The Golden Vine

From the School Leadership Team

Welcome Back

A warm welcome back to Term 4 and I hope that you enjoyed some family time together during the break. It was great to see many of the boys and girls around the school as part of our Vacation Care programme - as always a huge thanks to Vicki and her team for all of the work that goes into providing such a quality offering. 

 

We are excited about our Community Fete coming up this week on Sunday 20 October from 10.30am - 3.00pm. There are a great number of stallholders and rides for everyone and it is always a brilliant day. We appreciate the way that many of our school families support the event so well each year. Thank you to Joel Schiller, Rob Mills, Jon Schutz and the team at Golden Grove Lutheran Church for all of their efforts, our P & F for their sponsorship of some of the rides, and Jemma Meli, Katherine Hartley and Kylie Myllynen for all of their support of the fete team. 

 

The facilities around the school are looking nice and fresh as we start a new term. Kylie Myllynen has done a great job in repainting the retaining walls on the courts to brighten up that space, and our nature play improvements will commence in mid - late November with al ot of new pieces of equipment and activities for the children. Thanks to Sarah Kumela, Lauren Neumann and our P & F team for all of their work on the project. 

 

Thanks for your prayers as a school community for Mrs Bishop following her fall at school on the last day of Term 3. Mrs Bishop is now recovering from her broken leg at home and we are hoping to see her back at school later in the year. Thank you for all of your support and prayers for her and her family. 

 

In the latter half of Term 1, a number of parents and caregivers provided feedback to me as part of the principal’s cyclic review. Thank you to those of you who took the time to contribute your observations and comments. The data certainly affirmed me in my role and also identified areas of suggested growth. The feedback informs my professional learning plan and my learning conversations with my professional coach, Dr Paul Teys, who will also be visiting the school shortly with me during my upcoming study leave to gain a broader understanding of our school community and my leadership practices. 

 

In addition to regular professional growth, a Principal takes sabbatical leave from time to time as a way to provide for renewal and further professional learning. I will be taking a short period of sabbatical leave during this term from Weeks 3 to 5 (Friday 25 October - Friday 15 November). During my sabbatical leave, I have enrolled in a Certificate of IB School Leadership with Western University in Canada, which I will be studying online and self-funding, so there is no cost to the school. It was a privilege to be accepted into this programme during a competitive application process with a number of principal applicants from around the world. The first stages of the programme have already proven to be invaluable, with the opportunity to interview a range of Principals in IB Schools overseas about their leadership practices. I will be back at school on Monday, 18 November. Mr Tim Kriewaldt will take the Acting Principal role in my absence, and Mrs Zadow will be Acting Deputy Principal. 

 

I thank the board, and Tammie Switala in particular in her role as Chair for their constant support of the school and my role as I continue to grow and learn, just as we desire continued learning and growth for our children and all other members of our community.

 

A few reminders 

Please be reminded of some of our key events coming up over the next few weeks. 

  • Friday 18 October – Year 1 Sleepover
  • Sunday 20 October – School and Church Community Fete
  • Monday 28 October – P&F Meeting at 7.30pm in the Admin Building 
  • Tuesday 29 October – Year 5 Celebration of Learning
  • Wednesday 30 October – Festival of Music 
  • Friday 1 November – Date Night
  • Monday 4 November to Thursday 7 November – Year 3/4 Swimming
  • Tuesday 5 November – Year 6 Exhibition
  • Wednesday 13 November – Middle Of Term (MOT) Breakfast
  • Wednesday 13 November – Connected Schools Athletics Carnival
  • Friday 15 November – Pupil Free Day
  • Monday 18 November – Foundation 2025 Parent Information Night 
  • Tuesday 19 November – Year 2 Sleepover at AFL Max
  • Friday 6 December – Official Opening of New Buildings (9.15am) and Volunteer Afternoon Tea in Cafe (2.30pm)
  • Monday 9 December – Move Up Morning
  • Tuesday 10 December – P&F End of Year Fun Day
  • Wednesday 11 December – Closing Service at 9.15am
  • Wednesday 11 December – Year 6 Graduation Service at 7.00 pm

Will Wallace

Principal

Primary Sources and Exhibition 

 

Our Year 6 Exhibition students have chosen their specific areas of learning within the Transdisciplinary Theme, ‘How we express ourselves’. Within ‘How we express ourselves’, inquiries are based around this descriptor: 

‘An inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feeling , nature , culture , beliefs , and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic. 

 

Over recent weeks, the classes have explored this descriptor and discussed what this means in relation to issues that face our community, state and world. From here, students have chosen an issue using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to frame their thinking. Students to be grouped so they can discuss their learning and share their learning resources. They are researching within their chosen issue and will then determine how others and they can and do express themselves in relation to this issue. 

 

When researching, people who work in the field or are experts, are known as PRIMARY SOURCES. Primary sources offer first-hand experience, expert knowledge or a working understanding which offer value and insight that might not be found elsewhere. They can offer the inside story so to speak.  If anyone can offer us help on specific issues, could you please contact us! We would love to hear from you. We ask you to email us with your area of expertise and possibilities of how and when students could make contact with you. 

 

The issues that students have chosen are: 

NO POVERTY

Reducing Poverty

Homelessness

 

AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY

Wind and gas energy

Clean energy

Solar and Hydro energy

Affordable energy

 

ZERO HUNGER

Zero hunger

Food wastage in restaurants and businesses

 

GOOD HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Bullying

Health equity for rural and remote

The effects of devices on children

Mental health in children

 

REDUCE INEQUALITIES

Support for countries with natural disasters

Women's rights

Racism

End discrimination

Farmer's rights

 

SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES

Sustainable cities

Trees in sustainable cities and communities

 

LIFE BELOW WATER

Water pollution

Microplastics

 

CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate action

 

CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION

Sanitation and effects on health

Clean water

 

Lauren Neumann neumann.lauren@goldengrove.sa.edu.au  

Jayne Zadow   Zadow.jayne@goldengrove.sa.edu.au 

 

Jayne Zadow 

Director of PYP, Teaching and Learning