everyone,
As we approach the conclusion of this term, we find ourselves at a crucial point in our collective journey of growth and holistic nurturing within our community.
The week dedicated to commemorating the Prophet's birthday has been a guiding light for us, encouraging us to emulate his ways and teachings in our daily lives. His wisdom continues to inspire us as we strive to foster a community based on compassion, unity, and understanding.
Our Halaqas and various learning activities have been thriving, providing invaluable opportunities for intellectual and spiritual development. Through these sessions, we delve deeper into the teachings of the Prophet and the Ahlul Bayt, drawing strength and guidance that assist us along our individual journeys.
We're proud to share that our collective prayers have seen improvement, with a heightened focus on the Hadith of the Prophet and the Ahlul Bayt. These teachings serve as a beacon, guiding our thoughts and actions as we navigate life's pathways.
Looking ahead, a Pastoral Care excursion is on the horizon, presenting a wonderful opportunity to conclude this term on a positive note. Such experiences outside the classroom environment often offer a unique perspective and contribute significantly to our students' growth and development. We eagerly anticipate the learning and bonding that will take place during this excursion.
As we enter the final phase of this term, we extend our heartfelt blessings and well wishes to all our students who are gearing up for exams. May your hard work and dedication bear fruit, and may you find success in your academic pursuits. Remember, the support and guidance of our community are here for you as you navigate these final weeks.
Let us close this term with gratitude for the lessons learned, the growth experienced, and the community bonds strengthened. May these experiences continue to shape us positively as we progress on our holistic journey.
With blessings,
Primary School Updates
Foundation Stories
This term, the Foundation students created snake reports and stories. A few students had the chance to go show Mr Riemann & Mrs Makki their snake stories and snake information reports! They were so proud to show their work!
Year 2 History Lessons
The last few weeks, the Year 2 students have been working hard using resources to gather information about our local history. Students have been exploring artefacts from the past to help them learn!
Cricket Clinics
The Year 2 and 3 students have been involved in a Cricket program, which many have enjoyed. Below are snapshots of their lessons!
Year 6 - Statewide Schools Volleyball Carnival
On Tuesday, Week 6, selected Year 6 boys and girls participated in the Year 6 Statewide Schools Volleyball carnival at the Lights Community and Sports Centre. All teams played 7 games across the day against other schools from across South Australia of various skill levels. Both boys and girls teams showed great persistence and growth with the skills needed throughout each game as it was one of their first competitive experiences in the sport after completing a volleyball unit last term in PE. Special mention to the boys team who just missed out on the grand final, finishing 3rd overall.
Secondary School Updates
Year 12 Graduation - School Service
Year 12 Awards
Year 12 Graduation - Dinner
Food and Technology
This term, the Year 7, 8 and 9 students have been cooking up a storm! Students have been practising their cutting, chopping, cooking and dish preparation skills as they make salads, sandwiches and cake!
The Community Hub
The playgroup at the Community Hub has been great this year. During the last 2 weeks, the hub has had Playgroup SA organising development checks for children under 5 years. An occupational therapist did a one-on-one session with parents, with parents really appreciating it.
Counsellor's Corner
Managing screen time at home 📲
Screen time such as TV, video games, online gaming, social media, tablets, smartphones are becoming a source of parents’ stress and tension in most families.
Parents play the most significant role in managing screen time in each family and how they use their time at home.
Technology has become one of the basic needs of our daily routines. Our young people are finding it hard to switch off the device, which has become an important source of socialising and connecting with their friends and relatives, learning new skills, entertaining themselves, and gaining new information and ideas about different things. Furthermore, for many young people it is one of their coping strategies to manage their anxiety, stress and boredom.
Why it’s hard for many young people to switch off their devices:
Technology has become one of the young people’s basic psychological needs which is connection. Through their devices, they connect with friends and families which makes them feel connected and happy.
When kids are on their devices watching videos or playing online games, their brain releases a chemical called Dopamine which makes humans feel happy and good. Therefore, when they use their devices to watch or to play, they will want more and more of this experience because Dopamine is released in their prefrontal cortex which is part of the brain that usually help humans manage their behaviours. Therefore, it is biologically difficult for our children to turn off their devices or manage their screen time.
Too much screen time will take time from children’s physical activities which are vital for child’s healthy development such as:
- Face to face interaction: Helps children to build social skills.
- Free play: Helps children use their imagination to explore the world around them.
- Playing outside in the sunshine and in nature: Good for their vision and helps with better sleep.
- Practising some kind of sports as physical activities are essential to grow healthy, physically and mentally.
The risks of too much screen exposure on children’s health and wellbeing:
- Sleep issues: Too much screen time will disturb children’s sleep and there are many young children who have sleep difficulty.
- Speech delay: Particularly for younger children.
- Brain development: Studies are currently indicating that overuse of devices will affect children’s concentration, learning and thinking.
- Social and emotional development: Too much exposure to screens can affect children’s ability to read other’s facial expressions, body language, to learn social skills and to manage their emotions.
- Eating disorders or obesity: As children sitting or lying down to watch or play games for a long time may lead to gain weight or to develop Cardiovascular disease and Diabetes.
How can parents help their children manage their screen time?
- Observe how long children use their devices everyday, and what kind of shows, videos or games they are playing.
- Provide facts about the adverse impacts of using devices for a long time and discuss why it is important to limit screen time.
- Don’t leave the TV going in the background, but plan which TV shows everyone in the family wants to watch as a family.
- Discuss together as a family about new screen rules, such as turning off the devices one hour before bed time, no devices at meal time, homework time, and at family time, no TV in the bedrooms, and limiting gaming time.
- Plan together and make a list of different activities to do during the 'screen free time', and involve children to help prepare meals, particularly on the weekends.
- Acknowledge any small steps children take towards following new screen time habits.
- Having green time/going outside after screen time. Children often need some time to adjust to the free screen time, thus going out and moving will help their brain manage their emotions.
- Parents should be good digital role models, as our brains are biologically created to imitate and copy. If parents are good at managing screen times, it is more likely for children to do the same.
With blessings,
Holiday Swimming Lessons!
Term Dates
04/12/2023 to 05/12/2023 - Year 7/8/9 Exam Week
13/12/2023 - Year 6 Graduation
13/12/2023 - Secondary Awards Ceremony
14/12/2023 - Reports Released
14/12/2023 - Last Day of Term 4 for students
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