22 November 2019

Newsletter Articles

Head of Elizabeth Campus

Dear all,

It is a pleasure to address you here in our first newsletter in term 4.

Firstly, as we are all aware we have almost reached the end of another year. In just a few weeks of time students will be enjoying their long deserved holiday. The only obstacle for them is the exams which will start in 2 weeks of time and they can enjoy a 6 weeks break with their families and friends right after those weeks. While we have the assessments approaching for the majority of the students, the SACE students have completed their exams and started this break earlier. We trust that Pinnacle SACE students make us proud once again with their results and step into the world of tertiary education in a few months of time. It was a pleasure knowing them all and as we always say “ please keep in touch with Pinnacle College community”.

We have had the opening ceremony for the gym extension project this week and Senator Alex Antic along with the mayor of Playford College Mr Glen Docherty attended this important occasion.

Since the Elizabeth East campus opened, the number of students has continued to increase and adding new facilities and classrooms became a priority. Since 2014 there have been 4 stages of constructions completed and the extension of the gym hall was the stage 5 of the master plan. With the new extension, the hall has expanded to be 55% larger and provided one big sports court which can be divided into two for simultaneous activities to take place. The main stage of the hall along with the backstage and bathroom facilities has increased the functionality of the hall not only for Physical Education classes and activities but at the same time for assemblies, community events, and many other possible programs.

The library construction which will be the stage 6 of the master plan is about to commence. This new building will be adjacent to the school gym/hall and with the student change rooms, showers and toilets on the ground floor, this facility will reach its full potential. The new project’s cost will be around 1.2 million dollars and $548,000 will again be subsidised through BGA grant program.

I would like to thank the commonwealth government and the Association of Independent Schools for their ongoing support throughout the journey of Pinnacle College. Their ongoing support has been of great importance for a school that is growing and in the process of its establishment and will be remembered in the future.

I think the introduction for this edition will be sufficient and without further delay, I will leave you with the rest of the newsletter which I am sure much more exciting than reading the message of the campus principal.

See you in the next edition.

Regards,
Atilla Sinik
Campus Principal ( Elizabeth East)

Announcements

November 11th- 17th is National Recycling Week. Pinnacle College is taking part in Planet Ark's Recycle Right Challenge. We are holding a MobileMuster. Australian households are holding onto old mobile phones and accessories that they no longer use. Bring your old phones and accessories to the Year 2 class for recycling and help Pinnacle College save the planet.

Library

We have been very lucky to have the Playford mobile library visit us at Elizabeth East campus. Patrick the librarian, who is on board is very open to suggestions and requests. If you do not have a Playford library card, visit him next time he is on campus (applications are in our library) – November 18th between 12:30 and 3pm.

You can also use your Playford library card at any public library. The Playford library near the Elizabeth Shopping centre has a large section of physical books that can be borrowed thought the year. For those who love graphic novels, you can even use your library card to get these online direct to your device with the Libby app. Visit the library over the long break and keep reading…

Dates for mobile library visits are 18 November and 2 December.

Class News

Primary

Foundations

With the end of the year fast approaching, we have learnt the final sounds and tricky words in our Foundation IntitiaLit program. Students should now have a strong foundation to build upon in Year 1 next year. We have been using our knowledge of sounds and words to write a lot more and we love writing some silly sentences when we practise our handwriting! Some of our favourite activities this term were Music Count Us In, Tri-Skills and a visit from Captain Cash from the bank. During Tri-Skills, everyone loves being active, balancing and working cooperatively. Captain Cash helped us to learn about all our coins and notes we use in Australia and we put them in order from the smallest to the largest value. We also pretended to go shopping for an umbrella and learnt to “Speed to your needs and wait for your wants”.

Sandra Holland

Year 2

Can you believe how fast this year has just gone? The Year 2 class, have been preparing for their final term of the school year filled with fruitful learning and lots of fun.

Year 4

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Where have the past 4 weeks gone? There is not long left until the Year 4s will be moving on to Year 5. Please make sure they are completing their homework and reading every night.

Friday of Week 4 we are having an incursion about money. This is fantastic because we covered money the same week. Also coming up is a bullying incursion that will incorporate virtual reality – please ensure the form and money has been given to me.

Soon we will say goodbye to Mr O, our student teacher. It has been amazing having another set of hands to help the class and I can see the students enjoyed his lessons.

We cannot wait to show you our End of Year Concert item.

Kind regards,
Sarah Watkins
Year 4 Teacher

Year 5/6

English

The Year 5s and 6s have been developing their poetry skills this term through analysis of poetry presented to them and the creation of poems using learnt devices. Students are practising the correct terminology when discussing poems and highlighting them in the text to show understanding. In particular, students have learnt how to write haiku, quatrains and rhyming couplets. In their assessments, students will analyse a poem to show their understanding and more enjoyably, create their own poem that will then be placed on a canvas print that they paint or use ICTs to present an image that represents all or part of their poem.

Science and HASS

Grade 5s are learning about light and its features in Science. Students have been using a torch to see the difference between transparent, translucent and opaque objects, as well as seeing the difference between light reflecting, refracting or getting absorbed.

During HASS, grade 5s are looking into the Australian government. To practice the voting process, in class students were separated into parties and one candidate from each party wanted to be chosen. We then voted as a class. Great effort to all the candidates and special congratulations goes to Ali, who won the elections, our possible future prime minister

Grade 6s have been learning and experimenting on what circuits are and its types. Students will soon present their Science projects, which they are working on in class, on different types of energy. All the best to the grade 6s, as they approach the completion of their primary years.

Grade 5

Grade 6

Music

This term is all about consolidating the music skills that have been learnt during the year to play as class ensembles – different parts on different instruments at the same time. Year 3, 4 and 5 classes are focussing on a song, mostly in a jazz style, which they are learning to sing and play, as well as learning simple ways to improvise.

Year 6 students are learning about Blues music and are writing their own Blues song, using either guitar or keyboard instruments in GarageBand to play 12 Bar Blues.

The Year 3s finished and played their own home-made shakers, experimenting with many ways that they can make different sounds with their shakers, and the words that would describe those sounds.

It’s an exciting time! And I am pleased to reflect on just how much has been achieved by the students this year, especially with the stories that the children share with me about how they are using their music skills at home.

Tracy Schache
Music Teacher

Physical Education

In PE this term Years 1-6 are learning how to play Cricket. Students have learnt how to bowl and have been focusing on the correct grip. In Middle Primary we have practiced bowling using the ‘drawing the six’ rule. Students have also practiced aiming at targets on the ground, at the end of the pitch and at wickets. Students have also learnt batting skills. We have been perfecting the correct grip, stance and swing. Students have just started practicing the Forward Defensive and the Straight Drive. All these skills will be put to the test at the end of the term when we have an intercampus tournament with Golden Grove and Gilles Plains.

Art

In Art, The Foundation –Year 3 classes have been working on some school displays for Remembrance day. The 11 of November is an important day where we take time to commemorate those in the armed forces, past and present. The red poppy is worn and displayed as a symbol of remembrance of those people who lost their lives during war.

The Year 2 class is looking at recycling this term and have used their drama and media arts skills to create adverts to spread environmental awareness. As part of National Recycling week 11th -17th of November, Pinnacle college is taking part in the Schools Recycle Right Challenge! We have organised a school wide MobileMuster. Don't let mobiles go to landfill or gather dust in a drawer! Help address the e-waste epidemic by recycling your used mobile phones and accessories. Simply drop them into the Collection box in the Year 2 classroom.

Mrs Mungall

Secondary

Arabic

Drama

This Term in Drama the students have gone on an excursion to the Port Adelaide Railway Museum to shoot on location. It was great to see the old steam trains and to shoot scenes inside some of the old carriages. This term we have been busy creating props to use in our short film. We have also set up a green screen in our classroom and have had a lot of fun using this to bring our performance to life. Students have been able to experience many aspects of prolonged production work such as directing and producing scenes, costume and prop design, lighting, editing and of course acting. We can’t wait to share our film at the EOYC.

English

This term some of our Public Speaking & Debating students flew to Sydney to participate in the You Debate Competition at Amity College. Two teams from Year 9 and Year 10 spent two days debating with 16 teams from other schools. It was a very competitive environment that required a high standard of research, preparation, and oratory. Our teams’ performance was great, both got to the quarter finals, and one made it to the grand final, where we got second place. The trip gave the students an opportunity to learn more about debating and improve their skills. They also got to socialise with students from other schools, enjoy the sun at Bondi Beach, walk around Sydney Harbour, go on a ferry ride, eat ice-cream, and just enjoy a little bit of Sydney. All in all, it was a fantastic experience for our students.

Health and Physical Education

The Stage 1 Physical Education class had the opportunity to coach our year 3 students at various sports. These sports included Soccer, AFL and even dance! It was a pleasure to watch the confidence of the year 11s grow throughout this unit of work, whilst students mentioned they enjoyed seeing the year 3s learn from them and respond to their directions as the senior students of the school.

This coaching task formed a part of their final assessment for the year, for which the class are the first cohort to experience the renewed SACE PE course - no exam and no practical sport grades! Instead, the focus is on analysing movement concepts, performance improvement and communication and collaboration techniques. Good luck to the Stage 2 PE class in 2020 as they will also be the first cohort to tackle this renewed course as well.

Mr. David Hannan

Music

This term the students are learning about the history of Rock and Roll music; where and when it all began and the different genres and artists that have been iconic along the way. There are just a few more chapters of theory to finish to round off the year with a basic understanding of music theory. The main practical focus is on creating an arrangement of the song that each class has been working on in preparation for a performance at the end of the year. Whether it’s playing the main riff or theme of the song, the bass line, the melody, the drums or other parts for the overall effect of the song, each student needs to figure out which part they will play on the keyboards. When it’s all put together, their music should sound pretty amazing.

Tracy Schache
Music Teacher

Art

This term Year 7 students learn about the work of Mondrian and De Stijl movement. They have been working on creating abstract grids in the fashion of Mondrian while exploring colour theory. Year 8 students focus on word art and how it conveys meaning. They are designing their own letters/words out of cardboard and will be refining them with plaster and papier Mache before painting. Year 9 students learn about environmental and ecological art. They will work on projects expressing sensitivity towards nature and the environment depending on their proposal.

Congratulations to Abdul Rehman Muhammad from Year 8 for getting into the top 100 of the Adelaide Fringe Schools Poster Competition for 2020.His work was displayed in an exhibition at the Adelaide Central Market from 22 October to 3 November.

Year 9 Pastoral Care

During week 2, some of the year 9 girls had a sleepover camp over the weekend. The girls did some reading, had valuable discussions, enjoyed a walk and a day at ice skating. The ice skating was harder than expected, but at the end of the day, it was a valuable time spent with peers. We thank those who participated.

During week 4, the girls also went to watch Maleficent: Mistress of Evil. This was also an enjoyable activity for the year 9s. For the rest of the Term, the plan is to allow time during pastoral care, for the girls to have study sessions with their Science, English and Maths teachers to practice for upcoming assessments to assist them with their grades and academic success. All the best girls, for the remainder of the year.

Ms Nesibe

Humanities

This term the Year 10 cohort went on an excursion to numerous beaches to measure, sketch, observe and record coastal features and the potential issues they face. My peers and I observed the effects of human activities on natural processes along our coastlines. We were amazed to learn how wind direction effects the travel of waves resulting in the process of longshore drift. We were lucky enough to first-hand observe the product of longshore drift forming a spit. Throughout this excursion we became informed of the various methods which have been implemented to protect our coastlines. For example, rock walls, sea walls and break waters have been utilised in many of Adelaide’s beaches to protect our shores from the significant impact of longshore drift. From this experience, my class and I took home the importance of maintaining and preserving our natural coastlines for the generations to follow us to enjoy. I’ll be sure to look out for landforms next time I’m enjoying a swim down at the beach!

Mona Al Daghestani

Choose how to add this event to your calendar:

Apple Calendar iPhone, iPad, Mac - Download .ics file

Outlook Desktop Outlook - Download .ics file

Android Calendar Android devices - Download .ics file

Other Calendar Google Calendar, Yahoo, etc. - Download .ics file

Download Event