The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter Volume 22 Issue Friday 2 September 2022 Page 1 Primary Newsletter IN THIS ISSUE: • News from the Classroom • Birthdays •
Student Achievements
Also, writing for a purpose, which gives children the opportunity to use language in different scenarios. So, writing a letter to a family member, or creating a unique message for dad or someone special on Father’s Day, or helping to come up with the wording for a birthday invitation all help children to use language in different contexts. The two activities of writing and reading can then be combined, as a child is encouraged to read his or her own story to an appreciative audience, of course. We really hope that the students here at Reddam are inspired to become creative thinkers and that their creativity finds an outlet in the words on a page. As one writer said, “I write for the joy of writing. It is the air I breathe and the joy of my life.”
There was an excited anticipation in a number of the classes this week, as students prepared something unique for their dads and other special men in their lives, in preparation for Father’s Day. The teachers deliberately kept the focus on dads and other special men, as we know only too well that not all families are exactly the same. What we do know, though, is that the children really value some wonderful men and we hope that they enjoy making Sunday extra special for them.
As our eyes scan the pages and the words create pictures in our minds, we are transported to places and events far from our often mundane lives. We really do hope that the students enjoyed the activities associated with Book Week and that they become life long readers.
One interesting article explores how we can encourage young writers, and their suggestions should provide for many opportunities for creativity. One is to write together for fun. Creating jokes, riddles, stories or creative lists can be an enjoyable pastime, and then displaying these around the house makes them even more praiseworthy.
Last week, a number of our classes made the most of the opportunity to put books and reading at the forefront of their activities, because of this year’s Book Week. The theme for the event this year was “Dreaming with eyes open…” which is a wonderfully evocative way of describing just what reading allows us to do.
There is another outlet for creativity, however, and it has a perfect synergy with reading. It is, of course, writing. Just as we might enjoy the stories and ideas which someone else has come up with, so writing gives us an avenue to express our own. This is certainly true for many of the students, who love sharing the stories they have written.
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
The Year 1s had a fantastic time out in nature on Wednesday, as their excursion took them to the Royal Botanical Gardens There is no doubt that they learned a lot and hopefully renewed their respect for our beautiful natural heritage. Next week it is the turn of the Year 4s, who will visit the Chinese Garden of Friendship on Tuesday. This heritage listed magnificent garden should be a real eye opener for those who have not visited, and they should gain plenty on this excursion. And a day before that the Kindergarten students will have an excursion of their own, as they head for Clifton Gardens.
Congratulations to Freya Mackay, who won the mixed NSW Winter Cup in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu on Saturday in her age (7), weight division (<33kg) and category (white and grey belts). She beat a grey belt boy to win in only her second competitive fight, which was a huge improvement from her first competition. Hugo Sofair competed in the 2022 Junior Road State Championships in Wollongong last weekend and won the silver medal in the U11’s Time Trial and the bronze medal in the U11’s Road Race, with only 1 second separating the top three in a bunch sprint. A wonderful set of results, Hugo! Then, a big congratulations to Eva Herson and Micah Shields, who played in the NSW Under 12 Water Polo Grand Final on the weekend. The girls put up an almighty fight in the Grand Final, finishing 5 5 at full time. In order to get a result, the game went into a penalty shoot out where the girls went down by 1 to take home the silver medal. The team was coached by one of our Reddam House Year 12 students, Nikki Collins. Well done, Eva and Micah, on a fantastic season. Well done to Tang Guoer, who achieved a 2nd place in his competition piece in the Under 11years division of the 2022 Piano Eisteddfod this week.
The final Mathematics ICAS tests were written this past week, while next week the mathematicians will be able to put on their thinking caps again as those Year 4s who are taking part in the Maths Games will do so on Wednesday, while the Year 5 and 6 mathematicians will continue with the Maths Olympiad competition, on the same day.
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter Volume 22 Issue Friday 2 September 2022 Page 2 SUE:IS-THISIN
Monday’s Mufti Day was, as always, an enjoyable day of colourful outfits and excited energy, as we supported the incredible work done at St Lucy’s. I commend our students for their excellent demeanour and discipline around school, despite being in casual clothes.
Earlier this term, we were able to award medals for the winners of this year's Composition Competition. We have also heard some of the winning pieces at our school assemblies. We are now proud to share a website featuring all of the entries received this year, so that the school community can enjoy the creativity of our students' original music. On this site, you can peruse the scores submitted, as well as listen to recordings of the pieces. You can visit this site via the following https://sites.google.com/reddamhouse.com.au/compositioncompetition2022link:
The Reddam Volume 22 Issue Friday 2 September 2022 Page 3 SUE:IS-THISIN
Dee PrincipalPitcairn
It will be another week of musical treats next week. Not only will the highly successful Music Studio Recitals continue on Sunday, but on Monday and Tuesday two Musica Viva incursions will undoubtedly impress their young audiences. It really is very special to have these incursions returning to our school’s calendar, as they are enormously enriching for our Maystudents.itbe a very special weekend for all our families, as they honour and spoil the dads and special men in their lives!
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter Volume 22 Issue Friday 2 September 2022 IN SPORT FIXTURES Sporting Fixtures 3rd September 2022 CometsBasketballCompetition Friday 2nd September Un16s Reddam Knicks v SGHS Pinkiepie Un18s5pmReddam Suns v Coogee Crystals Un18s5pmReddam 1st V v Bye Perry Park Courts & Comets Stadium Saturday Fixtures 3rd September (Perry Park Courts are located behind the Comets stadium) Girls Under 12s Reddam Storm v Inner City Wildcats 8am Ct 4 Un14s Reddam Timberwolves v Inner City Magic 9.40am Ct 3 Un14s Reddam Sparks v Newtown Lynx 10.30am Ct 3 Un 14s Reddam Mystics v Inner City Diamonds 1pm Comets Stadium Boys Alexandria (Perry Park Courts) Under 10s Reddam Lakers v KHY Astronauts 9.40am Ct 2 Under 12s Reddam Bucks v Newtown Bears 2.40pm Ct 3 Un12s Reddam Raptors v Raptors 3.30pm Ct Un14s3 Reddam Bulls v Sydney Hoopstars Anacondas 10.30am Ct 4 Un14s Reddam Cavaliers v Reddam Pistons 11.20am Ct 4 Un14s Reddam Mavericks v Sydney Hoopstars Diamondbacks 3.30pm Ct 2 Un14s Reddam Nuggets v Forfeit Win Un14s Reddam Pistons v Reddam Cavaliers 11.20am Ct 4 Un16s Reddam Rockets v Forfeit Win Un16s Reddam Jazz v MVP Cheetahs 4.15pm Ct 2 Boys MPCYC Un16s Reddam Warriors v KHY Astronauts 1.30pm Ct 3 Un16s Reddam Nets v Newtown Aztecs 5.40pm Ct 1 Un18s Reddam Heat v BYE Un18s Reddam Grizzlies v BYE Un18s Reddam 1st V v MVP Lakers 7.20pm Ct 2 Netball Saturday Heffron Park Netball Courts – Semi Finals Reddam 4 v Mascot, Court 22, 1.00pm Reddam 12 v Maccabi, Court 10, 9.15am Reddam 14 v The Juniors Courts 23, 10.30am
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter Volume 22 Issue Friday 2 September 2022 Page 5 IN SPORT RESULTS Sporting results 27th August 2022 CometsBasketballCompetition Grand Final Girls Reddam 1st V vs All Blacks 21 22 Reddam Knicks vs SGHS 17 9 ReddamBoys Mavericks v Inner City Lighting 31 Reddam20 Jazz v Maccabi Kings 17 19 Reddam Heat v MVP Rockets 23 30 Netball Saturday -Heffron Park Netball Courts Reddam 2 v Kincopal, 0 20 Reddam 3 v Randwick Rugby29 41 Reddam 4 v Dolphins, 64 5 Reddam 5 v Saints, 24 16 Reddam 6 v Saints, 19 15 Reddam 7 v Mascot, 22 33 Reddam 8 v Mascot Washed out Reddam 9 v Kincopal, Washed out Reddam 10 v Randwick Rugby, Washed out Reddam 12 v Mascot, Washed out Reddam 13 v Randwick Rugby, Washed out Reddam 14 v Double Bay Diamonds, Washed out
wish a very happy birthday to Luna Leis, Elvin Ni, Max Fang, Ayden Mtanios, Anne-Marie Saul and Haobo Gao Who celebrated their special day this week and over the weekend
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter Volume 22 Issue Friday 2 September 2022 Page 6
Reddam House Would like to
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter Volume 22 Issue Friday 2 September 2022 Page 7 Reddam House Would like to congratulate the following students on their Principal and Principal Honour Awards. Principal Awards recipients: Zac Chooroomi, Alexis Lee, Jonathan Kaspar, Isla Choi, Marcus Hronis, Anika Martin and Nina Wanis Principal & Principal Honour Awards
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter Volume 22 Issue Friday 2 September 2022 Page 8 Reddam House Would like to congratulate the following students on their Principal and Principal Honour Awards. Principal Honours Awards recipients: Edward Dilieo, Poppy Michael, Ruby Zhang, Claudia Green, Frank Chou, Ally Fung-Love, Isabella Nanos Karabetsos, Zara Pulley and Zara Jackaman Principal & Principal Honour Awards Principal & Principal Honour Awards
Kindergarten spent the week discussing and celebrating the special men in their lives! We shared some beautiful ‘Show and Tell’ presentations, as the children told their classes all about their special family members! Throughout out Literacy lessons we continued to focus on adding more information to our sentences using conjunctions. We had so much fun constructing writing pieces all about the special men in our lives using adjectives and conjunctions. We each chose one man and spoke about what characteristics they each have and why they are so special to us. In Mathematics this week, we focused on collecting different data and displaying it in a bar graph. We discussed different opinions such as favourite ice cream flavours and even took a tally of what vehicles we saw driving along Edgecliff Road. We then put this collection of data into a graph. We spoke about the concepts of taking surveys, voting, and visually collecting data in different forms and how it can help everyday life. Our Topic lessons were all about force and motion! We investigated how fast things can move and if objects can balance. We made a balloon hovercraft and tested some very interesting theories of balance through different yoga poses. We discussed the different poses and spoke about why some are harder to balance than others.
KINDERGARTEN
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter Volume 22 Issue Friday 2 September 2022 Page 9
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter Volume 22 Issue Friday 2 September 2022 Page 10
The children now know what flowers to look out for if they want to know if there are whales in the water, which plants to choose for spears and importantly how to teach the behaviour of a kangaroo through dance. It was an incredibly enriching educational tour in one of Sydney's most beautiful landscapes. In Mathematics, we strengthened our knowledge of Australian money. We used our skip counting skills to count specific quantities and challenged ourselves to use mixed coins to arrive at a total. We set up shop in class and the children went to town filling up their baskets. They certainly had no problem choosing delicious treats and enjoyed collaboratively finding their totals.
This week in Year 1, our Science focus on living things was taken into the Botanical Gardens. We had a wonderful excursion, during which we created transient art from natural found objects, planted our own sunflowers and learned about the meaning of connection to country.
Literacy led us into a land of fantasy writing as we followed the animation of 'Bubbles', where a young girl finds a magical bubble mix that takes her on a tour around the galaxy. The children re wrote their own adventures, inspired by the possibility of a floating experience of their own. Of course, you know we made bird feeders! We do hope you will report back what you have spotted as our budding ornithologists took great care in designing not just a sticky mess but a treat for a finch, lorikeet or indeed kookaburra. Happy cheeps should be heard all around. done, Year 1!
Well
YEAR 1
Year 2 students enjoyed a variety of activities in Week 6, including coming to school in mufti on Monday to support St Lucy’s School for children with special needs. In keeping with the ethos of our school and words in our school motto “We Shall Give Back”, the students did just that and helped raise funds for this worthy cause. Friendship, kindness and acceptance are all themes linked with our novel study of ‘Charlotte’s Web’. We explored the character traits and experiences of each character, identifying their individuality, unique habits and how they interact with one another. Charlotte is a good example of a true and giving friend who aims to support Wilbur and keep him safe from harm. The students thought of interesting adjectives, adverbs and nouns to construct interesting character descriptions and scenes from the book. Our handwriting focus is the letter ‘Nn’ and in grammar we examined text structures which include repetitive patterns, rhythm and rhyme. This is a tool of literature and assists with the pace of poems.
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter Volume 22 Issue Friday 2 September 2022 Page 11
History and Geography lessons are continuing to present the children with opportunities to learn all about different types of environments. Our focus on rainforests is proving very popular and educational for our future eco warriors as they are beginning to understand just how important it is to preserve the unique ecosystems which rainforests house and just how much our world relies on the health of these important environments. The theme was linked with our News topics of merging two rainforest animals to create our own and present this for our public speaking activity. Some very interesting and amazing creations were presented! In Science, we continue to explore the concept of Forces. We used the scientific method to conduct an experiment on friction. The students used toy car ramps along with toy cars, marbles and rubber balls to conduct the experiment and test how each item moved.
YEAR 2
In Mathematics, we spent the week consolidating our learning and we also focused on measurement, including the metre and area. The students revised the concept of a metre; that it is made up of one hundred centimetres and we can measure the length of large objects and short distances form our classroom using the metre. We began by estimating distances to various locations around the school. It was fun using the trundle wheel, which clicks for each metre it measures, to check our estimates on distance. The students continue to exercise their mental agility with daily mental tasks and are becoming quite agile with their calculations!
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter Volume 22 Issue Friday 2 September 2022 Page 12 YEAR 2
YEAR 3
The weeks seem to be flying by in Year 3 at the moment!
This week in Geography, students broke down the elements of the map of Australia, including both natural and human features. They were able to identify Australia as an island nation in the Southern Hemisphere (below the Equator) and as the smallest continent. Interestingly, many were blown away by the fact that Australia is, in fact, not the largest island in the world; but instead it is Greenland which takes the gold medal position in that category! Furthermore, Year 3 discussed the differences between a political map and a physical map, and they located the various states and territories in the process. In Science, things were a buzz as we explored the intricate features of insects. Alongside crustaceans and arachnids, everyone was intrigued to learn that they are members of the arthropod family, as they are cold blooded, have an exoskeleton and do not have a backbone! What do an egg, larva, pupa and an adult bee have in common? The clever scientists in Year 3 could tell you that they are all stages of a particular type of insect’s life cycle: a bee! Finally, in Maths this week we had many students constantly checking their watches and asking, “What is the time?” For some, this may have been because they were eager to get to lunch; however, for most, this was due to our discussions about analogue and digital clocks! Living in the age of digital watches, students were surprised to discover that 5:55 is not said as, “five fifty five”, but in reality, “five minutes to six”. This will take a bit of practice, but many had mastered it by the end of the week. Great work, Year 3, on another interesting week of learning!
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter Volume 22 Issue Friday 2 September 2022 Page 13
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter Volume 22 Issue Friday 2 September 2022 Page 14
In PDH, our students put their lives under the microscope as they asked themselves the question, “Which decisions do I make on a daily basis?” and “How do I know if I am making a good decision?” In discovering that we are posed with choices and decisions almost every minute of the day, the students soon realised that some decisions, like which colour socks we wear to your friend’s birthday, are trivial, while others, including which medicine we take and what to do when presented with the opportunity to smoke cigarettes, have more of an impact on our health and relationships. We make hundreds of decisions per day and Year 4 is on track to navigate their course through life. Our Year 4 students were very busy in Visual Arts, exploring the many principles and elements of art, including line, shape, form, space and value. They learned about different types of shading techniques; with blending providing a seamless transition from light to dark, as well as hatching and cross hatching, which creates shadows using small, thin lines that follow the curves and contours of the object. The final assignment was to apply these learned techniques to sketch a still life object and give the illusion of three dimensional form. Looking at their final pieces, we are amazed by their handcraft and finesse.
YEAR 4
Year 5
YEAR
This week in English, Year 6 continued to read our novel, “Once”, by Morris Gleitzman. We deepened our skills in making inferences about characters, through our understanding of the way language constructs characters. Students continued to practise their skills in analytical writing. We also revised language conventions, punctuation forms, and spelling rules, in preparation for our assessment in Week 8. Well done, Year 6.
Year 6
& 6 MATHEMATICS
This week in English, Year 5 continued to read our novel “The One and Only Ivan” by Katherine Applegate. We practised new skills in discussing and writing about the way the author uses language devices to create characters. We learned to identify what figurative or descriptive language is used, and what meaning it provides about the character. Students started to learn the tricky art of constructing a fine "PETAL" paragraph. We are also blitzing the language conventions in preparation for our assessment in Week 8. Well done, Year 5!
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter Volume 22 Issue Friday 2 September 2022 Page 15 YEAR 5 & 6 ENGLISH
This week, the Year 5s solved a variety of simple and complex multi stepped problems aimed at developing fluency and consolidating learned concepts. Students were exposed to an assortment of methods and strategies in which they were required to explore and connect mathematical ideas. They were encouraged to consider and apply a range of techniques to tackle challenges. Furthermore, they were provided with an opportunity to communicate their thinking and guided as to how to reason coherently and clearly. They compared different methods to solve one problem the bar method was favoured as the most popular and easy strategy to unravel a question. Year 6s began the week by exploring the power of reciprocals and the idea that multiplying a fraction by its own reciprocal always yields one. This linked well to the previous topic cross simplifying. Mathematicians wrote whole numbers in fractional form and then found their reciprocals too. Students investigated and discussed how reciprocals are used when dividing fractions. They reasoned and proved that a true understanding of the reciprocal brings new meaning to the commonly coined ‘tip and times’ or ‘invert and multiply’ rule when dividing fractions. 5
In Science Club, students held fire! Gas was mixed with water and washing detergent to create bubbles that held gas and were therefore very flammable. Under very controlled conditions, students were able to hold the bubbles whilst they were set on fire.
Year 5 and 6 students received feedback from their cycle tests in their first Science lesson this week. It is important for students to receive feedback on assessments as this allows them to highlight where any misconceptions are and also develop an understanding of how to answer exam style questions to gain top marks. In the students' second lesson of the week, Year 5 students studied a range of forces such as buoyancy, lift, thrust and gravity. Students developed an understanding of what these forces are and where we encounter them in everyday life. In Year 6’s second lesson of the week they continued to look at power and bills. This lesson helped students to fully understand the concept and equations used when calculating the cost of running an appliance. Students in Year 6 can now convert units and calculate the cost of running a range of appliances.
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter Volume 22 Issue Friday 2 September 2022 Page 16 YEAR 5 & 6 SCIENCE
Year 3-4 Pop Percussion
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter Volume 22 Issue Friday 2 September 2022 Page 17
Our full programme of Studio Recitals continued this week with excellent representation across many different instruments. Students have prepared so well to perform for their families and friends, and the feedback from our audiences has been so gracious and appreciative. We are very proud of all our students for presenting their work in this way. This week began with three recitals on Sunday: Mr Philip Barton (voice and piano), Ms Philippa Revis (piano) and Mr Tobias Dracoulis and Mr Adrian Bendt (guitar and violin/viola). On Tuesday evening, Mr O'Mahony and Ms Ngu presented their piano students. Thursday evening was a string extravaganza, featuring the violin, viola and cello students of Ms Julie Cheng, Ms Dominique Guerbois and Ms Julienne Guerbois. We look forward to a vibrant final week of recitals next week. Please enjoy the selection of photos included here.
Year 2 Recorder Ensemble
MUSIC PERFORMANCE
The Year 3 4 Pop Percussion ensemble is a new one, having formed at the beginning of this term; however, the students have already achieved a lot with their music. We have been playing a few songs already on xylophone and will be looking at introducing more percussion instruments in the next few weeks to make the songs sound even better! We have been working very hard with our music reading skills and looking to add more songs to the repertoire later this term in preparation for a performance.
Week 6 Studio Recitals Update
After a fabulous performance last term, our Year 2 Recorder Ensemble students have been working hard to level up their skills to hopefully show something even better later in the year. The real challenge is to decide what direction to take, as there is some incredible recorder music out there. We are currently working on a piece called 'Ten Toe Tapper' which features a wood block solo in the middle of a cowboy/western inspired catchy tune. It has a very wide range of notes, which makes it quite challenging for young players to master, but I'm very proud to say that the ensemble helps each other to figure out the tricky fingerings and everybody aims to get better as a group. Each week, the students grow in maturity and eagerness to play well, and there is fierce competition as to whom can beat the most intricate solo on our wooden percussion. We even have a tap dancer who wants to dance out a beat! The talent in this particular rehearsal room is quite exciting and we love to show off not just our recorder playing but to incorporate as many of our combined skills as we can.
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter Volume 22 Issue Friday 2 September 2022 Page 18 MUSIC PERFORMANCE
Year 1 students composed a ternary (ABA) piece all about two contrasting minibeasts, using the rhythms ta, titi and sa to represent the movement of their chosen creatures. Some students chose slow moving snails and fast fluttering butterflies as contrasting minibeasts for their A and B
MUSIC LION KING REHEARSAL SCHEDULE Date Time Who What Where Monday05/09 5.30pm3:30 Zazu, Mufasa, Young Nala, Young Simba & Featured Ensemble Scene 7 & “They Live in You” AdelaideHall Tuesday06/09 5.30pm3:30 Rafiki, Lionesses, Scar, Sarabi, Sarafina, Young Nala, Shenzi, Banzai, Ed, All Hyenas & Featured Ensemble “The Mourning” Primary Drama Room Wednesday07/09 5.30pm3:30 Zazu, Young Simba, Mufasa, Scar, Shenzi, Banzai, Ed, Wildebeest, Featured Ensemble and: Hyenas (does not include 5 friends), Elephants, Rhinos, Giraffes, Zebras, Gazelles, Cheetahs, Buzzard, Field Mouse, Birds, Male Lions You will be Wildebeest in this scene. Scene 8 & Stampede”“The AdelaideHall Thursday08/09 5.30pm3:30 Timon, Pumbaa, Young Simba & Featured Ensemble Matata”“Hakuna AdelaideHall Friday09/09 5.00pm2:30 Timon, Pumbaa, Simba, Nala & Featured Ensemble Scene 12 & “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” AdelaideHall Saturday10/09 11am2pm TBA: Students will be emailed directly in regard to a 15 minute fitting Costume Fittings AdelaideHall Sunday 11/09 10am2pm TBA: Students will be emailed directly in regard to a 15 minute fitting Costumes Fittings AdelaideHall
K 2 students composed pieces of music this week and performed their pieces in class. Kindergarten students composed a piece about 'The Ocean', with an A section that represented a calm sea, and a B section that represented a stormy sea. They were able to use all their knowledge of rhythms ta and titi for their composition, and then loved being able to select a percussion instrument and perform to their class.
Yearsections!2students
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter Volume 22 Issue Friday 2 September 2022 Page 19
composed pieces about animals in their habitats, and had the extension task of using lyrics, and setting them carefully to rhythms that fitted. It was amazing to see their understanding of carefully choosing rhythms that fitted the syllables in their sentences. They were also very proud to share their composition work with their classes. What a fantastic cohort of little composers we have here at Reddam!
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter Volume 22 Issue Friday 2 September 2022 Page 20 LION KING
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter Volume 22 Issue Friday 2 September 2022 Page 21
The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter Volume 22 Issue Friday 2 September 2022 Page 22
