Primary Newsletter
IN THIS ISSUE: •
News from the Classroom
•
Birthdays
•
Student Achievements
Dear Parents and Caregivers, Hopefully everyone in the school enjoyed the slightly shorter week, even though most of the long weekend was probably spent studying for the Year 3-6 students. The teachers and I were enormously impressed by the attitude and hard work shown by the students as they tackled their mid-year exams. Their calm resolve was most pleasing to note, especially from the Year 3s, for whom exams are still something new. As mentioned in last year’s newsletter, these exams – along with those at the end of the year – are a useful barometer of how the students are doing. Now, in particular, we have the opportunity to analyse areas of strength and others where more work is required, and to work on these in the months ahead. As with any goal, there is an inevitable tweaking and refining until one can truly feel satisfied that it has been reached. A recent article reflects on the childhood favourite story ‘The Little Engine That Could’, and how the little train engine pants out its “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…” as it hauls the train up the hill. The article reminds us that self-confidence is inherently linked to the way we believe others see us. So, if we are surrounded by people who support and encourage us, and who have high expectations of what we are capable of, we are more likely to grow in confidence – and achieve at a higher level. This analogy will be important as the students receive their results from the exams. Such a time is an invaluable teachable moment, as the results in themselves are only a step along the journey of learning. There may be some which can be celebrated, and there may be some in which more focus and attention can be given. However, in both situations we have the opportunity to build self-esteem in the students.
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 6 Friday 17 June 2022
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Primary Newsletter
IN THIS ISSUE: •
News from the Classroom
•
Birthdays
•
Student Achievements
One study, completed in 2019, looked at what is referred to as the Pygmalion Effect, or the Teacher Expectancy Effect (TEE). It revealed that “teachers’ higher expectations translated into higher students’ academic self-concept”. This is our great hope here at Reddam House – that the belief we have in the abilities, talents and interests of the students will translate into a community of individuals who believe in themselves, and whose “I think I can, I think I can…” will become “I know I can, I know I can…” The teachers will enjoy going through the exams with their students with this in mind. They understand how stressful it can be and they will transform this into an opportunity for growth, rather than a single moment of disappointment. My thanks to all the students and the teachers for the manner in which the exams were written, and for what I know will be a positive experience next week. My special thanks to our Academic Head, Mrs Jeannine Shainfeld and to Mrs Tessa Dorfan, Head of Academic Support for their additional care, planning and consideration of all our Year 3-6 students sitting these mid-year examinations. Your expertise, kindness and educational passion and support is appreciated by all of us!
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Volume 22 Issue 6 Friday 17 June 2022
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Congratulations to Eve Kalan, who had an excellent gym competition last weekend at the Tamworth Country Capital Cup, where she competed at Level 6 for her club, Bunnerong Gymnastics. This is the first big meet of the year in NSW and draws from most of the major gymnastics clubs across both Sydney and the regions. As such, Eve’s results were all the more impressive. She achieved the following placings: 2nd All Around, 2nd Bars, 3rd Floor, 5th Vault and1st Team.
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As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, it was a sensational day for our Reddam Cross Country runners last Wednesday at Eastern Creek. This event really is the next level of competition for our students, and our students had a wonderful experience competing against the best athletes from the CIS association. As a school and association, it is rare for us to have our runners finish in the top 6, considering the calibre of the runners who participate in this event. This year we had two students from Reddam who managed to qualify for the NSW All Schools Cross Country Championships. Congratulations once again to Mikey Rodov (3rd) and Theodore Zagora (6th), who both ran outstanding races and who will go to the next level of competition. Both of these boys shaved some serious time off their ASISSA runs, with Mikey - 4 seconds - and Theodore - 12 seconds! It was a sensational effort by both boys, and we wish them everything of the best for the State Championships!
While the older students were hard at work with their exams, the Year 2s had an enjoyable morning on Tuesday, when they visited the Symbio Wildlife Park. This hands-on experience will no doubt remain with them for a long time, as it was evident from their excited faces on their return just how much they enjoyed the morning’s outing. Next week it is the turn of the Year 3s to head out on an outing, as they get to experience the Sydney Learning Adventures at The Rocks. This interactive, multi-layered learning experience should be a real treat, especially as they step back in time at this historic site. The Year K-2 Creative Arts Enrichment Week kicks off on Monday, with the Year 3-6 Week taking place the following week. Both should be a wonderful immersion in the Creative Arts, and the perfect way to end the term. The mathematicians will also end the term in a positive manner, as the Year 5 and 6 students continue with the Maths Olympiad on Monday, while the Year 4s stretch their mathematical thinking in the Maths Games. Also on Monday are the Vocal Competition Finals, which should be a fitting conclusion to an exceptional event. Enjoy the weekend! Dee Pitcairn Principal
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 6 Friday 17 June 2022
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SPORT FIXTURES Sporting fixtures 18th June 2022
Netball Saturday -Heffron Park Netball Courts
Basketball
Comets Competition – Friday 17 June Un16s – Reddam Knicks v SGHS Blob the Bloober 4:30pm Un18s – Reddam Suns v Coogee Crystals 4:30pm Un18s – Reddam 1 V v BYE h
st
Perry Park Courts & Comets Stadium Saturday Fixtures 18 June (Perry Park Courts are located behind the Comets stadium) th
Girls Un14s – Reddam Timberwolves v Reddam Mystics 10:30am Ct 4 Un14s – Reddam Sparks v KHY Astronauts 9:40am Ct 4 Un 14s – Reddam Mystics v Reddam Timberwolves 10:30am Ct 4
Soccer
Boys Alexandria (Perry Park Courts) Un12s – Reddam Raptors v BYE (no game) Un14s – Reddam Bulls v Reddam Hawks 1pm Ct 2 Un14s – Reddam Cavaliers v Reddam Nuggets 12:10pm Ct 1 Un14s – Reddam Mavericks v All Blacks 11:20am Ct 3 Un14s – Reddam Nuggets v Reddam Cavaliers 12:10pm Ct 1 Un14s – Reddam Hawks v Reddam Bulls 1pm Ct 2 Un16s – Reddam Rockets v Newtown Force 12:10pm Ct 2 Un16s – Reddam Jazz v Maccabi Kings 12:10pm Ct 4 Un18s – Reddam Heat v BYE Boys MPCYC Un16s – Reddam Warriors v KHY Astronauts 2:20pm Un16s – Reddam Nets v Inner City Eagles 5:40pm Un18s – Reddam Grizzlies v Maccabi Heat 1:30pm Un18s – Reddam 1 V v MVP Cheetahs 4:50pm st
Reddam 2 v KRB Court 32, 2.15pm Reddam 3 v Rose Bay Court 6, 3.30pm Reddam 4 v Dolphins Court 32, 1.00pm Reddam 5 v Saints, Court 29, 11.45am Reddam 6 v Saints, Court 17, 11.45am Reddam 7 v Mascot, Court 3, 11.45am Reddam 8 v Bye Reddam 9 v Kincopal, Court 3, 10.30am Reddam 10 v Randwick Rugby, Court 3, 9.15am Reddam 12 v Mascot, Court 22, 9.15am Reddam 13 v Randwick Rugby, Court 34, 9.15am Reddam 14 v Bondi, Court 11, 10.30am Girls Sunday Reddam Under 13 V Queens Park Female Ripping Rockets, Lyne Park, 11.45am Reddam Seniors V Queens Park Female Cheetahs, Lyne Park, 1.00pm Primary Saturday Under 9s Reddam United V Waverley Old Boys 10.00am Waverley Synthetic A Under 9s Reddam City V Maccabi Eagles 10.00am Waverley Synthetic C Under 10s Reddam United V Glebe Wanderers Orange 11.00am Heffron Park 1B Under 10s Reddam City V Pagewood Botany Orange Warriors 11.00am Jellicoe 3F Under 11s Reddam Gunners V Easts Madrid 11.00am Queens Park 11A Under 12s Reddam United V Maroubra Bisons 1.00pm Coral Sea 3/4 Field A Under 12s Reddam City BYE High School Boys Saturday Year 12 v Barker, Rosewood B, 1.00pm Year 11v Barker, Rosewood B, 2.00pm Year 10 v Barker, Rosewood B, 3.00pm Year 9 v Sydney Boys High School, Centennial Park No 10. Parkes Drive Centennial Park 10.00am Year 8R v SHORE, Lyne Park 3.00pm Year 8E v SHORE, Lyne Park 2.00pm Year 7 v SHORE, Lyne Park 1.00pm Cross Country Knox/Cranbrook Cross Country Carnival – North Ryde Common.
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Volume 22 Issue 6 Friday 17 June 2022
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Reddam House Would like to wish a very happy birthday to
Frank Chou, Peter Chou, Karl Chang, Ella Corry Sanft, Zara Pulley, Asher Edelstein, Lauren Lim, Rayan Seyed Esfahani, James Lowenstein, Gabriel Monteiro, Phoenix Monteiro, Arthur Nardi, Jaden Zhang, Aria Algie, Cael Barton, Noah McQuarrie, Sabina Anderson, Tiffany Fan, Duke Laurie, Oliver Leis, James Steiner, Miley Yuan
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Volume 22 Issue 6 Friday 17 June 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:
Griffin Hincksman, Daniel Topouz and Shane Hui
Principal & Principal Honour Awards The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 6 Friday 17 June 2022
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KINDERGARTEN We came back after the long weekend refreshed and ready to tackle more learning as we head into the final few weeks of the term. The classrooms have continued to buzz with more exciting ‘Show and Tell’ performances as we learn about The Rainbow Serpent, How The Birds got Their Colours, How the Koala lost his tail and many more! In English this week we practised a reading comprehension strategy called ‘visualisation’. This allows us to make an image in our mind as we read to gather information on what we think the author is trying to tell us. We listened to the story ‘Imagine’ by Alison Leister and drew pictures of what was appearing in our minds. We then got to share them with each other to see if we had a similar image. We looked at the different flags seen to represent Australia in our Topic lessons this week. It was interesting to look at the different features of each flag and why it is important. We then listened carefully to the national anthem and explored the interesting words used and what they mean as we sing it proudly each week in our assemblies. During our Mathematics lessons we had so much fun engaging in lots of hands-on learning as we explored the concept of capacity. We used different materials such as cotton balls, water, rice and Lego bricks to measure the capacity of different containers and then discussed which material would be best to use and why. This got us thinking about how we use our knowledge of capacity in a real-world context, such as the kitchen!
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Volume 22 Issue 6 Friday 17 June 2022
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YEAR 1 Continuing our focus on ‘procedure writing’ in English, this week we wrote a procedure for ‘How to make a Witch’s Potion’. This created much excitement, as the class drew on their imagination to concoct a magical brew. Example 1; ‘A potion to turn you into a Mermaid’. First add two spiders and five unicorn horns. Mix it well. Next put in nine bat wings and nine person’s teeth. Stir it for six minutes. Then wait for one minute. Drink one quarter cup. By Ava Paffas. Example 2; ‘A potion to make you fly’. Put the pot on the fire. Next add one phoenix wing in. Then wait five minutes. After that, put one dragon scale in. Finally, put the rainbow feather in. Stir it. Have a good time flying after drinking the potion! By Lucas Hutton. Some of the other potions turned you invisible, gave you animal powers, made it snow in the classroom, made you move at the speed of light, made you grow taller, turned you blue, made your enemies explode…. And made your teacher be extra nice to you! We also followed a procedure to create a paper snake. One child remarked: “If you missed even one step, it would be impossible!” The importance of the step-by-step nature within the structure of this type of writing is becoming clear as we continue to follow and create procedures throughout this term.
In Maths we delved into the world of data handling. The students practised reading and interpreting simple pictographs and column graphs. We explored the features of a graph, and learned that they come in many different forms. Together they created a class bar graph of their favourite colours, and a pictograph of their birthday months.
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Volume 22 Issue 6 Friday 17 June 2022
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YEAR 1
In Science we were called on to practise our hypothesis about the properties of different materials. The children were asked to investigate the best material to keep a teddy bear dry in the rain. First, they made predictions about five different materials, then they tested their predictions on the little bear. Hands-on learning is so engaging!
In History and Geography, we explored what ‘country’ means to Indigenous People. The term ‘country’ is often used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to explain their family connection with a specific place in Australia. Indigenous people use natural resources from their country or place for many things: food, shelter, clothing, medicines, tools, weapons, art, craft and ceremonial objects. Their spiritual connection with the land, sky and sea makes them kind to their environment. We learned that these practices and connection to the land are passed on from generation to generation.
Another fun-filled week in Year 1!
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 6 Friday 17 June 2022
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YEAR 2 On Tuesday, Year 2 had a very exciting day at Symbio Wildlife Park located near the Royal National Park at Helensburgh. Here the students were able to see native animals from Australia as well as other interesting animals from around the world. It was a perfect way to consolidate our knowledge linked to our key learning topics and to understand the importance of conservation for these amazing creatures. The highlights were definitely seeing the reptiles and getting to touch them as well as feeding the kangaroos, wallabies and cheeky goats in their natural environment. It was so much fun! The focus for our students was also to consider the impact of sustainability in our daily lives. The rangers were very impressed with our student’s engagement and excellent behaviour. Our Maths lessons involved further opportunities to explore number sequences using subtraction from addition as well as consolidating our knowledge of the jump strategy utilising number lines. The students focussed on data collection to create column graphs. We also engaged in hands-on experiences to consolidate their understanding of identifying and describing halfturns and quarter turns. During English lessons we discussed different types of sentences. We identified the difference between statements, exclamations and questions. We brainstormed ways to improve our writing by making it more descriptive by using a variety of adjectives. The students were very keen to recount their experiences from the wonderful Symbio excursion.
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Volume 22 Issue 6 Friday 17 June 2022
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YEAR 2
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Volume 22 Issue 6 Friday 17 June 2022
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YEAR 3 Congratulations, Year 3, on sitting your first ever Reddam House Mid-Year Examinations! Your teachers were so proud of your efforts this week. All of you showed great maturity and an eager attitude, completing all your papers with diligence and determination. Each student took their time to read the instructions carefully, made sure they double checked and edited their responses, and gave every question a go. After weeks of preparation, the Year 3s can finally see that their hard work has paid off and that maybe examinations aren’t actually that scary! Here’s what some of the students had to say about their exam experience: Angus: “I think exams have been fun because I can prove what I know!” Carmen: “I think they’re good because you can learn things from revising and from answering different types of questions.” Vanessa: “I think Exam Week is scary and fun at the same time because there are many tests, but you get to show off exactly what you can do!” Alexander: “It’s been really nice because there has been lots of learning over the past few weeks and I love learning!”
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Volume 22 Issue 6 Friday 17 June 2022
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YEAR 4 A huge sigh of relief was exhaled as students finished Examination Week. The mid-year examinations are an opportunity to showcase all the learning that has been achieved in one semester. The Year 4 teachers would like to extend a huge congratulations to all students for having the resilience and fortitude to participate in and successfully complete Examination Week. This week, as students were welcomed into class, many had the opportunity to “Leave a Learning Note” in preparation for exams. Learning notes are fantastic snippets of learning and a great occasion for students to show what they remember and fill in the gaps. This also provided a chance to address any misconceptions and allow for child-led learning. The afternoons were filled with revision sessions, where students were given the opening to study and prepare for the following day’s exams. Learning to develop strategies to showcase what you know, and what you need to improve on, is a life-long skill that will serve to benefit all students in the future. As we progress into the final few weeks of the term, Year 4 students are looking forward to concluding their units of study with hands-on practical, outdoor learning. It will be a fun-filled last few weeks!
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 6 Friday 17 June 2022
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YEAR 5 & 6 MATHEMATICS What a pleasure it was to witness our Year 5 and 6 mathematicians in the hall, completing their exams with confidence. Those who took advantage of working through their revision booklets, past cycle test papers and workbooks enjoyed the questions and were confidently able to show what they knew. There was a definite sense that both studying for, and the sitting of exams, deepened the students’ learning. Learners were required to draw on and apply their knowledge of divisibility facts. They used these to find factors, multiples, the highest common factors, and lowest common multiples of numbers; furthermore, they identified prime and composite numerals. Students applied the order of operations and remembered that indices and square roots come after brackets and precede the other operations. An important concept tested was that BIDMAS is performed within grouping symbols. Students identified the recursive rule given a series of numbers, some of which included 2 operations. In addition, they were required to use a rule to complete function tables. Year 6 mathematicians completed function tables which included negative numbers. Year 5 were given patterns in the form of geometric figures from which they extracted a function rule. Finding the perimeter and area of composite shapes was another topic that was examined. Students converted between units of length and Year 6 converted adeptly between units of area. All students were required to have a concept of the hectare and square kilometre and realise which was a larger unit. In addition to length and area, the Year 6s’ second paper included time. They calculated elapsed time and converted between analogue, digital and 24-hour time. They applied their knowledge of meridians, time differences and flying times to calculate the local arrival time at a given destination. Working mathematically was integrated into each of the papers to encourage learners to employ critical and creative thinking and use a variety of representations to formulate and express mathematical ideas using appropriate language, diagrams, notations, and conventions. Furthermore, the exams empowered students to enhance what they knew and provide teachers the opportunity to identify areas of weakness and strength to inform their planning.
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Volume 22 Issue 6 Friday 17 June 2022
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YEAR 5 & 6 ENGLISH Year 5 Last Friday, Year Five kicked off their examinations with narrative writing, and we are exceedingly impressed with the quality of work they produced. Year Five narratives are imaginative, creative and a joy to read. The standard of writing that Year Five has set is very high. Ideas are not only creative and linked to the topic, but the literary devices, imagery and descriptive language used are most impressive. We feel as though we are transported to a new world with every story that we read. This week, Year Five also completed their Reading Comprehension and Language Conventions Examinations. It was a big week for Year Five and they are commended for all the hard work and diligence displayed this term. Congratulations, Year Five! Year 6 Year Six began their English examinations with a persuasive essay analysing the effectiveness of an advertisement. It is clear that Year Six as a whole has an excellent understanding of the techniques commonly used in advertising and how these techniques work to persuade the viewer. Year Six produced some wonderful persuasive arguments and should be very proud of their growth this term. Year Six also completed their Language and Reading Comprehension exams. They demonstrated an impressive understanding of a variety of texts, analysing visual and written texts with great success. We are so proud of the progress Year Six has made this term. Both Year 5 and Year 6 deserve great recognition for their hard work, diligence and the maturity displayed while preparing for their examinations. Well done, Year Five and Year Six for your great effort. We look forward to more learning and more fun over the remainder of the term!
YEAR 5 & 6 SCIENCE This week, all Year 5 and 6 students sat their Science exam. It was great to see the high levels of preparation and study that students did so that they could achieve the highest grade possible.
Next week, Year 5 students will be continuing to study agriculture by exploring the process for food to go from farm to plate. Year 6 students will be continuing to investigate microbes and how antibiotics affect them. Science Club was cancelled this week due to exams; however, it will be back next week with more fun experiments for students to attempt!
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 6 Friday 17 June 2022
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MUSIC PERFORMANCE Congratulations to our Piccolo String Quartet members for their first competition last week at the Sydney Eisteddfod, and for their dedication to chamber music and performing! We are very excited to share their work at our end of term assembly. The entries for this year's Composition Competition are now open, and you can find more information and an entry form at this link: https://forms.gle/VYfSVUUfa3KijJUB7 Year 5-6 Piano Duets Please enjoy this performance of Bouncin' Boogie by Richard Sun and Daniel Pinski: INSERT ATTACHED VIDEO LINK PXL_20220529_224711739.mp4 Every Monday morning, the Year 5-6 Piano Duets students meet in the terrace to rehearse and master their skills of collaborating with a friend in a piano duet. As well as playing duet pieces, the students attempted to play more challenging pieces that are written for 6 hands, or three pianists at one piano. The students know that you need to be working together as a team to ensure that the duet piece flows beautifully. You should decide on who turns the page, who has a melody, how to play when you share the keyboard space with your partner, and how to adapt to any tempo set by a partner and play together with balanced dynamics. It was wonderful to see that many of the students have been taking their duet and trio sheet music to their piano teachers to go over their parts to be ready for the in-class rehearsal. The duets and trios have been performing in front of each other at the end of the lesson to share their weekly progress with the class. K-1 Orff Percussion The Kindergarten and Year 1 Orff Ensemble who practise every Friday morning have been having an excellent term. The ensemble is a great opportunity to extend the material covered in academic music classes. This week, in addition to our usual work on xylophone technique, Curwen hand signs and solfa singing, we learned a song called ‘Going on a lion hunt’. The solfa singing is quite challenging as it includes a few pitches that the Kindy and Year 1 students have not used in solfa and hand sign practice yet. Of course, in addition to the singing, the students loved learning to play the song on the xylophones and we also started to add some extra percussion parts as well. Going on a lion hunt: Goin’ on a lion hunt Gonna catch a big one I’m not one bit scared If a lion comes Maybe I’ll just pat his head
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Volume 22 Issue 6 Friday 17 June 2022
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MUSIC PERFORMANCE
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Volume 22 Issue 6 Friday 17 June 2022
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The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
Volume 22 Issue 6 Friday 17 June 2022
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The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
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The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter
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