From the Principal

Welcome back to the 2012 school year. In the words of John Dewey: ‘Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.’ At Blakeview, all of the staff take this very seriously.

NEW STUDENTS
Welcome especially to all the new students in Reception to Year 10. Thank you also to the staff and students who have helped make their transition to a new school so seamless. New students in the Middle School will find they have phone calls home in the first week from the Head of Teaching and Learning, and then in the second week from their child’s House Tutor. This is an important way to keep open the channels of communication. We also like to ensure all students in the Middle School undertake an online placement test, at no cost to parents. This gives us valuable information and helps with the settling in process. It also assists us in meeting each student’s individual needs. In the Junior School, new students from Years 1-6, can expect a call from the class teacher in the first week, and the Head of Teaching and Learning in the second week. Again, students new to Trinity Blakeview, from Year 3, are given an online placement test. In the younger years, assessments made by the class teacher are used to make sure we have an accurate picture of a student’s academic needs. The phone contact will occur at least twice more in the term, in addition to the normal communications made. Naturally, new Reception parents will have regular communication with their class teachers as the students learn about school and settle in.

STUDENT LEADER INDUCTION
Congratulations to our new student leaders: Taylan Morris, Rachel Summers, Nick Ruciack, Beverly Kabaya, Evan Wolfendale, Bradley Stirling and Lauren Prosser. They were inducted as student leaders at the Week 1 assembly. Mr Nick Hately, College Captain- Hannah Donhardt, Prefects- Hannah Holton and Daniel Elvin and Rev’d Ruth Mathieson were part of the official party. Both Mr Hately and Hannah Donhardt made a speech to the student leaders and congratulated them on their success. Congratulations go to Rachel and Taylan who will be the Blakeview School Captains for 2012.

‘ANNIE' - THE ADELAIDE YOUTH THEATRE
During the last week of the school holidays, The Adelaide Youth Theatre presented ‘Annie’, the famous family musical. Set in the 1930s and based on the Little Orphan Annie comic strip, they told the tale of young orphan girls and their quest to find themselves a family. Blakeview student, Claire Walker, was part of the chorus for this entertaining show and Blakeview old scholar, Rebecca Pearson, was also part of the production. It was a thoroughly enjoyable show and our Trinity students performed in a very professional manner.

INFORMATION NIGHT AND MARK LE MESSURIER
Our Information Nights on Monday and Tuesday this week were extremely successful and I thank all staff involved in making these sessions available. In addition, I am glad that many parents took the opportunity to listen to Mark Le Messurier speak. He has such an understanding of the problems faced by parents. His presentation, ’Real ideas to build better behaviours’ was very well received, as all the previous workshops have been. I believe his strategies to help parents are exemplary. His presentation to teachers, in the afternoon, was an excellent opportunity to look at student behaviour and strategies. Thank you to wonderful parents of the P and F who provided tea and coffee. I was glad to hear that some new parents have expressed interest in being part of the P and F. I know new members are always welcomed.

PE UNIFORM
In Edition 16, dated November 25, of the e-News, Mr Hately spoke about the white PE shirts being phased out as part of the general uniform. We will let you know the timeline, but students can wear their white shirts for PE only in the short to medium term. In the Junior School, all students should wear their House shirt only for Junior School Sports Day (September 7) and not for PE lessons. I shall keep you informed of any further developments. You can also access all this information from the website. (Blakeview E news-Edition 16 Nov 25).

SWIMMING CARNIVAL
Congratulations to Mr Quill and the PE staff for an excellent Middle School Swimming Carnival. Trinity College Blakeview has some outstanding swimmers- as can be seen from the fast times set. Thank you to all the students in Year 6-10, who also went along to support their House. The participation rate in the activities prior to lunch, was testament to the House spirit that exists at Blakeview. Thank you, once again, to the wonderful P and F for providing the BBQ and refreshment. Congratulations to Jamieson House who won the event, with Uley a very close second.

BUILDINGS AND FURTHER LANDSCAPING
This year sees Trinity College Blakeview fully develop the new Junior School tennis courts and the PE facilities shed. The raised vegetable beds will go in behind Building 3 and outside the Catering room. The new Junior School oval will be seeded for use in 2013. The Catering room will undergo a major refit over the year; Mrs Dodsworth is already delighted with the new cool room. In addition, paving will be completed in the Junior School. The Years 3-5 play equipment will be landscaped and the bark chips replaced with a specialised rubber surface. We will take delivery of 4 new lap top trolleys and 60 laptops for use by all students of the school. This allows a mobile option to the already excellent computing facilities in our three labs and classrooms. Tech Studies will gain a special storage cube and new HP tablets to allow for design and production. We will be creating totem poles that focus on our 5 shared Values and the new 6th Value of Forgiveness. The shared Value of Forgiveness will be implemented in 2013, but introduced this year. The old foyer for the office will be slowly transformed into a gallery for displaying the amazing Art work of students at Blakeview. These improvements will add to the already excellent facilities available.

PAGES TO SIGN IN THE DIARY
Please ensure that you and your family have read the ‘Policy for playing sport for the College’ (Diary page 110) and ‘Use of the College Computing facilities, the internet and email.’ (Diary page 108) Both of these must be signed by Week 4. Thank you for support of our College and the facilities we use. Also, there will be a sticker of our expectations for students placed in the diary. This also requires a student and parent signature.

Best wishes

KAREN McMAHON
Principal
Trinity College Blakeview

From the Head of the College

YEAR 12 RESULTS
2011 finished very strongly for Trinity College and I was delighted the hard work from our Year 12 cohort was rewarded.  Some wonderful academic results were achieved and we were particularly delighted to see the rewards that came from students who may have struggled or had to overcome adversity but still persisted.  The results are a credit to the students, their families and our terrific staff who have guided our young men and women on their journey, some of whom started at our Montessori pre-school.  To have five students receive an ATAR above 99, 36 achieve an ATAR above 90 and 239 graduate with their SACE is a wonderful achievement.  Read specific highlights here.

COMMUNITY SURVEY - MOVING FORWARD
We are committed to providing the best College we can and listening to our community is a vital component of that.  Over the holiday period the College circulated an electronic survey to the community.  We received over 800 replies, which is an excellent amount of feedback.  I thank respondents for taking the time to complete this survey.  The feedback was particularly affirming in many areas but also, constructive and instructive in others.

Pleasingly, 90% of respondents said they would recommend Trinity to another family.  When compared to similar surveys in other like schools, this is a positive figure.  In the interest of transparency, I have included survey data responses to some key questions.  There are some themes that have emerged from the survey.  Parents certainly are keen for us to ensure our communication is relevant and timely.  The community encourages us to continue to offer a broad range of opportunities.  The amount of homework caused some concern and during 2012, the Director of Studies, Ian Rossotti will lead a review of this.  Parents want to ensure our fees remain as affordable as they can be.  Focus on the individual strengths of all our students is another key theme coming from comments in the survey. Survey Results.

CONGRATULATIONS
Trinity students and Trinity old scholars have recently had particular success in the world of sport.  We currently have three former students on Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) scholarships in Canberra; Ben Warland (Soccer), Dylan Pickett (Soccer) and Amelia Schmidt (Netball).  One of our 2011 graduates, Travis Head played cricket for the SA Redbacks against Victoria and Myles Scotson has been selected in the Australian Under 19 cycling team to attend the World Championships.

Warm regards

NICK HATELY
Head of Trinity College

Blakeview Junior School

Welcome to everyone and best wishes go to you for a fabulous 2012 school year. I urge you to continue to support your child or children in 2012, and to work closely with your classroom teachers and the school in striving to provide an excellent education for all our students.

All Junior School staff are motivated and delighted with their new classes, and I am sure our students and parents are equally excited. We are blessed and privileged to be in the position to have acquired the new facilities and 2012 we will see ongoing improvements and development.

We have welcomed back Mrs Kerrie Henstridge who returns to teach R-5 Music and Mrs Massey who is teaching R-2 Chinese. Mrs Meldrum (nee Anderson) was not able to return as scheduled and her Year 2 class started with Mrs Blackett from the beginning of the year instead of Week 5. We also welcome Amalie Dawes to our Junior School. Amalie is a past Trinity student and trained as a Year 3 – 9 teacher. Mrs East (who taught Year 5 in 2011) is now our Year 1 teacher along with Mrs Stafford. Mrs Tracey Lewis has taken up full time status and is teaching one of our new Reception classes.

Welcome to our new Reception students who started last week. Your wonderful attitude has impressed everybody. We know you will love your time at Trinity College Blakeview.

STUDENT PICK UP YEARS 1-6
Pickup points are adjacent to the oval under the blue sails and under the white umbrellas in the Middle School. Students must not wait to be collected anywhere else in the school. Students must be directly supervised by parents if they are making their way to a car, or playing in the grounds after school.

 

CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Please use school’s procedure for dealing with any issues that arise between our students. Parents are respectfully asked not to confront other parents or children regarding problems that have occurred in school. Minor problems that could be sorted out quickly can easily be blown out of proportion by such an approach. Please see the class teacher, the teacher on duty or myself if there are ongoing concerns.

CORRESPONDENCE
Each year a large amount of information is distributed to families and on occasion this information may include a request for a response or acknowledgement of receipt. Please ensure that you read any information carefully and, if necessary respond promptly, so our records can be updated and we can meet deadlines easily.

STATIONERY
Please do not purchase stationery that is not outlined on our booklist. Many of our students bring to school stationery items which are not appropriate and, in many cases, time wasting devices such as battery operated sharpeners and connector pens which are cleverly converted to all sorts of objects by the students. Parents are urged not to succumb to requests over school recommended stationery as inappropriate stationery will be sent home to be replaced by recommended items. Metal rulers are dangerous and, therefore, are not permitted as part of stationery. Similarly, pencil cases should be of a reasonable size and not over stuffed with miscellaneous items. Managing an overly large and overly full pencil case is difficult for students, and also limits what can fit under their desks.

CATHRYN SULSER
Head of Junior School

INFORMATION NIGHT 
On Monday evening this week the Junior School hosted an Information Night. The evening is an important date in the Junior School calendar, as it provides an opportunity for teachers to explain the routines and structures of their classroom, as well as allowing parents the chance to ask questions and clarify expectations for the year ahead. The evening began with a formal welcome from Mrs Sulser and the introduction of the Junior School teaching team. Parents were then invited to move to classrooms and hear from individual class teachers.  We would like to thank the many parents who were able to attend this valuable evening and we hope that you found the information provided by your child’s teacher beneficial and informative. If you should have any other queries throughout the year, please don’t hesitate to contact the relevant teachers.

KATY ANNIS
Head of Teaching and Learning

PASTORAL CARE R - 6
For some students, it is the beginning of not only a new school year, but a new school. I would like to extend a warm welcome to those students and their families. Trinity College Blakeview offers many opportunities and is a place where students are able to grow academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually.
Over the coming weeks, parents of new students will receive a call from the Head of Teaching and Learning to ascertain how they have settled into the school. This is an opportunity to give feedback on how this often challenging time has gone for your child and yourselves.

In my role as Head of Pastoral Care R-6, I support and aid teachers in helping their students develop their behaviour, friendships, becoming connected to their class and school and helping with any potential bullying and social issues. This is done through the daily pastoral care sessions, Better Buddies program, Rock and Water program and working with small groups or individuals in being able to talk about life and concerns they may be facing. It is wonderful to work with the students on a different level, and in a capacity which has such an impact in their daily lives. The opportunity for students to talk and problem solve, about issues that they face, empowers and builds confidence in them. To see this development of confidence, and the increased connectedness to their community, inspires me. I am passionate about students being happy at school, and feeling part of the school community, because it has so many positive effects.

Pastoral care of students is an area in which Trinity is strong. There is a link between feeling part of a community and connected to that community which leads to improved academic and social confidence. This is mainly done through the classroom, however, the extra-curricular programs (eg: sport and music) at a College level, and programs like robotics, school musicals, band and SAPSASA teams at a school level, that are key components in students feeling part of the wider community of Trinity College Blakeview.

I encourage you to help your child become involved in the many facets of College life on offer. It may be the missing link that opens their eyes to a world of possibilities, enables them to grown in their social confidence and helps them realise they are part of a great community.

I hope that you and your child enjoy your first year at Trinity College Blakeview. It is a wonderful place, and a school where I love teaching.  I look forward to what 2012 will bring for each student.

CRAIG BONNETT
Head of Pastoral Care R-6

Swimming Carnival

Week 1 of 2012 was an exciting initiation for our new Year 6 students as they participated in their first Middle School event, the swimming carnival. I was also the first opportunity for Year 6 students to meet the older Middle School students from their Houses, the House Tutors and Heads of House. Read more here.

Thanks to Mr Quill and his team for organising and running the Swimming Carnival this year. It is such a big event to organise and as always, the team did a fabulous job. We were particularly impressed with the number of students who showed leadership and offered to assist with activities, such as timekeeping. Thanks also to Louis McKenna and Brodie McGregor who were observed showing leadership and responsibility by being such willing helpers.

Music Lessons at Trinity

Instrumental music lessons are available to all Trinity College students on a variety of instruments.  If you would like your child to learn an instrument this year, contact the Music Office or your School Office for an enrolment form. We have instruments available for students to hire upon request (pianos, guitars or drum kits are not available).  Music lessons will resume across the College in Week 2. Previously enrolled and continuing students should have been notified of their lesson day and time.  If you have not yet been contacted please notify the Music Office by email or phone 8522 0637.

LOUISE SKELTON
Director of Instrumental Music
Head of Music Curriculum

2012 Junior School Robotics

After another successful year in 2011, hopes are high for our success will continue this year. With the first group of robotics students now going into Year 7, we have a new generation beginning, and their enthusiasm is great.

Once again, we are aiming for success at the State level with Natalie Hilton and Olivia Massey potentially going for a third State Dance Theatre Championships in a row (which will be a first in the history of the competition). Additionally we will be working hard to get to the National Championships, and place as high as possile in the 2012 competition in Canberra.

We’ve received some great support already this year, however, if anyone is interested in contributing feel free to contact the Front Office and they will contact me with the details.

We have come a long in way in such a short space of time, and hopefully 2012 will be another strong and prosperous year.

SIMON COAD
Year 4 Teacher
Junior School Robotics Coordinator

Blakeview Middle School

We have another busy and exciting year ahead and we look forward to working closely with parents and students throughout the year.

NEW STUDENTS TO OUR SCHOOL
We hope you had an opportunity to meet your child’s House Tutor at our Middle School Information Night. We do our best to help make the transition into the Middle School as smooth as possible. Mr Ian Ward, Head of Teaching and Learning 7-10 has contacted you already and it was wonderful to hear that the new students have settled in well in the first week. Your child’s House Tutor will speak to you regularly in the next couple of weeks to keep you up to date with their progress. Please do not hesitate to contact your House Tutor if you have any questions.

INFORMATION NIGHT AND MARK LE MESSURIER
We hope the information presented at the Information Night was helpful and informative. Please do not hesitate to contact the school if you have any questions about the information presented or you have questions about other issues. Your feedback about the evening is most welcome because it helps to plan for future information sessions.

The Mark Le Messurier Parent Workshop was well supported by many families as well. Mark delivered 75 minute presentation called ‘Real ideas to build better behaviours in kids’ to the school community built around three key ideas:
All behaviour has a purpose – it is trying to tell us something. As parents we need to be smart enough to tell what their behaviour is really saying.
 

1. Children continue behaviour when they feel it is being rewarded – they will stop behaviour that is not being rewarded.
2. Our inconsistency and misunderstanding over what ‘reward’ really means confuses them.
3. Managing behaviour needs an intelligent plan – especially in the difficult moments. 

Thanks to Mrs Janine Tuffery for organising this event. For more information about Mark Le Messurier visit his website.

RICHELLE PEARCE
Head of Middle School

2011 CHINESE AWARDS
The award ceremony of the annual Chinese Language Teacher’s Association of South Australia (CLTASA) Language Awards was held in November last year. There are two categories of awards, Junior and Middle the criteria of which consider a mixture of academics, effort and passion for the Chinese language. Trinity College Blakeview had two recipients in these categories and I congratulate Greenland Yu (Junior School) and Evan Wolfendale (Middle School) on receiving awards. The students were awarded a certificate and a prize for their achievements.

The ceremony included a number of cultural performances ranging from dancing like the strokes of calligraphy, singing and playing the violin. The keynote speaker was Mr Sean Keenihan (President of the Chinese Business Council) from Norman Waterhouse Lawyers who spoke about the importance of China to Australia and how his learning of Chinese has made him a more desirable candidate for positions in the legal field.

Also present at the ceremony were Mrs Keley, Mr Ong, Mrs Chen and students’ parents.  It was a great evening.

GUIYUN CHEN
Chinese teacher R-10

College News

STAY SMART ONLINE
While the internet offers many benefits from shopping and banking to staying in touch with friends and family we need to be careful about the information we share and how best of protect our personal details. The Australian Government's Stay Smart Online website provides information for all internet users on the simple steps you can take to protect your personal and financial information online. Checkout the website and download a number of helpful fact sheets.

SAVE THE DATE - TERTIARY STUDIES AND CAREERS EXPO
29 – 30 April 2012
Adelaide Convention Centre
North Terrace, Adelaide
For further information visit the website.

Blakeview Parents and Friends

The Blakeview Parents and Friends Committee is an enthusiastic, energetic group of individuals who give of their time to make our school a better place to work, learn and grow.

We meet on the first Tuesday of every month during school terms to discuss issues and co-ordinate fundraising functions. All funds raised by the committee support Trinity College Blakeview. 

We provide catering for the many different functions held throughout our busy school year including refreshments for music nights, information nights and orientation visits by parents of new reception students. Our Tea and Tissues mornings are always a great way to welcome new families to Trinity College Blakeview. For more information visit our webpage or download our latest newsletter.

Sports News

GREAT MEDAL HAUL AT STATE SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Trinity College students enjoyed a sensational State Swimming Championship recently winning a host of medals. In addition to our impressive medal haul Tyler Zecchini (North), Emma Jensen and James McKechnie (Senior) achieved times that qualify them for the National Championships in Brisbane in April. Well done to everyone. See a full list of results here.

TRINITY TRIO LAND STATE TEAM HONOURS
Trinity students Koen Sapwell (Yr 8 North), Bradley Skuce (Yr 7 North) and Brodie Nathan (Yr 8 South) were selected in a 20-player State U14 Basketball Squad that formed two teams to compete in a Sydney invitational tournament in January.  Nathan’s team landed the gold, while Sapwell and Skuce’s team finished third.

2012 BALLARAT CRICKET EXCHANGE
The Trinity College Cricket Academy played its annual cricket exchange against Ballarat Grammar on the weekend, coming away with a thumping win in the Years 8 to 10 game, and a narrow loss in the Year 11 - 12 match. The weekend also included a trip to the MCG for the T20 match between Australia and India. Read the full reports on the Years 8 to 10 and Years 11 - 12 matches.

EXTRA TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Trinity College currently offers several opportunities to improve skill levels and athletic performance through endorsed development programs conducted by coaches affiliated with Trinity College. Available to all students these include private cricket coaching sessions from ex Australia A coach Mark Sorell and small group basketball skills sessions with ex-NBA player and 36ER legend Kevin Brooks. For more information on either of these services, check out the cricket and basketball webpages.

SPORTS NOMINATIONS NOW DUE
All sports nominations for the current summer season and upcoming winter season are now due.  Students can still join athletics, cricket and swimming, as well as Hot Shots Beginners tennis, netball (NetSetG0!) and Teeball.  The winter season (starting in Term 2) includes basketball, hockey, football, netball, athletics and soccer. Visit our Sports News webpage for more details.

TRINITY NETBALL ACADEMY NOW AVAILABLE
Trinity netball continues to make giant strides with the introduction of an elite-level Trinity Netball Academy.  Players will undergo focussed skills and conditioning sessions twice a week with specialist coaches in an effort to provide a high-performance pathway for motivated Trinity students.  Read more here.

MILO in2CRICKET PROGRAM
MILO in2CRICKET is a fun introduction to the game of cricket for boys and girls aged between 5 to 8 years. The program provides children with an enjoyable and safe environment where they can learn skills and play games. Every registered child receives an in2CRICKET Pack including bat, ball, t-shirt, bucket hat, backpack and some other goodies. To find out more visit the website.

STARplex

SPECIAL DISCOUNT FITNESS MEMBERSHIP 
A SPECIAL discounted Fitness Centre membership applies for Trinity Parents when they join. There is no start-up fee (saving you $149) and a special rate for direct debit/upfront payments. To take advantage of this offer call to make an appointment with a Lifestyle Consultant and don’t forget to bring a copy of your latest school account.

STARfun APRIL SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAM EARLY BIRD SPECIAL 
Book before Thursday 5 April and receive 10% discount on STARfun April School Holiday Program.

HEWITSON THEATRE COMING EVENTS

• La De Da Market Friday 24 February - Over 60 new and well known stalls.
• Blue Light Disco Saturday 25 February
• Dorothy's Beach Party Friday 13 April - Presented by The Wiggles join Dorothy’s Beach Party
• Jay's Place Monday 23 April - Jay Laga'aia's brand new children's show is coming to the Hewitson Theatre

PRE-SEASON NETBALL CARNIVAL
Saturday 31 March - A fun way to try-out your team in time for the new season. Suitable for juniors and seniors. For further information or to make a booking visit the STARplex Reception or call 8522 0622.

Did you know?

NEED A TAX FILE NUMBER?
The Australian Tax Office offers students aged 13 years or over the opportunity to apply for a Tax File Number (TFN) through the Secondary Schools Tax File Number program. Find out more here.

SCHOOL SAVER PLUS
Anglicare SA is seeking new participants for the Saver Plus program. Match your savings, dollar for dollar, up to $500. Contact Debbie Rieger by email or phone 0457 778 022 for further details.

Local Community News

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN U18 YOUTH GIRLS FOOTBALL TEAM TRIALS
Sunday 19 February 2012
6.00pm – 8.30pm
Max Basheer Reserve
West Lakes Boulevard, West Lakes
Contact Tim Stewart  by email or phone 0423 250 614 for further details.

YOUTH FOR UNDERSTANDING (YFU) AUSTRALIA INFORMATION NIGHT
Wednesday 22 February 2012
6.30pm – 7.55pm
Bray Room 1, State Library of South Australia
Youth for Understanding is a not for profit exchange organisation for high school students who wish to spend time on an educational experience overseas. Choose from over 40 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa or the Americas. Contact Louise Au by email or phone 0422 079 534.

BALAKLAVA TENNIS CLUB JUNIOR TENNIS TOURNAMENT
Sunday 26 February 2012
8.30am
Ralli Park Courts, Balaklava
Double and singles events for boys and girls aged 10 to 17 years. For further details contact Tania Allen on 88622 212 or 0419 034 096.

CARMINA PLAYGROUP 2012
Every second and fourth Wednesday each month
9.30am – 11.30am
Carmina Room
Evanston Primary
Para Road, Evanston
Contact Megan or Marshel on 85212 080 for further details.

DAD SPACE
Fridays
9.30am - 11.30am
A meeting place for Dad's and their children. Activities include craft, play, reading, outings and guest speakers.
Carmina Room Evanston Primary
Contact Michael Evans on 85212 080 or 0434368 981 for further details.