Primary Newsletter
IN THIS ISSUE:
News from the Classroom
Birthdays
Student Achievements
Dear Parents and Caregivers, With only a week to go before we end what has been quite a lengthy term, there is an air of expectancy around the school as the holiday spirit energises the place. The students and their teachers certainly deserve a good rest, as it has been a full and productive term. We should not underestimate how much of an adjustment it has been for many, as we settled back into the ‘normal’ routines of schooling. One thing which is always a highlight for any teacher is to witness the moment of illumination when a student ‘gets it’ about some topic in class. There is a spark in the eyes and an excited smile, along with a new energy to put into practice what he or she has just discovered. It is perhaps such moments that inspired Socrates to pen the well-known saying that “wonder is the beginning of wisdom.” We see this is in the excited exploration among young children, because everything is new for them. The early years of education are spent immersed in play and from that play comes learning. Yet, as the years go by, many of us lose that sense of wonder – of exploring and learning simply for the adventure and not because there are marks to be obtained or a certificate to be presented at the end. It would be so good if we could instil a lifelong passion for learning and discovery in the children who now fill our school. Much of this, of course, has to do with the way we ourselves view new experiences and the opportunity to broaden ourselves or to learn more about what we encounter each day.
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 10 Friday 1 April 2022
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I recently came across an interesting article which suggests ways in which we can encourage our children to maintain a sense of wonder and a desire to discover more about the fascinating world of which they are part. It suggests the following:
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“Don’t ask young people questions where a simple yes or no response is easily available. Do encourage how and why questions. Listen closely to what young people really want to know and what they find most rewarding to learn about. And if they report a new fact, you might wonder about it with them. By joining in the learning process, you will find countless opportunities to explore and delight in the richly coloured world all around you.” May it be true that one day our children will look back on their childhood with a sense of gratitude that their amazement and wonder was watered and cultivated in their schoolgoing years – and that it laid the foundations for many years of discovery and life-long learning. The Year 1s finally got to enjoy their excursion to Taronga Zoo on Wednesday, after the previous date had to be changed because of wet weather. They had a thoroughly good time learning more about our natural heritage and all returned to school eager to expand on what they had discovered on their excursion. Congratulations to the Reddam 4 water polo team who finished the season in second and took home the silver medal. The girls played amazingly over the course of the term and improved out of sight. Well done to all our Primary students. Those who played in the team were: Eva Herson, Violet Douglas, Lucia Zagora, Ella Lundberg, Abbey Haggiag, Isla Choi, Micah Shields and Charli Lowe. Please use the link below to view the reveal of the Primary School production for 2022. Production Have a happy weekend! Dee Pitcairn Principal
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 10 Friday 1 April 2022
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The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 10 Friday 1 April 2022
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SPORT FIXTURES
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Sporting Fixtures 2nd April 2022
Un14s – Reddam Mavericks v Newtown Sharks 1.00 Ct 3 Un14s – Reddam Nuggets v All Blacks 12.10 Ct 2
Basketball Comets Competition – Friday 1st April Un16s – Reddam Knicks v Inner City Jaguars 4.30 Ct 2 Un18s – Reddam Suns v SGHS Mystics 5.15 Ct 2
Un14s – Reddam Pistons v Inner City Thunder 11.20 Ct 1 Un16s – Reddam Rockets v Newtown Tigers 2.40 Ct 3
Un18s – Reddam 1st V v Inner City Allstars 4.30 Ct 1
Boys MPCYC
Perry Park Courts & Comets Stadium Saturday Fixtures 2nd April
Un16s – Reddam Warriors v Inner City Panthers 6.00 Ct 1
(Perry Park Courts are located behind the Comets stadium)
Un16s – Reddam Pacers v Newtown Rhinos 5.15 Ct 1 Un16s – Reddam Nets v Vikings 2.15 Ct 2
Girls Un10s – Reddam Lakers v Inner City Sparks 8.00 Ct 4 Un12s – Reddam Bucks v KHY Astronauts 8.50 Ct 4 Un14s – Reddam Timberwolves v Newtown Lynx 9.40 Ct 3
Un18s – Reddam Heat v Newtown Kings 2.15 Ct 3 Un18s – Reddam Grizzlies v Maccabi Heat 3.00 Ct 3 Un18s – Reddam 1st V v MVP Lakers 7.30 Ct 2 Sunday – Comp
Un14s – Reddam Sparks v KHY Astronauts 9.40 4 Boys Alexandria (Perry Park Courts)
Reddam Year 12 Girls v Rose Bay Rebels Waverley College Gym 9.20am
Un10s – Reddam Jazz v Newtown Panters 8.50 Ct 1
Reddam Cougars v Moriah Gold Sydney Boys High School 10.15am
Un10s – Reddam Hawks v All Blacks 8.00 Ct 1 Un12s – Reddam Celtics v Sydney Hoopstars Vipers 10.30 Ct 1
Soccer – Girls Sunday
Un12s – Reddam Clippers v Sydney Hoopstars Adders Ct 3
Reddam Under 13 V Queens Park Panthers @ Lyne Park Field 12.30pm
Un12s – Reddam Raptors v KHY Orbits 12.10 Ct 1
Reddam Under 15 V Pagewood Botany @ Lyne Park Field 1 11.00am
Un14s – Reddam Bulls v Reddam Cavaliers 1.00 Ct 1
Reddam Seniors V Queens Park Cheetahs @ Lyne Park Field 1.45pm
Un14s – Reddam Cavaliers v Reddam Bulls 1.00 Ct 1
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 10 Friday 1 April 2022
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SPORT RESULTS Sporting results 26th March 2022
Sporting results 26th March 2022 Girls Un16s – Reddam Knicks v All Blacks 10 - 40 Un18s – Reddam Suns v SGHS Move Like Moha 8 – 30 Un18s – Reddam 1st V v Inner City Gems 26 – 29 Un10s – Reddam Lakers v BYE (no game) Un12s – Reddam Bucks v Sydney HoopStars Cheetahs 2 - 24 Un14s – Reddam Timberwolves v KHY Astronauts 21 – 28 Un14s – Reddam Sparks v Newtown Lynx 20 –0 Un18 Reddam Girls v Tripple threat 18s Girls 35 - 43
Un16s – Reddam Rockets v Inner City Mustangs 16 – 46 Un16s – Reddam Warriors v Maccabi Rockets 32 – 35 Un16s – Reddam Pacers v Newtown Bullets 15 - 34 Un16s – Reddam Nets v Inner City Eagles 41 – 59 Un18s – Reddam Heat v CYS 34 – 25 Un18s – Reddam Grizzlies v Manesis Strength 31 – 35 Un18s – Reddam 1st V v MVP Cheetahs 38 25 Un18s – Reddam Cougars v Tripple threat 32 – 35 Water Polo- Friday
Boys
Girls
Un10s – Reddam Jazz v Inner City Clippers 2 – 51
Reddam 2 vs Reddam 1 1 - 9
Un10s – Reddam Hawks v Newtown Panthers 11 - 52
Reddam 4 vs Reddam 3 4 - 8
Reddam 1 vs Reddam 2 9 - 1
Un12s – Reddam Celtics v Inner City Demons 5 - 15 Un12s – Reddam Clippers v Newtown Rebels 17 - 12 Un12s – Reddam Raptors v Newtown Wombats 20 – 8 Un14s – Reddam Bulls v Reddam Nuggets 8 - 34 Un14s – Reddam Cavaliers v Newtown Rangers 38 – 15 Un14s – Reddam Mavericks v Newtown Gorillas 21 - 32 Un14s – Reddam Nuggets v Reddam Bulls 20 – 0 Un14s – Reddam Pistons v All Blacks 16 – 48
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Is-
Reddam 3 vs Reddam 4 8 - 4
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Reddam House Would like to wish a very happy birthday to Mingy McDonald, Annelise Sergides, Lucas Hutton, Alice Kreiser, Elijah Lim, Tea Alvarez Calear, Cheyenne Gunn, Edouard Lam, Allegra Malki, Luca Scardilli, Bailey Yu, and Asher Colquhoun Who celebrated their special day this week and over the weekend
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 10 Friday 1 April 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: Ruby Levitt , Lawrence Chan and Lauren Lim
Principal Honour Awards recipients: Emma Watts, Jacob Lay, Michael Rodov, Harriette Ho, Tang Guoer and Romany Hoskins
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 10 Friday 1 April 2022
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KINDERGARTEN In Mathematics this week, it was all about patterns! Students identified patterns in their local environment and discovered they were everywhere. They learnt how to continue repeating patterns and identify the core. Students had lots of fun making patterns with shells, beads, shapes and numbers. They even designed and made their very own piece of jewellery to take home! In English, students began to use their knowledge of phonics and sentence structure to construct simple sentences in the written form. We implemented a checklist so students could remember to include a capital letter at the beginning, even spaces between the words and a full stop at the end. During our Personal Development and Health lesson, students listened to the story ‘Giraffes Can’t Dance’ and were asked to identify the emotions experienced by the characters in the story. We then learnt the meaning of the word ‘confidence’ and acted out different ways we can show this at school and when in other environments. The teachers are amazed by how much confidence all of our Kindergarten students have developed since the beginning of the year.
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 10 Friday 1 April 2022
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KINDERGARTEN
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 10 Friday 1 April 2022
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YEAR 1 This week in English we wrote a recount of what we might do on an imaginary adventure if our favourite toy came alive. This structured recount was inspired by the fabulous book ‘Gorilla’ by Anthony Brown. We also did our very own book review of our favourite Anthony Browne story. The children revised all the incredible stories that we have explored this term, and explained which was their favourite, and why. They were asked to recap the story, and describe the characters, and finally to share their favourite part of the story. It was marvellous to hear the diverse reasons for choosing the story as their favourite. The reasons ranged from ‘I like that they slowly turn into pigs’, to ‘It made me laugh when he fell over in the soccer game!’. In Mathematics we further explored place value to consolidate our understanding of the concepts, through small group work. This gives the children an opportunity to work together to expand their knowledge of place value. Following on from last week’s focus on our place in the world, in History and Geography we examined and matched the names of the states and territories in Australia, and some of the landmarks that each state is known for. We also created our own Australian Flag. In Science, we experimented with pitch again, using glasses of water filled to different levels. The children tried tapping the spoon on the glass to create a vibration, sending a sound wave through the water in the glass. We discovered that each glass makes a different sound because the sound wave travels at different speeds through the water. We also recorded our observations of how sound and light travel to our eyes and ears. In PDH we spoke about how friends make us feel, and how friendships change over time. We wrote a reflection on how friendships make us feel, and what we need to do to keep them strong and healthy. The weather was mostly kind to us on Wednesday, for our trip to Taronga Zoo, which was the highlight of our week. From tigers to meerkats, the children were delighted! The educators at Taronga were phenomenal, telling us tales from the Dreamtime, animal facts and engaging our young learners throughout. Year 1s made us proud with their enthusiasm and good manners. A fantastic week!
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 10 Friday 1 April 2022
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YEAR 1
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 10 Friday 1 April 2022
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YEAR 2 This week was certainly a busy one in Year 2! We consolidated strategies in solving addition, subtraction and multiplication. Fractions were also reviewed, as well as activities to reinforce the concept of time on both digital and analogue clocks. 2D shapes and 3D objects were classified by identifying their features including faces, vertices and edges. The students are developing an understanding of the importance of Mathematics in our daily activities. Grammar work this week provided an opportunity to review nouns and verbs and explore their use when building sentences. The students particularly enjoyed our visual writing stimulus. Year 2 were introduced to the concept of using descriptive language utilising the ‘Show, Don’t Tell’ element and focussing on our five senses when writing paragraphs about the setting or characters. The students enthusiastically engaged in discussions about the different materials used by Indigenous people when creating toys from long ago. This linked to areas of study in both Science and History. We also used the Scientific Method to predict the outcome of changing materials. The outcome of this was lots of fun. In History we explored the impact of technology on transport and designed some wonderful modes of transport for the future. Year 2 also provided examples of kindness and demonstrated ways in which we can be kind to one another. In PDH we set goals, discussed the importance of persistence to achieve our goals and began to recognise the concept of resilience. We are mindful of showing gratitude and all the things we are grateful for which keep us positive and happy.
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 10 Friday 1 April 2022
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YEAR 2
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 10 Friday 1 April 2022
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YEAR 3 It was another tremendous week in Year 3. Our Mathematicians were busy finishing their unit on 2D Shapes, and inspecting the various properties used to describe polygons and non-polygons. Students were excited to get crafty, cutting out squares, rectangles and hexagons, just to name a few, to experiment with their lines of symmetry. Enjoyment was had with many trying, but inevitably failing, to find a diagonal line of symmetry within a rectangle. This hands-on experience definitely brought on some ‘aha’ moments! Furthermore, students started their graphing and data unit this week. Year 3 had fun conducting surveys and collecting information about their friends to put into graphical displays. There was also some cross over to our Persuasive unit in English, with some trying to convince their friends that ‘chocolate is certainly a better flavour than vanilla’. Great work this week, Year 3!
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 10 Friday 1 April 2022
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YEAR 4 “Become a Word Magpie.” That was the mission in which all Year 4 students are encouraged to participate. But what, you are probably asking yourself, is a Word Magpie? Magpies (family Corvidae) are notorious for stealing shiny trinkets to adorn their arboreal abodes. ‘Word Magpies’ are students who find interesting, ‘shiny’ words in texts from all subject areas, write down those words and bring them to the ‘Word Tree,’ a colossal structure twice the size of a Year 4 student, which only started to grow earlier this year. In the morning, our Word Magpies find their words written on its light green, fluffy tufts of foliage, each dedicated to a letter of the alphabet. By doing this, students have an ever-growing, student-led treasure trove of words to reference, bolstering their vocabulary, consolidating their spelling skills and improving their writing. Watch your heads; it’s swooping season! With the end of the term fast approaching, students finalised their Science project with equal pace. We completed our ‘Australian Animal Fact File’ detailing the appearance, life cycle and food web of the students’ chosen animals. With the inclusion of interesting facts, such as ‘Did you know quokkas become omnivorous in Summer and Autumn?’ and ‘The platypus is one of the very few mammals to produce venom!’, the shared curiosity for the topic ‘Friend and Foe’ and our unique, native fauna will live on.
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 10 Friday 1 April 2022
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YEAR 5 & 6 MATHEMATICS In Mathematics this week, Year 5 completed activities which required a clear understanding of the distinction between perimeter and area. They communicated using language such as dimension, length, width, height, and breadth. Students understood that any square unit is read as a ‘square unit’ and not ‘units squared’. Initially, the mathematicians skilfully measured and used formal units to determine area. They were then encouraged to find more efficient ways, other than counting. Once they began to generalise their methods, they were easily able to calculate and record the area of rectangles (including squares) using words and algebraic formulas. They reasoned that rectangle with the same area may have different dimensions. In Year 6, students established a real reference for the square kilometre and the hectare. They located the area of 1m2 and 1 ha on a local map to reinforce the concept. Furthermore, given an area, students connected factors of a number with the wholenumber dimensions of a variety of rectangles. Similarly, given the area of squares, students were easily able to transfer their knowledge of square roots to find the side lengths and hence perimeter.
YEAR 5 & 6 ENGLISH Year 5 Year 5 students did an excellent job analysing the imagery of "The Little Refugee", unpacking the symbolism and meaning in each image. This week, we continued to explore fictional narratives, using the evocative imagery from the book as a catalyst for our own narratives. As a class, Year 5 has started co-constructing a narrative plan, based on one of the images. It details an orientation, rising action, complication, falling action and resolution. Students were able to use this plan to start a new story based on the image, focusing on captivating the reader by developing an exciting and evocative start. Year 6 Year 6 is continuing with the busy planning of their own adventure narrative, full of exciting sentence starters, vivid imagery and sensory language. While some students have chosen to use Mulga Bill's Bicycle as the inspiration for their narrative, others have decided to plan their own wild adventure story. Before writing, however, it is important to plan! Students have been planning their narratives through scaffolds and storyboarding, allowing them to visualise their story before bringing them to life with words.
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 10 Friday 1 April 2022
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YEAR 5 & 6 SCIENCE In Science this week, Year 5 students explored the separation technique of filtration. Filtration is used to separate a solid from gas or liquid using a filtration medium. Students participated in an experiment where they separated salt from water in order to observe filtration for themselves. Students also studied rusting this week. Students added three nails to three different solutions to see if the different solutions had any effect on the rate of rusting. They will follow up on this experiment next week once the nails have had some time for rusting to occur. In science this week, the Year 6s began their product design. Over the past few lessons, Year 6 students have been learning about a range of materials properties and characteristics and what makes them useful for their roles. This week students used their knowledge to create their own unique product. Students had to explain why they used certain materials to make their product and what the benefits of using the materials were. In Science Club, students were involved in dissections. Students were shown and also made their own incisions on a heart and eyeball, and explored the different parts of each of these organs. They were also lucky enough to see a set of lungs and how they operate when inhaling and exhaling.
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 10 Friday 1 April 2022
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MUSIC The Year 3, 4 and 5 students continued to learn their pop songs this week. They enjoyed singing as a class, and also playing the xylophones. The Year 5 classes learned the bass line and verse melodies of 'Viva La Vida' this week, and were able to put together a xylophone arrangement of the piece in two parts. Students also had the opportunity to use our new mini portable keyboards as part of the class arrangement. Next week, Year 5 students will be bringing in their individual instruments, so they can begin to learn their parts, creating a class ensemble with a mixture of string, woodwind, brass and percussion instruments. The Year 4 students sounded fabulous playing the chorus part of 'Shotgun' by George Ezra on the xylophones. They effectively listened to each other and kept a clear pulse. They also paid careful attention to their mallet technique. Meanwhile, Year 1 students learnt the piece 'Starlight'. They sang with lyrics, then with solfa and hand signs, and then also clapped the rhythm using the kodaly terms 'ta' and 'titi'. They consolidated their understanding of the piece by completing a notation worksheet – showing their grasp of high and low pitches 'so' and 'mi'. It was another wonderful week of music-making at school! Great work from all students in the Primary School!
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 10 Friday 1 April 2022
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MUSIC PERFORMANCE A reminder that students should now have selected pieces for entry into this year's Instrumental Competition, to be held next term. Details and further information are available at this link: https://forms.gle/otnpCgJ56ae82Rgk6 We will also soon be able to share information about next term's Vocal Competition. It will be a very big term for our Music students. We look forward to a busy and fulfilling final week of ensembles and lessons to finish Term 1 in style! Year 5-6 Concert Band It's been great getting the 'band back together', so to speak, after the rocky start to the term with Covid, and Ms Eckardt and I have been working with the group on a march and a seismicthemed piece by Sydney-based composer Adrian Hallam called 'Volcano'. They're developing well as a group and we are very excited to see them progress in Term 2! Year 2 Orff Percussion The Year 2 Orff Percussion Ensemble students have settled into an excellent routine this term and are displaying wonderful behaviour and enthusiasm during ensemble rehearsals. In the ensemble, we sing, play and move, learning a variety of repertoire from the Orff methodology catalogue. This term, we learned an old favourite, ‘There’s a hole in my bucket’. Each week, we begin by singing the song and adding in a new verse of lyrics. We then move onto the xylophones and practise playing the notes accurately and with good technique. This week, we also started another Orff song called ‘Button you must wonder’. We have learned the words and part of the melody and are very much looking forward to hearing it on xylophones and percussion instruments soon. Lastly, a big congratulations to three students, James Lowenstein, Anson Ruan and Octavia Spender-Capps, for their beautiful piano performances in class this week!
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 10 Friday 1 April 2022
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