Primary Newsletter
IN THIS ISSUE:
News from the Classroom
Birthdays
Student Achievements
Dear Parents and Caregivers, As the term moves towards its conclusion, one the most gratifying aspects to reflect upon has been a return to some sort of normality in our cultural and sporting extracurricular activities. These have been sorely missed over the past couple of years, and as such each event is all the more appreciated. It is really good to see (and hear!) our music ensembles playing together again. While there is obviously a benefit to practising a piece on one’s own, nothing beats the satisfaction of hearing a single part become many. We know the benefits of playing team sports, in terms of the camaraderie and spirit which they engender, but this is just as true for those playing music together – or dancing or taking part in a drama piece, for that matter. All of these play an integral part in the life of Reddam House, and it is a joy to sense the energy which they bring, as it moves throughout the school. A recent article struck a chord with me, excuse the pun, especially as I read it just after our recent Welcome Music Recital. It reminded me of just how important our extensive music opportunities are and how they have powerful knock-on effects into the lives of the students. The article mentions what is termed neuromusical research, which is, as its name suggests, a study of how music affects the brain – and how it can have an impact on many different aspects of one’s life. We have all experienced how our emotions can be affected by music, from the calming sensations elicited by a peaceful, slow piece of music, to the energy of a live concert. However, music has an even more powerful impact on our lives than we might realise, especially in the early, formative years of schooling. Research has shown that the brain processes language in the same way that it processes music. As such, as the article points out, “we need to view music education as a powerful complementary learning experience, and not a ‘nice but not essential’ part of the curriculum.” The cognitive foundations which are so critical during the years at school are thus enhanced by an involvement not solely in academic activities but also in those which complement learning, such as music.
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 9 Friday 25 March 2022
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Research has shown that the brain processes language in the same way that it processes music. As such, as the article points out, “we need to view music education as a powerful complementary learning experience, and not a ‘nice but not essential’ part of the curriculum.” The cognitive foundations which are so critical during the years at school are thus enhanced by an involvement not solely in academic activities but also in those which complement learning, such as music. Legendary musician Louis Armstrong said that “Music is life itself.” It is inextricably linked to who we are and most of us feel a deep affinity to music, even though our tastes might differ. However, knowing that it has other powerful effects on us, such as brain development and aiding literacy, should be another reason to embrace it, especially for our students. While on the theme of music, we look forward to our House Music assembly next week on Friday, which should be a wonderful opportunity to show off many of the incredible musical talents which our students possess, and for all in the school to applaud those who participate. On Friday last week, the Reddam House swimming team travelled to the Warringah Aquatic Centre to compete in the ASISSA Swimming Championships. It was a fantastic day out, with many of our students experiencing their first competitive swimming meet. Congratulations to the following students who qualified for CIS. These students swam at the CIS Swimming Championships this week as part of the ASISSA Swimming Team. As a school we qualified for 20 events, which is a sensational effort from our swimmers. Well done to Amy Yule, Billie Snow, Camille Yuan, Edward Hill, Eva Herson, George Negas, Lauren Lim, Lucia Zagora, Micah Shields, Mimi Tolnay, Nicholas Fasol, Oliver Wood and Sarella Symonds. A special mention to the following students who finished in the top 4 of the individual rankings in their age groups as ASISSA: Sarella Symonds 3rd: 11 Years Girls (25 points); George Negas 2nd: 11Years Boys (35 points); Nicholas Fasol 3rd: 11 Years Boys (24 points); Micah Shields 4th: 12s and over Girls (30 points) and Edward Hill 4th: 12s and over Boys (25 points). Congratulations to all of you! This last weekend our wonderful Amber Greenhalgh got married to Marcus Larsson and their two magnificient sons, Jackson and Phoenix officiated at the ceremony. What a fantastic wedding it was and what a very beautiful bride Amber made! We are absolutely delighted and wish the family all our love and best wishes. Have a great weekend! Dee Pitcairn Principal
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 9 Friday 25 March 2022
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IN
TH IS
SU
SPORT FIXTURES
I Sporting Fixtures 26th March 2022 Easts Comp - Sunday
Basketball Comets Competition – Friday 25th March Un16s – Reddam Knicks v All Blacks 4.30 Ct 2 Un18s – Reddam Suns v SGHS Move Like Moha 5.15 Ct 2 Un18s – Reddam 1st V v Inner City Gems 4.30 Ct 1 Perry Park Courts & Comets Stadium Saturday Fixtures 26th Mar (Perry Park Courts are located behind the Comets stadium) Girls
Un18s – Reddam Cougars v Tripple threat 9.30 Sydney boys high school Un18 Reddam Girls v Tripple threat 18s Girls 8.30 Waverley College Water Polo- Friday Girls Reddam 1 8:00pm vs Reddam 2 at UNSW Reddam 2 8:00pm vs Reddam 1 at UNSW
Un10s – Reddam Lakers v BYE (no game)
Reddam 3 7:30pm vs Reddam 4 at UNSW
Un12s – Reddam Bucks v Sydney HoopStars Cheetahs 10.30 Ct 4
Reddam 4 7:30pm vs Reddam 3 at UNSW
Un14s – Reddam Timberwolves v KHY Astronauts 9.40 Ct 3
Touch Football - Saturday
Un14s – Reddam Sparks v Newtown Lynx 9.40 Ct 4
Girls:
Boys Alexandria (Perry Park Courts)
Reddam 3 v Sceggs 6, Parade Ground, Parkes Drive Centennial Park 12.10pm (grand final)
Un10s – Reddam Jazz v Inner City Clippers 8.00 Ct 1 Un10s – Reddam Hawks v Newtown Panthers 8.00 Ct 2 Un12s – Reddam Celtics v Inner City Demons 10.30 Ct 3
Reddam 4 v SVC 10, Parade Ground, Parkes Drive Centennial Park 8.25am (grand final) Reddam 5 v SVC 12, Parade Ground, Parkes Drive Centennial Park 12.10pm (grand final)
Un12s – Reddam Clippers v Newtown Rebels 10.30 Ct 2 Un12s – Reddam Raptors v Newtown Wombats 10.30 Ct 1 Un14s – Reddam Bulls v Reddam Nuggets 11.20 Ct 3 Un14s – Reddam Cavaliers v Newtown Rangers 11.20 Ct 1 Un14s – Reddam Mavericks v Newtown Gorillas 1.50 Ct 1 Un14s – Reddam Nuggets v Reddam Bulls 11.20 Un14s – Reddam Pistons v All Blacks 1.00 Ct 1 Un16s – Reddam Rockets v Inner City Mustangs 2.40 Ct Boys MPCYC Un16s – Reddam Warriors v Maccabi Rockets 12.45 Ct 1 Un16s – Reddam Pacers v Newtown Bullets 2.15 Ct 1 Un16s – Reddam Nets v Inner City Eagles 3.45 Ct 1 Un18s – Reddam Heat v CYS 6.00 Ct 3 Un18s – Reddam Grizzlies v Manesis Strength 6.45 Ct 3 Un18s – Reddam 1st V v MVP Cheetahs 2.15 Ct 2
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 9 Friday 25 March 2022
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SPORT RESULTS Sporting results
19th
I
Water Polo- Saturday
March 2022
Girls Basketball
Reddam 1 vs Reddam 2 10 - 3
Girls
Reddam 2 vs Reddam 1 3 - 10
Un16s – Reddam Knicks v Newtown Diamonds 17 44
Reddam 3 vs SGHS 10 - 0
Un18s – Reddam Suns v CYS 16 - 56
Reddam 5 vs Dolphins 2 - 5
Un18s – Reddam
1st
Reddam 4 vs SGHS 15 - 0
V v Bronte Mustangs 35 - 30
Un10s – Reddam Lakers v KHY Astronauts 4 - 64
Boys
Un12s – Reddam Bucks v Inner City Wild Cats 17 - 9
Primary vs Newington 4 - 7
Un14s – Reddam Timberwolves v Reddam Sparks 12 - 20 Un14s – Reddam Sparks v Reddam Timberwolves 20 - 12
Cricket
Boys
Saturday
Un10s – Reddam Jazz v All 13 - 15
Under 10 Boys UNSW Thunder def Reddam Roos
Un10s – Reddam Hawks v Syd HoopStars Golden Pythons 5 - 47
Under 11 Boys Reddam Rhinos 7/183 def Easts Sharks 8/134
Un12s – Reddam Celtics v Newtown Bears 0 - 20 Un12s – Reddam Clippers v Inner City Demons 27 6
Touch Football - Saturday
Un12s – Reddam Raptors v Newtown Rebels 22 20
Girls:
Un14s – Reddam Bulls v Sydney Hoopstars Cobras 4 - 48
Reddam 2 v Loreto 6, Washed Out
Reddam 1 v KRB 2, Washed Out
Un14s – Reddam Cavaliers v Newtown Raptors 32 - 18
Reddam 3 v Ascham 6, Washed Out
Un14s – Reddam Mavericks v Inner City 15ers 44 24
Reddam 5 v KRB 16, Washed Out
Un14s – Reddam Nuggets v Newtown Lions 16 - 16 Un14s – Reddam Pistons v Newtown Rangers 27 - 2
Reddam 4 v Ascham Washed Out Reddam 6 v Kambala 11, Washed Out Reddam 8 v KRB 22, Washed Out
Un16s – Reddam Rockets v Botany Forsaken 46 - 62 Un16s – Reddam Warriors v Newtown Elefants 20 - 0 Un16s – Reddam Pacers v Inner City Panthers 13 27 Un16s – Reddam Nets v Inner City Magpies 31 - 44 Un18s – Reddam Heat v Reddam Grizzlies 40 - 27 Un18s – Reddam Grizzlies v Reddam Heat 27 - 40 Un18s – Reddam 1st V v Inner City Rockets 46 - 22
Tennis - Saturday Reddam 1 v St Pius, Washed Out Reddam 2 v St Pius, Washed Out Reddam 3 v St Pius, Washed Out Reddam 4 v Redlands, Washed Out Reddam 5 v Reddam 6, Washed Out Reddam 6 v Reddam 5, Washed Out Reddam 7 v Redlands, Washed Out
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 9 Friday 25 March 2022
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Reddam House Would like to wish a very happy birthday to Indi Craven, Emily Fleming, Eyal Ben-Menachem, Emma Radlovacki, Lilah Ryvchin, Octavia Spender-Capps, Alma Adler, Brandon Chan, Martin Ding & Ruby Levitt Who celebrated their special day this week and over the weekend
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 9 Friday 25 March 2022
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Principal & Principal Honour Awards Reddam House Would like to congratulate the following students on their Principal and Principal Honour Awards. Principal Awards recipients: Olivier Kalan, Amy Yule, Audrey Cheng,
Principal Honour Awards recipients: Jayden Cao, Amy Bond, Georgia Lim, Sasha McNamara, Ethan Murphy and Gabriel Salzano-Caspary
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 9 Friday 25 March 2022
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KINDERGARTEN During Mathematics this week, students explored the concept of ‘Position’. They developed their vocabulary to describe the location of objects compared to themselves and others. Students were involved in following instructions to demonstrate their understanding of ‘position’ and had fun doing this in many ways including an obstacle course around the playground. They also began to distinguish between their left and their right. At the end of the week, students completed tasks focussing on subitising small collections to help support their counting skills. In our Personal Development and Health (PDH) lessons, we continued to identify different fruits and vegetables, observed their colours and listed our favourites! Students drew examples of healthy lunch boxes that included a variety of foods. During our Topic lessons, we explored similarities and differences between each other and learnt how it’s important for everyone to display their individuality. Students painted a portrait of their friends and even got to decorate gingerbread people to help develop their awareness of recognising and celebrating everyone’s uniqueness.
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 9 Friday 25 March 2022
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KINDERGARTEN
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 9 Friday 25 March 2022
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YEAR 1 This week in English we continued our exploration into the use of adjectives within writing. The students revelled in the opportunity to use their senses to describe popcorn. They smelt, touched, tasted and looked at it. This activity allowed the students to expand their vocabulary and proved to be an excellent introduction to creative writing. We also enjoyed a visit to the school library, which is a truly beautiful space. The students heard a range of books read by Ms Manche. They loved being read to as well as discussing the content of the texts afterwards. In Mathematics we delved into the world of 3-dimesnsional objects. We identified, described, named, classified, and constructed them through a range of activities. We went on a shape hunt around the school and quickly realised that we are surrounded by 3-dimesnional objects which are used for specific purposes. The students found cylinders in the canteen and in the playground in the form of tinned tomatoes and rubbish bins and spheres in school bags in the form of handballs and oranges! The students know that 3-dimensional objects have length, width and height. In Science we revised the words ‘pitch’ and ‘volume’ as part of our work on Sound. The students were given a challenge to design and make a range of instruments using recyclable materials. The students enjoyed collaborating, adjusting their designs, and experimenting with their final product. It was wonderful to see such inventiveness! In Geography and History, the students learned about people belonging to different groups. This was described as being either the country that their family belonged to or the religion they followed. The most popular group discussed was the sports group, like a football or gymnastics team such as Kickeroos or Easts Gymnastics. In the past, people had coats of arms, which explained more about themselves. The students were asked to design their own coat of arms showing the groups they belong to. The students loved the opportunity to produce such a unique piece of work and they shared their ideas confidently with their peers.
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 9 Friday 25 March 2022
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YEAR 1
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 9 Friday 25 March 2022
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YEAR 2 Year 2 brought in some interesting artefacts during our ‘News’ time. The task was set: bring an object from home and explain its significance to your family. Here are some of the things we saw: Hebe Gong: This is a photo of my family and it is special because it reminds me of a holiday with my grandparents in Singapore when I was three years old. Ella Jacobs: This is a necklace and bracelet and it is special because it belonged to my Great Grandmother and is part of our family history. Octavia Spender-Capps: This is a very old key and it is special because it is from a castle in Scotland. In Mathematics, we introduced the mental arithmetic skill of using place value to add. First, we add the tens and then the ones. Being able to expand numbers and quick recall of single digit addition is an important prerequisite skill that we have all shown aptitude for. Well done, Year 2! Our Science lessons were hands-on and created quite a reaction – literally! The students tried to mix oil and water and made their observations. Then they added food colouring. Next, they dropped an Alka Seltzer tablet into the bottle. Can you guess what happened at each stage? Check out the pictures to see.
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 9 Friday 25 March 2022
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YEAR 3 In Science we looked at weathering. We found out about physical, biological and chemical weathering. We now know that weathering is the physical and chemical breakdown of rocks at or near the surface. We had a lot of fun designing our own cartoons to demonstrate onion layer weathering. To add to the fun, we completed an investigation or experiment into freezethaw weathering using strawberries. We learnt that an experiment is made up of different parts. The first is the aim or question. The second step to setting out a successful experiment is to have a list of equipment. This helps the scientists to get organised and know what is needed for the experiment. We also learnt that the method or steps for the setting out of the experiment needs to be written down carefully and in an orderly fashion so that others can copy the experiment exactly, should it be necessary to repeat it. A good scientist will then predict what the outcome of the experiment might be. The scientist will apply his current knowledge to make the prediction. If the scientist’s prediction is correct, the thought process of the scientist is proven to be true. If, however, the prediction is not correct the scientist has learnt a valuable thing and can then create a new idea or question to test. In addition to all of this wonderful information, we learnt that for an experiment to be accurate and clear we need to change only one thing. In the strawberry experiment we changed the temperature (freeze then thaw) and kept the strawberries the same (didn’t use different fruit). In conclusion, we discovered when we froze and then thawed a strawberry that the strawberry’s structure changed; the strawberry went hard at first when frozen and then soft after being thawed. This tells us that the change in temperature in the earth can also affect the structure of the rocks and cause them to peel and crack. We realised that temperature is an affective agent in weathering rocks.
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 9 Friday 25 March 2022
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YEAR 4 Each table in a classroom is 100cm long and 50cm wide. What is the area of each table? This was the question asked of our 9- and 10-year-old students this week. The Year 4 students applied the appropriate formulas when calculating area and perimeter in Mathematics this week and, WOW! They blew us away. Questions including the total area and converting the unit of measurement from centimetres into metres, demonstrated a pleasing level of mathematical understanding by all our budding mathematicians. For example, when students were asked what the total area of the 16 tables in the classroom is, in square metres, using the dimensions above, they replied, “5 square metres Ms.” Outstanding work Year 4! Then in English, the teachers were equally mesmerised by the creative writing talent demonstrated by all. Never have we read so many hot, fiery, sizzling starts at the beginning of our narrative writing unit! Here is a tantalising example for the topic this week: ‘You woke up to discover you have developed a special power overnight.’ Dylan groaned as he woke up but a few seconds later his eyes snapped open in the space of a blink. His hands were glowing bright green! He dozed, his heavy, sleepy eyelids and lazily, bored, flopped down into bed. Annoyed, Dylan opened his eyes to see what that rushing wind was. He was as shocked as a world sports champion who had just lost a game! Surprised, terrified, mesmerised he looked at the fan floating above his head. No time to act. He quickly shouted, “Mum, Dad, I need your help!” Felix Bootlis
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 9 Friday 25 March 2022
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YEAR 5 & 6 MATHEMATICS This week in Mathematics, Year 5 students concentrated on length and perimeter which involved mental calculation and spatial reasoning. Mathematicians investigated the difference between the metric and imperial system, the former using metre as a unit and adding the prefixes kilo, milli and centi to count orders of magnitude. The mnemonic: King Henry doesn’t mind drinking chocolate milk was used widely to help with conversions. Asher Levin said, “At the next athletics carnival I will run the 100-metre race which could be called the hectometre sprint.” Evan Butler understood that a decimetre is one tenth of a metre, while Marcus Hronis said that he preferred to see a decimetre as 10 cm. Thomas Mawer was excited to learn that the abbreviations for decametre is dam and decimetre is dm. Year 6 students converted between units of length and found the perimeters of composite shapes using formulas and paying special attention to how their calculations and work was organised. Problem solving sessions provided students with an excellent opportunity to reason, analyse and discuss the variety of ways perimeter could be calculated.
MUSIC This week, the Year 1 Music students continued to develop their understanding of pitch through singing, moving, playing and notating. They have been learning the song ‘Starlight’ which they have learned to sing, play on the xylophones, sing using solfa and Curwen handsigns and then notate using simplified notation to show high and low pitches. The students also started to learn about stem direction by adding stems to their notation and making sure that these were on the correct sides and going in the right direction for the given note. Once we moved onto the instruments, mallet technique was of course a big focus and the students are all progressing well on the xylophones. The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 9 Friday 25 March 2022
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YEAR 5 & 6 SCIENCE In Science this week, all Year 5 and 6 students completed their in-class assessment during their first Science lesson of the week. This assessment tested the students' knowledge on material taught between weeks 1-8. Students were given the opportunity to show off their knowledge so far and prove how much they have learnt over the course of the term. In the students’ second Science lesson of the week, Year 5 explored evaporation. Students were shown a demonstration where water and salt were mixed in the same beaker and then the process of evaporation was used to leave behind just the salt particles. Students also identified when they might use distillation and when they might use evaporation. In Year 6's second lesson of the week they looked at sustainability. Now that students have fully explored atoms, they are considering different materials, their characteristics/properties and why we might use them to build. Looking forward, Year 6 students are going to design their own product from their knowledge of materials. In Science Club, students were involved in a crime scene investigation. Students were required to take fingerprints, use a microscope to identify marks on fibres, perform a chromatography experiment and mix different substances with water. Each of the experiments above, when linked together, gave the answer to who committed the crime.
YEAR 5 & 6 ENGLISH This week, Year 5 shifted their focus from persuasive writing to fictional narratives. Using "The Little Refugee" by Ahn Do as a catalyst, students unpacked the structural elements of a narrative. We explored how these elements contribute to the reader's understanding of a narrative, and how we can engage the reader with impactful hooks, rising action and tension. Meanwhile, Year 6 extended their understanding of narrative writing, by delving into Australian poetry. Students analysed the classic ballad "Mulga Bill's Bicycle", by Banjo Patterson. With a thorough understanding of the meaning and the narrative elements of the ballad, we began to create storyboards, based on the poem's content. With a thorough understanding of the ballad, students will then be challenged to re-write the poem as a narrative, consolidating their understanding of text type. Well done, Year 5 and 6, on your terrific engagement this week! The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 9 Friday 25 March 2022
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MUSIC Please enjoy these further photos from last week's successful Welcome Recital. All of our music students are hopefully currently preparing pieces for entry into this year's Instrumental Competition – information has previously been sent out, but the enrolment form can be found here and includes further information: https://forms.gle/otnpCgJ56ae82Rgk6 Year 5-6 A Cappella Year 5-6 A Cappella started off this year's rehearsals separated by year group, due to COVID restrictions. During this time, the Year 5s enjoyed a crash course in an a cappella vocal group, which is quite different from what they experienced last year in Year 3-4 Sculthorpe Choir; an a cappella group consists of singers only, with no accompanying instruments. Meanwhile, the Year 6s had the pleasure of working with Joanna Brooke, a wonderful singer and choral specialist whom the students have grown to admire. Once cohorting ended, this fabulous group of singers wowed Ms Brooke with their amazing combined efforts, showing fabulous vocal and musicianship skills. These talented musicians will continue to work at their pitch and listening skills, as well as other choral techniques, to produce a balanced and blended sound without the need for an instrument, such as the piano, to anchor them. Year 5-6 A Cappella students look forward to hopefully competing in the National Eisteddfod later this year. Year 5-6 Keyboard Extensions Keyboard Extensions Ensemble is a great way to start the week. We begin our class with simple exercises and fun warm-up songs, from ‘We Are the Champions’ to ‘Let it Go’. The big song for the term has been ‘Believer’ by Imagine Dragons. The song is a bit challenging, but the students’ enthusiasm keeps everybody focused and engaged. Each student works on their own customisable digital keyboard, learning separate parts and coming together to play as an ensemble. We are proud of all these students and look forward to when they are able to perform for their peers.
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 9 Friday 25 March 2022
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MUSIC PERFORMANCE
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 9 Friday 25 March 2022
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