For one special night in October, A Late Harvest will offer wonderful Italian food, good wine with a relaxed ambience under the ‘Piazza Newingtonia’. Our fundraising efforts this year will focus on new musical instruments for our boys … their recent Stanmore concert showcased outstanding musical talents across all years!
Please return your RSVP to the School Office. We hope to see you there.
Social & Fundraising Committee
Newington Lindfield
Old is new again
In a recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald http://bit.ly/19FWZYX the new Education Minister, Christopher Pyne, called for a ‘back to basics approach’ to education. The article quoted him as saying, ”I’m sure there’s a place for child-centred learning but unless children are given the basic skills and knowledge required in an area, it’s hard to expect them to successfully research an area of study,”
These types of statements are likely to provoke all kinds of reactions ranging from complete agreement to absolute disagreement. Whilst at first glance it flies in the face of much of the current research about student learning there is some truth in his statements.
At Lindfield we are seeking to promote a fine balance between learning the basics and also learning about how these skills can be used more broadly to investigate the world around them. The PYP provides a framework for allowing both of these to occur in a meaningful way.
Throughout the article Mr Pyne refers to the lost art of students learning phonics. I can assure you that this is untrue and our focus on phonics is as strong and meaningful as it has ever been. If you walk past the Kindergarten classroom of a morning, not only will you hear the boys making use of phonetic sounds to help them with their reading and writing, you may also be lucky enough to see the boys practising their ‘sounds’ with the support of actions. This is a perfect example of using child-centred learning to support students learn the basics.
We don’t absolutely disagree with Mr Pyne’s call for a focus on the basics, however we would argue that there are many ways that this can be achieved. Given the importance of engagement in boys’ education, we believe it is of the utmost importance to promote a child-centred approach to learning.
NAPLAN and Parent Survey Results – P&F Meeting
At next week’s P&F Meeting I will provide an update on our NAPLAN results that have recently been sent to Year 3 and 5 parents. On the whole, these results are particularly encouraging and demonstrate that our recent teaching and learning initiatives have had a positive impact on the boys’ learning.
I will also provide a summary of the recently conducted Parent Survey.
PYP Exhibition
On behalf of the Year 6 students, I wish to extend an official invitation to all members of the school community to attend the PYP Exhibition on Tuesday 22 October from 6:00pm. The boys have really thrived on the opportunity to explore a local issue of interest and are excited to share this with the community at the Exhibition.
The Exhibition focuses on the central idea “Finding solutions to human-made issues can lead to new beginnings”. At the Exhibition there will be presentations about the following issues of local significance;
We hope you can join us on the evening to celebrate the boys’ learning and to take the opportunity to hear their ideas for possible solutions to these issues.
Week 2 |
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Effort |
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| Lachlan Tai | Kindergarten | |||
| Benjamin Fitzgerald | Year 3 | |||
| Thomas Cowdroy | Year 4 | |||
| Kalen James | Year 4 | |||
| Xavier Sheahan | Year 4 | |||
| Patrick Christensen | Year 5 | |||
| Matthew Gamble | Year 5 | |||
Improvement |
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| Angus Rowe | Year 2 | |||
| Kieran Patole | Year 2 | |||
| Connor Egiziano | Year 3 | |||
Excellence |
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| Jonathon Fitzgerald | Kindergarten | |||
| Daniel Martin | Year 1 | |||
| William Johnston | Year 2 | |||
| Jack Middleton | Year 3 | |||
| Alex Short | Year 5 | |||
| Thomas Williamson | Year 5 | |||
| Charlie Timpson | Year 6 | |||
| Ben Rose | Year 6 | |||
| Jack Walker | Year 6 | |||
| Liam Wyatt-Smith | Year 6 |
Friday 18 October Chapel in Don Brown Hall at 8.30am all welcome
Saturday 19 October Summer Sport
Week 3
Tuesday 22 October No Assembly, PYP Exhibition 1.30pm – 3.00pm Students, 6.00pm – 7.30pm School Community
Thursday 24 October Kindergarten 2014 Music Program 9.30 – 10.30am
Friday 25 October Chapel in Don Brown Hall at 8.30am all welcome
Saturday 26 October Summer Sport, P&F Major Social Event at 7.00pm
Week 4
Monday 28 October P & F Meeting in Don Brown Hall at 3.00pm all welcome
Tuesday 29 October 2013 French Day, School Assembly in Don Brown Hall at 2.30pm all welcome
Wednesday 30 October 2013 Year 2 Music Excursion to Roseville College
We all know how important physical health is and we even give our motor vehicles the occasional check-up. Here’s a plan for keeping your soul, your inner self in shape:
(a) Don’t question your faith, question your doubts. God’s promises are for ‘believers.’
(b) Don’t be a ‘lone ranger.’ It’s no accident that the Old Testament contains the story of God’s people, and that the Epistles were written to congregations. We grow as we relate – not isolate!
(c) Fall asleep and wake up immersed in gratitude. It’ll transform your day. The Bible says, “In everything give thanks!”
(d) Always err on the side of mercy. Philip Yancey writes: “I marvel at the humility of a God who descends to live inside…His ‘flawed’ creatures…Do I show that same attitude towards people of whom I disapprove?”
(e) Be gracious to the people who irk you. God created them too!
(f) Forgive those who’ve hurt you. Harbouring hatred hinders healing, so bring your hurts to God.
The Spring and Summer menu has come into operation – you’d think that spring was behind us with the weather so hot! Frozen treats, including Paddle Pops in various flavours ($2), Frozen Pineapple Rings (80c), Quelch sticks (80c) and Frozen Milk Cups (60c) will be available to keep the boys cool on the hot days to come.
Tuesday Special for summer is Sushi, either Teriyaki Chicken (with lettuce), Tuna (with cucumber) or Avocado and Cucumber, all gluten free. Butter chicken is no longer on the menu.
A new, tangy chicken rissole will replace the crumbed version on the Burgers, available on Thursday and Friday. Maybe some cheese & avocado in lieu of other salad items would be yummy.
There is also Supreme Pizza available; it has cabanossi and ham which might suit those who do not like pineapple but want a meat choice.
Please click here for the current menu for prices and meal choices. A printed copy is available in the School Office.
Lunch Wallets are available in Prep Shop and Tuck Shop for $10.00. They have a window for the child’s name and class as well as a zipper closure for the order and coins. A Velcro fastener and double fibre sack, keeps the meal insulated and secure.
Kathryn Nordstorm
Tuckshop Manager
As part of our current unit of inquiry into signs and symbols Kindergarten designed and made a road system complete with traffic signs on the JP playground.
In small groups the boys had a turn at navigating the road system using scooters. They had a fabulous time and no speeding fines were issued!
Miss Belinda Smallhorn
Kindergarten Teacher
The Prep Shop is open on Mondays from 3.00pm – 3.45pm and Wednesdays from 8.00am – 8.45am.
Summer Shirts, Shorts and Swimmers are now in stock. Large Sun hats and ties are on order and should be in the Prep Shop in the next two weeks.
Week 3 Roster
Monday 21 October 3.00pm – 3.45pm
Jemima Moody
Lisa Munckton
Wednesday 23 October 8.00am – 8.45am
Sing Sing Wan
Hayley Rose
Week 4 Roster
Monday 28 October 3.00pm – 3.45pm
Brenda Cumarasingam
Stephanie Danks
Wednesday 30 October 8.00am – 8.45am
Penny Graham
Ingrid Ying Gao
To mark the College’s Sesquicentenary, Australian artist Rodney Pople has painted a group portrait of the first seven headmasters at Newington College. 150 signed limited edition prints of this portrait are now available for you to keep.
To find out more and put in your order, click here.
The College’s Sesquicentenary this year has not been our first big anniversary full of celebrations; nor indeed was our Centenary in 1963. In 1913 the College celebrated in ‘golden’ Jubilee, marking 50 years since it was founded. We are fortunate in having a detailed record of the Jubilee, set out in a special edition of The Newingtonian published at the end of 1913.
While the anniversary of the College’s opening was in July, the Jubilee’s planners ‘felt that the weather at that season was not favourable, least of all for any outdoor function’. Thus the first event, the Jubilee Service, was held on 24 September. The Stanmore Methodist Church, serving as the College’s Chapel, was decorated with flags, flowers and ‘festoons of greenery’. This event was primarily for the present boys, who appeared in three divisions: boarders in the ‘historic School uniform’ [in fact, the old blue Cadet uniform], the day boy Cadets in their new khaki uniforms, and ‘the little boys going in their ordinary clothes’. The service was followed by Cricket matches and a supper in the evening, ‘and much amusement was given by two groups of boys who had prepared scenes of entertainment for the rest.’
A week later, the Old Newingtonians held their reunion. A dinner in the dining hall, ‘the sitting of which had been remodelled to provide for the unaccustomed size of the company’, was followed by a gathering in the ‘schoolroom’ (now the Prescott Hall). ‘The School colours, flags, ivy ferns, and palms gave a picturesque appearance’, while conspicuous among the decorations were the shields and banners won by the Cadets that year as State and Commonwealth Competition Champions. Instead of ‘Dear Newingtonia’, the Old Boys sang ‘Floreat Newingtonia’, composed by L H Allen (ON 1899) and sung to the tune of ‘Men of Harlech’.
Another week saw the Jubilee Dinner at the Farmer & Co. Café in the City. This event brought together staff and members of the College Council, along with Headmasters of other schools and representatives from the Parliament, the Methodist Church, the Education Department and the University of Sydney. Much of the evening seems to have been taken up with toasts and responses, reported verbatim in the Jubilee Newingtonian. Still more speeches were to have been made, but were prevented by the requirement to close the restaurant at 10 o’clock, ‘to the regret of all present’.
The final event, a garden party, was to have been held on 4 October, but was postponed for a week, due to the arrival in Sydney of the new Australian Fleet, the Centenary of which has been celebrated with the International Fleet Review over the past fortnight. The garden party was planned ‘so as to give the mothers, wives and sisters of old and present boys the opportunity of participating’, in contrast to the other, male-dominated events. Hundreds of guests enjoyed refreshments on the Colonnade and elsewhere, while the Newtown band ‘discoursed music in the distance’ and the 1st XI played the ‘I Zingari’ Cricket Club.
The Jubilee was also an opportunity to raise funds to help secure the College’s future. Unlike the fundraising for our Sesquicentenary building projects, the Jubilee Fund was only started in the Jubilee year, with the aim of raising £10,000 over the following three or four years. By the time the Jubilee Newingtonian was published, £7,000 had been raised already.
David Roberts
College Archivist