Faith Matters

Leaving a Legacy

An unsavoury character passed away and a eulogy was delivered by a pastor who’d never met him. Hoping to comfort the family the reverend got carried away, describing the departed as a caring son, a dedicated father and a loving husband. After the service the widow nudged their son and said, “Go up to the coffin and make sure it’s your father he’s talking about!”

If your life was measured by its donation instead of its duration, how would people remember you?

D. James Kennedy wrote: “Consider the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the world’s most massive structures. Someone built it as a memorial to himself…King Khufu, not exactly a household name! Emperor Shah Jehan built the Taj Mahal as a tribute to his wife, yet he too built in vain; after all who knows the name of Mumtaz? While these people are all forgotten, we can make a permanent imprint on the world. God placed a desire in our hearts for significance and permanence.” In Ecclesiastes it says “God has set eternity in the heart of mankind.”

So how can we make a name for ourselves for eternity? Or in another image that the Bible uses … what ensures that our names will be found in the book of life?

The answer is “accept and love”. Accept God’s friendship as a free gift and love Him and others.

Peter Morphew – Chaplain

PYP – The Self-Study

In September this year our campus will host delegates from the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO), Asia-Pacific region, who will evaluate the PYP at our school. Every school that uses this framework for learning and teaching undergoes this process each 4-5 years. It is an opportunity for our school community to reflect and assess ourselves against the Standards and Practices for the Programme which are set by the IBO. This evaluation process aims to ensure that established standards are being maintained.

The Program Standards and Practices are guidelines for best practice. Teachers spent their professional development day on Thursday 24 March engaging with the self-study, and important process guided by a questionnaire based on the standards and practices which are illustrations of how we can fulfill the standards. We worked collaboratively to determine descriptors for our successes for this questionnaire which will be rated on a continuum. This process, and the results of our data collection, will determine our direction for future growth.

The staff have established professional learning groups to assess and evaluate the following elements of our school –

Philosophy

Organisation – leadership and structure; resources and support

Curriculum – collaborative planning; the written curriculum; teaching and learning; and assessment.

These groups are comprised of teaching staff and will, over the next term, gather evidence to support the perceived level of achievement for their specific standard. The methods used to collect this evidence may be through interviews, surveys and documentation held at the school.

As it is an evaluation and assessment of our school, everyone who is part of our school community will be given the opportunity to participate in this process. It is important that every voice is heard and therefore parents and students as well as our staff could be called upon to reflect on the standards with us.

There will be one survey to parents next term, the purpose of which is to assist teachers in acquiring a comprehensive portrayal of their standard and help them to evaluate honestly against the practices.

Even though all PYP schools undertake Evaluation, we will not be compared to other schools. We are only compared to the criteria set in the Standards and Practices. As a result of this process we will be able to determine an action plan which will outline our next steps/goals in improving our school from a 360° perspective.

Professional Learning Group B2 (Resources and Support)

Standard B2 of the IBO Standards and Practices (2014) states:

“The school’s resources and support structures ensure the implementation of the PYP.” Currently, our focus is practice B2-11 “The school utilises the resources and expertise of the community to enhance learning within the programme.”

We spoke to several classes at the Parent Information Evening in February about setting up a database for our students and teachers regarding anyone who would like to get involved in sharing their knowledge, skills and expertise with our students.

Our goal is to create a database for teachers to access this information. Please be aware that you may not be sharing your knowledge, skills and expertise with your son’s class but that you are making yourself available to any learning environment that the teachers feel will benefit and enhance learning. The time that you will be required will be negotiated between you and the teacher/s.

Soon you will be asked to complete the short survey if you (or anyone you know) would like to be part of this sharing opportunity.

Sue Gough – Learning and Teaching Coordinator – PYP

A Message from the Head of Lindfield Campus

Mindset

For twenty years, my research has shown that the view you adopt of yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life. – Carol Dweck

Last year the Lindfield teachers and many parents began looking at Carol Dweck’s research around Mindset. Her research has identified two mind states – fixed and growth mindset. A fixed mindset believes that intelligence, ability and success are fixed attributes that cannot be changed. A growth mindset realises that with effort, strategy and drive you can learn and improve in all areas of your life. We held parent workshops and had a year-long staff focus about developing a growth mindset with our boys and community.       

The good news is that mindsets are changeable and the reality is that we all have a mixture of growth and fixed mindset. It all depends on the context, environment and our experiences. The question that really interests us is how to help our boys develop a growth mindset, especially those whose mindset may be quite fixed. The key with our students is changing the way they think about ability.

In an article in Educational Leadership, former teacher and principal Mark Jacobson talked about how these two mindsets permeated in schools and how we can try to address them.

The goal of students fortunate enough to have a “growth” mindset (Carol Dweck’s term) is to get smarter. If they’re having difficulty, they work on a better strategy. But the goal of students who have the “fixed” mindset is to look smart. For them, being in a classroom is like stepping onto a stage with all eyes on them. “Fixed-belief students concern themselves with their teacher’s every glance. They see the teacher not as a facilitator and resource for their learning but as a rewarder and punisher, as a judge and critic.” These students constantly ask themselves, “Am I good enough? Am I smart? Am I right? Did I make a mistake? How will others see me? Does my teacher like me?” said Jacobson.

“We always ask students to try,” he says, “especially when they believe something is really hard, however, for some students, ‘hard’ means ‘impossible.’” Here are his suggestions for getting boys to believe that effort really can make them smarter:

• Have boys rate how hard they are trying. Check in with your son, asking him to self-assess on a 10-point effort scale and push himself to try harder.
• Give better feedback. General praise like ‘Good work’ is ineffective, Feedback should be specific to the tasks or concepts being taught and reinforce incremental progress. ‘I like the way you’re developing your sentence starts and the effort you are putting in.’ is more effective.
• Ask questions that don’t have right/wrong answers. To foster deeper thinking we are trying to engage boys in learning, not quizzing them when we talk.
• Investigate mindsets with your son. As parents we should reflect on our own mindset and how it manifests itself in the way we react to challenge and learning.

Below is a list of easily accessible resources that are helpful for investigating Mindset further, the book itself is a very easy read and we have multiple copies in the library.

Resources

Mindset

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWv1VdDeoRY

Khan Academy: You Can Learn Anything

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC82Il2cjqA

Neuroplasticity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELpfYCZa87g

www.edudemic.com/growth-mindset-way-learn/

http://www.mindsetworks.com/

https://alexvermeer.com/why-your-mindset-important/

Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Random House.

Jacobson, M. (2013) Afraid of Looking Dumb, Educational Leadership (Vol. 71, #1, p. 40-43)

Ben Barrington-Higgs – Head of Lindfield Campus

Primary Cross Country Carnival 2016

21 days of hot, dry weather was quickly snuffed out with the two words…Cross Country!! The big wet had arrived and the powers to be, desperate to keep the carnival on, made the brave call to push the carnival back an hour in hope that the forecast was to be accurate…It turned out to be a masterstroke as the heavens cleared and the sun beat down on the wet, sodden and pristine fields at Newington Stanmore.

The stands were full of boisterous, eager athletes looking to make their mark on the hallowed grounds like so many before them. And after a brief introduction from the dulcet tones of Mr Holden, we were off! First to the start line were the junior runners, with a sea of colour draped across the Johnson ground. The perennial bunny, Mr Caulfield, led the group out as the superstars of tomorrow charged up the driveway towards Old Boys. Jake Kitchen stormed to the front of the pack, and from there he never relinquished the lead, running beautifully throughout. It was a Rydal-off for 2nd and 3rd as Harry Forsyth and Ryan Ng battled it out, only for Forsyth to overpower his good friend on the second lap.

In the 8/9’s race, it was Coates first across the line once more as Sam Chittendon overcame a fast finishing Joel Zipeure and Diederik Blanken. First home of the 8 year olds was Sanjay Spencer, who finished an impressive 12th overall in the joint age group.

The blue ribbon event was next with the calm and charismatic Bili Robertson moving out onto the course to defend his Senior Cross Country Champion crown. And as the gun fired, he was instantly in the lead, causing bunny Caulfield a few heart palpitations as he edged closer with every turn. A brilliant run from Robertson was followed up closely by good friend James McGregor, who left nothing on the course, collapsing at the finishing line with exhaustion. Jack Earwaker was third across the line for the 12’s.

Second across the line in the senior race with a magnificent second lap was the new sensation Charlie Burt, who showed great courage and stamina to make a late charge on the leading group. The multi-talented Henry Isherwood was 2nd, with the equally multi-talented Matthew Torrible in 3rd.

The fun run rounded up things for the morning, and it was great to see a small gathering of boys in this race, as it highlighted just how many had entered into the championship races to get points for their house and challenge themselves. And that was that, the dust had settled, the sun was shining, and the only thing left to do was find out which House had done enough to claim the crown. And it didn’t take long as Mr Caulfield stepped up to the microphone to announce the winner…….which for the second year in a row went to Coates…with Williams close behind in second once more. A great effort by all the boys and a big thank you to all the parents that were there to support as well as the dedicated staff that make these carnivals just so special.

Mark Caulfield – Sports Master (Lindfield)

Easter Hat Parade

Our Junior Primary Easter Hat Parade was another great example of our boys creativity and confidence.  We thank you all for your help behind the scenes in making these marvellous creations come to life.  

The picnic in Swain Gardens after the parade was a great way to celebrate together and it was wonderful to see the joy on all the boys faces as their family and friends joined together.  Luckily the Easter Bilby managed to spring out of the beautiful bush behind our school and visit all the boys’ Easter baskets whilst we were at our picnic, leaving only chocolate and a trace of magical bilby dust behind him.

Carol Peterson – Kindergarten Teacher

Years 3 and 4 Camp

In Week 7, Year 3 and 4 went off to Crusader’s Camp at Lake Macquarie.

There was a lot of excitement and nerves for some of the boys who had never been away from home without their parents, but as soon as we arrived these feelings became distant memories as we immediately began the fun and challenges. Some of the things we did on camp included: rock climbing, canoeing, log roll, fishing, sailing, archery and a relaxing lake walk. The boys were given opportunities to further develop their skills of the Learner Profile. They were risk takers, inquirers, thinkers, open-minded and caring throughout all of the tasks they participated in. I observed many boys demonstrate a growth mindset in the way in which they approached activities they were unsure of, had never done before or not so confident at completing. At night time the boys slept in cabins with their friends and rested well in order for the next big day of adventures that awaited them.

When reflecting on their experiences of camp, one of the boys quoted “I had fun doing the canoeing because I almost went out into the middle of the lake! I also liked the log roll because it was really wobbly and it was hard to make the other person fall off when you could hardly stand by yourself”.

Angela Tonkin – Year 3 Teacher

P&F News

What’s happening in your P&F and Committees

Thank you everyone for a great term.  It has been such a full first term and flown by so quickly. 

In brief:

• Our Year 6’s hosted a wonderful Welcome Reception
• Year 2 catered beautifully for the JP swimming carnival
• Our Prep Shop Volunteers, updated, fitted and re-fitted nearly every boy in the school
• Our Tuckshop roster was full of helpful smiling volunteers
• Our Social Committee ran the most successful Easter Raffle yet

No wonder everyone is feeling ready for a holiday!  To all our parents, we can’t thank you enough for your continued offers to volunteer, your ongoing enthusiasm and all your hard work.

We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and look forward to treating our mums in Term 2 at our first event – the Mothers Day Morning Tea on Thursday 5 May.

A quick reminder for your calendar, the 2nd P&F meeting will be held on Monday 16 May in the Lookout at 3:00pm.

How is the P&F Contributing to our School Community this Year?

P&F contributions to the school will be ongoing as the year progresses, however, at this stage we are pleased to let you know that funds will be distributed as follows:

• In addition to chess and typing, the P&F will also be subsidising the new exciting co-curricular drama program
• Any funds raised by our Sports Committee will be used for the school sports program across areas such as; sports equipment, coaching, training/sports clinics, etc.
• The purchase of new “easy to use” coffee machines, which will hopefully be available for our Mothers Day event

As further fund items are approved, more updates will follow – so keep your eye out in future Prep Talk editions!

Working on behalf of the parent body, the P&F is so pleased to be able to contribute to our school community and welcomes any suggestions from parents on ways you might like to see P&F funds utilised.

The Prep Shop continued throughout the term to be a flurry of activity.  Our volunteers continue to do an amazing job and we thank them immensely for all their hard work. Please find below a note from Kylie Strawbridge, our wonderful Prep Shop Convenor, with an update on the Prep Shop.

Novak LaForest – P&F Secretary

Prep Shop News

The Prep shop has recently completed changeover from summer to winter uniform and we are in the midst of fitting new boys with their winter uniforms ready for Term 2. We are eternally grateful to the team of volunteers who have managed the stock changeover, assisted with the fittings for our new boys and run the shop during its busy regular opening hours. Thank you. The shop could not operate without you all.

The Prep shop will continue to open Monday 3-3:45pm and Wednesdays 8-8:45am to assist you with your son’s winter uniform needs. Alternatively you can complete an order form which is attached on the following page in SPACES (https://spaces.newington.nsw.edu.au/lindfield/pages/247-prep-shop). Please deliver it to the office or email it to the Prep shop lindfieldprepshop@newington.nsw.edu.au. Your order will then be processed and the uniform will be delivered to your son in his classroom.

The winter sports uniform includes the new training t-shirt ($30) which boys in Years 3-6 can wear during Monday and Wednesday training rather than ‘destroying’ their white PE shirts in the muddy fields.

While you attend your son’s school sports on Saturday mornings (or any time at all) why not show your support for Newington by wearing/using our Black & White supporters’ items. We now have new black caps, beach towels, folding chairs, lots of different balls and reusable bags to carry everything in, plus more.

Kylie Strawbridge – Prep Shop Convenor

Tuckshop News

Cheryll Clark, our Tuckshop Convenor does an amazing job ensuring our boys are provided with fresh, healthy food during each school term. Please find her update below: 

Term 1 has seen the boys eat their way through over 400 ginger biscuits AND over 110 serves of “MacNCheese”.  All of which was cooked in the Tuckshop. 

New menu items for term1 were:

Cold Watermelon, Gluten Free MacNCheese,Gluten Free Garlic Bread & an Easter special of Hot Cross Buns.

We have had new shelves put up to increase our storage area and had a new freezer delivered. 

Check School24 early next term for new winter items.

Sports Committee News

The parents’ Winter Sports Spreadsheet will be posted on Spaces in both the Sport and P&F section in the coming week. This useful concise spreadsheet outlines information on the winter sports rounds, uniforms, training, coaches and teachers supporting each team.

If you have any questions for our Sports Committee, please contact roedoc@bigpond.com.

Looking forward to a fabulous winter sports season after our training preparation this term and also the introduction of AFL for the first time.

Hopefully we will be welcoming back the famous Newington Koola sports BBQ in term 3. Fingers crossed.

Social Committee News

This year we had a fabulous response to our Easter Egg raffle. On the day of the prize draw excitement levels were high and many hopeful faces greeted the Easter bunnies! The lucky ones walked away with amazing Easter baskets and the rest enjoyed a small Easter Egg  treat!

Plenty of eggs were kept aside and were provided to the accommodation centre of the Royal Far West Organisation (RFW) where children from rural NSW stay whilst accessing important healthcare services. The arrival of the eggs was met with great anticipation by the children who were looking forward to their annual Easter egg treasure hunt! Yet more happy children as a result of our Easter egg raffle!

Lastly the fund raising efforts from the Easter raffle reached a record level of just over $1,700. Thank you to all our families that contributed. Your fund raising efforts will assist in improving facilities and support for our boys. 

Thank you all again for your support this term!

From the P&F – Julianne Ashworth, Novak Chandler, Susie Martin and Leearna Plank

Year 2 – Mandarin

The Year 2 boys are learning to recognise their numbers in Mandarin.

They were really engaging and so creative today. I asked them to do peer/team teaching with 2 sets of flashcards in a bag per table. There were one or more “experts” per table. Those who already know numbers in Mandarin are my “Experts”. These experts were asked to ensure their team learn numbers by the end of the lesson. With the flash cards, boys made up different games to help learning numbers. Walking around the tables, I saw flash cards exercise, Snap, memory games, etc.   

I think they all ought to be congratulated for being knowledgeable, caring, thinkers and fine communicators!

Eva Angel – Mandarin Teacher