From the Principal
MRS NICOLA TAYLOR
PRINCIPAL
Welcome to the final edition of the Lion’s Roar for 2019, the final academic year of the
decade. Although such a short term - almost seeming to be over before its begun – so much
has been done and accomplished.
Activities Week provided a great opportunity for girls to learn new skills, forge new
friendships and gear up for Guild Drama. Thank you to the staff across the College for providing
worthwhile experiences for the girls to take part in. From lifesaving to lifeskills, from making
Art for Allowah Children’s Hospital, to knitting for those in need, rehearsing for Carols, learning
to coach, making gingerbread houses, enviro-projects and preparing ‘Days for Girls’ sanitary
kits to be sent to teenage girls in Africa - it has been a very productive week.
As the term draws to a close, we thank and farewell members of staff who are leaving the
College. Mr David Moffitt who has taken up a position in Guyra, Mr Chris O’Neill who is
undertaking PhD studies and long-term staff member, Mrs Robyn Hadfield who is retiring
after 21 years of faithful service. On behalf of the College I wish to thank these
members of staff for the valued contributions they have made in their respective subject
areas.
As the final week of term commences, I trust readers of the Lion’s Roar are able to join with
us in a range of events which celebrate community. Final Assembly on Wednesday morning,
and our annual Service of Nine Lessons and Carols on Wednesday evening. Speech Day Thursday
morning and the Boarder’s Christmas Dinner that evening. Guild Drama Friday midday is
taking shape as each Guild weaves its magic to create a singing, dancing and acting
spectacular featuring the line, “It's time to trust my instincts, close my eyes and leap”.
We look forward to seeing the members of the College past, present and future celebrating
another year of learning, growth and service at PLC Armidale.
The PLC Armidale P & F would like to invite you an informal BBQ /
picnic to end the school year.
We realise that this time of year is very
busy, so we have decided to try a very relaxed free event for families.
Details are as follows:
Date: Sunday 1 December 2019
Time: 3pm start
Location : PLC Armidale oval
What to bring: Bring a picnic for your family. The BBQ
will be available for anyone who would like to cook.
Activities: If anyone is interested in a game of
something energetic, this can be arranged on the oval or tennis courts.
For further details, please contact the P & F on
pandf@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au.
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Dates for the Diary
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Event
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Date
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Year 10 Celebration Dinner
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30/11/2019
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Boarders' Chapel
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2/12/2019
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Combined Chair & Stakeholder Groups Meeting
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2/12/2019
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Junior School Santa Visit
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3/12/2019
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Final Assembly
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4/12/2019
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Service of Nine Lessons and Carols
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4/12/2019
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Speech Day
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5/12/2019
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Boarders' Christmas Dinner
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5/12/2019
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Guild Drama
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6/12/2019
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Term 4 ends
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6/12/2019
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Senior School News
MRS ANNA CALDWELL
HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL
Activities Week
I always love this time of year, watching our Year 11 students step up
into the instructor roles at Lifesaving, teaching our younger students
how to swim and encouraging them to progress through the Lifesaving
Awards. Year 10 have also been impressive with their instructing of the
Junior School in Lifesaving and the energy at school with all the Social
Service activities and Guild Drama rehearsals has been amazing.
Week 8 - Activities Week Schedule
All girls are to travel to and from school Monday - Thursday in their
full Summer Uniform.
Friday they are to wear their Guild Sport Uniform.
Monday 2 December
Yr 6 - 9
- Session 1 Lifesaving
- Session 2 AAC Yrs 6 - 9 Sustainability Study
- Session 3 Guild Drama Rehearsal
Year 10
- Session 1 Lifesaving
- Session 2 Junior School Lifesaving
- Session 3 Guild Drama Rehearsal
Year 11
- Session 1 Lifesaving
- Session 2 HSC Classes
- Session 3 Guild Drama Rehearsal
Tuesday 3 December
Yrs 7 - 11
- Session 1 8.40 - 10am Pastoral Care - Tidy Up, Move Lockers, Text Books
for 2020
- Recess 10 - 10.30am
- Session 2 10. 30 - 11.45am
Yr 11
Yrs 6 - 10
ALL members of the Choir
- CHOIR CAROLS Rehearsal - Music Room
ALL
- Session 3 11.45 - 1pm - Guild Drama Rehearsal
Lunch 1 - 1.55pm
- Session 4 1.55 - 3.30pm Guild Drama Rehearsal.
- Carol Service Readers - Rehearsal at the Cathedral 2 - 3pm
Wednesday 4th December
- 8.40am Roll Call in PC Rooms - Full Summer Uniform
- FINAL ASSEMBLY in AAC. Year 7 - 11
- Session 2 Clean up and Class Christmas Parties
- Session 3 Guild Drama Rehearsal
- 2pm Speech Day Prize Winners Rehearsal and Musical Performances
Rehearsal AAC
CAROLS SERVICE
- Final rehearsal at the Cathedral 5 - 6pm
- Service 6 - 7pm
Thursday 5 December
- 8.40am Roll Call in PC Rooms - Full Summer Uniform
- 9am Speech Day
Followed by morning tea for students and families.
- Session 2 11.30 - 1pm Guild Drama Rehearsal
- Session 3 2 - 3.30pm Guild Drama Rehearsal
Friday 6 December
- 8.40am Roll Call - Guild Sports Uniform
- Session 1 Guild Drama Rehearsal
- Session 2 Guild Drama Rehearsal
- 12pm Guild Drama Performances DKC
- 3.30pm End of Term
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask Mrs Caldwell.
Junior School News
MRS FIONA WAKE
HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL
Let us grow lettuce
PLC Armidale Junior School has a big green thumbs up!
Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4) have been studying systems for growing and
producing food. This morning they harvested some fresh, crispy lettuce
from the hydroponics system that they have set up and used to examine
the growth of healthy plants. They couldn’t believe how long the roots
had grown.
They carefully washed and dried the lettuce leaves in
preparation for a healthy meal. Nothing went to waste as the hens are
enjoying the tasty stringy roots and extra leaves for their morning tea.
Students followed a recipe to cook and prepare an egg and lettuce
sandwich using their lettuce and eggs from our hens. They really enjoyed
their tasty sandwiches before heading off for our Life Saving Lessons.
There is plenty of lettuce and rocket left for harvesting and will be
available throughout the week on our Global Garden trolley.
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Performing Arts News
MR MATTHEW MINTER
DIRECTOR OF MUSIC
String soiree
The 2019 String Soiree was a tremendous success featuring an
evening of fine classical music and delicious food. The audience was
treated to tabled seating and tapas food and wine and the standard of
performance across all the ensembles was outstanding with many
highlights.
The evening started with a stand out performance from the Cello Ensemble, led by Robert Jackson.
Other highlights of the evening included a magnificent performance of
the first movement of Vivaldi's Concerto for Two Cellos in G Minor by
Year Eleven students Sarah Hughes and Clare Warwick accompanied by our
signature ensemble the Senior Strings and conducted by Director of
Strings, Joanna Fairs-Wu. Emily Thompson presented a very impressive and
virtuosic solo of “The Storm" from Vivaldi's Four Seasons (Summer). The
PLCA chamber music program was well represented with fine performances
of Beethoven, Elgar and Vivaldi by the Piano Trio (Kaylee Swick, Chiyo
Brown and Madeleine George) and the String Quartet (Emily Thompson,
Chiyo Brown, Gabrielle Cotterell and Abigail Thompson). The audience was
also delighted by the sweet faces and accomplished performances of our
Junior Strings and Silver Strings ensembles led by Mrs Fairs-Wu.
I
would like to thank Mrs Joanna Fairs Wu for her outstanding leadership
of the string program, Robert Jackson for his excellent work with the
Cello Ensemble, Alison Dare and Alex Notley for their excellent work in
setting up and decorating the venue, Millie Graham and Shona Eichorn for
behind the scenes planning work and Greg Cotterell and Emma Young for
your assistance on the evening.
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Pathways News
MR CHRIS SPENCER
DIRECTOR OF PATHWAYS
BUSY weeks for pathways students!
The past two weeks have been quite busy for our
Pathways students.
All of our Pathways boys came up to Armidale with Mr Parker and
Mrs Sennett, driving through country roads and mountains. They were
stopped several times by the unexpected bushfires and ended up taking over 11 hours for a trip that should have only taken 5 hours. The
boys started to understand how big Australia is after realising they
didn’t even leave NSW after such a long drive!
An AEAS test was held to help our Pathways and international students
check on their learning progress. The test took them a whole day doing
paper tests, listening tests and speaking tests. It was a long day but
we are pleased to see how cooperative and organised both boys and girls were following instructions and the schedule. Thank you to the library staff
for assisting the event and to students and staff affected by the test
for accommodating the changes of the day.
Whilst Pathways students are learning based on the same structure, it is
still worthwhile to bring both boys and girls together for combined
lessons. This term we extended it to 2 days and it has proven successful
by the interactions the students have with each other and their
interactions with staff. Both academic and boarding staff have commented
that the students are more relaxed and willing to engage.
Mrs Jo Hoad along with Mrs Buttons (an inquisitive pomeranian) were
invited to our Hot Seat Friday.
Coffs Harbour Trip
A trip to Coffs Harbour this term was a challenging decision to make.
However, we were lucky that the roads were open and the smoke didn’t
affect our day too much. All of the students had fun at the Big Banana
enjoying the toboggan, giant slides, ice skating and water park. An
afternoon walk and swim at the Jetty beach concluded the trip nicely.
Some students enjoyed the water, while others focused on looking for
crabs and shells. We somehow ended up turning Leo into a mermaid. It was
a highly collegial project that all the students participated in.
Turning Leo into a mermaid.
HOrse riding
The boys had a solid one hour horse riding lesson through parched paddocks. It
was impressive that they managed to steer the horses within a short time
and some even got to do some trotting. We are glad to hear that this
experience has inspired them to continue doing horse riding in Bathurst!
Horse riding at Harlow Park.
On the day the boys left, our Pathways girls joined the Year 9 Tingha
excursion. It was a unique experience learning how the Chinese community was
developed and helped the economy of NSW in the 1880s. It was also
eye-opening and impressing to see the historical items being protected
so well in the middle of NSW. Thank you to Ms Roe, Mr Davidson, Mr
Spencer, Mrs Eastment, Miss Chiu and Mrs Brown for taking the girls to
the trip!
Tingha Excursion with Year 9 students.
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Boarding News
MS KAREN HUTTON
HOUSE MOTHER
wrapping up our year!
Term 4 has begun as busy as Term 3 ended and already
it is week 7!!
Winter sports have been replaced with summer and girls continue to
impress with the commitment they make to be involved in such things as
morning swimming, touch football, strength and conditioning, futsal,
indoor hockey, twilight netball and more!
Weekend activities have
included jewellery and concrete pot making, tie dying and trips to the
town pool. Now that the academic classes have concluded for
years 7-10, study has been replaced with an evening activities program which
has included hysterical games of Kahoot, roller skating, outdoor movies
and mocktails!
(Image far left) Camilla Teague and Ellen Marsden (Year 7) are wearing
tie dye t-shirts made by Ellen in the weekend craft activity. (Centre and right) Girls rollerskating.
Our boarding house continues to do all we can in collecting shower and
laundry water to assist in keeping the gardens alive at school as water
restrictions and the continuing drought bite hard. This has been an
initiative of the girls and despite some flooding of the laundry now and
then we see this small thing as a way of helping as best we can.
The HSC has been and gone and we have farewelled our wonderful class of
2019. We miss their presence in the house but look forward to Year 11
following their lead, setting an inclusive, welcoming tone and
atmosphere. Our new Boarding House Prefect, Paris Whibley from
Pallamallawa, introduces herself below.
Years 7-10 have just finished their end of course exams and are to be
congratulated on the positive approach to prep they have shown. All
girls are now looking forward to the final two weeks of school
culminating in our very special Boarder’s Christmas Dinner and of course
Guild Drama to complete the year before heading home for a well-earned
holiday!
2020 Boarding House Prefect
My name is Paris Whibley and I was elected as the 2020 Boarding House
prefect. I am a full-time boarder from a property in the Moree area. I
have been a boarder since I started my journey here in year 8 and have
been an active member of the cattle team all that time. I am delighted
for the coming year as a student prefect to work with Mrs Spencer and
the boarding staff team to continue the positive and supporting boarding
environment. We have many exciting activities planned for this term
including outdoor movie and mocktail nights, breakfast in bed and the
annual Boarder’s Christmas Dinner at the end of the term. 2020 is going to
be a great year.
Paris Whibley (Year 11)
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Community News