primary in this issue: book week photos reddam · a recent ted talk, entitled „to learn is to be...

Primary @ Reddam

Dear Parents and Caregivers, Last week Women’s Day was celebrated across the globe. It was a reminder both of the huge strides which have been taken around the world to provide equal opportunities for all people, regardless of gender, while at the same time to reflect on how much still needs to be done. From an educational perspective, it was certainly worth looking at the young women (and young men!) who fill our corridors and run out onto our sports fields and to appreciate the equal opportunities which our students have. One of the cornerstones of the Reddam House philosophy is that each student should be seen as unique, and be treated as such. Each student has abilities, talents, and skills, and these are to be celebrated, in order to build confidence and a growing sense of „self‟. Regardless of gender,

students have many opportunities to explore and learn, while at the same time to foster relationships built on mutual respect, empathy and understanding. As was mentioned in last week‟s newsletter,

our Year 6s recently attended the GRIP Leadership training session, with the „G‟ of

the GRIP acronym referring to „Generosity‟.

This is something all our students are encouraged to do – to live with generous hearts, not only in what they might be able to provide through our fund-raising opportunities but even more through a spirit of generosity in the caring they show to others.

The Reddam House Primary School Newsletter Volume 18 Issue 7 Friday 16 March, 2018

IN THIS ISSUE:

Book Week Photos

News from the classrooms

Sports Results & Fixtures

A recent TED talk, entitled „To learn is to be free‟ is a stark reminder of the transformative

power of education, when offered equally to boys and girls. Pakistani teacher, Shameem

Akhtar, tells the extraordinary story of how she was raised as a boy, so she would be able to

attend school. Despite many obstacles, she eventually qualified as a teacher, became an

inspiration to her community, and now all the girls in her village are able to go to school,

because of her efforts.

We honour all the women in the Reddam House family, whether mothers, caregivers,

grandmothers, or teachers. But particularly we look to the wonderful young girls who enter

our classrooms each day, who run out onto our sports fields, make music, dance, and stretch

themselves towards exciting new horizons.

What a privilege it is to see them grow in confidence and develop their own, unique voices.

We look forward with great anticipation to watching these special young ladies becoming

the leaders, innovators, creators and sports stars of tomorrow. When pessimism about the

future sometimes threatens to overwhelm us older members of society, it is heartening indeed

to see our girls stepping forward with passion, enthusiasm, and commitment.

On Tuesday we had a group of 40 students participate in the ASISSA Swimming Carnival. The

participants all had a wonderful time and swam very well; we are proud of all those who

entered.

We are also extremely happy to announce the following students who have qualified for the

next stage: NSWCIS Primary Championships. These talented swimmers are: Edan Angus,

Maya Antonir, Charlotte Budd, Atticus Day, Charlotte Flekser, S. Garvin, Leo Heinola, Audrey

Kitchen, Zara Kleindyk, Izzy Lowe, Savina Malesevic, Kayla Parks, Micah Shields,

Jethro Wilson and Jonah Zeiderman. Congratulations to these students for their success and

we wish them the best of luck moving forward.

Also this week, we had a number of students participate in the ASISSA Soccer Trials at

Queens Park. A huge well done to all of these students: Edan Angus, Nathan Galper, Leo

Heinola, Noah Hunter, Max Cantwell, Luke Nunn-Price, Kesheva Patel, Daniel Shields, Darsen

Stiles and Jonah Zeiderman. A special mention goes to Oliver Sacks who was selected for

the team and will represent ASISSA at the CIS Championships next month.


The Primary Elite Musicians Evening took place on Monday and what an outstanding event it proved

to be. The many hours of rehearsing came pouring through the music, along with the musical abilities

in each of the performers. The experience was truly inspirational, both for the musicians and those in

the audience. Although the nerves must have been pulsing as each student stepped up, they didn‟t

reveal any of this but quickly settled and allowed the music to transport them into a different space.

We heard a range of excellent performances from across the school, from Year 1 through to Year 6.

Strings were represented by Maritsa Apostolopoulos and Ariel Stennard on violin; vocals from Sophia

Marcolina, Natasha Green, Mae Angus, Nathan Galper, Andrew Lok, Adi Alroy and Paloma Nicholas;

piano works were performed by Ethan Chang, May Yue, Ethan Kuang and Harry Kuang; Sylvia Waugh

performed on flute; and Jessica Langley demonstrated both her trumpet playing and singing.

Someone once said that “Music is not to hear; it is to feel” and this was perfectly epitomised on

Monday as each item touched both the performer and the audience. The Music teachers may also

each take a bow, as it is their inspiring teaching which has encouraged the students to explore the

nuances of their instruments and the pieces they played. Thank you to Oliver Stanton, Tanya Bethune,

Gary Goldstein and Michael McGregor.

Just as proud – and justifiably so – should be the parents and families of those who performed, as they

would probably have listened to many hours of rehearsing. Finally, I commend each of the students

who entertained us. Your efforts and your very obvious talents gave us a wonderful chance to sit

back and be carried along by the music you created. Well done to each one of you!

Another opportunity to perform in front of an appreciative audience comes next week, on Monday,

as the school‟s Piano Competition takes place. During the course of the year, a number of musical

evenings of this type will be held, each with a focus on a different instrument. We look forward to

enjoying this, the first of these evenings, and know that once again we will enjoy the performances of

our Music students.


The K-6 Book Fair Week organised by the wonderful Mrs. Claudia

Perez was a roaring success, with all sorts of reading materials

filling the classrooms and library. It once again highlighted just

how much enjoyment can be gained from reading, and even a

few of the somewhat hesitant readers, once captivated by a

story, were eager to keep going. I thank all the teachers and

parents who encouraged the students this week. Hopefully, it

helped to inspire a love of reading which will last a lifetime.

This time of the year is a special one, as we reflect on the

meaningful celebrations of Pesach and Easter. By exposing all

students to the relevance of these two events, it is hoped that

they will develop an understanding and tolerance of beliefs

different to their own. It is particularly useful, with these two

occasions, to note the parallels and connections, and we trust

that as we honor each, the students will value the experience.

The first of the two to take place will the Pesach Seder, to be

held on Thursday next week, to be followed the next week with

our Easter presentation.

Have a relaxing and enjoyable weekend!

Dee Pitcairn

Principal


Basketball - Comets Comp

Girls - Fridays

16 R Div 2 (Hayley) V Flames 4.20pm Alexandria

Basketball Stadium. The bus will leave Woollahra

at 3.30pm

18 R Div 2 (Guy) V Ascham 5.05pm Alexandria

Basketball Stadium. The bus will leave Woollahra

at 3.30pm

Boys - Saturdays

12R Div 1 (Lee) V Bye

14R Div 1 (Lee) V Blaze 2.45pm Alexandria Bas-

ketball Stadium.

Please check the Comets Basketball website to

ensure there have been no late changes.

Basketball – Easts Comp Sundays

Girls

10R ( Bryanna) V Clovelly 12.30pm Waverley Col-

lege

12R (Aida) V Bronte 11.25am Waverley Pavilion

13R Year 7 Girls ( Mehdi) V Clovelly 1.40pm Wa-

verley Pavilion

14R Year 8 Girls ( Lee) V Mercury 3.10pm Waver-

ley Pavilion

Boys

10R ( Mehdi) V Bye

10E (Marc) V Lions 11.40am Waverley College

12E ( Luke) V Golden Caves 1.50pm UNSW Gym

12D (Marc) V Zoom 2.35pm UNSW Gym

12M (Marc) V Bondi 1.05pm UNSW Gym

14E (Damien) V Ballers 3.20pm Rose Bay Second-

ary College

14D (Luke) V Bye

14M (Kenny) V Lightning 9.05am Sydney Boys

High School Gym

16R (Mehdi) V Triple Threat 12.00 noon Rose Bay

Secondary School Gym

16E (Mehdi) V Moriah 9.30am Rose Bay Second-

ary School Gym

16D( Guy) V Triple Threat 10.20am Rose Bay Sec-

ondary School Gym

18R (Lee) V Bye

18E (Lee) V Bye

Please check the Easts Basketball website to en-

sure there have been no late changes.


SPORT FIXTURES

Touch Football – Saturday Comp

Girls - Grand Final

Reddam 3 V SCEGGS 8.55am Parade Grounds,

Centennial Park No. 6

Reddam 6 V Monte 9.50am Parade Grounds,

Centennial Park No. 4

Boys

Reddam 4 (Year 6) V Waverley College 8.45am,

Heffron Park

Reddam 5 (Year 5) V Waverley College 8.00am,

Heffron Park

Water Polo - Saturday Comp

Girls

Reddam 1 V Santa Sabina 9.00am Ashfield

Pool. The bus will leave Woollahra at 7.45am

Reddam 2 V Monte 10.00am MLC Pool. The bus

will leave Woollahra at 8.45am

Reddam 3 V St Catherines, Santa Sabina Pool

10.00am. The bus will leave Woollahra at

8.45am

Reddam 4 V MLC, Santa Sabina Pool 11.30am.

The bus will leave Woollahra at 9.45am

Reddam 5 V KRB, Santa Sabina Pool 11.00am.

The bus will leave Woollahra at 9.45am

Boys

Reddam 4 (Primary) V Scots, Scots Pool 9.00am

Tennis

Reddam 1 V St Pius 10.00am Talus Street Courts

Saturday

Reddam 2 V Barker 10.30am Barker College

Courts Saturday

Reddam 3 V St Pius 10.00am Primrose Park

Courts Saturday

Reddam 4 V Reddam 5 10.00am Primrose Park

Courts Saturday


Courts Saturday

Reddam 6 V Redlands 8.00am Primrose Park

Courts Saturday


Courts Saturday


Courts Saturday

Reddam 9 V Redlands 8.00am Cammeray Ten-

nis Club Saturday

Reddam 10 V Bye

Basketball - Comets Comp Girls

16 R Div 2 (Hayley) V Ascham 12 - 39 18 R Div 2 (Guy) V Bandits 29 – 38 Boys

12R Div 1 (Lee) V Botany 47 - 9 14R Div 1 (Lee) V Pirates 26 – 37 Basketball – Easts Comp Sundays

Girls 10R (Bryanna) V Bronte 14 - 36 12R (Aida) V Bourkey Bandits 28 - 15 13R Year 7 Girls (Mehdi) V Clovelly 20 - 12 14R Year 8 Girls (Lee) V The Raptors 20 - 18 Boys10R (Mehdi) V Netts 12 - 16

10E (Marc) V Bye 12E (Luke) V Bronte 22 - 30 12D (Marc) V Reddam M 19 - 8 12M (Marc) V Reddam D 8 - 19 14E (Damien) V Kangaroos 10 - 52 14D (Luke) V Storm 22 - 39 14M (Kenny) V Moriah 32 - 18 16R (Mehdi) V Jayhawks 43 - 8 16E (Mehdi) V Guardians 29 - 43 16D (Guy) V Moriah 17 - 35 18R (Lee) V Bears 31 - 26 18E (Lee) V Glebe 33 – 46

Touch Football – Saturday Comp

Boys – Grand Final Reddam 1 (Year 10) V Riverview 3 - 4 Reddam 2 (Year 8 and 9) V Riverview 5 - 3 Reddam 3 (Year 7) V Waverley Blue 2 - 5 Reddam 4 (Year 6) V St Aloysius 2 - 8 Reddam 5 (Year 5) V St Aloysius 4 – 2


SPORT FIXTURES

Reddam House

would like to wish a very happy birthday to

Conor Lang, Ethan Law, Ethan Reynolds, Aamir Bhagat, Egor Grachev,

Gabriella Hassan, Atticus Day, Isabella Luca, Tommy Malki, Evangelia Balafas,

Oscar Petersen, Tali Ereira, Jack Myers, Michael Rodov, Diana Van Geuns,

Yasmine Fisher, Luke Vos & Ines Zelinger

who celebrated their special day this week and over the weekend We hope you had a fabulous day!

Touch Football – Saturday Comp Girls - Semi Final

Reddam 1 V Loreto 1 - 5 Reddam 2 V Wenona 3 - 4 Reddam 3 V Wenona 3 - 2 Reddam 4 V Wenona 4 - 1 Reddam 5 V Monte 1 - 9 Reddam 6 V Monte 5 - 1 Reddam 7 V Monte 7 - 5 Water Polo

Girls – Saturday Comp Reddam 1 V KRB 6 - 7 Reddam 2 V Queenwood 1 - 14 Reddam 3 V Monte 9 - 1 Reddam 4 V MLC 9 - 2 Reddam 5 V Santa Sabina 8 - 1 Boys – Saturday Comp Reddam 1 (Opens) V Knox 10 - 3 Reddam 2 (16s) V Kings 9 - 2 Reddam 3 (13s)V St Ignatius 6 - 6 Reddam 4 (Primary) V Newington 5 - 6

Tennis

Reddam 1 V St Pius 0 - 3 Reddam 2 V St Pius 0 - 3 Reddam 3 V Barker 2 - 1 Reddam 4 V Redlands 1 - 2 Reddam 5 V St Pius 2 - 1 Reddam 6 V St Pius 0 - 3 Reddam 7 V St Pius 3 - 0 Reddam 8 V St Pius 2 - 1 Reddam 9 V St Pius 3 - 0 Reddam 10 V St Pius 3 - 0

Woof! Meow! Grr! This week we have been going

wild for the „Paws for Books‟ Book Fair. We had a

visitor who came to talk to us all about the

wonderful world of books and we had a chance

to go and see the brilliant books on offer. On

Monday we all got very creative and came to

school wearing all sorts of animal costumes. From

crocodiles to kittens, Kindergarten turned into a

zoo for the day!

In English, we have been revising all of our sight

words and the sounds we know. We have been

practising making CVC (consonant, vowel,

consonant) words using the graphemes that we

know.

In Maths this week we have been consolidating all our learning and revising our topics so far.

We now know how to read, write and count all the way to 10. We know our 2D shapes and

how to measure short and long.

In Topic, we named and labeled our body parts. We also sang some songs about the body.

Kindergarten has been learning how to read, write and sing patterns in Music. They have

learned how to identify melodic patterns of high and low in the songs „See-Saw‟ and

„Goodnight‟.

Kindergarten can sing these songs using words, solfa, hand-signs, and actions!

They are also learning how to keep a steady beat when singing and playing known songs.

What amazing young musicians!

See-Saw up and down

In the sky and on the ground

Goodnight sleep tight

Friend will come tomorrow night


KINDERGARTEN

In Science this week we were learning about the sense of taste. We discussed the fact that

our tongue is used to taste things. The tongue uses the taste buds or sensor cells to determine

the type of food and send taste signals back to our brains. The students were asked to taste

a number of different foods and to describe them, using words such as sweet, bitter, sour or

salty. They also classified tastes they liked and disliked. They were amused to discover that

butterflies have taste sensors in their feet.

In English, the students have become more confident in their ability to plan and write

recounts. We have also been exploring verbs. We have had fun miming actions and

recording them in the present and past tense.

In Maths, we have continued to explore standard and non-standard units of measurements.

The students enjoyed estimating and checking the length, width, and height of various

objects using mathematical tools such as counters, cubes, tape measures and rulers. They

also compared the lengths of their feet with their friends!

The lines of enquiry during all of our lessons are often very diverse as the students have the

confidence to question and investigate, furthering their knowledge as they go.


YEAR 1

Year 2 looked at speech in English this week. We worked hard at putting the missing speech

marks into sentences and wrote our own conversations using the correct punctuation. We

also learnt about synonyms for 'said', such as 'yelled', 'announced' and 'whispered'. We

enjoyed finding these synonyms in the books that we are reading, as well as brainstorming

our own.

In History, we looked at old toys and compared them with the toys that we have today. We

were interested to discover that many toys from the past were handmade, whereas our toys

today are often produced by machines and are made from plastic or metal.

Well done Year 2 on another productive week!


YEAR 2


YEAR 3

This term, in PDH, the Year 3 students have been learning about relationships. They have

been discussing how to be a good friend and have written a recipe for building positive

relationships. They thought of the ingredients and the steps needed to develop and maintain

friendships.

Perhaps if you follow these recipes you might find new friendships…

Ingredients:

A dash of kindness

A cup of caring

A spoonful of empathy

A bit of interest

Steps:

1. Show some empathy.

2. Show some interest in the things they like.

3. Be kind.

4. Care for them.

Aston Lake

Ingredients:

A dash of kindness

A cup of friendship

A spoonful of helpfulness

Steps:

1. Be a good role model for a friend

2. Take interest in other people

3. Be very positive

4. Mix it all together

Alexander Chisholm

Ingredients:

A dash of kindness and care

A cup of respect and trust

A spoonful of teamwork

Steps:

1. Mix together a dash of kindness and care

2. Roll out a flat piece of respect and trust

3. Put the dash of kindness and care and the flat piece of

respect and trust together

4. Stir the mixture well. After baked it will make teamwork.

Zara Kleindyk

The students in Year 4 have had an exciting week. They thoroughly enjoyed the Book Week

dress up day and writing their Book Week wish lists.

In English, the children have been learning to write literary descriptions based on a story. They

have been using adjectives, verbs, parts of speech, emotive language and the five senses to

develop their descriptions. Some examples of what the children have produced are:

“Phillip tasted the bitterness of sea water washing down his throat as the waves crashed on

the shore.” – Maddie MacIntyre

“Swish, swish they heard the kangaroos and emus jumping and running away from the loud

gun shots in the distance.” – Margaret Barnes

“Pow! Bang! Bang! These were the only or possibly the last sounds the Aboriginals would

hear.” – Xavier Hanna

I

I

n PDH lessons this week, students learned about the different body systems including the skel-

etal, muscular, respiratory, circulatory and digestive systems. We studied the functions of

each system and also the parts of the body that are involved in each system.

Congratulations Year 4 on an excellent week. Keep up the great work!

YEAR 4


After many weeks of learning about persuasive writing, Year 5 put this into practice by writing

an essay on the „City or Country?‟ They had to use the various devices, techniques and

structural elements learnt throughout the term to write a convincing essay about whether the

city or the country is the best place to live.

Natasha Green wrote: “You hear the sound of birds chirping in the trees

as you touch the soft green grass that is beneath your feet. You

breathe in the fresh air, hearing only the wind dancing around the

countryside. If you lived in the city you would always wake up to cars or

buses passing by, as you realise you are late for work! It would be so

much better in the countryside and you would never have the stress of

the morning rush. It‟s obviously true that the country is most definitely

the best place to live.”

This week, Year 6 students were introduced to an iconic Australian poet: Banjo Patterson. As

part of the narrative unit, that follows on from the descriptive writing task students have just

completed, Patterson‟s famous poem Mulga Bill’s Bicycle is the first text to be introduced.

Students had the opportunity to learn some Australian history, various new words and

phrases, and they annotated the poem to ensure understanding of the characters and

events.

After reading the poem it was clear that the main character, Bill from Mulga (an area in New

South Wales where the Mulga tree grows), could not in fact ride a bicycle. As for his

personality, many students concluded that Bill was arrogant, boastful, proud, hypercritical,

selfish, and viewed himself as a „King‟!


This week in Mathematics the Year 5 students learned strategies to solve multiplication and

division problems. It is critical that students develop efficient and trusted methods for

multiplying and dividing whole numbers. Students‟ ability to solve multiplication and division

problems confidently and efficiently will often rely on their use of a mental strategy. They

need to develop fluency with these mental strategies and this is most effective when they

have knowledge and understanding of their times tables. The students enjoyed working

independently and developing their skills with their friends, solving a variety of questions and

displaying great excitement when they achieved success with their tasks. Well done, Year 5!

YEAR 5 MATHEMATICS

YEAR 5 & 6 EXTENSION ENGLISH

This week we have been learning about our system of government in Australia.

One of the key questions raised was, „What is a Democracy?‟ Democracy is a system of rule

by laws, not by individuals. In a democracy, the rule of law protects the rights of citizens,

maintains order, and limits the power of government. All citizens are equal under the law. No

one may be discriminated against on the basis of their race, religion, ethnic group, or

gender. In Year 6 we feel grateful to be living in a democracy and realise we will have the

choice when we turn 18 years of age to choose who will represent us in parliament and

govern our country.

YEAR 6 HISTORY

This week, Year 6 students began learning more about yeast, our single-celled fungi, and why

it‟s important in bread-making! A few students shared stories of the delicious smells of baking

bread, how much time it takes, and asked some curious questions. Why do different breads

taste different? Does that have anything to do with yeast? Can you make cake with yeast?

Students learned that the carbon dioxide produced by yeast is trapped within the dough,

making it light and fluffy, and full of small spaces. They discussed experiences with baking

soda and baking powder, and how these substances are another way bakers can

accomplish light and fluffy goods.

Year 5s began learning about density this week, building from their existing understanding of

matter and volume. We discussed comparing different substances, and different states of

matter in terms of density, and we learned why water is weird! Students shared stories and

experiences about water expanding when frozen, and how our floating ice example was

actually kind of strange compared to other substances! We began thinking about how

densities can be compared between liquids and solids. What would it mean if something

sank relative to the water? What would it mean if it floated?

Year 5s and 6s alike also reported feeling very accomplished with their cycle tests, and ready

to take on the rest of the term!

YEAR 5 & 6 SCIENCE


ART

Every Thursday morning students meet with

Miss Martins for Art Club. This week students

practised drawing portraits of their favourite

animals with pen! Students accentuated

features like fur with little strokes and coloured

in sections to make facial features like the

eyes, nose and the mouth to stand out whilst

other students printed out images and added

a touch of personality to their animals.

This week Miss Martins' 6.1 Media Arts class saw

their creations come to life using the 3-D

printer! Students have been working hard all term building a special creature from their

imaginations using the Maker's Empire app. Next, students will design a world for their

creatures to live in.

STUDENT ARTWORK


primary in this issue: book week photos reddam · a recent ted talk, entitled „to learn is to be...

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