And Our Heads of Schools
Dear parents and caregivers,
We are grateful for your continued support this Term with bringing students to school on time, packing healthy food, supervising homework, ensuring adequate sleep and communicating about the learning at school each day. Our positive partnership with families is vital within school life.
There are many highlights during Term 4 and some of them are noted.
Teaching and Learning
- Our Student Support Officers (SSOs) continue to support learning throughout the College and this term are assisting students with reading and other literacy activities before and after school.
Secondary Students
- Please pray for our Secondary students and staff during this term. Our Year 12 students have completed their exams and assignments for SACE. We thank parents, and teachers for their support during these crucial times.
- Our Year 11 students are also completing SACE subjects and exams are imminent. Some of our Year 11 students completed Stage 2 subjects and sat Year 12 exams as well.
- All students from Years 7 to 10 will sit exams too in preparation for Years 11 and 12.
- We are very grateful to our senior students and teachers who volunteered to be at school during the recent holidays to prepare for the final month of schooling.
Year 6 and 12 Graduations
These celebrations are very important in the lives of students and we are planning for memorable experiences on November 23rd for Year 12 students and December 13th for our Year 6 students.
Celebrations
- Visiting days by our new Foundation students on Wednesday 15th and 22nd of November.
- The Primary End of Year Celebration which will be a joyful event on Friday December 1st. Classes have chosen their items which have been approved by the Illumination team and have commenced rehearsing
Camps and Excursions
So much learning happens outside the classroom and already Primary and Secondary classes have been on excursions and camps including;
- The Year 5 to Strathalbyn for an adventure camp involving horse riding, archery and climbing which was in Week 2.
- The Year 7 trip to Canberra involved visits to new ond old Parliament Houses, the Royal Mint, Questacon, the Australian War Museum, the National Library and Museum and so many other places of national significance.
- The Year 8 camp to Victor Harbor had a focus on aquatics like stand up paddle boarding, surfing, kayaking and body boarding.
Thank you again for your support as the next 4 weeks will be eventful, rewarding and rapid!
Kind regards
Chris Riemann, Racha Makki, Neyaz Abdulaziz and Fiona Thompson
Faith in our College
With the Name of Allah, the Infinitely Merciful, the Extremely Merciful
Dear Playford College Community,
As we continue our journey through Term 4, we extend a warm thank you to our dedicated students, passionate educators, and supportive families. It is an exciting time as we continue our mission to nurture and guide our students on their holistic journey to God.
Reflecting on the recent events, the month of Muharram and the observance of Arbaeen, we are reminded of the powerful lessons we have learned and the importance of being God centric in our priorities and our decision making. These lessons will serve as the fuel that propels us forward on our spiritual path.
Our Pastoral Care program continues to flourish on Mondays. This critical initiative is an essential part of the support system we provide to our students, ensuring their holistic well-being. The feedback from students and parents has been overwhelmingly positive, and we are thrilled to see our our college community to continue to develop in this way.
Unity Day
This year our school embarked on a remarkable journey to commemorate the Prophet's birthday in a unique and meaningful way. Guided by the teachings of The Holy Prophet Muhammad, our students engaged in a series of activities designed to instill profound values and foster a deeper connection with the Prophet, our community and the world around us.
Monday: Embracing Prophetic Wisdom:
The week commenced with the powerful Prophetic saying, "Cleanliness is half of Faith." Each primary class took inspiration from these words, adorning their doors with beautiful decorations echoing this timeless wisdom.
Tuesday and Wednesday: Nurturing Our Spaces and Earth
Days dedicated to outer cleanliness saw our students creatively decorate bins, showcasing our commitment to maintaining clean and organized spaces. Additionally, they immersed themselves in the act of nurturing by planting plants and shrubs, fostering a deeper connection with our Earth and its delicate ecosystem.
Thursday: Exploring Inner Cleanliness and Responsibilities
Delving into the significance of inner cleanliness, students and teachers delved into discussions about our roles as custodians of the cosmos. Thought-provoking activities prompted reflection on our responsibilities toward personal growth and the impact it has on our world.
Friday: Unity Day - Celebration Assembly
The week culminated in a vibrant and uplifting celebration assembly to honour the Prophet's birthday. The unity of our school community was palpable as students, staff, and special guests came together. Year 5 students blessed us with a soulful nasheed, adding to the spirit of the occasion.
Throughout the week, our students not only celebrated the Prophet's birthday but also embraced essential values and learned the significance of their roles as stewards of the Earth. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated staff and enthusiastic students for making this week a truly enlightening and memorable experience.
Let's carry forward the teachings and values imparted during this week, fostering a spirit of God consciousness, responsibility, and care for our community and the world.
Warm regards,
Primary School Updates
Foundation
This term, the Foundation students are focusing on understanding sentence structure and creating grammatically correct sentences. In week 1, students were introduced to determiners, adjectives, nouns and verbs (DANV).
Year 1 - Heritage Museum Excursion
As part of their History lessons, both Year 1 classes visited the Heritage Museum in Tee Tree Gully. Students learnt about the lifestyle in the past, and how changes occur over time, in relation to themselves, their families and the places people belong to.
Arabic
This term, the Year 2 students will be focusing on reading with harakat (short & long vowel sounds, tanween & skoon). Below are snapshots of recent reading practice. Students practised reading and built their Arabic vocabulary through acting out sentences. They also enjoyed the sun when writing some sentences. They all did an amazing job!
Year 2 Excursion - Maritime Museum
In Week 3, the Year 2 students journeyed to the South Australian Maritime Museum in Port Adelaide. Students enjoyed exploring the different types of artefacts, life on board and going on a boat cruise!
Primary School Assembly - Fundraiser
At the end of Term 3, the Primary SRC and Custodians held a fundraiser to raise money for victims of the earthquake in Morocco and floods in Libya. Playford College thanks the school community for their support in helping those in need. A member of Human Appeal attended the Primary School assembly in Week 1, thanking Playford College in raising an astonishing $6000!
Year 5 - Wirraway Homestead
In Week 2, the Year 5 students journeyed on a camp for 3 days to Wirraway Homestead in Strathalbyn which is located in the Adelaide hills. The camp was enjoyed by everyone who attended. The students were kept busy throughout each day experiencing a variety of activities that challenged them in many different ways.
The activities that the students participated in, involved archery, horse riding, sheep herding, bush walking, shelter building, scavenger hunts and team building challenges. These activities required students to take risks, problem solve, collaborate and use a growth mindset.
Everyone enjoyed the catering that was offered each day, where the students and staff enjoyed a variety of breakfasts, morning teas, lunches, afternoon teas and dinners that provided different cuisine experiences that fuelled our minds and bodies.
This was a wonderful opportunity provided to the Year 5 students which engaged and challenged them in many ways, as well as building solid friendships. This camp experience was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended.
Secondary School Updates
Year 7 Excursion - Belair National Park
On Wednesday 25th of October, the Year 7 students journeyed to Belair National Park for a science excursion. As their current topic of learning is on Environmental science, this excursion was beneficial in having hands-on learning about different habitats and ecosystems. Students went on a beautiful hike through the forest, studying flora and fauna, and learning valuable lessons about the scientific features of nature.
Year 7 Camp - Canberra
Students from our school have recently undertaken, an education tour of the national capital. Students were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy.
Student reflections:
"My favourite thing about camp was my way to Canberra and my way back to Canberra. Other than this, I did like the AIS because the activities were enjoyable. Then the workers showed us around and we learnt about the Athletes and what they do, how much they practise. The second thing I liked was the war memorial because I liked the details inside and outside. I also enjoyed it because I learnt some things about the war memorial and the details of war sculptures. Also, I enjoyed spending time learning about the Australian Parliament." - Zahra K
"Last week we went to Canberra; everyone who went before us described it as the best experience you’ll ever have, and I was so excited to see if that was the truth. We went to Questacon first, which all the teachers said they loved. We also went to the parliament house; the floors were so polished I could see my reflection on the ground, this was my favourite part of camp, and they also gave us frozen yoghurt!" - Mutahara G
The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing funding of $135 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.
At the National Electoral Education Centre, students learnt about how elections work at the three levels, Federal, State and Local and were able to engage in their own election!
Students experienced life at Parliament where they saw the House of Representatives, the senate and even got to role play what it might be like being in Parliament!
Year 8 Camp - Victor Harbor
The Year 8 students attended camp in Victor Harbor on Wednesday 1st to 3rd of November. The students were able to experience new and exciting activities such as Stand-Up Paddle Boarding, Kayaking, Surfing and Body Boarding. Despite the cold water, students thoroughly enjoyed their experiences, with some mentioning it was the best thing they’ve ever done!
The students participated in some fun sports games against Encounter College and enjoyed nights with fun outdoor activities as well as some inspirational devotions from Mr Riemann and Mr Al-Zubeidi.
On Friday, the students walked to Granite Island and learnt the history of Encounter Bay before the road trip back home.
All staff and students enjoyed their time together, building stronger relationships and connecting in many fun and spiritual ways. Thank you to Mr Riemann, Mr Di Nino, Mr Al-Zubeidi, Mr Evans and Miss Batol for their time and care during the Year 8 camp.
The Community Hub
In English classes this term Community Hub attendees are revising their driving skills, whilst learning English. Community members are all welcome to attend as the classes will be running driving skill lessons which can be of benefit for drivers, learners and even people who just want to learn English.
Counsellor's Corner
How to talk to children about war and traumatic events
This year the world has experienced many natural disasters such as earthquakes in a few countries including Afghanistan and the current conflict in the Middle East which is worrying people all around the world.
War and natural disasters will cause a range of emotions among people such as anger, outrage, anxiety, sorrow, fear, hopelessness and helplessness.
You might be feeling anxious about your loved ones living or working in the area of conflict or you might be grieving the devastation of cities, towns, and important cultural sites.
You may also feel disappointed and helpless about the injustices and inhumanities of the conflict and worried about other’s different opinions and reactions about it in your communities, workplaces and online, on social media.
It is normal for parents to want to protect their children from being exposed to this sad and traumatising news, but in today’s connected world, it can be hard to avoid children hearing, seeing or reaching this information. It can be hard for parents to explain war and conflicts to children, while you may also be struggling to understand and to make sense of what you are seeing and hearing.
Children will most likely hear about the conflict on news footage and online intentionally or accidentally. As a result, children may feel scared, angry, confused, or overwhelmed by the event of the conflict, whether they have a personal connection or not to the country or people involved. Children will be seeking help from the trusted adults in their life for help, comfort and guidance.
Therefore, a healthy way to help children cope with their feelings of distress is listening and engaging in conversations with them about their thoughts and feelings regarding the conflict.
Here are some tips which can help you to have age-appropriate conversations with your children about the conflict:
- Check in with yourself first, and it is okay to let your child know that you are upset about what is going on, but you need to stay calm and ready to make conversation with your child.
- Choose a quiet time to check in with your children when there are not many people around you. For younger children, the best time to talk to them is while you are playing together or doing an activity at home or outside. For older children, the best time might be while you are in the car or going for a walk together to ask them about their feelings and whether there is something worrying them.
- Ask them if they have heard or seen anything about the conflict and what they know about it. This will be a great chance to clear any misinformation your child has heard and reassure them that they are safe.
- Be aware of the language you use when you talk about the conflict and avoid negative and judgmental language. It is normal to be angry at a specific group and blame someone for the conflict, but we need to remind our children that we cannot blame a whole cultural, ethnic, or religious group for the actions/decisions of a government.
- Limit their exposure to the coverage of the conflict, including social media posts about the conflict. It is best to watch the news about the conflict with your older children to have a chance to explain and answer their questions about what they are seeing and remember to check in with them regularly. It is recommended that children under 5 should not watch the news at all.
- Discuss what to do and how to seek help if they experience any aggression or hate from people online, at school or in the community.
- Be careful when talking about the conflict in front of your children, stay as calm as you can as children may misunderstand what they hear, and they may misinterpret. Remember to take this time as an opportunity to discuss your beliefs and values relating to how others should be treated.
With blessings,
ATCO Cricket Club - Looking for Junior Players
ATCO Cricket Club (Dauntsey Rd, Elizabeth North) is looking for junior players! Any/all kids welcome, but particularly keen on welcoming a few children aged between 12 and 14. Total fees for the season are only $16.50 per child. Under 10s and U12s play Friday Afternoons at 5pm, Under 14s and Under 16s play Saturday Morning. Find out more at: https://www.playhq.com/cricket-australia/register/328e06
Term Dates
23/11/2023 - Year 12 Graduation
27/112023 to 01/12/2023 - Year 10/11 Exam Week
01/12/2023 - Primary End of Year Celebration
04/12/2023 to 09/12/2023 - Year 7/8 Exam Week
13/12/2023 - Year 6 Graduation
14/12/2023 - Reports Released
14/12/2023 - Last Day of Term 4
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