Welcome back to a new Term.

All Middle and Senior School parents should have received Semester 1 reports for their daughter by now. Unfortunately a document titled Explanation of Outcomes Reporting in Middle School for 2007 was omitted from the mail-out for parents of girls in Years 7 – 9. The document can now be accessed from the homepage of our PLC website should you require further information, or confirmation, on how to read your daughter’s report.

Scotch College and PLC in partnership with BHP Billiton for a Pilbara school

Some of you may have read an article in the WA Business News about a partnership between Scotch College, Presbyterian Ladies’ College and BHP Billiton to investigate the feasibility of opening a school in the Pilbara region aimed at providing an International Baccalaureate programme for high school aged children of that region.  I wanted to write to parents to give you the background for this proposal.

This possibly exciting and innovative project began with an approach by BHP Billiton to Scotch College and PLC some 18 months ago with a proposal for a new partnership School. Discussions on the feasibility of establishing this school have occurred since then.  We believe that the outcome will be an innovative model for learning that will greatly benefit the children of Port Hedland. The use of technology will form an integral part of the school, with remote learning technology links to both Scotch and PLC in Perth, supplemented by face-to-face classroom practices within the Port Hedland campus. 

Scotch and PLC students will also be able to take advantage of the flow-on of opportunities provided by the partnership; including increased access to technologies. The venture also builds on both School’s commitment to regional Western Australian students.

The planned school will be situated in Port Hedland to meet industry demand to draw experienced professionals from all over the world to the Pilbara area. The school hopes to attract high-achieving academic students who are headed for university. A number of indigenous scholarships will also be available.

BHP Billiton will provide the funding for the project, with Scotch and PLC to provide the intellectual knowledge and practice, together with established values and principles. The International Baccalaureate’s Middle Years Programme and Diploma Programme will form the basis of the curriculum.

The feasibility study is to be conducted over the next six months by Ms Hazel Day, former Principal of PLC, in order to determine exactly what is required for the school and community. The study will also determine when the proposed school should open. If the school goes ahead, it will provide outstanding education opportunities for all families within Port Hedland.

We will keep parents informed of the proposal.

Beth Blackwood Principal

Love is not fundamentally…a matter of sentiment, attachment, or being 'drawn toward'. Love is active, effective, a matter of making reciprocal and mutually beneficial relation with one’s friends and enemies. Love creates righteousness, or justice, here on earth. To make love is to make justice.

We are not automatic lovers of self, others, world, or God. Love does not just happen. Love is a willingness to participate with others in the healing of a broken world and broken lives.

Carter Heyward, Our Passion for Justice

Rev Elke Riekmann Chaplain

.... Jennifer Alderson, Georgina Carr, Portia Smallbone, Liana Tay (Year 10) who, on 1 August, will each receive an award in the 2007 Literature Prize - Now & Then, sponsored by the Peppermint Grove, Cottesloe and Mosman Park Councils.

.... Sophie Allen-Fisher (Year 7) who competed in the Rod Laver Tournament, the largest Queensland Tournament for 12 - 14 year olds and also the National Tennis Tournament for Australians. She was ranked in the top 32 players for both competitions. She has also been selected to represent Western Australia and play in the Bruce Cup in Tasmania in October.

.... Nikki Chung (Year 7) who participated in the National Gymnastics Competition held in Brisbane over the holidays. While she did not win a medal due to age restrictions, her performance was of an excellent standard.

This semester, in Year 9 Language A and Humanities, the girls are working on an integrated unit, titled Chinese Perspectives where they are exploring the guiding question What choices are worth fighting for? The unit is based on the text Mao's Last Dancer written by Li Cunxin and is underpinned by the MYP Fundamental Concepts of holistic learning, intercultural awareness and communication.

In Humanities, students will examine China’s industrialisation and its economic influence on the Australian and world economies and will also study the political and geographical systems in China today and their impact on the environment. At the same time, in Visual Arts, students will explore promotional and performance art works inspired by Chinese patterns, motifs and traditions.

In Language A, the Areas of Interaction for the unit are Approaches to Learning - Communication and Community and Service. In ATL students will engage with and examine the way language is viewed alongside visual texts and how it can vary according to context and audience. The students will also explore how facial expressions and body language are used to affect the reactions of audiences, and how imagery and stereotypes are used to create negative emotions and promote social and political issues.

In Community and Service the girls will focus on the following questions:
How do we live in relation to one another?
How can I contribute to the community?
How can I help others?

Fundraising, letter writing or some other form of service will flow from the student’s interest in some aspect of the human rights issues covered in this unit. For more information on the MYP, please visit the International Baccalaureate Website.

Year 7 Immunisation
The second and final Hepatitis B vaccination will be offered by the Department of Health WA to Year 7 girls on Wednesday 1 August. This will be held in the Boarding House commencing at 9.30 am.

The consent forms were completed with the first round of immunisation held in February.  For parents who signed the additional consent, at that time, their daughter will also be offered the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (whooping cough) vaccinations.  

Please contact the Health Centre on 9424 6432 if you have any questions. 

Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA)
Parents may be aware of publicity surrounding the attempt by ASADA officials to conduct sample drug testing at the King’s Regatta and the Head of the River Regatta held in Sydney in March of this year. ASADA had not notified schools of their intention nor did the officials have appropriate clearance.

Following these events there have been extensive negotiations between ASADA and various educational bodies from both government and independant sectors. These negotiations have resulted in ASADA producing a document for procedures to be followed for ‘sample’ collection from junior elite athletes at schools or at inter/intra school events. Schools should note that this sample collection is for junior elite athletes who are part of national programmes.

To download this document please click on the link: ASADA Procedures

Term 3 Sport
If anyone is interested in coaching or umpiring Basketball, Soccer or Athletics in Term 3 please contact Fiona Wilkinson in the Physical Education Office on 9424 6502 or 0407 990 285. There is a remuneration for coaching and umpiring work at PLC.

For more information about the following notices please contact Jenny Hetherington in the Careers Office.

Combined Schools Tertiary Expo
This year ’s annual Tertiary Expo will be held on Monday 6 August from 5.00 pm to 7.30 pm in the Hugh Baird Sports Centre and Cafeteria. All students from Years 10 - 12 are encouraged to attend. This is an excellent opportunity to seek information from a wide variety of tertiary education providers and help students to clarify goals at this important stage in the year.

University Open Days
All students, particularly Year 12s are encouraged to attend these events which are enjoyable and also provide an excellent opportunity for experiencing the feel of a particular campus.

Murdoch South Street Campus - 12 August
ECU Mt Lawley Campus - 12 August
UWA - 19 August
Curtin - 26 August
Notre Dame- 26 August

Year 12 Students
Ms Hetherington will be available at School for careers appointments on 18 September (IGSSA Athletics Carnival). You may book in her diary now for times on this day. All university applications close on 28 September. Details about the application process will be coming from various institutions in the Year 12 visitor period.

PLC Auxiliary
The next meeting will be held on Monday 13 August at 9.00 am in the Boarders’ Sitting Room. Guest speaker will be PLC’s IB Primary Years Programme Co-ordinator, Alison Viney. All welcome.

PLC Auxiliary Events Coming Up
Thursday 2 August – Cooking with Kirsty Demonstration with Food and Wine Tastings
Friday 3 August – Year 10 Father Daughter Breakfast
Friday 10 August – Year 7 Parent Meet and Greet Night at Claremont Tennis Club

PLC Parents' Committee
The next meeting of the Parents' Committee wil be on Tuesday 31 July at 7.30 pm in the Boadroom in Scorgie House.

WALNA and MSE9 Assessments
This is a reminder that during Weeks 3 and 4 of this term, all students in Years 7 and 9 will be participating in the state-wide WALNA and MSE 9 testing. The timetable will be given to the girls early next week. We consider the information gathered from these assessments valuable and as such it is important that all girls complete each assessment. Please, when you receive the timetable, ensure that your daughter has cancelled any music lessons or other commitments as the WALNA and MSE 9 must take precedence.

House Arts News
This semester PLC is abuzz with excitment as the focus for Inter-House Arts is the Performing and Creative Arts Day. On Friday 7 September students have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of creative activities including poetry, sewing, photography and baking where they can show their talents and express themselves creatively. They can also take part in some of the Performing Arts categories. These include a variety of Dance sections, Monologues, Group Improvisations, Poetry or Prose Reading, LOTE Performances and a wide range of Music sections. Girls receive House Points for participating in the Performing and Creative Arts Day.

The day culminates in the Inter-House Choir Competition. House Choir Co-ordinators have been hard at work rehearsing their choirs since the beginning of this term and it will be wonderful to hear the results of their efforts on Arts Day.

We look forward to all PLC girls taking part in at least one activity and challenging themselves on this special day.

Mathematics help for Middle School Students
This is now also available on a Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon from 3.30 pm until 4.30 pm in the Study Centre (above the library), as part of homework help. Student Maths specialists from Years 9 and 10 are available to help Middle School students with any problems they may be having with their Mathematics.

Tuesday and Thursday mornings are still available from 7.45 am until 8.25 am in SU4.

Information to Parents: Educational Accountability
In order to access Commonwealth Government recurrent funding, PLC has an obligation under the Schools Assistance (Learning Together – Achievement Through Choice and Opportunity) Act 2004 Section 36 (3) (e) to report the expenditure and teacher participation in professional learning to the School community.

This information which is provided below, is also available via our Website.

Educational Accountability: School Performance Information
Presbyterian Ladies’ College supports professional development for all teaching staff. Teachers are involved in on-going professional development, both within the school and externally. The Professional Development Policy aims to align an individual’s personal and professional goals with those of the school.

In the last 12 months, staff have undertaken a wide range of professional development activities which generally fall under the following headings:

• International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme
• International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme
• International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
• Subject Specific
• Courses of Study
• Teaching and Learning
• Pastoral Care
• Behaviour Management
• Learning Support and Gifted and Talented
• Assessment

All PLC teaching staff (141) have participated in professional development activities this year. The average annual professional development expenditure is 1.2% of the total salaries budget.

Bizarre Baskets with Artist Lorna Murray
Join artist, Lorna Murray, to create a collection of beautifully coiled Bizarre Baskets inspired by various tribal techniques using a variety of natural and bought materials.

Morris Gleitzman Author Talk and Book Signing
Tickets are now free to this event.
Meet one of Australia’s (and the world’s) best known and loved children’s authors, Morris Gleitzman, when he visits PLC to present his latest novel Give Peas A Chance.
Wednesday 1 August at 7.00 pm
Hazel Day Drama Centre
To download a flyer and to reserve tickets, please click on the link: Morris Gleitzman

Cooking With Kirsty Carre : Creative Finger and Cocktail Food
Thursday 2 August 6.00 pm - 8.00 pm
Food Studies area in the new Science, Arts, Technology and Middle School building.
Join Kirsty Carre and enjoy a demonstration and tasting of creative finger and cocktail food, and wine from Virgin Block, in the new Food Studies area.

WA Eminent Speaker Series - James Bradfield Moody
Hazel Day Drama Centre
Thursday 9 August 2007 7.30 pm
PLC is pleased to, once again, be hosting the ATSE-WA Eminent Speaker Public Lecture. James Bradfield Moody will be speaking on Insurmountable Opportunities: Success in a resource limited world. James is an electrical engineer who is passionate about space technologies and the environment and is currently Director of Divisional Business Strategy for CSIRO Land and Water. He is probably more readily known as part of the panel on the ABC television programme The New Inventors. For more information about the Public Lecture, please download a flyer: James Bradfield Moody