12 March 2021

Newsletter Articles

OUR MISSION, VISION AND VALUES

Our Mission

Our mission is to foster academic and creative excellence in a respectful and nurturing educational environment. We strive to support student wellbeing and provide meaningful learning experiences that develop socially responsible and resilient life-long learners. Through collaboration and leadership, our students will engage in, and contribute to the community, both locally and globally.

Our Vision

At Pinnacle College, we celebrate diversity and uniqueness in an innovative and inclusive learning environment. Our vision is to equip students with the confidence and skills to reach their potential and meet the challenges of the future as global citizens, leaders and innovators.

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Dear Parents, friends and students,

Welcome to Pinnacle College newsletter first issue of 2021. We are pleased to serve the Pinnacle College community for another year with amazing events and programs again. Our dedicated staff will continue to demonstrate their commitment and dedication for our children to develop them into the individuals, who will face the challenges of the new era and ever changing dynamics of this century.

Pinnacle College has now been established for over 15 years. We started our journey at Gilles Plains and expanded to three campuses and we aim to serve the community for many years to come.

Pinnacle has been consistent in its goal to achieve academic excellence. However, I would like to bring your attention to why Pinnacle is unique in its approach to education.

As parents, we look for the best education for our children and we often place literacy and numeracy skills in the priority list, to prepare them for higher learning. There are many schools that claim to provide the best education and prepare students for the inevitable year 12 exams to achieve the best ATAR score. You will find that some schools are fulfilling this promise. However, Pinnacle College aims for more than academic excellence. We are here to educate our students - not only to prepare them for higher education, but simultaneously support their emotional wellbeing. We are confident our students will become contributing citizens in society, with strong moral and ethical values, regardless of their belief system. We do this through our wellbeing classes, excursion and incursions, Pastoral Care programs, school camps, counselling services and in many other ways. We all want our children in a safe school environment, with friendly close monitoring, without making them feel like they are controlled or confined. We would like to see our parents content and our students happy in safe surroundings, with the knowledge that there are caring staff they can turn to if the need arises.

As we continue on this endless journey to provide the best education for our children, we aim for consistent growth and development. We are always willing to hear your thoughts, but also receive your support in achieving this significant goal.

Please advise us if you have any questions or suggestions. We trust that will continue to be the ambassadors of Pinnacle College in the community as well.

Wishing a great year to everyone.

Kind Regards,
Atilla Sinik
Campus Principal

Community Engagement Events at Golden Grove Campus

Pinnacle College - Golden Grove and Gilles Plains campuses, have officially started ‘Pinnacle TALKS’ - organised by our Pinnacle Community Engagement manager. On Wednesday we hosted Gabriel Akon, known professionally as DyspOra (pronounced "die-spora"), who is a South Sudanese-born Australian hip hop artist, poet and activist. Thank you, Gabriel Akon, for your inspiring speech, performance and rap on humanity and social cohesion! Students and staff really enjoyed the performance!

Kind Regards,
Dr Mehmet Aslan
Community Engagement Manager

Curriculum Coordinator

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

It has been a busy few weeks on campus with Term 1 now in full swing. Students have settled down and are very much into their learning. We welcome families who are new to the school and look forward to their support.

Please ensure you have Mysis logins so that you are able to track your child’s progress. In Week 5, your child will take his first set of assessments. See your child’s teacher if you have any queries.

At the end of this term, you will receive an interim report and this will be the basis of discussion at our first parent-teacher interviews in Week 11. I strongly encourage parents to make the time to meet with your child’s teacher during these interviews.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding teaching and learning at Pinnacle College, please do not hesitate to contact me through the front office. I look forward to working with you to improve your child’s learning.

Kind Regards,
Shalini Moss

Secondary Coordinator

Welcome to another school year. We are all approaching 2021 with a clear mind and renewed motivation and have been busy re-establishing ourselves at Pinnacle College in Term One.

Communication is a pivotal factor in maintaining positivity; therefore, I would like to remind parents that your child’s Home Group teacher is a good first point of contact if important information should be communicated to the school or if any concerns arise.

It is important that teachers, students and parents stay on top of any concerns they have so that positive progress can be maintained throughout the school year. All members of the teaching staff place a priority on developing communication and cohesion between all members of the school community for the benefit of the students.

We hope to support each child’s well-being throughout the year and will continue to monitor their academic progress in a way which is collaborative with parents and caregivers.

Kind Regards,
Emilia Triantafilakis

Library

The libraries are looking fantastic this year. The library at Gilles Plains has moved to a larger room. We are participating in the Premiers Reading Challenge (PRC) again this year. Please encourage your children to read for pleasure. There is a wide variety of books on the PRC list. Come and ask Tammy or myself for recommendations.

Kind Regards,
Ms Lisa Preston
Librarian at Golden Grove and Gilles Plains

PASTORAL CARE

Like in previous years, our pastoral care department has begun to provide beneficial, fun and educative programs for our students in Years 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. It will continue on Tuesday afterschool between 3:15-5:15pm on a weekly basis.

During week 4, a Peer Support program was introduced for year 10 girls to improve their leadership and social skills, by engaging with year 4 students.

We also hosted Year 9 & 10 mothers at our school, for an afternoon tea. It was an informative and enjoyable occasion for those who attended.

Kind regards
Girls Pastoral Care Teachers

MUSIC

The first few weeks of Music for 2021 have been a blast! This term students will be learning a mix of music theory and skill, and will have plenty of opportunity to experiment and be creative. We are about to begin learning a song in preparation for Harmony Week called Everyone Belongs. Here are some of the lyrics: “We all have hearts. We all need love. We all matter, every single one of us. ‘Cause everyone belongs!”

I look forward to singing, playing and dancing through Music with your children this year!

Mrs Sarah Hateley
Music Teacher

FOUNDATION – GOLDEN GROVE

Dear parents and caregivers,

I hope you have settled into the school routine well and you are enjoying your child’s school experience.

The first four weeks of school have been full of many exciting and new learning experiences! I am very happy with how students have eased into school routines and have established many friendships within the class.

Students are enjoying learning the Jolly Phonics sounds and actions and have made many improvements with writing their name and using the correct letter formations. Please continue to support your child with completing their homework, practising their magic words and revising their sounds, as this will facilitate their learning. The quicker students learn their sounds the faster they will be reading.

Kindest Regards,
Ms Daniella Di Cola

YEAR 1 – GOLDEN GROVE

A big welcome back to school! This term is flying by already, and the students have settled into Year 1 well. The students have been working hard to further develop their writing skills. It is a big jump in expectations from Foundation to Year 1, as the children move from letters and sounds to writing complete texts. In Numeracy, please help your children learn their numbers as we are now reading, writing and ordering numbers up to 100.

The homework structure seems to be working well, with all students bringing their homework and reading journals back on Friday. I have tested and read with all of the students, so they now have a new reading level. Please continue to read and ask your child questions (you can find comprehension questions to ask in their reading journals), as students must be able to answer questions about the text and retell the story to move up. The goal is to finish Year 1 on a Level 18 or higher, so please help us to work towards this.

Our excursion to the Zoo was a great day, minus the 36 degree heat. The students were well-behaved and loved touring around the zoo seeing the different animals in their habitats, linking in with our Living Features topic in Science.

Please remember to bring in hats and headphones, if your child is still missing these.

Kindest Regards,
Mrs Chloe Rees

YEAR 2 - GOLDEN GROVE

On Monday 15th of February, Milo Cricket visited the Golden Grove Campus to teach the students the skills of bowling, catching and batting. The Milo Cricket Facilitators ran the events with students learning the correct way to hold, bowl and hit the cricket ball. The students erupted into cheers of support whenever a classmate hit the wicket. The Year 2 class thoroughly enjoyed the experience and learned some valuable skills which they will continue to practice over the term.

Kindest Regards,
Ms Bianca Villani

YEAR 3 – GOLDEN GROVE

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Welcome to Year 3 and the 2021 school year!

We have our PE lessons every Wednesday and this term we are learning the skills for T-ball. This means that we are often out on the oval, weather permitting. Please ensure that your child is wearing their PE uniform on Wednesday and has their hat. If a student does not have a hat to wear, they are unable to participate in PE on the oval. This may mean they can not be graded on participation or the skill we are learning or practising on the day.

Library lesson is on Thursday but borrowing and returning is available at lunchtime every day.

Have a great week and please reach out via Seesaw, if you have any questions or concerns.

Kindest Regards,
Mrs Kylie Burton

YEAR 4 – GOLDEN GROVE

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Welcome to the 2021 school year!

The first four weeks of school have been a great success for the Year 4 class. We are showing high engagement and excitement in our learning and are becoming more responsible and independent with daily routines in the classroom. We are using D.E.A.R time to explore our passion and joy for reading and also to begin getting ready for the school day. We recently enjoyed experiencing a lesson from Milo Cricket which allowed students to practice throwing and catching skills in a fun and engaging way.

Just a reminder that P.E uniform is only to be worn on Thursdays. Our Library borrowing day is also on Thursday.

Students are becoming more responsible and are managing their time well to complete homework on time. Homework is given out every Tuesday and is due the following Tuesday. Spelling tests are given every Monday and new spelling words are also given out on Mondays.

Please communicate with me via SeeSaw if you have any questions.

Miss Jessica Tripodi

YEAR 5 – GOLDEN GROVE

Dear Parents/Caregivers,

Welcome back to a new school year! I hope all of you have been keeping well.

I would like to thank everyone for attending our ‘Meet the Teacher’ event. It was a pleasure meeting many of you! We have been keeping busy these past couple of weeks and we are excited to take on challenges and improve ourselves academically and socially.

We had ‘Milo Cricket – Australia’ visit us and teach us some exciting tips and tricks about cricket. In English, we have been reading ‘Deltora Quest – The Forests of Silence’. The students are thoroughly enjoying learning about the characters and events so far in the novel, as well as extending their reading abilities.

I would also like to give a massive congratulations to Aya & Waleed on being elected as our SRCs for 2021. I wish you both all the best! I look forward to working with all of you. If you have any questions, please contact me through Seesaw or email.

Kind Regards,
Miss Sawafta Natasha

YEAR 6 – GOLDEN GROVE

This term the Year 6 students and I have challenged ourselves to achieve new standards in our learning and working as a team. We are using our DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) and home group time to set ourselves up for the day and warm up our brains with some great novels. We’re being organised for the day, the week and even looking ahead to assessments and how to chip away at them so it never becomes overwhelming. Students are helping others and providing great ideas in our learning. Well done Year 6’s on a fantastic start and we’re looking forward to making many new memories in the school and in our learning!

Kind Regards,
Mr Myles McLean

YEAR 7– GOLDEN GROVE

Health and Physical Education

During HPE this term, the Year 7 students have begun with an engaging dance unit. They have learnt the Macarena and the Nutbush and are now working on learning and choreographing their own dances. We are all having a ball!

“I really enjoyed the Macarena dance” - Rafif
“Dance escapes you from reality” - Ameera
“Dance is very fun, energetic and physically challenging” - Ziya
Miss Molly Affolter and Year 7G

Visual Arts

On the 25th of February, we went on an excursion. We were able to experience a variety of exhibitions and got to meet the talented artist Ruby Chew. We had heaps of fun and it was an amazing, expiring experience.

-Shaharin, Diyanah & Mashaier

Year 7 Teachers

YEAR 8 – GOLDEN GROVE

In Art, The Year 8 students are studying Islamic Art this term.

Response to viewing by Abida Xiaowukaiti

The shape of the islamic motif art reminds me of being at peace, my religion and makes me feel a sense of security. When I first saw the art, the similar shape of a mosque stood out to me most. It has a feeling of unity. Overall, islamic art has a special place in my heart and I think that it is very beautiful and intricate.

"The Humanities and Visual Arts excursion was inspiring. The artwork was amazing and the Samurai exhibition was very cool to see." - Year 8 students

Kind regards,
Year 8 Teachers

YEAR 9 – GOLDEN GROVE

In the Creative Digital Media, the Year 9 & 10 elective students have been learning to use the Apple pencils and the professional drawing application Procreate. Students have created motivational posters for the classroom and have started to learn how to turn a photograph into a digital drawing.

Kind regards,
Year 9 Teachers

YEAR 10 – GOLDEN GROVE

During science this term, students have been learning about atoms, the Periodic Table, electron configuration, bonding and metal reactivity. As part of the chemical sciences unit, students completed a practical on metal reactivity. They investigated which metals reacted with acid and applied their scientific knowledge to explain why only certain metals reacted.

Kind regards,
Miss Beltrame
Year 10 Teacher

FOUNDATION – GILLES PLAINS

I would like to send a warm welcome to all the Foundation students and their families, to an exciting and busy first year at school at Pinnacle College. Our term so far has involved getting settled and into routine, along with slowly making friends and having fun through learning. Our recent class caterpillar observations have been a hit!

Kind Regards
Ms Victoria Makowiak

YEAR 1 – GILLES PLAINS

Year 1 has had an excellent start to the 2021 academic year, with lots of learning and a fun-filled excursion to the Adelaide Zoo. Our visit to the zoo had us learning lots about Australian animals and included a close-up encounter with a tawny frogmouth. We also created fabulous collage ladybird artworks using Eric Carle’s book as inspiration.

Warm regards
Mrs Sandra Holland

YEAR 2 – GILLES PLAINS

Dear Parents,

We have had a fantastic start to 2021 with lots of fun and learning. We were lucky enough to have Milo Cricket visit our school to teach us bowling, throwing, catching and batting skills which links to our PE theme for this term. We had some fun creating artworks of ourselves as well as experimenting with colours through bubble painting. On Friday the 26th of February, we visited the wildlife park to learn about living things and life cycles. I look forward to creating more fun experiences with my Year 2 class this year!

Warm regards
Mrs Eleni Rocca

YEAR 3 – GILLES PLAINS

Dear Parents,

Welcome back to school! The Year 3 students have settled in wonderfully so far, especially with the transition to our lovely new building. I would like to welcome our new students, Aaminah, Raed and Arham. Highlights of our term so far have been working on our indigenous ‘bush floor’ artworks and our visit from Cricket Australia in week 4. I look forward to making many more memories with the students this year!

Kind Regards,
Miss Kerry Apergis

YEAR 4 – GILLES PLAINS

Dear Parents,

Welcome to a new year at Pinnacle College! The Year 4 students have had a fantastic start to this term, settling in to our new classroom and covering a range of interesting content, including ‘Materials and Properties’ in Technology [pictured]. Congratulations to Bilol and Zarin for being elected the SRC members for Year 4 and thank you to all the parents who attended the ‘Meet the Teacher’ event. I look forward to collaborating with you over the course of this year!

Kind Regards,
Ms Mubarak Ashimajy

YEAR 5 – GILLES PLAINS

Welcome back to a new school year. It was wonderful to see so many of you at our Meet the Teacher session. I look forward to working with you.

We have started our novel study and students are raptured by the book Forest of Silence by Emily Rodda. They have answered chapter questions and completed other activities related to the book.

In Mathematics, we are into our next topic on Data. Students are able to grasp this concept well. We are also doing a lot of practice on Mathletics so that students are ready for the online NAPLAN tests.

I would like to congratulate Taqwa and Abdul Rehman on being elected our school captains. I hope to see them contribute more to the school.

Finally, please do not hesitate to contact me if there are any concerns that you may have.

Kind Regards,
Mrs Shalini Moss

LOTE - Arabic

Welcome back to another year of learning, I wish you all had happy holidays with your family.

This term we have some amazing new challenges to explore:

In Year 1 this term, students are focusing on pronouncing and writing the Arabic alphabet with short vowels. Students are learning how to join letters to make words. They are also learning about the days of the week in Arabic.

Warm Regards,
Soheir Habib
LOTE Teacher

RV - Religious Values

Dear Parents,

As a new RV teacher at this school, I am pleased to tell you that we have very nice students, who are willing to participate in class discussions and answer questions about religion. In the first half of this term, we have been learning about the fact of creation by Allah and the things we have in this world thanks to Allah. We have also discussed the importance of being thankful, the beautiful names of Allah, as well as the details about six pillars of faith.

Warm Regards,
Mr Akif Okumus
RV Teacher

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