8 April 2020
Newsletter Articles
OUR MISSION, VISION AND VALUES
Our Mission
Pinnacle College strives to establish and maintain a safe and nurturing environment so that every student may reach their full potential and achieve a high level of academic excellence determined by state and federal standards.
Our Vision and Values
When you enter Pinnacle College you will be met with a friendly smile. Our level of pride is displayed by our teachers and staff. Apart from a high standard of education at our well-maintained campuses, we aim to develop responsibility in our students, alongside appreciating and valuing different cultures, possessing positive behaviour and a high ethical conscience. We also guide students to accept actions, widen their view of the world which in turn enables them to learn from the consequences of their choices. Studying in a diverse multicultural community, students have the opportunity to widen their view of the world, enabling them to help each other and be productive both now and in the future.
Principal’s Message
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome back to 2020 Second issue of the Pinnacle newsletter. As everyone knows, not only the Pinnacle family has been going through really difficult times, but also Australia as a nation and the World itself has been going through tough times due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Amid a global pandemic, Pinnacle College is mobilizing to protect the health and safety of the school community by delivering classes remotely. Remote Learning occurs when the learner and instructor, or source of information, are separated by time and distance and therefore cannot meet in a traditional classroom setting. Remote learning can occur synchronously or asynchronously, also referred to as Distance Education, Virtual Instruction, or Remote Training. Remote learning should not be understood as homeschooling. In regards to homeschooling, the parent and student himself/herself is totally responsible and accountable for the whole process, however, in our case, remote learning will be conducted by the Pinnacle College teaching team. During remote learning, at times students will be provided assigned tasks from teachers and all these assigned tasks/assignments will be graded.
Pinnacle College has already started to prepare itself for the new changes. These changes will take some time. It is a totally different situation and setting when compared to regular teaching. Therefore, during this period everyone might struggle with the process and content delivery style and we kindly would like to have your understanding in the meantime.
As of term 2, Pinnacle College will start remote learning 100%. That means all lessons will be delivered through online tools until Covid-19 Pandemic is to be curtailed. Our aim is to continue to deliver curriculum content students properly and efficiently during this time with the minimum loss.
The changes will be as follows;
All primary will use SeeSaw for online platforms. All lessons will be delivered through SeeSaw. A recommended timetable will be shared soon with parents.
All secondary will use ‘Google Classroom’ for online platforms. Year 7-12 classrooms will run according to the Coolsis timetable order. However, recommended time for each period will be different and a timetable with times will be sent soon for students. Also, ‘Google Classroom’ can be followed by parents such as the amount of work and content shared.
Particularly, year 10 -12 classrooms will be online live lessons accordingly.
There will be some little technical issues along the way at the beginning, however we have great teaching teams and IT staff who will be able to assist you with whatever you need and we will be sharing terrific resources soon.
We wish everyone a safe, healthy and enjoyable holiday.
And please do not forget to stay home and stay safe.
Till next issue…
Educationally Yours,
Mr Gokhan Kot
Campus Principal, Elizabeth East
COVID19 AND BEST PRACTICES
Everyone must practise good hygiene to protect against infection and prevent the virus spreading, in general at home/work or in public. You can protect yourself and help prevent spreading the virus to others if you:
Best Practices
Wash your hands often with soap and water, including
before and after eating and after going to the toilet
Cover your coughs and sneezes with your elbow or a tissue
Stay home and self-isolate from others in the household if you feel
unwell
Avoid close contact (1,5 meter) with people who are unwell
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
Use hand sanitisers at all times
Increase the amount of fresh air available by opening windows or adjusting
air conditioning at home
Disinfect frequently used objects such as mobile phones, keys and
wallets
At work
Steps for social distancing in the workplace include:
Consider cancelling non-essential meetings. If needed,
hold meetings via video conferencing or phone call
Stop shaking hands to greet others
Open windows or adjust air conditioning for more ventilation
Put off large meetings to a later date
Limit food handling and sharing of food in the workplace
Eat lunch at your desk or outside rather than in the lunchroom
Regularly clean and disinfect surfaces that people touch
Avoid non-essential travel
In public
Social distancing in public means people:
Stay at home and only go out if it is absolutely
essential
Use tap and go instead of cash
Avoid physical greetings such as handshaking and hugs
Avoid public gatherings and at risk groups like older people
Travel at quiet times and avoid crowds at all times
Counselling
Hi all,
As you are aware it is a tricky time for our students at the moment with the presence of COVID - 19. I have prepared some tips and tricks to assist you with supporting your child’s mental wellbeing and academic performance. If your child is staying at home, it is important to note this is not a holiday and they still need to have structured learning time.
- Consider the use of a timetable at home. Replicate the schooling day. Finish by 3:30.
- Ask your children to get ready as if they were going to school. It is important that they do not stay in pyjamas.
- Go for a walk or a quick drive somewhere and back home so it feels like there is a change in physical location (sounds silly, but this works).
- *Have an allocated study space*
- Not in the child’s bedroom: this is critical as it can impact on their sleep pattern if there is a stressful stimulus in the same space as where they sleep. For more information look into classical conditioning and good sleep hygiene. - Understand the basics of operant conditioning. Rewards at the end of a task to promote sustainability is important.
- Self-care for your children is also important. If they can’t engage in physical activity anymore then find a compromise. What can they do in the house/backyard? Remember too much self-care is not good either.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.
Kind regards,
Mehmet Kavlakoglu
Inclusive Ed Coordinator | School Counsellor
Library
We understand this is a stressful time for students and families. The library has extended all borrowing until term 2 – please don’t worry about overdue library books. Look after them and return them when we return to school.
Also, if students would like to borrow more than the allowed limit. Please come and talk to me. If students/ families will take care of them – I am happy for students to borrow 6 or 8 or 10.
Book Fair was planned for term 2, it has now been rescheduled for term 3. Term 3 will be an exciting term with Book Fair and Book Week. The theme for Book week this year is Curious creatures, Wild minds.
Primary
Foundations
Foundation had a really busy first eight weeks at school, until everything changed for us all. We had visits from some interesting creatures, made some fantastic animal habitats which we shared in show and tell and started to learn our sounds.
I would like to thank all students and parents for their hard work at home over the past couple of weeks. It is essential that we keep the hard work up next term so that when we are able to return to be together again we have kept up with the content.
I have missed you all and wish you all a safe and healthy holiday time.
Amanda Mirfin
Year 2
Dear Year 2 parents,
As we all embark on a foreign and unfamiliar time ahead, I ask you to do one thing. Be kind to yourself. This is unfamiliar territory for us all, including the Pinnacle community and we want what is most important and valuable to us all and that is good health.
Over the past few weeks, the students have become adaptable and patient; to new expectations and requests. This included keeping distance from their friends, washing their hands more than four times a day, using more than a box of tissues in a day, and asking a million and one questions like ‘Miss P, what will happen if we don’t come to school anymore?’. Regardless of these expectations, they have managed to get through anything!
As you are now going to be spending each day with your children, teaching them at home, here are some helpful tips from me, that I encourage you to use for my blissful bunch:
- Be patient with them completing those harder tasks
- Go for walks and let them play outside (hint: they love Wakka Wakka on just dance)
- Give them time to be creative: draw, play lego, build, make, cook etc.
- Use motivational strategies or rewards
- Use a timer when your child is doing their work (youtube or cooking timer) and have it visible
- Read to them or listen to them read to you (when you can)
Wishing you all good health and please keep safe during this time ahead.
Miss Natasha Parletta
Year 4
Dear Parents,
Thank you for all your support so far this term. We have had a few exciting adventures lately including the Life Education Bus and Harmony Day. The Life Education Bus taught our class bucket loads about being safe online. It was interactive and had easy to remember sayings such as stop, block, capture, report.
Our class recently adopted three stick insects from Miss Roelofsen in Secondary. They are in a tank with lots of eucalyptus leaves. It is important to spray them daily with water as it is important to maintain humidity in their enclosure.
I have been pleased with majority of students completing their homework and tasks if at home. I commend those who come to me with questions and apply feedback. Please give students time to complete Mathletics and Seesaw as I have set many tasks for them.
Kind regards,
Miss Sarah Watkins
Year 5 and Year 6 Science
Dear parents and students,
What a Term it has been, full of activities, tasks and learning…
It has truly been busy, until students began staying home due to the Corona virus. Parents and students have been doing an amazing job so far at home to keep up with the online tasks in Seesaw.
If you have questions or concerns about Science or HASS please do not hesitate to contact me at any stage. I am a message away to support and assist any way that I can.
Below are some pictures of:
- Grade 5s growing their own plants. For some groups this has been a success. Well done team…
- Grade 5 cell projects.
- Grade 6 animal habitat dioramas
Great effort to all the grade 5 & 6 students.
Remember to visit Seesaw regularly and stay connected.
Regards, Ms Nesibe
Year 5 Science
Year 6 Science
Art
It is unfortunate that we will not be able to continue art classes at school. Students have been very productive for all year levels. Year 3s started making fibre sculptures to represent ocean life while learning about the pollution threatening ocean habitats. Inspired from Rennie’s work, Year 4s explored texture in art. Year 5s learned about elements of drama before they start working on a storyboard. Year 6s created a range of watercolour and mixed media paintings inspired from Olsen’s art. Classes will be online in the future. I will be sending tasks and links via seesaw that students can practice at home. I wish these days will pass safely and we will be back to our normal routine soon.
Music
Music can be something to help us through these uncertain and challenging times. If you need a pick-me-up, put on your favourite song and turn up the volume! If you need to calm your mind, look up calming music on YouTube and take some time to meditate and centre your thoughts. If you’re looking for something creative to do, look for a music app or website that enables you to use your creativity. This applies to both adults and students.
As we come to an extended holiday period, you might like to plan into your days some of the following:
- GoNoodle have a wonderful list of songs with dance moves that you can use to energise your day
- Watch a Disney movie and notice the music that is used for setting the tone of a scene. What are the instruments? How are they being played? What mood is being created? Notice the opening song and ending song – why were they chosen? How do they relate to the theme(s) of the movie? What do you notice about the other songs used throughout the movie? Who composed them?
- Learn to sing a song off-by-heart – all the (correct) words!
- Make up a dance to a piece of music
- If you play an instrument, learn a new piece of music to really get your brain working
- Do a virtual tour of an orchestra and learn more about a particular instrument of your choice
- Look up a genre of music you don’t know much about, such as world music, classical music, opera, blues. What are the main characteristics of this genre? Where did it originate? Who are the artists who made this genre popular? Name some examples of music in this genre.
- If you’re using an Apple device, use GarageBand to create a piece of music. Maybe write your own lyrics. Another app I like is Launchpad. Or try something else and share what you enjoyed doing.
“Music gives a soul to the universe,
wings to the mind,
flight to the imagination
and life to everything.”
Plato
Tracy Schache
Music Teacher
PE Primary
At Pinnacle College, the Physical Fitness of our students is of the upmost importance. As a Physical Education department, we will continue to provide families with online resources to use at home during these unpredictable times. Please see your child’s Seesaw or Google classroom for links and videos. Alternatively, you can get in contact with the Physical Education teachers to provide you extra resources.
Physical activity is essential to your child’s health and wellbeing, especially during this time of online learning. According to a wide range of sources, including the Australian Department of Health, children aged between 5 and 17 should be accumulating 60 minutes or more of exercise per day.
Daily exercise has been proven to positively impact the wellbeing of children including enhancing self-esteem, reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, increase concentration and alertness, boost energy levels and foster feeling of happiness due to the release of endorphins (the ‘happy’ chemicals).
The image to the left shows the brain function/growth of a student before exercise and after exercise. After exercise, the scan indicates higher levels brain cell function; serotonin for learning, norepinephrine for alertness and attention and dopamine for attention, cognition and motivation.
While we transition to online learning, where it is inevitable that students will be spending large periods of time in front of a computer/laptop/tablet, it is absolutely crucial to allow students regular breaks, even for 5 minutes to partake in some form of movement. These can be as easy as going on YouTube and typing in GOnoodle. This will result, as has been proven, in more productive and successful learning.
We also ask to ensure students are getting proper nutrition and sleeping patterns during this time, as close to a normal school schedule as possible. The aim is to create a resemblance of a normal school day, whereby routine is established to allow students to be comfortable during this transition. Adequate nutrition will also assist students learning, especially a healthy breakfast.
There are a range of activities students can do to exercise. These can stem from online workout tutorials, to body weight exercises or even dance or boxing tutorial workouts. These can all be found on YouTube with a simple search.
Please stay safe and if you have any questions please feel free to contact the PE department.
Michael Triantafilakis
Secondary
Humanities
So far in Humanities we have learnt about Medieval Europe (including Scandinavian Vikings), before moving into the Ottoman Empire. One of the Turkic Warlords called Osman broke away from other tribes and created his own independent Kingdom in North-East Anatolia (Modern Day-Turkey) called the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire was known for many things including their culture and religion, Islam. The class has looked at amazing buildings and structures with their Islamic patterns, which is just the start of this amazing culture. It wasn’t only their religion that made them well-known, but also their wonderful success in battle and military achievements. One of the most wonderful achievements was the conquest of Constantinople, which established a base for their Empire to become the ruling force in parts of Asia, Europe and Africa.
By Asir Shaikh and Khaled El-Kaissi (8B)
English
These holidays might be different from previous ones, but social distancing and self-isolation do not mean that you can’t explore brave new lands, make new friends, or share extraordinary adventures. You can do all these by reading. Even from our homes, there are many ways to help students (and families) get books. Audible has made thousands of books available for free at the website below, there are actors and authors who are reading stories on social media, and local libraries have hundreds of Ebook titles available.
https://stories.audible.com/discovery
A good book has the magic property to envelop us, to help us to switch off from our present so we can step boldly into another world. That might be exactly what we all need right now, so make sure you use these holidays to read.
Art
We approached the end of Term 1 with unexpected circumstances. Despite that, students came up with satisfying results in all year levels. Year 7 students submitted their manga poster and will be working on their manga comic story featuring the character they developed till the end of the term. Year 8 students use google classroom effectively to upload latest images of their Islamic tiles with some promising results. Year 10 fashion & design students submitted moodboards full of striking ideas and we will find a method to go ahead with practical garment sewing tasks next term. I hope we all stay well and get back to our normal lives soon.
Pastoral Care Boys
According to World Health Organisation, cataract disease is responsible for the 51% of world blindness. Projections from ‘Prevent Blindness’ research estimates that the number will increase to 38.5 million by 2032 and 45.6 million by 2050.
In order to contribute to the solution of this global health issue, as Pinnacle College, we will start a campaign with Year 9 Pastoral Care boys in Term 2. The name of our campaign is “Bring Colours to Life”. During this campaign, the year 9 boys will collect recyclable bottles as well as collecting and selling their personal items such as toys, video games, DVDs and etc. With this campaign, our goal is to raise $3000 AUD to meet the surgery expenses for 15 patients.
Your any type of support and contribution to this campaign to accomplish our goal is much appreciated. Hopefully, we will reach more patients in the future and become their light. Let’s BRING COLOURS TO LIFE together.
For further information, please contact Mr. Serkan Sezen (Y9 PC Teacher) on serkan.sezen@pinnacle.sa.edu.au
Pastoral Care Department
PE
This term in PE, the majority of year 7-10 classes have undertaken Volleyball units. Our students have taken to this sport like ‘ducks to water’, which has been very pleasing to see. The ever-present soccer matches during recess and lunch have even been replaced with Volleyball ‘keep ups’. This term it has been a common sight for a group of 15-20 students spread out in the yard digging, setting and spiking a Volleyball to each other. As parents, if you are looking for a way to keep your child active during times of isolation, I suggest picking up a Volleyball from Target/Kmart and having a family game in the backyard. Don’t forget how important exercise is for your child’s physical and mental wellbeing, so please ensure they are staying active!
David Hannan
HPE Faculty Leader
