Girls' Chess Championship

Congratulations to the team, who represented Prescott so well, encouraging each other at every game and demonstrating true sportsmanship in all situations. We are so proud of you girls. We would also like to thank Loretto College for being such a wonderful and welcoming host.

Year 2 Science Incursion

In Term 3, the Year 2 classes completed a Science unit on space and the patterns in our sky. To celebrate our learning, we had SciWorld’s mobile planetarium come and visit us on the last day of term. We were in awe as we entered the huge, inflatable dome and explored the wonders of space together. Through projected images, we were able to travel through our solar system and visit the planets, stars and our Moon, which came so close we felt like we could touch it! It was an awesome reminder of just how miraculous God’s universe truly is!

Yr 6 Vege Ventures

What We Have Been Doing:
Over the past two terms, all Year 6 students have been growing vegetables in the garden. We’ve been growing a variety of veggies, and our group chose to grow carrots and basil. Each group has been responsible for selling their produce, and we’ve been raising money to donate to charities. Every group selected a charity to support, and we chose to donate to the Cancer Council. 

What We Learned:
We’ve learned how to care for and harvest our vegetables. In addition to that, we’ve gained marketing skills and a better understanding of sustainability. We also learned a lot about the specific veggies we grew and how to successfully harvest them. 

How Was the Experience: 
We had an amazing experience growing the veggies because we got hands-on and learned how to care for them. It was a lot of fun being part of something new and learning new things with our group. Overall, it was a fun experience, and we would definitely do it again as a group. 

-Samreen & Japjot

Near the end of Term 2, the Year 6 students were put into groups to plant, harvest, and sell fresh produce. Many groups were able to harvest by Term 3, while others are still waiting for their crops to be ready. We have to sell our produce to the teachers in our school using various marketing techniques. These include offering an affordable price or making our product visually appealing. As a group, we must decide what to do with the money we earn, such as donating it to charities or organizations.

My group decided to plant carrots and basil, both known to support hair growth due to their beneficial properties and nutrients. This week, we were able to harvest our carrots, and now we’re waiting for our basil to mature. Our carrots have been very healthy and look strong. Throughout this experience, I’ve felt very happy and excited, as I look forward to selling more and more produce. My favourite part of this assignment is the selling aspect because I enjoy creatively marketing and earning money, knowing it’s for a good cause. Overall, this experience has been fun—not only working in the garden but also watching our produce grow.

- Nurleen and Avni

Choir Perform at Prescott College Fete

Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC): Best in Schools Awards

SA Junior School Chess Championships

Nature Play Bug Hunt

Nature play invites our PPN kids to investigate and let their curiosity guide them through the yard. This week it was all about bugs. Bugs to find, bugs to discover and bugs to create. The students had a page of bugs such as slaters, ants, bees, ladybirds and worms to find in the nature play space. Students were scurrying like spiders and slaters, using their magnifying glass to see if they could find them all. One student even managed to find a gecko which they were most excited about! Other students used to pens to make a bug using sharpies and rocks they could take home or hide around the community. The beautiful bugs they made were very creative.

What bugs can you discover in your backyard or community, maybe you could go on a bug hunt and find out? 

At Prescott Primary Northern, we believe that the heart of education is not only in academics but also in shaping character and nurturing values. One of our school RISE Values is Service. Encouraging acts of service in children is an essential step toward nurturing compassion, responsibility, and a sense of community. By participating in acts of kindness, our students can grow into empathetic, conscientious citizens who understand the value of giving back.

This past week, my heart has been encouraged as I was able to witness multiple occasions of our students demonstrating the value of service. Our Year 6 team have been busy harvesting their kitchen garden, selling the produce to the staff to raise money for ADRA. As I was doing a school tour last week, I walked into one of our Foundation Classes and saw our beautiful Year 4 students, their buddy class, kindly assisting these little ones with an activity. Our students all participate in a service project each term, raising money and awareness for a number of different charities.

Service to others teaches children vital life skills. When they engage in community service, volunteer work, or small acts of kindness, they learn about empathy—stepping into the shoes of others and understanding different perspectives. These experiences can help students develop a sense of gratitude for their own circumstances and encourage them to be more supportive of those who may be in need.

As one of my favourite author and researcher Brené Brown reminds us, "At the end of the day, at the end of the week, at the end of my life, I want to be able to say that I contributed more than I criticized." This wisdom speaks to the importance of actively contributing to our communities, rather than standing on the sidelines. By encouraging our children to engage in acts of service, we help them become contributors—individuals who work toward positive change, rather than observers or critics.

Families also play a key role in nurturing a child's desire to serve. They can promote gratitude, model kindness and recognise and celebrate efforts, big or small.

By fostering a culture of service at PPN, we aim to create a school community where values such as service, kindness and generosity are at the forefront of everything we do. As we approach the final sprint of the school year, let's work together to encourage our students to embrace service, both inside and outside of school, so they can look back on their school year with similar reflections to Brene Brown, where they can say they contributed more than they criticised. Let's join them and do the same!

Blessings,

Tamara

Hey PPN Family,

I was listening to a podcast recently and the speaker was talking about how we are living in the “Age of Offence” where everyone is so easily offended. When I think about it, he has a really good point.

We get offended when people are driving too slowly, and we get offended when they’re driving too fast. We get offended when the line at the supermarket is too long, we get offended when our Wi-Fi buffers while we are watching a movie, and we get offended when the hot drink that we ordered from our favourite café arrives warm.

Because we are living in an age where we all get so easily offended, a negative consequence of this is that we are also living at a time when relationship conflicts are at an all time high.

In Matthew 5:9 (NIV) Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Jesus makes it clear that being a peacemaker is one of the most godlike things that we can do. To be called a child of God means someone who reflects the character and nature of God, and God is a peacemaker.

God is all about restoring relationships, and his enemy the Devil is all about destroying relationships. When God comes into our relationships he brings love, forgiveness, grace, compassion, reconciliation and peace. The Devil is the complete opposite.

When sin destroyed our relationship with God, Jesus gave his life for us so that our relationship with God could be restored. Jesus is the peacemaker between God and us. And when we have made peace with God, His Spirit will live in us, empowering us to become peacemakers just like Him.

Do you need some peacemaking in your life right now? Ask Jesus to come into your heart.

God bless,

Roland Talamaivao-Amituanai

FREE Webinars – Unplugged Childhood + Tweens, Teens and Screens

Valued at $49 but FREE for the PPN families, join Dr Justin Coulsen for a not-to-be missed webinar for parents of primary-aged children.

From Dr Justin Coulsen:

In today’s digital age, our children face unprecedented challenges from social media and digital devices. Join us as we explore the urgent need to address these issues head-on. Social media companies have come under scrutiny for their failure to protect children, despite knowing the harm their platforms can cause. Dangerous algorithms push harmful content to vulnerable youth, impacting mental health and well-being. Screens not only disrupt academic performance but also displace crucial real-world experiences essential for healthy development.

While some advocate for legislative measures to restrict social media access for under-16s—a crucial step we fully support—implementing such laws takes time and faces significant technological and legislative hurdles. Parents cannot afford to wait. The majority of primary school-aged children already have social media accounts and smartphones, often violating existing age restrictions.

In this presentation, we discuss actionable strategies for parents and caregivers to navigate the digital landscape safely and effectively. From setting healthy screen-time limits to fostering open communication about online risks, empowering our children to navigate the digital world responsibly is more critical than ever. Together, we can take proactive steps to safeguard our children’s well-being in an increasingly digital world.

Join the Webinar at 6:30pm (Adelaide Time):

Login: https://schools.happyfamilies.com.au/login/ppn

Password: happyppn

Fun Run Date Change

Parking and Driving safely – Thank you!

A quick note of thanks to parents for parking and driving safely at school this term. We have heard that a number of council fines and police reminders were issues last week for cars parked incorrectly or turning right out of the front car park. Thank you to all of those who keep our kids and community safe by driving and parking safely around the school.

2025 School Fees

To assist families in their planning, below is breakdown of school fees for 2025. We have worked hard to keep fee increases as small as possible despite the continuing rise in costs. Discounts continue to be available for families with multiple students enrolled, prompt payments, and school card holders. Please contact the school if you have any questions about your fees for 2025.

Thank you too for ensuring your fees are up to date as we enter into Term 4.

Science Week

Christmas Carols

Community Food Parcel Project - ADRA Para Vista

ADRA Para Vista is providing a community service of a drive through food parcel pick up for needy people in the community.

The drive through pick up will be held once a month on the third Monday of the month beginning Monday October 21 .

It will start at 10:30AM  and go through to 1:30PM in the Prescott Primary Northern student drop off driveway at the Church House on the left.  ADRA banners will mark the pick point at the house.

Thank you to the families of Prescott Primary Northern who have donated food for this community project, along with Para Vista Adventist Church and ADRA South Australia.

If your family, or you know of others who may be in need of food support, please contact Gary White on 0427450071.

My OSHC - Pupil Free Day Nov 8th