Primary Newsletter
IN THIS ISSUE: •
News from the Classroom
•
Welcome back to Years 2-6
•
Birthdays
Dear Parents and Caregivers, Renowned educational reformer and philosopher, John Dewey, once said that “If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.” This challenge is with us each day in the Primary School, as we remain constantly aware of the need to prepare students for an ever-shifting future. If there is one thing which the pandemic has revealed it is that we have very little control over how some events will play themselves out in our lives – but we most certainly have the choice of how we will respond to them. This is an invaluable lesson which we can help our children to learn. Inevitably, there will be times of challenge for them while at school. They will also have to learn how to manage their time, how to select which activities they would like to participate in, and how to deal with the rewards (and challenges) of relationships. One important way in which children are able to work their way through these sometimes-difficult aspects of their lives is through play. Although play might be regarded as something that happens mainly in an early learning environment, it is no less important in a Primary School. While there might be more of a focus on the academic, sporting and cultural activities which make up a typical day in the Primary School, one only has to leave a group of children alone for a while to see how quickly they organise themselves into some form of play. This is no less true for an individual than it is for a group of children. In a world which seems to revolve around instant gratification – more often than not involving some digital device or another – sometimes the best instigator of learning and adventure is boredom. We use the term Kindergarten so frequently that we forget its actual meaning: children’s garden. When German teacher Friedrich Froebel started the first Kindergarten in 1837, his focus was on ‘selfactivity’, in which the interests and inquisitive The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
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nature of the children would lead them to explore and learn. Thus, the teacher became more of a facilitator rather than the font of all knowledge, which was a huge shift from the traditional view of the teacher-student relationship. The classroom also then becomes an extension of the ‘children’s garden’ – a place for self-discovery and wonder. We hope that as the children move through the Primary School, they retain their love of play and of delving into the wonders of the world. Whether in the playground or in the playful way in which they learn, we hope that they approach life with a playful spirit. As Froebel put it, “Play is the highest expression of human development in childhood, for it alone is the free expression of what is in a child’s soul.” Congratulations to Ruby Levitt for achieving an Honourary award for her contribution to the Harmony Day poster competition. Have a great weekend, especially as you enjoy the various scary monsters and creatures which are likely to inhabit neighbourhoods during Halloween! Please also follow this link to view this week’s Online Assembly. Please also follow this link to access our online Uniform Shop.
Have a great weekend! Dee Pitcairn Principal
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Reddam House Would like to wish a very happy birthday to Archie Maccormick, Kiran Reddy, Asher Flesker, Stelios Apostolopoulos,Gabriel Salzano Caspary, Arley Barrington, Raphael Da Cunha, Sari Movsessian and Sofia Scardilli Who celebrated their special day this week and over the weekend
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Principal and Principal Honour Awards Reddam House Would like to congratulate the following students on their Principal and Principal Honour Awards.
Principal Awards recipients: Nathaniel Illoski,Michael Sun, Isabella Nanos Karabetsos,Daniel Strange Sierra, Haobo Gao, Thomas Jackaman,Rocky Walker
Principal Honour Awards recipients: Emma Bradburn
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WELCOME BACK YEAR 2 - YEAR 6
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HALLOWEEN CELEBRATIONS
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HALLOWEEN CELEBRATIONS
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ART GALLERY
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ART GALLERY
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KINDERGARTEN This week in English our focus for Kindergarten was on teaching and recognising an informative text and creating our own written information texts based on our knowledge of living things. Our young writers really surprised the teachers in our English lessons. We worked well at composing and creating our own interesting sentences and paragraphs. Our knowledge of what living things need and their characteristics guided our writing processes. Our Mathematics concept this week was on sharing. We had so much fun playing games on the interactive white board, sharing concrete materials and using our mental strategies to divide up and share different materials equally. The students were even able to think about what happens when there are left over seeds or dried beans that we cannot share equally. This was the introduction of remainders and unequal shares. The sports students dived their way into Week 3 with a SPLASH! They enjoyed a refreshing and relaxed swimming lesson at Cook and Phillip Park Pool where they were taught by energetic and patient swimming instructors. There were so many smiles and stories on the bus home of their first school swimming experience. Our beautiful ballerinas at school pointed and stretched their bodies with motivation and confidence. The Kindergarten teachers are so proud of how well the students managed to change and organise themselves for their PE lesson this week. Well done!
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YEAR 1 This week in Year 1 we continued to enjoy exploring the texts of Julia Donaldson. Children were introduced to the book 'Tabby McTat' and used it as a motivation to create their own missing posters for lost pets. We did not just have cats that went missing in Year 1 though. It seems we have a collection of dinosaurs and unicorns as pets around here! Our text type is Poetry this term and we used it as a vehicle to get ghoulish in the name of Halloween fun. The children wrote their own shape poems in the form of pumpkins. We had zombie walks, gliding ghouls and haunted houses at every corner! In History and Geography, the children learnt about the aboriginal connection to country and discussed what country means to them. Beyond land mass the children discussed what home means to them. We reflected on our time with family, groups we were part of and the way we enjoy the landscape and natural habitats that surround us. Science took us to the ice-cream parlour as we experimented with combining materials and our topic of food. The children loved the practical element of making magic milk this term and the food exploration is set to continue with our budding scientists. They are able to make sound predictions and always delight in the testing of their assumptions. Keep up the curious questions Year1! We were also lucky enough to have a Science/Geography virtual excursion where they met farmer Martin and teacher Kate. It was informative and engaging and we are so grateful to them for being such great online hosts!
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YEAR 2 Monday was a cause for celebration… our beloved Year 2 students returned to campus! There was pumping music, glitter, balloons and smiles everywhere. Excited chatter has filled the classrooms, halls and playgrounds. Old friends were reunited and some new friendships are being made. Friday was also a very eventful day… a dress-up for Halloween and a return to the pool for our Summer Term PE program. The Year 2 teachers were able to observe some spooky characters transforming into organised and sensible swimmers – hardly any missing towels, shoes or swimsuits! In English, we learned about ‘when phrases’ and ‘where phrases’ which may begin with a preposition, such as ‘before school’, ‘in the morning’, ‘at the park’ and ‘between the goalposts’. We also sorted arguments for and against an opinion and constructed a persuasive argument with the class on the topic ‘Sydney is the best city to live in’. The students continued their poetry focus and learned how to write a didactic cinquain poem, inspired by Halloween. In Science, we discovered that a forensic scientist finds clues to solve mysteries. We looked into just how the mother duck confused the ‘ugly duckling’ as one of her own! Looking into similarities and differences of swans and ducks helped us to understand the mother duck’s confusion. Their life cycles are quite similar! Our History and Geography lessons continued to explore Australia, the first Australians and our connections to the land we live on.
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YEAR 3 In true Reddam style, the Year 3 students were welcomed back through the gates this week with music, a plethora of balloons (hanging from every corner of the astroturf), and exploding blue and gold confetti guns to celebrate their return to school. It truly was a sight to see, and the celebrations certainly didn’t stop there. All week long, the Year 3 corridor buzzed with excitement, laughter and happiness as the students finally had the chance to mingle face-toface with their friends and participate in their classes. Their teachers were in awe of how much their students have grown and matured whilst they’ve been away, and were also reminded about how hard-working and conscientious the Year 3s are. In English, the students started to plan and write their own diary entries based on the short film, ‘A Mouse for Sale’. The film centres around a mouse in a pet shop, with rather large ears, who longs to have an owner. Many customers come and go, but the mouse is never bought, until one day he attracts the attention of a boy, who as it turns out, also has rather large ears. It’s a match made in heaven. The students used their imagination to pretend that they were individual characters from the film and they wrote diary entries based on how they believe that these characters would think and feel. In Mathematics, the students started their new topic on Mass. They eagerly hefted everyday items, trying to estimate their weight and then used scales to see how close their predictions were in reality. They also converted units of mass, such as grams and kilograms, to help demonstrate their knowledge of measurement and geometry. It was an absolutely fantastic first week back in the classroom. Well done, Year 3!
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YEAR 4 To see the joy and happiness etched on our Year 4 students faces as they burst into their classrooms on Monday was priceless. The noise was a welcome respite from the silence of classrooms of the last few months. The students were bubbling over with excitement sharing online learning tales and catching up with friends. We jumped straight back into our lessons; however, we were now able to focus on using hands-on inquiry with apparatus! This term in Science our focus is ‘Fabulous forces’. We spent our lessons this week using force meters to understand that gravity is a pulling force. The weight on these scales is given in grams and the amount of force is given in Newtons (N). We weighed a variety of objects around our classroom. This was such fun and we weighed chairs, school bags, trays and pencil cases. Our Science activity was also a great activity with which to intertwine our Maths topic for this week. We used scales to weigh objects in grams and kilograms and converted units of measurement. All in all, the teachers in Year 4 are sure that the rigorous activities of our super cohort will have them all exhausted and ready for a restful weekend! Well done, Year 4, on a super week of face-to-face learning!
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YEAR 5 & 6 SCIENCE This week in Science, Year 5 explored two parts of the Earth and Space module. Earlier in the week, students learnt how to memorise and identify each phase of the Moon by either just seeing an image of the Moon or its position in relation to the Sun. In the students’ second Science lesson of the week, they began to explore deeper into space and started to identify the planets that make up our solar system. This week in Science, Year 6 studied two different natural disasters. Firstly, the students studied earthquakes and are now able to identify what an earthquake is, state how an earthquake happens and describe how severe an earthquake is by the Richter scale and seismograph readings. In the second Science lesson of the week, they studied tsunamis. Students conducted a case study into the 2004 tsunami in Thailand and learnt how and why tsunamis happen and the impacts they cause.
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YEAR 5 ENGLISH During this week the students practised their diary entry writing skills. Though the protagonist of the novel is Sadako, they learned to empathise with other characters in the novel. Here is a diary entry written by Ria Kroon from Sadako’s mother’s perspective upon learning that her daughter became ill with leukaemia. Dear diary, To be fair, I have absolutely never written a diary before. But, I just need something to pour all my emotions on. My lovely daughter Sadako has got leukaemia. I am heart-broken and depressed. My darling daughter is ill. One day she was running a race and she won. Happy and joyful were the following days until she collapsed. We brought her to the Red Cross Hospital and the nurse told me she had leukaemia. I had never imagined my daughter having it. I didn’t want her to be in the special ‘atom bomb disease’ chamber. When I heard the news, my heart leaped out of my chest. I just wanted to curl up and cry. I turned away from the nurse and looked at Sadako lying in the hospital bed as pale as the sheets. When we came out of the nurse’s room, I pulled Sadako close to my heart and wept in her hair. Sadako looked up and me and said in a whisper ‘do I really have the atom bomb disease’….. I didn’t know what to say. I had devoted my life to protecting every one of my children and here I was crying because my daughter had leukaemia. The drive home was silent. Silence swam through our brains causing pain and disruption. The rain pattered on my window, and I thought back on the happy and exciting memories with Sadako. I wish I had never been annoyed with Sadako for being impatient on Memorial Day, but instead enjoyed the personality and to spend every moment with her and cherish it. Turning my head towards the backseat where my other children sat, I saw them silent with red and sore faces from crying. My husband was holding my hand tightly and all my emotions and thoughts were fixed on Sadako. I didn’t even know if that was right or if I should be thinking about everyone else too… I wish I were a doctor so I could sit and hold Sadako while she was in hospital… to see her progress and try to cure her. Or, a scientist, to discover and cure for leukaemia. The awful and dishonourable Americans have caused so much pain to our family and country. Why couldn’t our neighbour get it? Or even the shopkeeper? Why Sadako? I lay in bed that night crying. I felt as though someone had stabbed me straight in my heart. I pray God, please help me, help my daughter Sadako. Tomorrow I might write again….
Ria Kroon The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
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YEAR 6 ENGLISH Year 6 were hard at work improving their understanding of the format of written analytical paragraphs. They used the colour coding system to ensure that they identified all the elements needed for such paragraphs. They then applied this knowledge to write their own based on the scene below. Here is an example of an analytical paragraph. In the film, “Red Dog”, the director represents the importance of belonging through his use of cinematic techniques. In this scene where Jocko enlists the help of the miners, the song ‘We can’t be beaten’ is used to accompany the whole community banding together to save Red Dog. This use of non-diegetic sound accompanies the scene as mood music for the audience. It helps the audience to understand how the community is being united through their own sense of purpose and power to defeat the brutal Cribbages. The community has decided that they certainly “won’t be beaten”. The song symbolises how the community has become connected and unified through their fight to protect Red Dog. In this way, the director reinforces the audience’s understanding of the vital importance of belonging to someone or something (in this case, a united town). Additionally, the director uses a long shot to represent the whole scene taking place against the background of the Dampier community centre. A congregation of local residents of all ages surround Jocko as he explains why the town must band together. This camera angle reinforces to the audience the value of belonging and having a sense of purpose as it shows townspeople joining forces in their shared local environment. Consequently, as a result of his use in this scene of non-diegetic music and a long shot, the director successfully showcases the value of belonging to community, both for Red Dog and for all of Dampier’s residents.
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YEAR 5 & 6 MATHEMATICS How marvellous it was to be back in the classroom. The transition from online learning to faceto-face was seamless. Teachers were very impressed by the students’ organisational skills – all relevant learning material was diligently completed and easily accessed for consolidation and revision. In Year 5, our mathematicians focused on surface area. They drew the nets of a variety of cuboids and calculated their total surface area. Discussion was had about the difference between volume and surface area. Students practised drawing 3D solids from different views. Audrey Cheng, Rachel Kaplan, and Nathaniel Weis very successfully completed the challenge of drawing solids based on range of a 2D viewpoints provided. In Year 6, volume was the focus of the week. Students identified uniform cross-sections and used this concept to calculate the volume of prisms, including triangular, hexagonal, and pentagonal prisms. Once they know the area of the uniform cross-section, they multiplied this by the height, depth, or length of the prism. Due to prior knowledge, they were even able to work out the volume of a cylinder using pi and the formula Volume = Area x height. Well done to Aidan Fuzi, Avi Sedgers and Nevin Hemachandra for your faultless cross-sections and calculations.
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MUSIC Last Thursday, Years 3 - 6 enjoyed an afternoon of online music from 'Wyniss', a Torres Strait Island ensemble from the island of Mua. The composer Dujon Niue wrote pieces for 'Wyniss' based on his childhood memories, particularly games that he played growing up in Mua. During the incursion, students experienced some of his memories first-hand, by learning to make a spear shape out of a piece of string and also playing the game of 'spinning tops'. Students also learnt about some of the traditional instruments of the Torres Strait in further detail, with live demonstrations of how they were carved out of wood and decorated. It was fascinating to learn about how music and dance is such an integral part of Torres Strait Island culture, that even the flag has a dancer's headdress (a 'dhari') incorporated in its design. This week in classrooms, students reflected on their experiences during the incursion, and also began to learn 'Marap', one of the polyrhythmic pieces composed by 'Wyniss'. They enjoyed performing on percussion instruments such as the djembe, the claves and the bells. It was so exciting to perform as a class again, and to hear the four contrasting rhythms interlocking with one another. Students used the piece 'Marap' as inspiration for their own compositions, and began notating their ideas this week. Next week, they will have the opportunity to complete their compositions, and then to work in groups to perform their polyrhythmic pieces.
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MUSIC PERFORMANCE It was an absolute treat to welcome our remaining year groups back to school this week, and importantly back to their music tuition. It was a joy to hear so many musical pieces that were learnt completely at home under lockdown conditions, realised in real life and outside of the house! We are so proud to be able to continue sharing wonderful Studio Recital performances in our weekly assemblies, and to write about the work that students have been collaborating on whilst maintaining their online engagement in ensembles. Year K-1 String Ensemble The Kindergarten and Year 1 String Ensemble students have made the most of their online rehearsals, using this time to build strong technical skills. The students have enjoyed a variety of exercises which include different bow strokes, pizzicato (plucking!), and some rhythmic exercises. K-1 Strings are really looking forward to collaborating for a live rehearsal as they have recently begun working on a duet called 'Simple Gifts'. The Music department really appreciates the dedication and hard work from our smallest string players! Year 3-4 BeatVox The Year 3 and 4 BeatVox group has been busily practising on their instruments throughout lockdown. Each week, we have been turning Google Meet into a recital stage and each member of the group has played what they have been working on. We have even had a performance on a harp! The students are excited and ready to get back to live performances when we are allowed.
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SPORT This week in Physical Education, over 470 students from Kindergarten to Year 6 have started their Aquatics unit. It is great to have our kids back, doing PE and working hard in the process!
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SPORT FIXTURES Basketball
Boys 1st V v Newtown Warriors 1.30pm Ct 1 Marrickville PCYC
Friday Comets Competition
18R Boys v Reddam E 3.45pm Ct 3 Marrickville PCYC
16R Girls v Inner City Jazz 4.45pm Comets Stadium Bus to leave Woollahra at 3.15pm
18E Boys v Reddam R 3.45pm Ct 3 Marrickville PCYC
1st V Girls v MVP Huskies 4.45pm Comets Stadium Bus to leave Woollahra at 3.15pm
Comets Stadium Sunday Fixtures
18R Girls v Move like Who’a 5.35pm Comets Stadium. Bus to leave Woollahra at 3.15pm
Girls 12 Reddam Robins v Newtown Lynx 8.50am Ct 1 Comets Stadium 14 Reddam Elks v KHY Astronauts 9.40 Ct 1 Comets Stadium
Saturday Comets Competition Girls 10 Reddam Reindeers v All Blacks 8.00am Ct 1 Comets Stadium Boys 10 Reddam Ravens v Sydney HoopStars South 8.00am Ct 2 Comets Stadium 10 Reddam Eagles v Newtown panthers 10.30am Ct1 Comets Stadium 12 Reddam Deers v Newtown Power 12.10pm Ct 1 Comets Stadium
14 Reddam R Girls v Newtown Storm 8.50am Ct 2 Comets Stadium Boys 14 Boys Reddam E Boys v Reddam Dolphins 3.30pm Comets Stadium 14 Boys Reddam Dolphins v Reddam E 3.30pm Comets Stadium 14 Boys Reddam Mambas v Matto Magic 9.40am Comets Stadium Easts Comp - Sunday
12 Reddam Eels v Sydney Hoopstars Vipers 1.00pm Ct 1 Comets Stadium 12 Reddam Rabbits v Cobras 12.10pm Ct 2 Comets Stadium Marrickville Saturday Fixtures
Year 11R Boys v Elites 8:10:00 am Sydney University Sports & Aquatic Centre Court 1 Year 11R Girls v RBSC Rebels 9:40:00 am Sydney University Sports & Aquatic Centre Court 1
Boys 16R Boys v Maccabi Mavericks 5.15pm Ct 1 Marrickville PCYC 16E Boys v Newtown Bullets 6.45pm Ct 3 Marrickville PCYC 16D Boys v Accelerate Warriors Orange 2.15pm Ct 2 Marrickville PCYC 16M Boys v Manesis Strength 1.30pm Ct 3 Marrickville PCYC The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
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LIBRARY Book Recommendations K-2: SHINE by Danny Parker Shine is a love song between a parent and a child, celebrating the beauty and joy of everyday family life, through mess and chaos and daily routines. This is a story that seeks to find the beauty in ordinary things: the wonder of a lazy afternoon, the joy of being together. It is an attempt to put words to that spark of connection that we have with each other. If you’re looking for a picture book stunner to share with your little ones, or a lovely holiday gift, I highly recommend Shine. It will warm your heart and is sure to become a family favourite. Ages 4+. 3-4: THE RIGHT WAY TO ROCK by Nat Amoore Have you ever wanted to be something other than what people expect of you? Mac certainly feels that way. His mum wants him to be a rock star, but his secret passion is actually musical theatre. When Mac finds out that his school is going to cut all its arts subjects at the end of the year, he decides he needs to reveal his passion to the world and use it to make a difference. With some new friends, a little bit of luck, and a whole lot of hard work, it’s up to Mac to save Watterson Primary from an arts fiasco! The Right Way to Rock is an uplifting story all about the value of the arts and the power of the community. Recommended for ages 8+ 5-6: A GLASS HOUSE OF STARS by Shirley Marr Meixing and her family have arrived in a new country to pursue life with more opportunities and yet, their overwhelming feeling is they don’t belong, particularly as they don’t speak the language. It feels like they have lost more than they have gained in this new land. Meixing finds school terrifying and new friendships are elusive; she wants to fit in but all she does is stand out. A Glasshouse of Stars illuminates the hardships of immigrants, the loss of a way of life, and the importance of family and friendships. Recommended for ages 10+.
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NEXTWAVE YOUTH SHORT FILM COMPETITION
Announcing a final call for entries for the Nextwave Youth Short Film Competition If you’re a young person between the ages of 10-25 living anywhere in Australia, the Nextwave team wants to see what you can do. Make a film under 5 minutes , include the year’s signature item (a pineapple), and enter your film in before the EXTENDED submission deadline of NOVEMBER 12th, 2021 for your chance to win some amazing awards and prizes, as well as have your film premiere at the Screenwave International Film Festival on the beautiful Coffs Coast next April! For full terms and conditions, head to the Nextwave website
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CYBER SAFETY
Navigating strangers online
Younger children are using digital devices at an ever-increasing rate, influenced by being in
lockdown and the resulting accelerated uptake of technology. This has created new friendships and relationships but also an increased vulnerability. This vodcast by ySafe Cyber Safety Experts aims to provide some skills, strategies and helpful knowledge to make good choices while online. This vodcast is aimed at under 13-year-olds to help identify and navigate difficult interactions online. Watch it here For more information on how to stay safe online visit our Reddam House Cyber Safety Hub
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