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The Bark June 2018 - Issue 15

THE AUTUMN COLOURS OF CANDLEBARK

If you have anything you would like to contribute to future issues of 'The Bark' please feel free to email me; janeduggan26@yahoo.com.au

Jane Cahill - Editor In Chief

A message from john

I'm writing this on May 31, proclaimed by many to be the last day of autumn, but it's like we fast-forwarded autumn this year and have already arrived at winter! Oddly enough, despite the sudden cold and the bitter wind, we have a record low number of absentees today for 2018 – only two children away. Michelle has suggested a possible link between the high attendance and the fact that today is cake day… the evidence so far is purely circumstantial, but I wouldn't rule her theory out…

The grade 4s leave in a few minutes for a concert called "Meet the Orchestra with Tripod", which might sound somewhat surreal, but is a collaboration between the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the famous musical comedy trio, Tripod. According to the website, "it's finally time to answer a question that has long plagued the global arts community: who knows more about music? Tripod or Leonard Bernstein?"

I'm not sure that Leonard, were he still alive, would be amused by this question, but it'll be interesting to hear the Grade 4s’ answer when they return this afternoon.

I do hope that you can get to our soirée at the end of term – it'll be a chance to answer a question that has long plagued the global arts community: who knows more about music? Candlebark students, or Bach and Mozart?

It's hard to believe we're talking about the end of term already. Only a few weeks to go – and yet another long weekend coming up soon! But the energy of the school is good. I had a letter last week from someone to whom we had not been able to offer a place, with the following poignant words: 'So the problem that I have encountered, is that now I’ve been to Candlebark, my family and I can’t unsee what we’ve seen at Candlebark! As we ultimately deal with the prospect of having to enrol our child in ‘a school’, we’re doing the rounds of open days, checking out our local schools...it’s hard not to judge them harshly, when in our mind we’ve already found the perfect school!...The first blow happens when we turn up to a school tour, are greeted and taken around by a marketing/PR lady, the principal is MIA. The next blow comes during the tour, when the four year olds, who would potentially be the pupils of the school next year, are not allowed to play on the school playground due to legal liability. The blows keep on coming; we are told with pride that the school encourages at least one excursion per year level starting from prep, there are many incursions; and they keep coming, a charter coach takes the kids to the swimming program in term 4 (the pool is 500 meters away); and coming, 27 kids per teacher is about the average class size! As the tour ends, I feel like I need to pick up my broken soul from the floor, and find the strength to be polite as I decline to take an enrolment pack. And off to the next school we go, so after I’ve been to a number of them, I’ve decided to write you this letter….’

We are not perfect; nothing and no-one is, but it is appalling that so little real change has happened in Australian schools during my lifetime, and I cannot see a single glimmer of significant change on the horizon.

Anyway, to finish with something of much greater importance: WOULD ANYONE LIKE A GUINEA PIG? Or two guinea pigs? Or six? Ten? We do have rather a lot – adults and infants. Kris and the boys won't let me pay people to take them away, but we would happily make gifts of guinea pigs to families who are interested :-) And Christmas isn't that far away…

Best wishes,

John

Contents

  • Term Dates
  • What's Happening At Candlebark
  • Winter Soiree
  • Vox Anthology Competition
  • Bright Camp - photos
  • CDPSSA District Soccer tournament
  • Community Notices

Term Dates

  • Term 2: 17 April to 22 June
  • Term 3: 16 July to 20 September
  • Term 4: 9 October to 13 December

Unlike 2016 and 2017, dates will be the same for both Candlebark and Alice Miller.

What's Happening at Candlebark

  • June 21 - Winter Soiree @ Kyneton Town Hall
  • July 18 – Grade 5 to ‘Robot Song’ theatre performance 1.30 at The Engine Room, Bendigo
  • July 18 to August 22 – Swimming program for Grade 5/6s.
  • August 7 – CDSSA Basketball
  • August 30 – CDSSA Athletics
  • October 26 – MSO – Year 7 ‘Stravinsky’s Firebird’

Winter Soiree

One of the musical highlights of the Candlebark year is the term two Winter Soirée. This year our soirée will be held at the Kyneton Town Hall on Thursday the 21st of June.

Every student in the school will be performing a musical item with their class, as well as performances by the Ska Band, Soul Band, Chamber Ensemble & the Choir (plus a few other surprise items).

We will have a dress-rehearsal during the day of the 21st so, if it is relevant to you, please send your daughter/son along with their instrument and sheet music.

I will confirm the exact starting time in a later email but it will be around 7pm.

Feel free to send any questions to me directly at: taran.carter@gmail.com (and please let me know now if your child is unavailable on this night so we can rehearse accordingly).

See you at the soirée.

Taran

VOX Anthology Competition

Here is some writing from some of Wendy Wright's Year 5,6 & 7s based on the topic of 'Curious'.

- By Riley Allen Young
- By Kate Turnbull
- By Jake Hagan
- By Charlie Alfred Buckler
- By Finnegan Spencer-Smith
- By Lugh Brazil
- By Zara Trikojus
- By Rhys Matthew Blume
By Lena Goddard

Bright Camp - photos

It seems so long ago but Mandy De Lacy shared these beautiful photos from the Bright camp in March, which I neglected to include in the previous newsletter, it would be a shame not to share them ... so here they are - Enjoy!

CDPSSA District Soccer tournament

Dixon Field, May 2018.

Once again Candlebark descend from their headquarters in the sky, to attend the CDPSSA District Soccer tournament in Gisborne. Two teams, boys and girls, will be representing Candlebark, and all the hopes and dreams of its alumni, both past and present plus everything it itself represents. Their customary practice schedule has been disrupted by bike camps; talks about relationships and, shudder, changes; severe rainstorms and numerous other activities thrust upon them, none of which are as important as maintaining a high defensive line, and knowing when to switch play. Nonetheless, there are thirteen girls jostling for eleven on-field places, and sixteen boys trying to squeeze into eleven. There will be six matches for each team, of around sixteen minutes, with a two minute turnaround and five pitches to choose from. Between matches the kids get twenty minutes rest, while I wander from pitch to pitch, discussing tactics with my trusty nodding assistant, Olly.

We’ve decided upon a 3-4-2-1 formation, high wingbacks and a solid midfield, but I don’t need to tell you that, it’s obvious. Clearly, it is a slight variation on the inverse Christmas tree formation that really took off at the Euros ‘96, under El Tel. A strong spine supplemented by enthusiastic wings, backed by a no-nonsense defence and tipped with a rapier attacker should see us through.

I’m not going to kill you with match by match details. I spent most of the time striding up and down the sideline at all the girls’ matches, kicking every ball, making every challenge, living every moment and jotting down some notes.

Player Notes:

Kate: competitive, brave, a strong toe-poke under pressure, happy to play anywhere needed, a real team player with good coordination.

Clementine: played with seven stitches in her leg and stepped into goal when asked, growing into the position and being bravest on pitch.

Alice: didn’t stop chasing the ball, shouting encouragement all the time, a busy brave team player who grew in ability and stature throughout the day.

Eva: her experience showed: a stand out in midfield, or in goal; always looking for the pass and fierce into the tackle.

Ellie: played anywhere asked and with a smile. Grew into the tournament as the day went on, had some vital touches.

Maisy: the team’s go-to up front. Loves a dribble, often running through, and if necessary over, the entire opposition defence, and putting the ball in the back of the net.

Acer: initially looking a little lost, but finishing a midfield tiger. Strong into the tackle, some really important touches throughout the day, chasing every chance down hard.

Ebony: smiling assassin. Happily tackling the opposition, or chasing a pass down, another vital cog in the midfield engine.

Eliza: tough, brave, strong in the heart of defence, grew throughout the day and early hesitancy was replaced with eager pressing.

Penny: could get a run in any defence. Loves stepping out to challenge a fifty-fifty, even a thirty-seventy; cleared the ball all day, hit a few heads on both sides!

Lena: looked a little lost to begin, but grew into her role on the wing, chasing back to tackle, going forward to challenge too. Didn’t stop running.

India: Another midfielder growing into the role. Some really vital tackles and passes, running up and down the wing in support, reading the game better and better.

Wynifred: braver and braver all day long. Chasing the ball, getting important touches to tackle or pass, a real tiger on the pitch.

The girls were very unlucky to lose the first three matches by a goal each time (0-1, 2-3, 1-2). They were getting better, but just not getting any luck. When they lost 0-2 in the fourth, there was a big team meeting, a clearing of the air, the team realised they were letting the gaffer down and that he’d be getting his P45 in the morning unless they turned things around. The fifth match saw them facing the mighty Newham, or it might have been Tylden, unbeaten all day, four games, four wins. It was going to be one of those definitive moments in the lives of these young women, perhaps one of the most definitive. What kind of person do I want to be? A whiner, complaining about life? Or a fighter, a doer, bending the world and shaping my future with fire in the belly and good team mates at my shoulder?

Well, with over half the game played, we hadn’t worked it out, it was drawing nil nil. My either-or team talk was beginning to sound even more foolish as apparently there might be an inconvenient third way with no clear label or behaviour. However, the girls were beginning to turn the heat up on their opponents as, perhaps, the realisation of what I had said to them sank in. Passes began to connect; hard crunching challenges went our way; dribbles brought the crowd to their feet, well, toes. Until finally, amazingly, after what was perhaps the longest, most excitingest, tensest goal mouth scramble anyone had ever seen, someone, somehow, looped the ball into the back of the net, and we were one-nil up. For the first time all day, we were winning a game!

The girls went on to prove they are fighter/doers, and it was the sweetest victory of the day, for either side. (We drew the last one 1-1, in another classic).

The boys had the inverse of this experience, winning their first three, perhaps beginning to book their flights and hotel for the final, and consequently losing the next two (one-nil, gutting) with a draw in the final game scuppering any hopes of reaching a long sought after final. To be fair, we did a lot better than usual, the team, playing as a genuine team, but struggling on the tiny pitch on which they played their last three matches. Our expansive creative play limited by the imposition of a ridiculously rigid, and flat, structure: clearly a metaphor for something. Anyway, we lost both games to the eventual finalists (Kyneton and Woodend), and if there had been semi-finals, as there occasionally are, we would have reached them, but I’m turning into a whiner.

Cal: never stopped running, chasing down the ball, occasionally controlling it, and preferring to play in a cap…!

Cosi: Thrust up front, but far more comfortable in defence. Used his speed and ability to read the game to great effect.

Kai: Brave enough to play in goal when we needed him most. Some vital saves, some brave gathers, and a remarkable debut performance.

Aidan: a seasoned pro in defence. Good first touch, and loads of energy to chase around.

Reuben: never stops running, ever. A Duracell bunny of a midfielder, with loads of vital tackles and passes. Every team needs one. (And a cracking goal too)

Henry B: some great first touches, good ideas with the ball, linked well with others, and showed great confidence.

Rook: Another defensive stalwart! First to any fifty-fifty, brave in the tackle, stands up to anyone, and did a remarkable job on a slippy pitch.

Lucas: Loves a tackle or a ball to chase. Started in defence, then was pushed higher and higher up the pitch, nearly scoring quite a few times.

Harry: His second showing here, and a far more confident one. Great passes out of defence, played the wing really well, hard into the tackle.

Walter: another runner. Not always a clean first touch, but always at the ball, fixing up situations, and making some vital touches everywhere! And not afraid of a header.

Zu: great play up front. Wanting the ball, some tremendous first touches to control it, and growing into the role over the day.

Ned: The maestro of the team, exquisite ball control, some lovely passes and some great goals, very ably supported by the surrounding team and refreshingly humble.

Max: lived in the UK for a while, and it showed. Solid defensive midfielder, reading the game well, and being in the right place at the right time more often than not.

Bryn: a livewire on the wing. Full of energy, and ready to learn. Got better and better as the day got on, an excellent and brave debut.

Quinn: a calming figure in the bustle of the midfield. Great tackler and good passer. Played better with his hoody off!

Jack: another brave volunteer in goal. When everyone else has been beaten, they’ve still got to beat the goalie. Stood up well in the contest, and a good team player.

I went hoarse shouting inane advice, I jumped with joy when we scored, the two teams were a real credit to Candlebark, and it was clear how proud the watching parents were. Next year all those grade 5s will be joined by the hungry fours, and I genuinely feel as though we could go a little better, and get into the final and win it. You heard it here first. (I sound like a manager trying to keep his job…)

- Andy Moffat

Community Notices

Created By
Jane Cahill
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