Term 1, Week 5
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
The Next 25 Years
As our school community would be aware, the end of 2022 marked the completion of 25 years of schooling at Cedar College.
But what some may not know, is the story behind those 25 years. It began with a church that had the desire to start a Christian school, and this meant purchasing land, moving to Northgate, and trusting God. That church is now known as CityReach Oakden, and at last Sunday’s church service, we celebrated and gave thanks for what God has done over those 25 years.
This year, 2022, marks the start of our next 25 years, and as we move forward, we once again trust God for what He has in store for Cedar. We’re excited for what’s ahead, and count it a privilege that you, our Cedar families, will play an important part in the next chapter of the story over the years to come.
Around the Campus
In this issue of Cedar News, our Head of Primary School looks further at trusting God during uncertain times, some of our Senior School students take a closer look at DNA, the Upper Primary jumps into Sports Day preparations, and Visual Art is flourishing in Middle School.
Mr Peter Thomson, Principal
Calendar
The Front Page
Trusting Amid Uncertainty
Over the previous weekend, I took part in a National Day of Prayer, where people from all around Australia were praying for our country.
With this in mind, I wanted to let you know that you, our Cedar community, are also being prayed for. Our staff pray for the students and families in our community each week, along with those at CityReach church.
I know that there are serious concerns and challenges that we are all facing. Challenges in our households, our families, friendships, our neighbourhoods, and around the world. I wanted to encourage you that no matter what we are going through or worrying about, we can always find peace in Jesus. He said, in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” and in Phillipians we read, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
God knows all things, and He wants you to trust Him during difficult times. But I realise that’s not always easy.
Difficult Circumstances
Over the last few years, I have experienced many situations where I’ve had to learn to trust God through difficult circumstances. Praying with my father on the night before he passed away was both beautiful, tearful, and difficult. In recent days I have experienced the heartache of family members suffering strokes and dealing with cancer, and the ongoing challenges that this has presented. If I’m honest, these times have been incredibly challenging. But during these times, I have been able to speak to God about things, and have felt peace.
All of this I have no control over, let alone the things happening elsewhere in the world. So I always go back to God. I pray to God and ask for wisdom and guidance. I cry out to God sometimes as things can get too much to bear, and I seek His peace. He is the only one that can give me that in times of trouble.
I want to encourage you to reach out to God too. He dearly loves you and in a world where so much is happening, He is the true source of strength.
May He give you peace as you seek Him.
Mr Nigel Austin, Head of Primary School
Week 5 News and Notices
Public Holidays – Term 1
Monday March 14 – Adelaide Cup Holiday
Friday April 15 – Good Friday Holiday
Absentee Notification
It is important to continue to notify the College if your child will be absent. Parents/caregivers can phone the Front Office from 8am, or alternatively leave a voice message. We are also now trialling a student absentee email notification, which can be accessed under the Cedar Portals menu on our website.
Clicking the Student Absence drop-down will open your device’s email client, prompting for the required information. This email should be sent from the email address you have registered with the College. If required, the Front Office may phone, email or send a text message to confirm the absence.
School Attendance
It remains vitally important that you please keep your child/ren home if they are:
- Unwell
- Experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms
- Any other member of the household has COVID-19
- They are a close contact for a person who has COVID-19 and are required to quarantine
Please notify the college ASAP if your child/ren tests positive for COVID-19. On the weekends, you can notify the College by emailing [email protected] and include your child’s name and class, the date positive test taken and date the symptoms began, and if your child attended school in the 2 days prior to the positive test or symptom onset.
COVID Restriction Updates
A letter was emailed home last week outlining the activities which are able to be resumed.
Currently, visitors attending the College, including parents, will continue to be minimised (current arrangements will continue) and all adult visitors must wear a face mask when indoors, practise physical distancing, and not attend the College if they are unwell.
Face masks continue to be required (when indoors) for all adults and students in Years 7 to 12, and are strongly encouraged for students in Years 3 to 6 (when indoors).
Current testing, isolating and quarantine settings remain unchanged, including definitions for classroom contacts. Camps scheduled within the next four weeks will be postponed, and Chapels will continue to remain virtual, within classrooms, at least until the end of Week 8.
Summer Uniform
Full summer uniform, including school hats, must be worn by all students during Term 1. To aid with management of social distancing requirements, parents/caregivers are currently required to book a Uniform Shop appointment using the online booking calendar.
A reminder to please ensure that all uniform items are clearly marked, this provides the best chance for any lost property to be returned.
New Qkr! Lunch options
Our Canteen will continue to provide lunch orders on Monday, Wednesday & Friday (including Fresh Sushi Friday), and we’ve partnered with Subway Greenacres to provide Sub lunch orders on Tuesday & Thursday. Note: Subway orders MUST be placed by 8pm the evening before.
There’s 4-inch subs for smaller tummies, plus a range of 6-inch subs with lots of extra options such as gluten free wraps and more. High School students collect their lunch orders from the Canteen, while Primary School orders are delivered to their classroom.
Important: When ordering for multiple children, ensure you select each child before selecting their corresponding order.
Fresh Sushi Friday will continue for Friday lunches, including fresh cold rolls. These items must be ordered by 9am Thursday, via the special Fresh Sushi/Cold Roll Friday menu.
Calendar Information
TERM DATES
Term 1, 2022 – Tues 1 Feb – Thu 14 April
Term 2, 2022 – Tue 3 May – Fri 1 July
We will continue to have a three week break between Terms 2 and 3
Term 3, 2022 – Tue 26 July – Fri 30 Sept
Term 4, 2022 – Tue 18 Oct – Wed 14 Dec
UNIFORM SHOP
Regular opening hours during term:
Monday 8:30am – 4:30pm
Wednesday 3pm – 5:30pm
Thursday extended opening hours:
TERM 2 – Weeks 1 – 4, 3pm – 5.30pm
TERM 4 – Weeks 1 – 3, 3pm – 5.30pm
PRIMARY SCHOOL ASSEMBLY
Our Assemblies and Chapels are held on Fridays at 8:50am.
Chapels and Assemblies are currently not able to be attended by parents, due to restrictions.
Should guidelines for large gatherings change, parents/caregivers will be informed.
Students in the News
We’d like to recognise the following students on their recent successes and achievements.
Our congratulations go to Cedar College Year 10 student, George B, who spent time last Friday in the House of Assembly as part of The Advertiser’s Teen Parliament program.
George presented his ideas around helping solve Adelaide’s homeless crisis, which included raising awareness of the problem and creating employment opportunities for those affected.
George’s entry was one of 25 selected across South Australia, allowing teenagers to raise issues that are important to them, before the State Election. The event was live-streamed on Parliament TV, with the results set to be announced soon.
Well done also to Year 8 student, Bella Z on her first place at the recent State Track & Field Championships for Discus, with a throw of 25.63m and a Shot-put distance of 9.85m. This is a significant result at the State-level competition, and a fantastic achievement.
Primary School News
Jumping into Sports Day
Making the most of the warmer weather, students in the Upper Primary are honing their skills in preparation for their upcoming Sports Day.
This year we’ve welcomed Mr Lochie Jackman to the Primary School, as a specialist PE teacher. As a past graduate of Cedar, where he served as both a Sports Captain and Head Prefect, Mr Jackman has experienced many Cedar sports days with his beloved Jackson team.
Preparations Begin
Mr Jackman, and Sports Day veteran Mrs Bek Robinson, have been overseeing the training for the various events as students prepare for the big day on Friday, March 18. As always, the day promises to be an exciting and colourful event, and we’re looking forward to welcoming parents and caregivers to come and fly their team colours! Information about the sausage sizzle, which students can pre-purchase via Qkr!, has been sent home, and House Team badges are also available to pre-purchase for $1 each.
Several pre-event races will take place in the days leading up to Sports Day, and details will be communicated to the students involved. Parents and Caregivers can stay up-to-date with notifications via Canvas, as we look forward to a great day of fun and friendly competition!
Senior School News
DNA - Taking a Closer Look
The first unit of work our Year 10 Science classes are exploring this year includes DNA and Genetics, and discovering what makes us who we are.
The Year 10s started by exploring the structure of Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and the genetic information which it contains that is responsible for the development and function of living organisms.
As part of this learning, our Year 10 students completed a practical experiment where they used common materials to isolate the DNA in strawberries and kiwi fruit. Students began by using household detergent to break down the cells in the fruit. They then used salt to separate the proteins from the DNA, and alcohol to clump the DNA together, allowing the DNA to be visible.
Intelligent Design
Once the DNA was isolated in their mixture, the students used their scientific inquiry skills to investigate the DNA, completing a practical laboratory report.
After studying online, the students had a fantastic time working together in the lab to complete this practical, demonstrating the amazing way which God has wonderfully created strands of DNA to meet each individual’s need.
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” – Psalm 139:14
Mr Herman du Preez, High School Science Teacher
Middle School News
Creativity in Middle School
One of the exciting experiences of beginning High School is taking part in the specialist subjects that are available to Year 7 students, and Visual Art is always popular.
The Year 7s have been developing new skills and techniques during this term, as they explore a range of distinct art styles. One such technique has been continuous line drawing.
These portraits, drawn from real life, are created with one continuous line. This requires the pen to stay on the paper the entire time, without lifting. As all good art reflects and captures the culture of the time, the current season and changes to school life meant including face masks in the portraits.
From Online to Real Life
Year 9 students have also been developing their art techniques, creating small still-life drawings from real life arrangements. The media used was white charcoal pencil on black paper. The students learned how to draw cubes and cylinders during the first two weeks of school via Zoom lessons, and used that information and knowledge to inform their drawings at school.
Previous Newsletters
Read all the news from our previous issues
