Welcome back
It is wonderful to have all our students back on campus, especially our Year 7s and the many new students who have joined us across the other year levels. To see and hear the excitement and energy around the School is wonderful and we are looking forward to everything that 2023 will bring.
With the staggered start to the year, our Year 7s were able to enjoy the Middle School building to themselves on Wednesday 1 February. This provided them with the opportunity to reconnect with each other and their pastoral staff, as well as navigating their way around the campus with a lot more space. They spent a large part of their day preparing for the camp they are on this week including going over clothing lists, safety briefings and a shopping list for some of their meals. It is during this camp that we introduce our students to meal planning and preparation by having them become responsible for a breakfast, lunch and dinner whilst on camp-out. The dinner is prepared using a Trangia stove and needs to be a meal that uses non-refrigerated items given they will be hiking and camping. It is a great learning opportunity in preparation for the Middle School camps that follow in Years 8 and 9 where they become responsible for all of their food over the 5 days. The camp itself is always a highlight for the students and we will provide updates on the camp as they progress.
On Thursday 2 February the Year 8s and 9s joined the rest of the school back on campus for the beginning of their year. Following an extended pastoral care session for all year levels, we were fortunate to have Murrundindi (head man of the Wurrundjeri people) perform a Welcome to Country in our Welcome Back assembly. His message of kindness, care and effort was one that was incredibly well received by both staff and students and helped to kick-start a great school year.
On Friday 3 February we held our annual Foundation Service where we had students from Years 1 to 12, along with staff and parents, assembled to reflect on our School’s rich history and the journey from a home school in Hawthorn in 1877, to where we are now in Ringwood East in 2023. As part of the assembly, we heard from Laura Driessen who was a graduate from the Class of 2010. Since leaving Tintern, Laura went on to become an astrophysicist and now studies the galaxy looking for particular stars and potential planets. She encouraged all students to have a go at everything when at school and to chase their dreams. She went on to express that if you were passionate about something and wanted it badly enough, then with some potential hard work, it would be possible.
Laura Driessen Class of 2010
We also heard from 2018 graduate Gavin Choong. Gavin began studying Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Biomedical Science at Monash University before moving into a role as Global Youth Spokesperson for Amnesty International. He spoke of the amazing opportunities he has been lucky to experience and how developing his sense of compassion whilst at Tintern has guided his youth advocacy work today.
Gavin Choong Class of 2018
A major part of the Foundation Service is the induction of our Class of 2028. This is where we introduce our entire Year 7 cohort to the school by welcoming them onto the stage and presenting them with their special badges. As a school, we wish them all the very best in their 6-year journey through the secondary and look forward to watching their ongoing achievements.
Class of 2028
Watch the 2023 Foundation Service Video
As I write this article our Year 7 students are having an adventure and making friends at camp on the Mornington Peninsula. Full report next issue…
Brett Trollope | Head of Secondary
Welcome Everyone to The Resilience Project @ Tintern Grammar 2023!
This year, we are excited to continue our delivery of The Resilience Project (TRP) in the Middle School and Senior College with some exciting new additions to the project.
Since 2018, TRP has enabled us to integrate wellbeing curriculum in our secondary classrooms, pastoral sessions and provide ‘brain breaks’ to maintain a sense of calm in these chaotic times. Hugh van Cuylenburg and the team at TRP have continued to evolve the resources available to us to empower us to rise to meet these challenges. By making our community more resilient, we are living breathing examples of resilience in action for our children to learn from. With TRP by our side, we are well armed to face whatever 2023 has in store for us.
The Resilience Project delivers emotionally engaging programs and provides evidence-based, practical strategies to support positive mental health and build resilience. Presentations include stories and research on how we can build mental health in our day to day lives and support the mental health of the children in our care. Through this program, teachers and students engage in weekly lessons and activities around the key principles of Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness (GEM) to build resilience.
We respect that as your child’s primary carers, you have an essential role to play in building positive mental health with your children. To support our discussions in the classroom, TRP are running three seminars on building your confidence to talk about resilience and to provide ideas that help you to support your child’s mental health throughout the year.
- Parent/Carer Authentic Connection online presentation Thursday 23 March 2023, at 6:30pm – 8:00pm. Save the date in your calendar and more information about this session will be emailed to you shortly including how to register your participation in this webinar.
- TRP in Action for Parents online presentation Thursday 4 May 2023, at 6:30pm – 8:00pm. Save the date in your calendar and more information about this session will be emailed to you in Term 2 including how to register your participation in this webinar.
- The final presentation, I am excited to announce, is on Monday 7 August 2023, at 6:30pm by one of our favourite presenters, Ms Lael Stone. In this face-to-face session, you will gain further information on how to prioritise connection with your kids, as well as why this relationship is so important, no matter what life presents. I encourage you to save the dates in your diary for this event now. More information on how to register will come out late in Term 2.
The Resilience Project’s school program has been evaluated independently by The University of Melbourne and The University of Adelaide. These evaluations demonstrated the program had targeted benefits in building:
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- Children’s use of daily gratitude strategies and their sense of gratitude
- Confidence and self-esteem, especially in relation to their peer relationships
- Relationships at school and home
- Knowledge and ability to express emotions
- More supportive classroom environments
Visit The Resilience Project website to find out more.
We look forward to communicating more with you over the coming weeks about how Tintern will be delivering all TRP has to offer to our school community. In the meantime, feel free to learn more about TRP by exploring the ideas, activities and resources which bring Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness (GEM) to life through the TRP@HOME portal.
Warm regards
Rebecca Infanti | Resilience Project Coordinator
rinfanti@tintern.vic.edu.au
