Woodcroft College

Woodcroft College
News
Junior School
Bains Road (PO Box 48) Morphett Vale 5162
T: 8322 2333
F: 8322 6656
E:[email protected]
16 June 2016: Issue 9/2016
Year 7 Excursion - Desalination Plant
Biggest Afternoon Tea in the Junior School
Every year the Junior School supports the Cancer Council by
hosting an afternoon tea for our parent community to help raise
funds for cancer research. A “Tree for Life”, created by Michelle
Sutherland, has been placed in the Junior School library for families
and members of our community to write on a leaf the names of
family members and/or friends who have been affected by cancer8.
Each leaf is added to the branches of the tree which will be on
display until the end of term.
During House Meetings last week, our Year 5 leaders helped the
younger students to make a special tea cup and each student
was presented with a yellow iced cupcake, baked by our parent
volunteers, for the children’s Biggest Morning Tea. In the afternoon,
parents and carers were invited along to the Gallery for a delicious
afternoon tea and those in attendance were entertained by Senior
School music students. Many thanks to our school community for
the generous donations of money and cupcakes, our Year 5 student
leaders who greeted our visitors and served the afternoon tea,
and to the talented musicians. We raised just over $700.00 for the
Cancer Council.
Annette Mikulcic
Head of Junior School
Middle School
It has been a busy time in the Middle School over the last fortnight.
Apart from working hard in class on various assignments and
tests, our students have been involved in many other educational
activities outside their core subjects.
At Woodcroft College we value these experiences and feel
they contribute to making well-rounded, informed and engaged
students.
Year 6 Excursion - Parliament House
All of our Year 6 classes recently visited Parliament House as part
of their Humanities course. They were met by local politicians
Katrine Hildyard and Leon Bignell who took them on a tour and
explained the inner workings of our parliamentary system. This was
very timely considering the upcoming Federal election.
The Year 7 students also had an exciting excursion. They visited
the Desalination Plant at Lonsdale and looked at the many ways
SA Water are trying to conserve our precious water resources.
After participating in a Sacred Water program, they reported back
in small groups and summarised the information they had gathered
from various interactive stations at the Centre. They even managed
to make the SA Water newsletter.
Year 8 - Indoor Soccer Tournament
This term our Year 8 students have been battling it out every
Friday in the Lunchtime Indoor Soccer Tournament. There are
separate competitions for girls and boys and it has been great to
see all the Tutor Groups get behind their teams and provide lots of
vocal support. With team names like “It’s about to get Messi”, “Not
Fast but Furious” and “Surreal Madrid”, the emphasis is on having
fun and developing camaraderie, rather than any World Cup glory.
Many thanks to Doug Hudson for coordinating this event.
Year 9 - Quest Camp Preparations
Year 9 students are beginning preparations for their Quest camps
later this year. In PE lessons they have been practising on the
mountain bikes, discussing basic First Aid issues and also working
on their fitness in readiness for the physical challenges to come.
Tutor Group time has also been spent talking about some of the
practicalities of daily camp life e.g. cooking, cleaning, required gear
etc. It is also a busy time as they continue interviews with their
mentors for their Personal Project. The effort that goes into these
projects is amazing and the quality of the finished products is a
credit to our students.
Middle School Playground – Hours of Use
Parents and students should be aware that the Middle School
playground is not to be used before 8:20 am or after 3:30 pm. This
area is unsupervised at these times and therefore poses a safety
risk if a student is injured and needs medical attention. All students
have been notified of this at their Year Level assemblies. Students
are also reminded that the Library is open and supervised from
8:00 am until 4:30 pm.
Tom Charlton
Acting Head of Middle School
Senior School
Sports Beat
What’s your mindset?
Term 2 sport is underway and it’s great to see so many students
involved in a variety of our Winter sports teams. A reminder for
students that are ill or injured to contact your coach directly to
notify of your availability for trainings and matches.
The advancement in recording and analysing neurological activity
has generated a great deal of interest for cognitive psychologists.
One of the most important findings from this research is that our
brain development is not fixed. However, despite these empirical
findings on neuroplasticity, many students still believe they are
born with a static intelligence. The “Mindset Kit” (https://www.
mindsetkit.org/growth-mindset-parents) provides great insight into
the importance of embracing a growth mindset.
“Children who understand that the brain can get smarter - who
have a growth mindset - do better in school because they have an
empowering perspective on learning. They focus on improvement
and see effort as a way to build their abilities. They see failure as a
natural part of the learning process. In contrast, students who have
a fixed mindset—those who believe that intelligence is fixed—tend
to focus on judgment. They’re more concerned with proving that
they are smart or hiding that they’re not. And that means they tend
to avoid situations in which they might fail or might have to work
hard.
Many studies show that children who have a growth mindset
respond differently in challenging situations and do better in school
over time.”
Students competed in the Fleurieu Volleyball Cup Competition.
With only 4 teams representing the College in this event, we
achieved 3rd place overall. Both the Open Boys and the Year 8
and 9 boys won their category. The Open Girls lost in the finals
and the Year 8 and 9 boys finished 3rd overall. Well done to all the
participants.
In Week 3 the College participated in the Anglican Cup. Some
fantastic results were recorded this year with a real turn around
in the football. The soccer, basketball and netball teams were all
competitive with equal wins to loss percentages. Overall, the
College placed 3rd and we look forward to the 2017 competition.
Congratulations to Alex Parker who finished 3rd overall in the
State U18 boys Surfing series competing in over 3 events. This
entitles him to an automatic entry into the National Junior titles to
be held at Phillip Island later this year. We wish him all the best at
this tournament.
Kirsten Lawson
Head of Sport
Digital Learning
A reminder to families that you have 5 licences for Microsoft
Office 365 for each child you have enrolled at Woodcroft College.
This means you can install Office on your home computers at no
additional cost to you. These licences will be active for as long as
your child is a student at the College. To set this up, follow the
instructions below:
1. Open a web browser (Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Google
Chrome, Safari etc.) on your computer.
2. Type https://Portal.office.com into the address bar and press
the enter key.
3. Enter your child’s Woodcroft email address and password and
click ‘Sign in’.
Year 12 Exams
Reminder that the Year 12 exams begin Monday, Week 1 of Term 3.
Andrew Griffiths
Head of Senior School
4. Click on the ‘Install now’ button and follow the instructions to
install Office. Depending on the browser used, you may need
to locate the install files, usually in a ‘Downloads’ folder, and
double click on them.
Student Achievements
Blake Nash (8LH)
Congratulations to Blake who has been selected to represent
South Australia as part of the Under 13 Representative Side to
take part in the World Sport Rugby Carnival on the Gold Coast
from 10 to 15 July.
Students Leaving
Families are reminded that the College requires a term’s written
notice in advance for students who are leaving the College (refer
to Enrolment Agreement). Letters should be addressed to the
Head of the College, Mark Porter.
Latest News
For up-to-date information, visit:
http://www.woodcroft.sa.edu.au/college-life/latest-news
Careers
Adelaide University Parents Seminar for Prospective
students for 2017
Date: Sunday 23 October 2016
Time: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm or 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Location: Horace Lamb Lecture Theatre, North Terrace campus
Adelaide University is pleased to present their final event for the
parents/guardians and families of prospective students for 2016.
This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the applications
process, timelines, support services, accommodation, and
everything else that is involved in the lead up to life at university.
Parents and families will also have the chance to go on campus
tours, meet our expert staff and also take part in our student panel
Q&A sessions. Booking Essential (by Friday 21 October, 12 noon).
If you have any questions, please contact by phone 08 8313 8381
or email [email protected].
School Holiday Program
Do you have a budding chef at home who wants to do something fun this school
holidays? Perhaps you’re looking for a fun activity you can do together? You’re in luck
because Jamie’s Ministry of Food now offers a school holiday program.
Over 4 days your child will learn to cook Jamie Oliver’s nutritious and delicious
recipes. It’s a fun and entertaining way to learn loads of Jamie Oliver hints, tips and
ghhhh
shortcuts and the cooking skills to set them up for life.
Location & Dates
Jamie’s Ministry of Food Noarlunga
Colonnades Shopping Centre
Ramsay Place off Beach Road
Noarlunga SA 5168
Course 1: July 12-15
Course 2: July 19-22
Duration
Each course runs for 4 days (Tuesday – Friday from 10:30am-2pm each day, 3½ hrs per day).
Flinders University: Special Access Entry Schemes
uniTEST
If you’re in Year 12, uniTEST is available to enhance your chances of
getting into Flinders University. Flinders will select students based
on Year 12 results (60% weighting toward the ATAR score) and
uniTEST performance (40%). If you take the test and don’t do so
well, then the results don’t have to be counted. Woodcroft College
offers all current Year 12s to sit the test here at school, so be on
the lookout for when it is scheduled to run normally in Term 3 or
late term 4.
Cost
12 – 16 year old students (concession)
17 + year old students (student)
Adult (full price)
$80 per person ($20 per day)
$120 per person ($30 per day)
$160 per person ($40 per day)
Inclusions
All ingredients, recipes and lunch each day plus some to take home – you will all be well fed!
Book now at www.jamiesministryoffood.com
Noarlunga – 08 8326 0123 or [email protected]
Group bookings or individual places are available.
University of South Australia: Parents Guide
University life offers a range of opportunities and experiences
to be embraced and enjoyed. It offers a pathway to the future
and the knowledge needed for a successful career or to follow a
particular field of interest. It also offers students opportunities to
build lifelong friendships, broaden their horizons, and maximise
their opportunities. While only they can forge their own path,
the support and understanding of parents, partners and friends
can make a significant difference to a student’s success.You can
play a critical role in helping support your student choose a study
program and get the most out of their university experience.
UniSA is here to help you with useful tips and pointers. Feel free
to download a copy of the guide located on our college Intranet –
Moodle under the Career Planning Icon.
Cooking classes for young
people aged 4 – 16 years
School holiday fun with action packed classes for
the budding chefs of the future.
Age Groups & Prices
Book at: eventopia.co/RGA
Kinder Cooks (4–6yrs) $37.00 (3 hrs)
Growing Gourmets (7–12yrs) $55.00 (3 hrs)
Master Classes (13–16yrs) $90.00 (5 hrs)
Enquiries: Gemma McGowan
T: 8348 4097
E: [email protected]
I welcome any enquiries or requests for careers appointments, so
please feel free to email me on [email protected] or
call 8322 2333.
Diary Dates
Friday 17 June
Year 10 & Year 11 Examinations (finish)
Saturday 18 June
Pedal Prix Scrutineering (Adelaide Showgrounds)
(9:00 am to 12 noon)
Sunday 19 June
Pedal Prix Race (Victoria Park Racecourse) (all day)
Shoot SA Family Portraits (Junior School Activity
Room)
RTO Code: 41026
Anthea Hanak
Careers Advisor
Monday 20 June
Semester 2 Commences (Middle & Senior Schools)
Junior School PYP Enhibition Information Evening
(6 pm in Common Room)
Thursday 23 June
MIddle/Senior School Tour
Wednesday 29 June
Years 5 to 12 School Assembly
Year 12 Drama Production “Children of the Black
Skirt” (Primary Hall)
Thursday 30 June
Year 12 Drama Production “Children of the Black
Skirt” (Primary Hall)
Junior School - Woodcroft’s Got Talent Day
Last Day Term 2 - 3:15 pm dismissal (Junior/Middle
& Senior Schools)
Saturday 2 July
The Red, Blue & Gold Ball (Formal) (Adelaide
Convention Centre)