Reddam House Primary Newsletter T1 W9

Reddam House Woollahra

31

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, the end of a term is an ideal opportunity for self-reflection, as we encourage our students to consider the highs and lows of the past few months. One aspect of their academic performance which might be worth looking at is how they approach assessments, and whether these are seen as overly challenging or as an opportunity to express what they have learned.

A recent article which caught my eye reported on what the writers term ‘maths anxiety’, which is described as “the feeling of tension and worry that interferes with a person’s ability to solve mathematical problems.” It goes on to explain that “researchers consider maths anxiety to be distinct from general anxiety, or test anxiety, though there is some crossover. Maths anxiety usually develops as a result of poor experiences with maths, which leads to negative thought patterns about your maths potential. These thoughts can manifest in an avoidance of maths and feelings of helplessness when confronted with tests.”

A number of studies have looked at the prevalence of maths anxiety among adults, which stems from their experiences at school. Some researchers put the number as high as 50%, although most agree that it is more like 20%. Regardless, this is still a large number of students who may feel anxious about writing maths tests or even working on the subject in class.

Our teachers are only too aware that Maths, in particular, might have this effect on their students, especially as it is a subject that is regarded as essential in today's world and therefore carries with it an added expectation. However, while some might enjoy the satisfaction which comes with solving mathematical equations and problems, not all children enjoy learning maths, and some might even experience maths anxiety.

Parents and teachers can help to build a child's confidence in their abilities by providing positive feedback and encouragement. This can help to reduce their fear of making mistakes and increase their motivation to learn maths. Moreover, we can help children to see maths as a tool that can be used to solve real-world problems. This can help children to understand the practical applications of maths and make it more relevant to their daily lives.

The article reminds us that having teachers and parents “working alongside” students also helps to ease any anxiety they may feel. By providing this scaffolding we can assist students to grow in confidence, and also help them to realise that making mistakes along the way is part of the process of learning, rather than an indicator of weakness or inability.

Before joining the Reddam Rhinos team this year, Gabe Levine played for Easts Dolphins Cricket Club. He has just been awarded the ‘Best Batter' for his division in the Spring 2022/2023 season – a fantastic achievement. In the photo he is seen receiving his award from Sydney Thunder player, Baxter Holt.

Ashan Menon competed at two international speed cubing competitions in March, namely the North Sydney Cube Day and Clock Clash. These competitions require an extraordinary amount of memory, pattern recognition and problem solving under time pressure. He achieved personal bests in all events and made it to the finals of the coveted 3x3. Well done, Ashan!

A big congratulations to our Reddam 3 and Reddam 4 girls water polo teams who played against each other in the Grand Final on the weekend. The game was a close battle, with our Year 6 girls being victorious on the day. Both teams should be so proud of their efforts this season and finishing off the season with a Reddam vs Reddam final was very exciting.

Then, the 2023 netball season kicked off over the weekend. Well done to all our Primary netball players who competed on Saturday – we are really looking forward to the season ahead. A big thank you to all the players who represented Reddam in the official opening ceremony.

A big congratulations to the Reddam House netball team who competed at the ASISSA Championships last week. The girls had a wonderful day going through the entire competition undefeated and therefore being the overall winners on the day. The team came together so nicely and showed outstanding teamwork that helped them achieve such wonderful results. From this competition, Elly Peles and Ava Boyarsky were selected to form part of the ASISSA Netball team to compete at the upcoming CIS Championships. We wish them the very best of luck for the carnival.

The Year 4s had a marvellous time during their excursion to The Rocks on Wednesday, as they stepped back in history to learn about the early settlers and their way of life. Their interactive learning experience led to much discussion on their return to school and no doubt brought to life the facts and figures about which they had learned. The report further on in this newsletter captures some of the fascinating activities in which they were fortunate to participate.

Next Tuesday should be another day of energy and vocal support for the Houses, as the Primary School holds its annual Cross Country Carnival. We look forward to a day full of energy and excitement, with plenty of frantic dashes to the finish line. And speaking of frantic dashes to the finish line, there will undoubtedly be just as much excitement as we all move towards the end of the term on Thursday, ready for a well-deserved rest.

Enjoy your weekend!

Dee Pitcairn Principal

1 - Ashan Menon competed at two international speed cubing competitions in MarchNorth Sydney Cube Day and Clock Clash.

2 - Our Reddam 3 and Reddam 4 girls Water Polo teams who played against each other in the Grand Final on the weekend.

3 - The 2023 Netball season kicked off over the weekend

4 - Touch Football

5 - A big congratulations to the Reddam House Netball team who competed at the ASISSA Championships last week. The girls had a wonderful day going through the entire competition undefeated and therefore being the overall winners on the day. The team came together so nicely and showed outstanding teamwork that helped them achieve such wonderful results. From this competition, Elly Peles and Ava Boyarsky were selected to form part of the ASISSA Netball team to compete at the upcoming CIS Championships. We wish them the very best of luck for the carnival.

Principal Awards

Issac Mueller

6 - Hugo Rydge

7 - Rainer Koopman Woods

8 - Ryeid Romel

9 - Aiden Man

10 - Isabella Chen

11 - Darcy Maclellan

12 - Alexis Mullins

13 - Portia Eccleston

14 - Amy Bond

Principal Honour Awards

15 - Brenton Ma

Happy Birthday

Reddam House would like to wish a very Happy Birthday to

17 - Ivy Zagora

18 - Hanzhen Gong

19 - Luca Scardilli

20 - Elijah Lim

21 - Annelise Sergides

22 - Martin Ding

23 - Asher Colquhoun

24 - Alice Kreiser

25 - Bailey Yu

26 - Lucas Hutton

Sport Fixtures

Sports Fixtures 1st April 2023

Basketball

Friday - Comets 31st March - Comets | Alexandria - 53 Maddox St

Girls

U16s SPARKS vs Inner City Gems 5:15pm Ct 1

U16s MYSTICS vs Inner City Jazz 5:15pm Ct 2

U18s SUNS vs RBSC Rebels 4:30pm Ct 2

U18s DIAMONDS vs All Blacks 4:30pm Ct 1

Saturday 1st April - Perry Park | Alexandria - 53 Maddox St

Girls

U10s BOOMERS vs Inner City Cupcakes 8am Ct 2

U12s STORM vs Sydney HoopStars Jaguars 9:40am Ct 4

U14 FLAMES vs Reddam Timberwolves 9:40am Ct 1

Boys U10s LAKERS vs BYE

U12s BUCKS vs Sydney HoopStars Moccasins 11:20am Ct 3

U16s WARRIORS vs BYE

U16s NETS vs KHY 6:50pm Ct 3

U18s HEAT vs Big Dream 6:50pm Ct 2

PCYC (Marrickville) 531 Illawarra Rd, Marrickville

U16s ROCKETS vs Reddam Jazz 6pm Ct 3

U16s JAZZ vs Reddam Rockets 6pm Ct 3

U16s THUNDER vs BYE

U18s GRIZZLIES vs Newtown Elefants 2:15pm Ct 1

U18s MAGIC vs Newtown Krakens 7:30pm Ct 2

U18s MAGIC vs Road Runner Black Ct 2 3:45pmU18s MAGIC vs Reggae Rockets 6.00 Ct 2 MPCYC REDDAM TEAMS

U16s SPARKS vs BYE

U16s

U18s

vs BYE

REDDAM

U18s MAGIC vs Inner City Magpies 6:45pm PCYC Ct

Netball

Reddam 1 v Bye

Reddam 2 v Randwick Rugby, 1.15pm

Reddam 3 v Maccabi, 12.00pm

Reddam 4 v Kambala, 12.00pm

Reddam 5 v Double Bay Diamonds 11.00am

Reddam 6 v Rose Bay, 12.00pm

Reddam 7 v St Catherines, 12.00pm

Reddam 8 v KRB 11.00am

Reddam 9 v St Catherines 11.00am

Reddam 10 v Coogee, 10:00am

Reddam 11 v Randwick Rugby, 10:00am

Reddam 12 v Dolphins, 10:00am

Reddam 13 v Bondi Phoenix, 9:00am

Reddam 14 v Mascot, 8:00am

Reddam 15 v Maccabi, 8:00am

Water Polo

Girls

1sts v PLC, Pymble Pool 8.15am

Soccer

Reddam 15s Girls v Pagewood, Jellicoe Park Field No.1, 3.00pm

Sport Results

Sports Results 25th March 2023

Basketball Girls

U16s SPARKS vs Be Real 27 - 56

U16s MYSTICS vs All Blacks 14 - 27

U18s SUNS vs Coogee Crystals 32 - 13

U18s DIAMONDS vs CYS 34 - 41

U10s BOOMERS vs BYE

U12s STORM vs Inner City Stars 6 - 31

U14s TIMBERWOLVES vs Inner City Magic 65 - 19

U14 FLAMES vs Sydney HoopStars Panthers 23 - 15

Boys

U10s LAKERS vs Newtown Panthers 12 - 26

U12s BUCKS vs BYE

U12s RAPTORS vs Reddam Hornets 8 - 18

U12s CAVALIERS vs Inner City Rebels 23 - 10

U12s HORNETS vs Reddam Raptors 18 - 8

U14s BULLS vs Inner City Lightning 13 - 37

U14s MAVERICKS vs Newtown Yowies 29 - 25

U14s NUGGETS vs Newtown Lions 20 - 8

U16s ROCKETS vs Maccabi Hornets 1 - 74

U16s WARRIORS vs MPB 16 20 - 0

U16s NETS vs Maccabi Kings 43 - 46

U18s HEAT vs Newtown Pistons 14 - 7

U16s JAZZ vs Reddam Thunder 17 - 15

U16s THUNDER vs Reddam Jazz 15 - 17

U18s GRIZZLIES vs Botany Forsaken 41 - 35

U18s MAGIC vs MVP Lakers 41 - 55 U18s

PCYC (Marrickville) 11th Feb

Water Polo

GIRLS

Opens v Ravenswood, 14-2

Reddam 1 v SGHS, 11-2

Reddam 2 v SACS, 5-4

Reddam 3 v Reddam 4, 3-5

Reddam 4 v Reddam 3, 5-3

Netball

Reddam 1 v KRB 35 – 10

Reddam 2 v Randwick Rugby 24 – 19

Reddam 4 v Mascot 26 - 21

Reddam 10 v Randwick Rugby, 11-22

Reddam 11 v Mascot, 1-27

Reddam 12 v Mascot, 4-25

Reddam 13 v Mascot, 11-5

Reddam 14 v Double Bay, 0-7

Reddam 15 v Randwick Rugby, 2-13

Kindergarten

Week 9 was full to the brim with exciting learning here in Kindergarten. We dug deep into explorations of social emotional skills this week in PDH beginning with the book ‘Giraffes Can’t Dance’. We discussed the emotions that are displayed in the story and related this discussion back to our ‘You Can Do It’ character, Connie Confidence. We participated in some warrior yoga to release our inner Connie Confident, and role-played different ways we show courage and confidence at school.

Similarly, in Topic this week we explored the ways in which we are different and the same as our peers. We celebrated our differences and what makes us unique by creating a class book highlighting something special about each of us.

We introduced two new letter sounds in English this week, /r/ and /h/, and continued working on our red and orange Heart Words. The main focus of our learning was segmenting and blending CVC and CVCC words. In our writing books we explored how we can use our knowledge of Heart Words, along with our CVC writing skills to create a sentence. We also integrated the three main elements of sentence writing into our work, remembering to have a capital letter at the beginning of the sentence, a finger space in between each word, and a full stop at the end. We are so proud of how far our writing has come in such a short time!

Mathematics focussed on position and whole numbers this week. We discussed different language we use when talking about directions and movement. We participated in lots of whole-body kinaesthetic activities to put this language into practise.

Year 1

This week in Science we investigated sound. The children were inspired by the foley workers of Universal Studios in the making of soundscapes. Did you know that footsteps on snow is often created by the crushing of corn starch. Also the tapping sound of dogs paws on the floor is paperclips on a table top. The children were so intrigued when seeing behind the scenes at the movie studios. They then started seeing sound possibilities all around us. We took our sound creation further as we made our own instruments using household recycling. Take us to the stage – we are ready to perform!

In English, our grammar work focused on adjectives. We explored popcorn using our senses – smell, touch, sight, sound and taste of course! We made a word bank of our ‘yummy, scrummy, delicious, tasty and crunchy’ adjectives to make our own popping popcorn adjective craft. It’s so impressive to see how far the children have come during this term, from handwriting to vocabulary development. Their literacy skills are ever evolving and it’s wonderful to see.

Maths was a 3D shape hunt! They are everywhere! Let’s count the faces, vertices, edges and categorise the shapes we see. Plenty of spheres go bouncing around the playground!

In our History and Geography lessons we discussed connection to country. We nourished our understanding of what that means to First Nations Peoples and Torres Strait Islanders. Then we reflected on what connection to country means to us. Luella feels connected to Bondi beach whilst Bailey feels connected to Centennial Park. Others feel bonded to land from further away as they identify with their heritage and diverse cultures. One place we all feel connected to and where we get to explore a kinship with others is Reddam House. Another excellent week. Well done, Year 1.

Year 2

Year 2 students were conscientious in their approach to their studies this past week and continued to make wonderful progress across all Key Learning Areas. Here is an update on the topics covered in class this week.

In grammar, our students learned about plural nouns. They explored the different rules for forming plural nouns and identifying irregular plurals.

Our enthusiastic mathematicians used number bonds in addition and subtraction to improve their mental maths skills. They also focussed on counting on, doubling, and halving to solve multiplication problems. In addition, they explored quarter turns clockwise and anticlockwise of quadrilaterals and other polygons.

In English, our students have been engaged in the novel study of the book ‘Lost’. As part of this study, they practised their descriptive writing skills by creating interesting sentences to build character descriptions.

History lessons involved learning about the impact of technology on toys. The students explored the different types of materials used for constructing toys today and in the past. We observed the differences in toys and how they have evolved over time and their impact on society. The cohort continues to be fascinated by the outstanding ‘News’ presentations and the wonderful artefacts that our students are sharing. It has been a delight to expand our knowledge of various artefacts whilst learning about different cultures from around the world.

In Science, our students learned about the Aboriginal uses of different materials and the density of different materials to make lava lamps. They experimented with different materials to create lava lamps and investigated the scientific process behind them.

We are incredibly proud of our students and their enthusiasm and dedication towards their learning.

Year 3

An exciting event happened in English this week. All students began their novel studies and couldn’t have been any more enthusiastic! Students are studying either ‘Nim’s Island’ by Wendy Orr, or ‘Two Hands Together’ by Diana Kidd. In this unit, students will be exposed to the concept of chapters, characters and settings. They will also explore the use language devices in context such as similes, metaphors and onomatopoeia. This will tie in nicely with our new writing unit of Literary Descriptions as students will later write a description about the setting and characters found within their novels.

To help facilitate the conversation about your child’s novel at home below is a summary of what each novel is about:

‘Nim’s Island’ by Wendy Orr

Nim lives on an island in the middle of the wide blue sea with her father Jack, a marine iguana called Fred, a sea lion called Selkie, a turtle called Chica and a satellite dish for her email. No one else in the world lives quite like Nim, and she wouldn't swap places with anyone. But when Jack disappears in his sailing boat, and disaster threatens her home, Nim must be braver than she's ever been before; and she needs help from her friends, old and new. This is truly an irresistible adventure fantasy!

’

‘Two Hands Together

This is a pleasant fictional novel that is based on a realistic storyline. The plot is shaped around a friendship between neighbours, Lily and Ella, an aboriginal Australian and a white Australian. It is also about prejudging people and racism towards aboriginal Australians. One of the main ideas in this story is how big things need to happen to change people’s beliefs. The characters in this story are different in

some ways and similar in many, and this story is about pushing past the differences and focusing on the similarities. This is a wonderful novel that ties in very well with our History unit.

Year 4

What a wonderful week for Year 4! With topics beginning to come to a close, students have enjoyed reflecting on all that they have learned this term.

The highlight of the week was definitely our excursion to The Rocks, which concluded our History unit –First Contact. Our students were transported back in time to the days of our great explorers: James Cook, Abel Tasman, Matthew Flinders, Joseph Banks and Daniel Carl Solander. We put ourselves in the shoes of these explorers, discovered why these explorers travelled such great distances, and we learned about Australia’s colonisation, travelling through time from pre- and post-colonisation Australia.

Students dressed up as migrants, convicts and captains to recreate Sydney circa 1900’s and, testing their knowledge in the Ranger Jamie Olympic Games, students had the opportunity to investigate first-hand the changes to both the landscape of Sydney and the changes in the lives of Australia’s Indigenous people.

In one of our guided walks, we looked at all of the buildings and architecture required to establish a colony. We visited the bank, hospital, police station and sewer canal and relayed stories from the past.

In the second guided walk, we looked at housing and compared the lives and living quarters of the affluent, wealthy and elite with those of the working class.

In the activities after lunch, students had the chance to become artists, sketching the view from Observatory Hill (Sydney Harbour Bridge and The Rocks) now (2023) and then sketching what they imagined it would have been like in 1788. Finally, students participated in the First Contacts Olympics. Students competed in teams to win The Ranger Jamie Olympics designed to reinforce information taught directly taken from the NESA syllabus.

Throughout the day, our students were exemplary. They engaged brilliantly with all activities and showed off how fantastic they are. They did themselves and Reddam House proud.

Year 5 & 6 English

Year 6

This week in English, Year 6 students enjoyed writing their own playscripts and producing theatre posters in small groups. Using the skills and perspectives learned this term, students imagined their own responses to Dreamtime stories and other First Nations experiences. We also completed our term’s

work on language conventions. Our classes are looking forward to watching play performances next week, as a fun and satisfying way to end English this term.

Year 5

This week, Year 5 English students began to learn about visual literacy, and they put their narrative planning and writing skills to the test. After watching a reading of the children’s picture book “Ruby Finds a Worry”, by Tom Percival, students created their own narratives with an important message. Students mapped their stories onto a storyboard structure. We also completed our term’s work on language conventions. We are looking forward to seeing these wonderful, colourful stories on the walls of our classrooms soon.

Public Speaking

This week in Public Speaking, Year 5 students enjoyed public speaking skills games. The favourite was the “Delivery Game”, where students were given a card with a public speaking bad habit written on it, and they had to speak to the class while demonstrating this bad habit. Audience members guessed what it was, and then someone else took a turn. We had gales of laughter, while students learned what not to do when they stand up to speak. Great fun! Students also received their results for the term this week. Well done all Year 5 speakers.

27 - By Bertie Couzens

28 - By Joshua Hillier

Year 5 & 6 Science

This week in Science, Year 5 students reviewed their most recent Science assessment. Reviewing the assessment allowed students to highlight their strengths and areas of development. Students are now aware of what topics they need to study further. Being aware of areas for development will allow students to effectively prepare themselves for the exam in term two. In Year 5’s second lesson of the week students studied the rusting process. Students learnt about what rust is, how it occurs and what can be done to prevent it. They also carried out an experiment, placing one nail in salt water/air and one nail just in the air. Students will revisit this experiment at the end of the term to review the rusting process.

This week in Science, Year 6 students used their knowledge of atoms and materials to design a household product. Students needed to carefully consider the materials they chose as the materials needed to be fit for purpose. Students were tasked with explaining why they had chosen particular materials to build their product and how these materials would be beneficial to the design.

In Science Club, students explored microscopes. Students were able to observe pre-made slides such as bacteria, heart tissue and the wing of a housefly. Students were then taught how to prepare a wet slide for a leaf. After preparing the slide, students were able to use the microscope and observe the different cells within a leaf.

Year 5 & 6 Maths

This week, students learned about length, distance, and perimeter and how these skills can be applied to everyday life using mental calculation and spatial reasoning.

One of the topics covered in class was conversions between units of length. Students converted between millimetres, centimetres, metres, and kilometres using the pneumonic "King Henry Doesn't Mind Drinking Chocolate Milk". This will be a valuable tool for them to use when completing conversions in the future.

Another topic covered was finding the perimeter of regular polygons and composite 2D shapes. Mathematicians used efficient strategies to calculate the perimeter of various shapes, including squares, rectangles, triangles, and circles (using circumference). They determined which side lengths were required to find the perimeter of a shape. It is important to note that they also learned to use appropriate units of measure when calculating perimeters.

The concept of the hectometre was also introduced. This unit of measure is equal to 100 metres and is not commonly used in everyday life. However, students need to understand this concept when learning about length and distance. Gabriel Levin reasoned that a decimetre is one-tenth of a metre and 10 cm. Tilley Muhlmann understood that 100 metres are equivalent to a hectometre. In this way, students connected the decimal system to length and recorded lengths and distances using decimal notation.

Year 6 students solved various problems involving length and perimeter, including problems involving different length units. They converted measurements to the same unit to compare lengths and distances. Students determined the perimeters of composite shapes using formulas, paying particular attention to how their calculations were set out. Mathematicians investigated and compared the perimeters of rectangles with the same area and determined the number of different rectangles that could be formed using whole-number dimensions for a given area. Furthermore, they reasoned and recognised that rectangles with the same perimeter may have different dimensions.

Jewish Studies

On Tuesday, the matzah bakery visited Reddam House for the K-2 Jewish Studies students. The students learned how matzah is made and that for it to be kosher to eat on Pesach it needs to take under 18 minutes to make from start to finish. Each student had the opportunity to make their own piece of matzah.

Music Performance

Our House Music Competition is really heating up, with the soloists competing in last week's assembly. The audience received their performances with great enthusiasm, and each house was represented with a talented, confident musician. We cannot wait for the group section in Week 10!

All students are encouraged to take the term and school holidays to work on the piece of their choice for this year's Instrumental Competition, and submit an entry into this online event. All students receive written feedback, as well as RHAP points for Years 3-6. We look forward to watching and celebrating our students' work, and you can enter as well as read more at this link: https://forms.gle/rir7giJ9QjazkUcFA

There are separate categories for Piano, Wind & Brass, Percussion, and Strings.

Year 5-6 A Cappella

Year 5-6 A Cappella is a group of private singing students from Years 5 and 6, who rehearse on Monday mornings as part of the compulsory music programme, performing repertoire without instrumental accompaniment, using only their voices. Students in A Cappella develop pitch, rhythm, and harmony, whilst building their confidence and self-esteem as a team.

In an A Cappella ensemble, singers must rely solely on their voices to create the music, which requires a high degree of precision, teamwork, and vocal control. The absence of instrumental accompaniment allows for more creative expression and experimentation with different vocal techniques and harmonies.

Singing is a natural expression that has been part of human culture for thousands of years. Children should sing because it can offer numerous benefits to their physical, emotional, and social development. Singing can enhance lung function, reduce stress and anxiety, improve language and communication skills, and promote social development. Overall, singing is a fun and enjoyable way for children to express themselves, develop skills, and build strong relationships with others.

This unique and challenging musical experience has proven a joyful way to start the school week for our Year 5 and 6 singing students, who beg to sing and dance the Torres Strait Islander song, Taba Naba, every lesson! We look forward to seeing how these progress over 2023.

Primary Electronic Music Production

Electronic Music Production (EMP) has been a fun, productive and nurturing environment for our Primary School students. The EMP ‘veterans’ have been helping the newcomers with their original music. There is no shortage of inspiration in our ensemble. The room is always buzzing with fun, creative

energy. Our most recent endeavour is a Harry Styles remix, the results of which will be showcased in Term 2.

Music

Year 5 learned all about a new song which we will be continuing to study through to the start of next term‘Somebody that I used to know’ by Gotye. Through listening and playing they learned about pop song structure and the functions and common features of the different sections of popular songs. They also really enjoyed starting to learn some of the notes of the song on the xylophone and we look forward to putting together some interesting arrangements of the song next term.

Some of the Primary Music classes also had the opportunity to perform solo pieces for their class mates on their instruments. As always, it is such a pleasure to hear what the students are working on in their instrumental lessons and listen to how they are progressing.

Art Competition

Ballet

Important Dates

• 29 March 2023 - Year 4 Excursion to The Rocks

• 4th April 2023 - Year 2-6 Cross Country Carnival