Newsletters
24th February 2023 (Week 4 Term 1)
Important Dates
Tuesday 28th February – Years 11-12 3-Way Conferences – 3.30pm – 7.00pm
Wednesday 1st March – Years 3-6 Inter-house Swimming Carnival – Aqua Jetty – 9.00am
Thursday 2nd March – Year 10’s from 2022 River Cruise
Friday 3rd March – Pupil Free Day (Office Open: 9.30am – 2.30pm)
Monday 6th March – Labour Day Public Holiday
Tuesday 7th March – IPSHA Inter-school Swimming Carnival
Tuesday 7th March – Childcare Build commences
Thursday 9th & Friday 10th March – Year 7/8 High Performance Cricket Program 2 Day Camp – Bunbury
Friday 17th March – ACC Inter-school Swimming Carnival
Friday 17th March – Twilight Picnic – 5pm – 7pm
Saturday 18th March – Disabled Surfing – Leighton Beach – 8.30am – 12.45pm
From the Principal
Ms Peggy Mahy
Landing Well
Imagine if you can, the College as a gymnast, balancing delicately, stretching and pivoting, negotiating a narrow beam or a challenging set of bars. After a completing a complex routine all year, our efforts have finally landed.
Acting Principal
Mrs Emily Goforth
I hope this newsletter finds you all well and enjoying 2023. It is hard to comprehend that we are almost at the mid-point for Term 1! As we settle into the routine of school life, I would like to take this opportunity to emphasise the importance of positive behaviour and values.
At Tranby we value respect, integrity, service, commitment, and collaboration. These values guide us in everything we do, both inside and outside the classroom. We encourage all students to uphold these values and strive to become model citizens who contribute positively to society.
To achieve these goals, it is essential that there is open communication and collaboration between home and school. Parents play a critical role in supporting their children’s learning, and we welcome involvement in College activities and events.
The College would like to thank parents and students for their patience as we migrate to new software within the College. Unfortunately, these changes have not gone as smoothly as planned, however, we have a number of staff and external providers working to find solutions as quickly as possible. The College will keep you updated throughout this process.
On Tuesday the College was awash with Pancakes as the we celebrated Shrove Tuesday. Traditionally, as explained by Chaplain Steve in Chapel this week, it is a day of feasting the day before Ash Wednesday and would see people using up their stores of eggs, milk and butter. Shrove Tuesday signifies the beginning of Lent, where people traditionally give up luxuries as a reminder of when Jesus went to the desert to fast and pray for 40 nights. I would like to extend my gratitude to Henrietta Prinsloo, Yolande Redpath, Amy Hilbers and their team for producing over 1,000 pancakes on the day. Events such as these are so important to the fabric of our College community.
On Wednesday we held the Senior School Inter-house Swimming Carnival with the inclusion of novelty events. The carnival was a great success with opportunities for everyone to participate. I would like to extend thanks to the Head of Senior School, Chris Bolton, for organising a fantastic event and to our staff who helped make the day a success. It was fantastic to see so many students competing with enthusiasm, and we applaud all those who participated. I am looking forward to the Junior School Inter-house Swimming Carnival next Wednesday!
Finally, I would like to promote our upcoming Twilight Picnic on 17th March. This is a wonderful event where families and friends can come together to enjoy food, music, and each other’s company. It’s an excellent opportunity to relax and unwind after a busy week and connect with the College community. I hope to see you there!
Acting Deputy Principal
Mr anthony britza
Artificial intelligence in schools
As the use of artificial intelligence (AI) gains popularity in education, it’s important to consider its advantages and disadvantages in K-12 schools. At our independent school, we are exploring the potential benefits of AI while also being mindful of its potential drawbacks.
One advantage of AI is that it can provide personalised learning experiences for students. With AI-powered tools, students can receive individualised instruction, practice, and feedback based on their learning needs and styles. This can help improve student performance by identifying areas where they need improvement and providing targeted instruction and support. AI-powered tools can also help teachers monitor student progress and provide timely feedback to help students stay on track.
AI can also automate grading and assessment, which saves teachers time and effort. This allows them to focus on teaching and providing support to students. Additionally, AI can help schools allocate resources more efficiently by identifying areas where students need additional support or resources.
However, one of the potential disadvantages of using AI in K-12 schools is the lack of human interaction. As a result, students may become too reliant on technology and miss out on significant social and emotional learning opportunities from interacting with their peers and teachers. At our school, we believe that a well-rounded education should emphasise the importance of human interaction, critical thinking, and creativity.
Another concern is privacy. AI relies on large amounts of data, and there are concerns about how student data will be collected, stored, and used. Schools need to be careful to protect student privacy and ensure that data is only used for educational purposes.
Additionally, there is a risk of bias and inaccuracy in AI-powered tools. For example, if the data used to train the AI is biased, the AI may produce biased results. Finally, implementing AI in K-12 schools can be expensive. Therefore, schools need to invest in the infrastructure and tools required to support AI and the necessary training to use the tools effectively.
In the interim, in the Senior School, the use of ChatGPT and other AI in summative assessments will be dealt with against our Assessment and Reporting policy, which may result in a required resubmission, a mark of ‘0’ for the relevant section or the entire task.
In conclusion, while AI can offer many benefits to K-12 schools, it is essential to consider the potential drawbacks and implement them thoughtfully and carefully. At our progressive school, we will continue to explore the potential of AI while ensuring that our students receive a well-rounded education that emphasises the importance of human interaction, critical thinking, and creativity.
Written by AI (Chat GPT), reviewed and modified by a human, grammar checked by AI (Grammarly) and approved by a human.
Head of Senior School
Mr Chris Bolton
It’s hard to believe that we are already nearing the middle of Term 1! Amidst the ever-increasing opportunities for our students, their ongoing enthusiasm and perseverance has been admirable. As students start to settle into the rhythm of the new school year, I wanted to recognise the significant number of changes that they have adapted to – new staff, adjusted times, new initiatives as well as the return to full co-curricular activities.
The College saw a return to our Inter-house Swimming Carnival this week, held at Aqua Jetty. I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate our students who embraced a new format inclusive of competitive races and novelty events running concurrently. Whilst there were several PB’s swam in the competitive pool, it was the constant laughter and excitement of the novelty events that really added to the carnival. My thanks to the Tranby Senior School staff for their continued professionalism and delivery of a great carnival, whilst also taking time to thank the parents for their attendance. It is also timely to recognise the efforts of Ms Prinsloo and her team of Service Learning volunteers who cooked throughout the day, raising funds for our nominated charity. The generosity of these initiatives is what drives our community culture. Please note, final awards on both a team and individual basis will be presented at the Senior School Assembly next Wednesday.
student assessments
As our students start to wind up their first round of assessments for the year, I urge them to seek feedback from their teachers. Feedback is designed to aid improvement and is measured against the curriculum and assessable content. In the research completed by John Hattie and Helen Timperley, it is important that our students consider their findings;
- Where am I going? (Feed up)
- How am I going? (Feed back)
- Where to next? (Feed forward)
In simpler terms, it is pertinent that our students (as well as families and staff) recognise their improvements and not focus on the number. Concurrently, it’s important to receive this feedback, but move forward to our next task.
In light of this, I encourage all families to utilise the upcoming mid-term break to recharge for what promises to be a jam packed second half of Term 1.
Head of Junior School
Mrs Cheryl Taylor
WELCOME BACK!
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all back to the 2023 school year and what a wonderful start we have had! Students have settled into their classes very quickly and a real buzz can be felt when walking around the Junior School grounds. We have a number of new students across all year levels joining us this year and everyone appears to have fitted into the Tranby Community with ease.
We have also welcomed our very youngest students as they have spent the last two weeks transitioning into Kindergarten. Our Kindergarten playground is nearing completion and will be ready for the students next week when they begin their full days.
It my welcome letter to families just prior to the students’ return, I asked parents to ensure that they support our Uniform Guidelines (attached) by checking their child adheres to these requirements and I would like to take this opportunity to thank our families for their support. As I noted in my previous letter, we keep our standards high by ensuring students abide by the guidelines in place and we require parents/guardians to support us in this process. Next week, I will be asking teachers to conduct uniform checks to ensure all elements of the uniform is correct for each child. As a result, you may receive a note advising you if an item requires changing and I kindly request that this is addressed quickly. Please ensure you take note of these guidelines and in particular, shoes, earrings, and hair ties, as these areas are often overlooked.
As we have many new students, it is important that I remind all families that playing on equipment before or after school is not permitted. Staff are on duty before and after school to ensure students are settled outside their classrooms and in the afternoon, staff on duty are required to monitor that students are leaving the College grounds safely.
Today, our students in Years 3 – 6 were involved in swimming trials, in preparation for our first carnival, which will be held on Wednesday 1st March. In addition, on Friday 17th February we will be acknowledging our 2023 Student Leadership group at our first Junior School assembly of the year. The planning of our co-curricular is well underway and notification will go home to parents in the coming week regarding the many exciting clubs on offer. The Junior School is a hive of activity with many opportunities available.
I hope you have had a positive start to the year, and I look forward to meeting as many families as possible in the coming weeks.
Deputy Head of Junior School
Mr Ben Viviers
What a busy but exciting start to 2023 it has been!
The commencement of each year brings new challenges, obstacles, and opportunities for our students to learn and grow.
Goals and Commitment
In week one our students met with their new teachers at the pre-start conferences to set SMART goals for the year ahead. This is such an important part of our Personal Education Plan (PEP) for each student at Tranby College. However, to achieve these goals, one must be committed.
At the recent induction assembly, I showed a video about Piper a Disney Pixar animation, where I went on to say that we can learn from Piper. ‘Commitment’ is one of those lessons that came to mind when I watched the video, and ‘Commitment’ also happens to be one of our main College Values. Our newly elected student leadership group along with every student will undoubtedly face obstacles and challenges, just as little Piper did in the video. These setbacks will make our students second guess and questions themselves from time-to-time. However, like little Piper when something doesn’t go to plan it is usually the opportunity or moment for the most growth to occur. It is often said that you learn more about yourself when something doesn’t work out as planned, as opposed to when everything goes your way. I encouraged students to take on this attitude, to take control of their learning and make the decision to accept and embrace new challenges. Yes, at times, students will be unsuccessful, but this is necessary for growth to take place and like Piper, if you are willing to try again and learn from the experience, it will teach them to become RESILIENT. Resilient students are more likely to be successful in their goals, and thus I encourage every student to take on 2023 with the attitude we saw from little Piper.
Watch the video via this link: Piper – a Disney Pixar Video
Semester 1 Student Leadership Group
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our newly elected Semester 1 Student Leaders. The Induction Assembly was such a special moment for these students and their families. I know that our students will do an excellent job in their roles, and Mrs Taylor and I are looking forward to working with and supporting them in their leadership development.
The following students were acknowledged at the assembly:
- House Official Bilu – Mali Caruana
- House Captain Bilu – Japveer Aulakh
- House Official Budjar – Georgia Robertson
- House Captain Budjar – Beau Carr
- House Official Karla – Samuel Kenny
- House Captain Karla – Alayla Schmid
- House Official Marra – Ansuri Badenhorst
- House Captain Marra – Danielle de Beer
- Performing Arts Captain – Cody Smith
- Arts Captains – Leilani Jones-Tugaga & Mackenzie Dunne
- Indonesian Captain – Jack Wiltshire
- Library Captains – Heidi White & Jasper Horton
- Chapel Captains – Darcy Robinson, Grace Langford-Smith, Layla Di Lallo & Alexandra Francisco
Campus Update
CHILDCARE CENTRE BUILD TO COMMENCE
We are pleased to share news that siteworks are due to begin on our new state-of-the-art Childcare Centre. A small ground-breaking ceremony will take place on Tuesday 7th March, after which, building works will commence. To be located on the south-east corner of Arpenteur Drive and Tranby Drive, with completion due in early 2024, the centre will offer 150 places – 100 for long day care and 50 for outside school hour care.
NEW MUSIC CLASSROOMS
Towards the end of next week, we begin the installation of two new transportable classrooms adjacent to the science buildings in the Senior School. Once set-up, these rooms will be used for music lessons for students across the College. It is anticipated that works will be completed by mid-March.
Mark Thomas, Business Manager
Board Announcement
Pip Rundle appointed as new Chair of the College Board
Further to the resignation of Dr Susan Roberts, late last year, Pip assumed the role of Interim Chair, stepping up from her Deputy Chair position. As a member of the board since 2018, and a People and Culture professional with 15 years’ experience, Pip continues to bring strong leadership, business planning and strategy expertise to our College. Of the appointment, Pip says,
“I’m delighted to continue working alongside a dedicated team of individuals who are focused on supporting both the staff and students at Tranby College. As a team, we are committed to maintaining our founding values of social justice, inclusion and nurturing the potential of every student to ensure our continued growth and success.”
More details of the College Board and its members can be found on the Tranby College website.
Junior School Valentines Art
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY
Many classes investigated the work of Jim Dine and created a love heart inspired work of art! We talked about the many people, animals, and things we love. There were lots of lovely creative artwork, well done students!
After School Play Concerns
Dear Parents/Guardians,
As the beautiful warm weather is with us it is very tempting to stay on school grounds at the end of the day to allow your children to play.
Unfortunately, whilst this appears harmless, there are many factors that as a school we are required to consider to ensure the safety of all our students.
There is a Junior School staff member on duty after school each day, but they are required to supervise children as they leave the College grounds. The staff member is not on duty to supervise children playing. Children remaining on the premises is a duty of care concern as we cannot be sure who is with a parent and who is not. In addition, a number of staff work in their classrooms at the end of the day and children playing ball games outside these areas is not desirable.
We understand that our College grounds are very inviting. However, our students get to enjoy the grounds during their play times in school hours. There are many lovely parks in the area and I encourage parents to use these facilities if they wish for their children to play after school.
The safety and duty of care of students is always our top priority and therefore, I kindly request that all parents refrain from allowing their children on play equipment or participate in ball games after school.
I thank you in advance for your support and appreciate your understanding.
Kind regards,
Cheryl Taylor | Head of Junior School
Junior School Sport
Salt and Mantra Surfing
Our Junior School surfers are back catching waves down at Secret Harbour with Salt and Mantra. The weather and surf conditions have been perfect, and we are stoked to be working with Az, Doug and Sam again this year. During their lessons, students have been learning about onshore and offshore wind conditions, identifying hazards in and around the surf, as well as learning how to catch some waves. Students are improving their skills each lesson, and what better way to start the day!
Ricky Grace Basketball Program
Ricky Grace is back in the Tranby Junior School for another term! Students have been busy during their session developing their fundamental skills, teamwork, and communication skills. Basketball is an extremely popular sport within the Junior School, and the Ricky Grace Basketball Program is a great opportunity our students.
“Ricky Grace Basketball Clinic is fun and enjoyable, and I get to learn different basketball skills and make new friends. I wished I did this last year, because it is fun to play basketball with people that I don’t know. It also improves the odds of Bilu winning the cup for Year 5/6 Sport! I just love playing basketball with our coaches Ricky and Rico.” by James Turnbull – Year 6P
High Performance Cricket Program
Tranby College is offering our internal and external students in Years 7-10 the opportunity to apply for a position in our High Performance Cricket Program.
For more details, please open the following link: High Performance Cricket.
Cadets
Cadets thoroughly enjoyed their end-of-year excursion at Swan Valley Adventure Centre having a day of water-based activities.
They kayaked on the Swan River and built their own rafts, which proved a lot more difficult than expected, but it was very entertaining for us to watch.
Well done Cadets on always having lots of fun, even when you’re challenged.
Kerrie Miller – Cadet Leader
From the Business Manager
Uniform Back Orders
The following items are due in, week ending 2nd March, we thank you for your patience:
- Budjar Polo – Sizes 4C – 14C
- Marra Polo – Size L
- Early Learning Polo – Sizes10C – 12C
- Boys Formal Shorts Elastic Back – Size 10
Uniform Shop Hours & Phone Number
If you have any queries please contact the Uniform Shop on 9523 3119 during their open times:
- Tuesdays – 8am – 12noon
- Fridays – 12noon – 4pm
Murdoch University After School Programs
The Murdoch University After School Program in Mathematics and Physical Sciences provides classes in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. For 2023 Term 1 we also have a Study Skills class running.
Each subject runs for 2 hours each week from 4:30pm to 6:30pm starting the second week of school term. Students are welcome to attend 1 to 3 times a week depending on their interests.
Please see the attached flyer for:
- Mathematics | Physical Sciences | Study Skills
- OR
- e-mail AfterSchoolProgram@murdoch.edu.au for more information.
Community Sport Registrations
2023 Registrations are open for the Rockingham District Hockey Club and the Rockingham Flames, please open the below links:
- Rockingham District Hockey Club
- Rockingham Flames Basketball
