20 Jun 2014

Faith Matters

One-Upmanship

Shakespeare calls it “the green sickness”.  The poet Horace said, “Tyrants never invented a greater torment”.  But envy is sneaky.  It recognises that openly “trying to…get the better of others” is distasteful, so it looks instead for socially acceptable ways to express itself.  Like the “Yes…but,” approach.  That’s where you say something nice about somebody, but make sure to put a sting in the tail.  For example, “She’s a great worker – but her personal life is a mess.”  Another perennial favourite is questioning people’s motives.  “He’s only giving that money to impress others.”  And how about the old unflattering comparison that goes something like this, “If you think he can sing, you should hear Mrs. So-and-So.” Sadly, one-upmanship is sometimes more prevalent among talented professionals like writers, teachers, politicians, singers, doctors, athletes – and preachers! For whatever reason, we seem to have trouble acknowledging the gifts and contributions of others.

So what’s the answer? Paul says it lies in “the rich simplicity of being yourself”.  Relinquish your obsession with getting ahead of others and having more.  Learn to be content with who and what you are right now, while always striving to grow.

Walkathon 2014

Energy and enthusiasm were high in the air when Wednesday 11 June came around, as the K – 6 boys were very excited about completing the Walkathon. The passports were ready to go with six checkpoints on them. The boys started at the entrance of Swain Gardens and finished in the Junior Primary Playground where they danced to ‘HAPPY’.  

Along the way were some challenges the boys needed to complete, and they did so with excellence.  Each class set off in 20 minute intervals with Kindergarten and Year 6 completing their walk at 10:20am.  The final presentation was in the Junior Primary playground where the top fundraisers for each class were presented with a certificate from Mr Wyatt.

Thank you to all the parents volunteers who assisted and the families and friends who sponsored the boys.  The proceeds will be used to purchase some special furniture for The Lookout.

Leonie Corbett-Russell – Year 3 Teacher 

 

Thank you for your generous support of our 2014 Walkathon!

There was a fabulous vibe at our third Newington Walkathon with our boys, parents, grandparents, friends and teachers embracing the spirit of the morning!

It was wonderful to see so many smiles and watch the boys having fun as they completed some of the interesting checkpoint challenges.

Special thanks to our volunteers who were able to walk with a class or be at a checkpoint. Thank you to our Social & Fundraising Committee in particular, Melissa Hunter and Kim Stevens (Yr 2 parents).

Thank you to all who contributed; your support is greatly appreciated. We are delighted to announce that through your generosity, we raised an impressive $4,765.90 with all these funds going to the refurbishment of The Lookout.

Thanks again … enjoy your holiday!

P&F Executive

 

Rugby and Football Report – Term 2 2014

Anticipation was high as season 2014 approached us. The newly founded modified rugby was to be launched, the 9’s and 10’s Football had been promoted to the top division, and the Open Footballers were chomping at the bit to expose opposition teams with their skill and combinations.

The hallowed Koola Park was the venue for the Rugby competition, with 25 teams from all over Sydney vying for a position amongst the sevens elite.  The 9’s were first to grace the fields and they have subsequently had a magnificent season to date, dropping only one match to the equally strong Arden team. In amongst that they have amassed over 50 tries, and made over 200 tackles!

The 9’s Rugby have strength right across the park from forwards to outside backs.  Up front we have Toby Ashworth and Caleb Strawbridge terrorizing defences with aggressive running and devastating tackling and stealing. Close to the ruck James Blakeman and William Johnson are terriers, running, tackling and causing a nuisance to opposition teams constantly.  Outside of them, the ever improving Ethan Hardwick, William Chandler and Zac Kingston are making names for themselves as go to men when a strong run is required.  Then we have the pace of Ewen MacCulloch and Shea Tonge who leave opposition teams in their wake when in full flight.

The 10’s Rugby team have had a similar season to the 9’s, with only one loss to their name against an 11’s Arden team.  For the rest of the season it has been a try fest, with the team scoring over 70 tries with great poise, speed, strength and precision. Across the park, there is not a weakness!

Up front Will Gray has been outstanding, as has Angus Ashworth.  Henry Taylor has improved with every game and is looking to roll his sleeves up and do the hard work in defence, as has young Jack Bristow.  In the backline, there is a wealth of talent, speed and skill with Lachlan Hull, James Whiteing, Laksh Pande and Eddie Timpson showing that the future of Newington Rugby is in good hands.

In the 11’s Rugby we have the two shades fighting it out for supremacy, with the Black team just shaving the White team in the winning stakes.  In fact, the Black team have only suffered one loss, going down to a fighting Arden team once more.

For the Black Team, captain courageous Hamish Danks has been a fortress, running with gusto and tackling and stealing with the best of them.  Supporting him in the forwards has been the highly impressive and aggressive Ethan Strawbridge and the very talented would be forward Nilanka Abbey.  Big improver Alex Frye has had a great couple of games leading into the season break.  In the backline Liam Dundon has grown into a very talented ball player, with Marcus Renshaw on the receiving end of some great passes from Dundon.  Lukas Tahmindjis and Harry L’Orange have also grown into the team, starting to make their mark with some nice touches.

In the White Team it has been a tale of two halves of the season.  One where they were trying to find their feet, and one that has shown they have come a long way since game 1.

Up front, Will Stormont, James Makris, Oliver Johnson and Tom Moody have taken time to combine well together, but are now a force to be reckoned with.  Moody and Stormont have been devastating at times, both in defence and attack.  In the backline Xavier Sheahan has enjoyed the switch to half back with Jarrah Ronan showing a lot of class as the new fly half, along with James Brenn.  Ned Greenwell and Garth Bickford have been impressive out on the fringes also. James Davison has been the find of the season, however, with his bone crunching tackling and clever runs and passes making him an integral part of this team.

In the Opens, it has been a topsy-turvy type season, with some brilliant moments and some not so great moments.  Let’s focus on the brilliant! First up, it is the forward pack, which has been dominated so far by the powerhouse of Tane Blessington and Finn Rose.  Not far behind is the ever improving and student of the game Sam Bristow.  Along with Alex Peterson, these four have been colossal up front, dominating many opposition teams who appeared to have their measure.  Supporting this forward pack is the backline with Will Flannigan and Tim Riddell sharing the half back duties with great distinction.  Oliver Thompson has then been a great foil for Alex Short in a combination that has reaped many a try this season.  Gabriel Dickinson rounds out this backline and has shown what great wingplay should look like in his first season in the sport since leaving the world game last year.

Speaking of the world game, let’s look at how the footballers have faired so far this season, starting with the 9’s Football.  This team excelled last year, and as such were promoted to the top division, and it has been a brilliant start, with close matches each week against each of the three other opposition teams.

In this team young William Lane and Harry Stuart have been revelations, scoring at will and supporting their teammates along the way.  Supporting them are impressive midfielders Cameron Davey-Webb, Daniel Martin and Cooper Stewart.  Improvers have been Josh L’Orange, Jean Azzi, Justin Gao, Marcus Gripton-Corbett, Benji McDonald and Harrison Miles.  And then there are the ever reliable Year 2 helpers in Freddie Bourne, Harry Forsyth and newly found superstars in Stylianos Vasili and Gabe Gordon.  We have also had Diesel James and Sam Stewart do a sterling job from year 1 to make this a team of the future!

The 10’s Football have been moved up a division this year also, and since they were the 9’s team that dominated last year, this season was much anticipated….and they have let down no-one with some great little pick-ups along the way.

One of these pick ups is Oliver Short, who has combined beautifully with old hand Ryoma Suzuki for a mountain of goals already this season. Rock solid players Tom Hooke, Nathan Ma, Angus Bourne, Jack Middleton, Armedeou Hardyanto and Connor Plank provided the backbone of the team.  Newly founded players Connor Egiziano, Jett Leong, Cameron Liu, Owen Ng, Tom Kennedy, Charlie Carr and Anton Lising gave great impetus to the already dominant attack.  And then the ever-improving Parsa Yazdani and Benjamin Fitzgerald allowed for the package to be completed for the always smiling Mr C.

Time for the Opens, and the B team – spirits were high as the season kicked off at Koola Park against St Patrick’s. although winless in their games to date, there has been steady improvement with every match.

Up front, Benjamin Tahmindjis and Kalen James have worked hard every match, coming inches short on scoring a handful of goals.  Oliver Prosser, Alistair Shaw, William Cordwell and Lachlan Green have been very solid in defence, stopping everything in their path, and passing with greater precision as the games progress.  Oliver Sheahan, Luke Snell, Zac Little, Justin Dai, Ethan Haffenden and Jack Lu have been the big improvers this season, showing greater drive and a will to succeed.  That leaves Alex Kerr and Patrick Christensen who have been the backbone of the team, holding the shape of the defence in place.  With four games to come, a win it seems is just around the corner.

And so that just leaves the Open A’s….who at this point in time, are the most successful team of the winter season, undefeated at this current time.  Wins of 10-0, 10-1, 7-0 and 10-0 may have been more of the failings of their opposition than quality play from the Lindfield boys, the final match of the term brought the true class to the fore.

A newly founded and strong Amity College outfit were well beaten 3-0 by the classy Newington team, with some outstanding performances to boot.  Aiden Mostofi, Harry Bell, Oscar Moody and Soma Suzuki offer a formidable top four, offering speed, skill, and lethal strikes on goal, netting 20 goals between them.  Ethan Nemeth, Reuben Chippeck and Oscar Bradley offer solid support in the midfield, passing with great precision and creating great attacking weapons in all situations.  Boris Lee, Matthew Gamble, Luke Dickinson, Callum Sharp and James Francis are all strong in defence, as shown by the 2 goals conceded all year; and an embarrassment of riches sees two impressive goal keepers and field players Jonty Carr and Tom Williamson at the disposal of coach Edwards.

So with four matches to go in the Winter Season, it remains to be seen which team will emerge as the most successful, and to what will we base this on.  If it was up to me completely, I would award this to all the teams, as I feel this has been the most successful season that I have been involved in. I can’t wait to see how it ends!

 

A Message from the Head of Lindfield Campus

The Role of Grandparents

As educators we understand the importance of partnership in educating our young men.  We know that if there is a difference in values, expectations and standards between home and school it can create confusion for young people.  Boys appreciate consistency and thrive when they understand what is expected and where the boundaries lie.  But we also understand that we live in an exceedingly busy world with a myriad of external pressures demanding our attention.  This is where grandparents and older family friends can be of assistance.

“In today’s society, where certainties and big plans have disappeared and they have been replaced by confused and incoherent ideologies, grandparents can be essential for the development, enrichment and socialization of children.” Luisa Fiorentino

Last week’s Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Morning was a celebration of the role these people play in the lives of our students.  We all have fond memories of our grandparents, relatives or family friends and the important role they play in our lives whether that be through marveling at our talents, telling stories of the past, sharing their wisdom on a particular topic, reading us bedtime stories or coming to watch us as we play sport or music or both.

This connection is particularly important for some of our grandparents as they look on fondly as their grandson continues on in the Newington tradition that they began many years ago.

One of my favourite moments from last week’s special morning was walking into Year 3 as the boys and visitors sat around in a circle and compared notes about what school is and was like.  Whilst I am pleased to say that we have moved on in many ways since the days when our visitors went to school, it is important to uphold aspects of the traditions and values that were present in the past and foundations in the development of school such as Newington.

Staff Professional Development Day – Maths

Two weeks ago, while the boys enjoyed an extra long weekend the teachers had the privilege of participating in a Staff Professional Development Day focusing on the new Maths syllabus. The day was led by Kristen Trippet, a Mathematics Consultant from the Association of Independent Schools.

The day was spent problem solving, discussing stages of student skill development, familiarising ourselves with the syllabus and planning for future units of work.  The day provided great affirmation for our team as they are already implementing many of the ideas discussed.

One of the significant messages out of the day was the importance of embedding Maths learning within a real life context and encouraging our boys to make connections between Maths and with other subject areas.  This was particularly encouraging as it highlighted the close alignment between the PYP approach and the new syllabus. This was perhaps best captured through the encouragement to help our boys to ‘mathematise life”.  We look forward to continuing to develop our Maths program with a strong focus on skills and quality mathematical thinking.

P&F Contributions

We are extremely fortunate to be supported by such a generous parent body and P&F.  Over my time here the P&F has raised an extraordinary amount of money that has been used directly to enhance the boys’ learning and the facilities and resources they have available to them.

Last year a number of individual families donated seating for our Bush Classroom.  This week the plaques will be added to these seats acknowledging the families who so generously contributed to this initiative.

As the result of another extremely successful Walkathon, I am thrilled to announce that we will be upgrading the furniture in The Lookout as a result of the money raised.  When the boys arrive back at school for the beginning of Term 3 (fingers crossed) The Lookout will be completely transformed and will include a number of new tables and benches with whiteboard tops and some new ottomans for flexible seating.  The furniture has been chosen to specifically promote collaborative learning and provide a unique learning environment that supports inquiry and the development of research skills.

HAPPY

Throughout this year you would be aware that we have been using the HAPPY acronym (pictured below) and our PALS (Positive Attitude and Life Skills) program to support our boys in the development of a positive mindset.  One of the motivating factors for this was some data we received from last year’s Gallup Student Poll, a research-based survey that measures the hope, engagement and well-being of students in Year 5 to 12. Last year’s data was not as positive as we had imagined so we decided it was necessary to develop a new initiative to address this.

In the survey the following definitions are used to capture the meaning of hope, engagement and well-being.

Hope – The ideas and energy we have for the future drives effort, academic achievement and retention of students of all ages.

Engagement – The involvement in and enthusiasm for school reflects how well students are known and how often they get to do what they do best.

Well-being – How we think about and experience our lives, tells us how students are doing today and predicts their success in the future.

Yesterday I received the data from this year’s survey and the results are extremely positive with huge growth in all areas.  Whilst the overall results are difficult to directly compare due to the change in cohorts, the comparison between last year’s Year 5 Class and their results this year is extremely encouraging.  The results indicate a 4.6% rise in Hope, 4.8% rise in Engagement and an 8.6% rise in Well-being for the current Year 6 Class.

What is perhaps even more encouraging is the overall comparison between our Stage 3 students and those from similar schools.  Our boys are 20% more hopeful, 10% more engaged and 8% higher in the well-being measurement.

We are extremely HAPPY about these results and will continue to develop our programs to support the development of a positive and healthy mindset in all of our boys.

HAPPY small visual

 

 

Stage 2 – Migration

All aboard!  Whether it be by plane or ship, human migration is an exciting subject matter which the Year 3 and Year 4 boys have been learning all about in their current Unit Of Inquiry.  They have examined some experiences from the very first migrants on the First Fleet to Australia and they have discovered why Australia was chosen, and the reasons why the convicts were sent here.  Over the past two centuries, the impact on Australia has been vast and they have researched some of the differences migrants have made to our country.

We were very fortunate to have five parents come and share their migrant stories with the boys, helping them to understand some of the opportunities, risks and challenges they faced when migrating to Australia and other countries.  A big thank you to Mr Hardwick, Mr Yazdani, Mrs Strawbridge, Mrs Ng and Mr Timpson for coming to share their personal experiences with the boys.

 

Mrs Russell, Year 3 Teacher

Kindergarten UOI – Responsibility to Care for Animals

Kindergarten have been inquiring into the central idea, ‘Humans have a responsibility to care for the animals they share the world with through an understanding of their needs’. To gain a further understanding of how to care for farm animals we visited Calmsley Hill City Farm.  The boys experienced handling some baby animals and milking a cow.  They also enjoyed going on a tractor ride, watching sheep dogs round up sheep and seeing a sheep being shorn.

To further explore the concept of responsibility, Kindergarten was fortunate to have some baby chickens in the classroom for two weeks.  The boys were able to see the baby chicks hatching from their eggs and they were then given the responsibility of caring for them on a daily basis.  They loved observing the chicks and recording their daily observations.

The boys also learnt about being responsible around dogs. Vicky and Slate (the dog) from the ‘Responsible Pet Ownership’ government funded program came to school to discuss ways that the boys can approach and handle dogs.

In class the boys have worked hard to write information reports about a range of animals, some of which are endangered.  They have learnt about extracting ‘key words’ from texts to then use as the basis of sentence writing.  They have also brainstormed practical ways in which they can personally help to care for animals.

 

Ms Belinda Smallhorn, Kindergarten Teacher

Year 1 – Water for Life

The boys in Year 1 have worked so hard this term on our Unit Of Inquiry into Water.  Our central idea ‘Water is a limited and natural resource and our use of it has impacts locally and globally’, opened up the door for us to understand how important water is for life, the sources of water and most importantly, our responsibilities regarding water.

Over the course of this unit, the boys enjoyed reflecting on how they personally use water and came to the conclusion that water is an essential element for life and we can use it to stay alive and to have fun in.  It was exciting to be able to investigate water usage around the school and take photos using our ipads. We enjoyed discussing our photos with a partner, justifying why we had taken them.

One of the most exciting elements of our unit of inquiry was investigating sources of water, in particular, learning all about the water cycle and the process of cleaning water before we use it.  The boys created flow charts explaining the process water goes through before we can use it and came to the realisation that we are lucky to have a system that allows us to have access to such great quality water.

This understanding and appreciation of access to clean water was especially evident when the boys began to inquire into the difficulties some countries encounter when trying to access water.  After watching a very moving clip about Nyema, the Water Girl for Tanzania, the boys realised just how sad it was that some children are required to walk 60 kilometres a day to find water for their family to use, even though it is dirty, unhealthy and full of disease.

It was with this eye-opening research into water shortages in countries such as Tanzania, that the boys decided to create news clips using iMovie, to teach others about what they had learnt in order to educate others.

It has been wonderful to hear that so many boys have decided to take some personal action in using water responsibly at home and at school.  Even more pleasing is that some of this action has taken the form of boys monitoring their parents’ use of water at home as well.

 

Mrs Carmen Gaspersic, Year 1 Teacher

Save The Date – 25 October 2014

Saturday 25 October 2014 is the date to save!

P&F are planning an evening of entertainment and excitement!

More details to come.