Year 6 Camp To Canberra

On Wednesday 5 September, Year 6 students from the Lindfield and Wyvern campuses will depart for their annual excursion to our nation’s captial. The purpose of this trip is to reinforce and enhance our inquiry into governmental systems and put learning into action. Visits to both Parliament Houses as well as to the Electoral Education Centre are central to the excursion. The boys are able to ask relevant and pertinent questions of the staff and will gain a greater understanding of our system of government, its people and purpose.

During the three days, the boys will explore QUESTACON, the Australian Institute of Sport, the CSIRO, The Australian War Memorial and the National Museum. As has been our tradition, we will hold a ceremony and lay a wreath at the memoral at the front of the Australian War Memorial to honour those who fought for our sakes.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit their National Capital as part of their civics and citzenship education. To assist you (the parent) in meeting the cost of the excursion to Australian Government is contributing funding of $20 per eligible student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate (PACER) programme toward the travel expenses incurred. This contribution will be paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.

Mr Pascal Czerwenka
Year 6 Teacher

Sports Shorts

Wet Weather Number: 9432 6460 (after 7am)
All Schools AFL Competition:  Friday nights Weeks 5 – 10
Auskick – Term 3, Years K – 2: Starts Monday Week 3
JP Athletics Carnival: Wednesday 12 September
South Harbour Invitational Athletics Carnival: Saturday 25 August  (SOPAC Warm up track – 8.00am)
ISPHA Athletics Carnival:  Tuesday 28 August (SOPAC Main Track – 8.00am)
QUAD Athletics Carnival: Wednesday 5 September (Hensley Athletic Field)
** Please note Athletics Morning Training has now ended. 

Last Round of Sport: ‘Barrack for a Buddy Day”- Winter Sport wrap

As the last try is awarded, and the last football retrieved from the back of the net, how do we sum up? I can sum up season 2012 with these telling statistics. We had two teams go through the entire season undefeated (10 years football and 9 years rugby). This has not happened for over 25 years! We had more goals, more tries and more wins this season than in over a decade and I have not seen as many smiles on boys faces after a Newington sporting weekend……..I would sum that up as a successful season.

I need to thank several people for making this season the success it was. The first is the boys, who took the plunge, dared to dream and put in the hard work at training, determined to improve on previous years. Not afraid to step up to the challenge against our more fancied rivals. I then need to thank the parents, the chauffeurs, the inspiration, the voice of encouragement. You have been an asset to both teachers in assisting with coaching and managing, and also the boys themselves. You are the people they look up to and you really stepped up this season to make this a reality for all the boys.

And finally, to the incredibly dedicated staff at Newington who braved the cold, braved the crowds and coached with enthusiasm, with commitment, and instilled the values that the college stands by. I must also throw in the support coaches from kick start, and also our rugby co-ordinator Peter Kay, who helped make this the most successful rugby season in quite some time, much to his delight. I can’t wait for the summer season to recommence so we can keep this momentum going!!!!!

Newington Invitational Athletics Carnival

It was cold. It was windy. But the sun was shining, the grass freshly cut, the track looking immaculate and fast, so let’s get into the first of the Inter school competitions for Athletics in 2012.

We started in the field and young James Moore was the star for Lindfield in the high jump. Not a known high jumper, James put his name on the map in the junior event with a leap of 1.25m, a 10cm improvement from his school result. Young Julian Kwok also impressed in the long jump, with a personal best 4.01m.

On the track, it was the aces from the 11 year age group stealing the show for Newington, as James Karabesinis and Aiden Fisher flexed their sprinting muscles in a powerful display in both the 100m and 200m events. These boys, plus Harry Clarke and Jonathon Lyons then combined to produce a record breaking relay win in the 4 x 100m, beating the old record of 56.44 sec by just 0.03 of a second. Great effort to these boys and indeed all the competitors at the Carnival. Let’s hope we can get some similar, if not better results from the South Harbour Invitational on Saturday.

Inter House Rugby/Football

Another year, another series of interhouse competitions and it seems that Rydal is out for revenge. After going down by one activity last year, Simon James and his band of merry ‘blue’ men were looking to start with a bang in this years competition.

It was Oz Tag and Soccer up at Koola park on a bright and warm winters afternoon. Balls were flying, whistles blowing, goals and tries being scored and the odd photograph being taken just for good measure……and when it was all said and done……….Rydal took out the Football competition, but Kingswood took out the Oz Tag. Another very hotly contested competition and only time will tell how the two sides fair when faced with the white and red ball required for Baseball…..

Mr Mark Caulfield
Sports Coordinator

AFL All Schools Round 1 v Barker

With a team that was unsure of what to do in their first game of AFL together as a team, we went out onto the field fired up and prepared to be easily beaten by Barker. After waiting on the field for about five minutes before the siren went, we were off to a flyer with Simon kicking a behind and a goal in the first couple of minutes.

After that confidence booster we then went on to kick another goal and a few unlucky behinds in the remaining time in the 1st quarter. After a quick talk from Woody the kickstart coach we were back on the field for the second quarter.

We quickly booted 4 goals with Alessandro kicking a couple and Simon, Julian and Max all contributing. Our midfield played a big part in the quarter with some lovely kicks down forward. With all the action happening, Barker kicked their first points, a behind. At half time we changed positions and got ready for another quarter. With not so much action going on we only kicked 1 goal by Liam. Three quarter time came quickly and our fourth quarter was also played very slowly.

The end score was 55-17 our way. It was a great game by our whole team. We were all happy with our confidence boosting win and are all keen to get out there next week. Well done to all the boys in the team and thanks to the parents who took us out there at night and supported us with great encouragement throughout the game. Well played boys!

Max Gordon – Year 6

A Letter from Mr Wyatt

Manners Matter

This term at Assemblies we are focusing on manners through an ongoing series called “Manners Matter”. With the assistance of some Year 6 boys we are using fictitious characters to assist the boys in developing their manners. The characters will be Sir Thank You, Dr Excuse Me, Professor Please and Captain Courtesy. Over the last two weeks we have focused on the use of ‘Excuse me’ and this week we addressed ‘Knocking and entering’. We hope that you might begin to see evidence of these manners at home. We appreciate your support with this initiative.

Newington Spaces

Communication between home and school is an essential aspect of education. It allows parents and teachers to develop a common understanding about what is happening and what is expected. Over the last few weeks you will have noticed an increase in our communication to you which has come in direct response to feedback received from the Parent Survey. We are not going to stop there!

Over the last few months our IT Team (located predominantly at Stanmore) has been developing a new and improved online communication platform to assist in the development of communication and partnership. It will replace what was Newington Commons. I am pleased to announce that this new platform will be launched in the coming weeks.

The new platform, which will be known as ‘Newington Spaces’, will be a vehicle for posting whole school, class-based and co-curricular updates and announcements, storing important documents, hosting online discussions and sharing our calendar. There will also be a space for the P&F to use. The use of Newington Spaces will evolve over time as its functionality is developed and needs arise.

In the next couple of weeks you will receive an email outlining how to gain access to this new site. The teachers have already begun populating the site with information so that when it goes live it will be instantly useful and informative. We trust that this new initiative will continue to strengthen the partnership that we already enjoy between home and school.

Student-led Conferences

Over the next two Tuesday afternoons / evenings (Tuesday 28 August from 3:30 – 7:00pm and Tuesday 4 September 3:30 – 5:30pm) we will be hosting the inaugural Student-led Conferences. The boys have begun preparing for these conferences and are excited to share their learning with you in their natural learning environment. From previous experience, these conferences are a great opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to and support for your son’s education. Please call the School Office to make a booking…it’s not too late.

Mr Chris Wyatt
Head of Lindfield

Sports Star of the Week

Name:  Jack Dobson

Favourite Sport: Athletics

Favourite Food:  Sushi and pasta

Favourite Sporting Team:  Waratahs

Best personal sporting moment:  Winning the 100m

Best Sporting moment:  Watching the pole vault final at the Olympics

In 10 Years I will be…..No idea….20 years old I guess

Week 5 and 6 – The Week that Was

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Music Notes

Roseville College Visit

Year 4 from Roseville College will be visiting our school to rehearse and perform with both Year 3 and Year 4 boys on Thursday 30 August. They will be arriving after morning tea and there will be a performance from 2pm which parents are invited to attend.  A sausage sizzle will be provided on this day for the students involved.

Peace Day Service for Selected Choir

A note will be sent home about this years Peace day service on Friday 21 September. This is a Staff Professional Development Day (a pupil free day). It is the first day of the school holidays. You will be expected to bring the boys to the church at 10.45am (St David’s Uniting Church, Lindfield) for and 11am service and collect at the conclusion of the service (after 12midday). It is held in the hall as there are many religious denominations represented. There is also a wonderful morning tea provided after.

Mrs Vanessa South
Music Teacher

Book Parade 2012

This week’s Book Parade was once again a fantastic celebration of literature, the joy of reading and community. It was great to see all of the boys dressed up in ‘Champions’ costumes. A special thanks goes to all of the parents for their creative contribution to the boys’ costumes.

Dates to Note

P & F News

Hello Lindfield Community,

Firstly, a HUGE congratulations to the Social and Fundraising Committee for providing us with a truly Awesome 80’s night on August 11. We raised close to $14,000 which is an amazing result! Everyone attending channeled their inner ’80s and got right into the spirit of the night with some great outfits and even better dance routines.

Events like this are the culmination of months of organization, preparation and enormous amounts of imagination and perspiration. Lots of people contributed to the success of the evening, but special thanks must go to the P&F Social and Fundraising Committee who have worked all year, not only on this event, but on others such as the Easter Raffle and the very successful Walk–a-thon. The committee, brilliantly lead this year by BeAn Chew from Year 6, included Collette Middleton, Leearna Plank, Susan Lui, Vanessa Barrett and Travis Henry. Thanks also to their spouses who were a huge part of the night’s success, including David Middelton who acted as MC.

The committee arranged for a number of sponsors on the night and guest auctioneers. I would like to thank the following people and organisations for their wonderful generosity (this is by no means an exhaustive list):

Our Platinum Sponsor – McGrath Real estate, Gold Sponsor – Blessington Singer Products and Silver Sponsors – Genesys Wealth Advisors, and Flying Fish Restaurant Pyrmont; Anthony Meaker from McGraths and John Gibbs radio presenter and former footballer for auctioneering; the Ayres family, Optimiste Wines; all the parents who donated products, services and money for the fantastic baskets and prizes which helped raise so much money and finally thanks to all our boys and to our art teacher, who provided the art works that were fought over at auction.

Thanks to the efforts of our S&F committee and your generous donations our P&F finances are in great shape. We are very keen to spend the money and are still aiming to be on track to have the cover installed this year.

Secondly, nominations for the 2013 P&F executive positions, committee positions and class parents are now open. Voting will take place at the AGM held in week 3 of next term and I encourage all of you to consider a role on a committee, as a class parent or as a volunteer in Tuckshop or Prep Shop. The new nomination form can be found here, and it will also be available from the office. I cannot emphasize enough how vital the role of the P&F and our volunteer parents are to the life of our boys and school. Even in a school as well resourced as ours, the P&F and its various committees, events, Tuckshop and Prep Shop provide a wonderful opportunity for parents to get involved and add considerable value. As always, if you have any questions please contact either myself, Judy Ryan, Collette Middleton or Daniel Chippeck on the executive committee.

Finally, please remember to RSVP for the Father Day Breakfast on Friday 30 August. This is traditionally a great morning enjoyed by both dads and sons.

Many thanks to all of you who contribute to our school community in so many different ways – it is always appreciated.

 Catherine Mellor
P&F President

Faith Matters

Persistence and patience are what is called for in our “instant everything society”.

We expect have things sooner, and faster. However, building character takes time and devotion.

When Harry and Ada Mae Day brought their first child, Sandra, home from the hospital, it was to a tiny ranch house without running water, electricity, or a school within driving distance. But they refused to let their surroundings limit them. His father’s death had kept Harry from attending Stanford University, but he never lost hope that his daughter would study there. Ada Mae subscribed to educational newspapers and magazines, home-schooled her daughter and later sent her to the best boarding schools in America. Sandra did attend Stanford, then law school, and eventually became the first woman Supreme Court justice in America. The day she was sworn in, she donned her robes and took her place among the other justices. Then she locked eyes with her family, and the tears began.

The book of Proverbs in the Bible says, ‘Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it’. What made Sandra Day O’Connor successful? Intelligence and ambition undoubtedly played a part. But much of the credit goes to a determined little woman sitting in a four-room clay house, reading to her daughter for hour upon hour. Persistence paid off.

 Rev Peter Morphew

Stage 1 Excursion – The Big Dig

On Wednesday 8 August, Stage One took a big trip to the city for an excursion for two of our Units of Inquiry. Our first stop was the site of The Big Dig, located literally under the YHA in the rocks. We have been learning about changes to the way we live and our guides for the day took us the through the archaeological site for a firsthand look at the ruins of the buildings of the 1800’s. The boys the donned safety bibs and took the role of archaeologists. They were sent into the dig to search for artefacts. After some very eager digging, many of the boys were able to unearth artefacts that told us of the way of life of past children growing up in the area.

We then caught a bus to the Hyde Park for a lunch break before a trip to Centrepoint Tower. We began with a 4D film experience before shooting up in the lifts to the top of the tower. The weather was absolutely spectacular and views in all directions were magnificent. The purpose of the visit was to study the city’s buildings for our next Unit of Inquiry, on The Way the World Works.

I congratulate the boys for their enthusiasm and behaviour during a fantastic learning experience.

Mr Andrew Lygo
Year 1 Teacher

Certificates

Tuckshop News

Week 7 Roster
28 Aug     Frances Chippeck     9.00am – 12.00pm
28 Aug     Need Help                 11.00am – 2.00pm

30 Aug     Catherine Mellor        9.00am – 12.00pm
30 Aug     Julianne Ashworth     11.00am – 2.00pm

31 Aug     Leearna Plank           9.00am – 12.00pm
31 Aug     Jane Bunis                11.00am – 2.00pm

Week 8 Roster

4 Sep       Jody Burrows            9.00am – 12.00pm
4 Sep       Need Help                11.00am – 2.00pm

6 Sep       Jo Stewart                  9.00am – 12.00pm
6 Sep       Nicola Hart                11.00am – 2.00pm

7 Sep       Natasha Rowe            9.00am – 12.00pm
7 Sep       Joanne Nelson           11.00am – 2.00pm

Prep Shop News

The summer uniform is in the store now.
Please visit Prep Shop during the opening hours to get your uniform.

Week 7 Roster
Monday 27 August
Stephanie Danks
Susan Gerahty

Wednesday 29 August
Kate Parker
Be An Chew

Week 8 Roster
Monday 3 September
Ingrid Ying Gao
Melissa Roncolato

Wednesday 5 September
Linda Roberts
Robyn McGowan