A Message from the Head of Lindfield Prep

Life Skills for Older Boys

This issue I want to use an article from School Administrator, found in the Marshall Memo in which the author Julie Lythcott-Haims describes catching herself as she leaned over the dinner table to cut her 10-year-old’s meat. She was a freshman Dean at Stanford University and in the article wondered whether the lack of initiative and efficacy that she witnessed with her first-year students could be traced back to parents doing too much for their children?

With that thought in mind, she compiled a list of basic competencies that she felt every young person needs by age 18. Please read Lythcott-Haims list (set out below) and think how your son’s skills equate in each area.

The point of this Prep Talk offering is to promote discussion and reflection amongst and within our families. Maybe after reading this you feel there are more important life-skills for our children to master over the next couple of years? Maybe Lythcott-Haims is aiming too high or too low, either way it is a good time to evaluate where our boys’ life-skills are at the moment and where to next.

Here is Lythcott-Haims list of life-skills for young people to master by the age of 18:

• Talking to strangers – Dealing respectfully with shop assistants, bank tellers, health care providers, bus drivers, mechanics, teachers, deans, or advisers – with good eye contact – is an important life skill. Perhaps parents spend too much time warning kids not to talk to strangers, versus the more-nuanced skill of picking out the few bad strangers from all the others – and dealing appropriately with the latter.
• Finding their way around – Kids are driven too much, says Lythcott-Haims. They need to know how to get places, make travel plans, and deal with transportation challenges. Something many of our boys who are on trains and buses are very capable of.
• Managing assignments, workloads, and deadlines – Adolescents must learn how to prioritise tasks and get things done without constant reminders. At Newington, Canvas in the older grades and the student diaries in the lower grades introduces our boys to the skill of organisation.
• Contributing to a household – In addition to getting their schoolwork done and participating in extracurricular activities, kids need to do their fair share of household jobs and respect the needs of others.
• Handling interpersonal conflict – Teens shouldn’t always need adults stepping in to solve misunderstandings and soothe hurt feelings. At Lindfield, the 2nd Step program begins to teach skills for our boys to successfully negotiate and solve complex social interactions and situations.
• Coping with life’s ups and downs – This includes dealing with tough teachers and principals, disagreeable people, competition, and challenging academic work.
• Earning and managing money – Adolescents need part-time jobs with a boss who doesn’t necessarily love them, to learn about completing job tasks, accountability, and appreciating the cost and value of stuff they want.
• Persistence – Kids need a “wise understanding that success comes only after trying and failing and trying again,” says Lythcott-Haims. They need grit, thoughtful risk-taking, and resilience.

“Remember, our kids must be able to do all of these things without calling a parent on the phone,” she concludes. “If they’re calling us to ask how, they do not carry that life skill.”

“Eight Skills Every Student Needs by 18” by Julie Lythcott-Haims in School Administrator, September 2017 (Vol. 74, #8, p. 14-15), cited from Marshall Memo, Issue 702, September 11, 2017

http://my.aasa.org/AASA/Resources/SAMag/2017/Sep17/colLythcott-Haims.aspx

Faith Matters

Truth

The following is an extract from “Leading Without Power” by Max De Pree.

What is the nature of truth? The New Testament says – and I believe – that truth is a person. I think truth is also a quality. The poet John Keats would have us believe that truth is beauty, and in many cases it is. Truth can at times be a promise. Truth can be communication. There are many wonderful ways in which to think about the concept of truth.

Eberhard Jungel, an East German theologian and philosopher, wrote a perceptive essay after the fall of the Berlin Wall. In it he said, “If one begins to analyse why totalitarianism finally failed, one should seek the decisive cause in its objective untruthfulness.” We’re familiar with the objective untruthfulness of government, of corporate advertising, of dysfunctional families. We are almost adjusted to it. The great sadness of denying truth is that we all become accomplices in our own spiritual demise.

On some community bulletin boards people put their own advertisements up, their own versions of the truth. I will never forget the one that said, “For sale, wedding dress, worn once, by mistake.” This is the opposite of objective untruthfulness.

Truth is by nature elusive and hopeful and luminous. It seems to me that in our most private moments, we all know truth in our hearts.

Rev Peter Morphew – Chaplain

PYP

A Culture of Inquiry

We often hear the word “inquiry” used in our classrooms. Learning is planned around a unit of inquiry. So what does this mean?

Inquiry is a way of learning and teaching that is all about triggering curiosity and excitement. We know that children love to ask questions – it’s how they make sense of the world and their place in it. Formulating questions is the initial phase of learning through inquiry, questions that the students want to find answers to. In the classroom, questions are a powerful tool for teachers to promote thinking and learning and when children are able to pose questions and investigate them they feel in charge of their learning. They buy-into their learning through ownership and responsibility. The student questions, usually placed on the classroom Wonder Wall, are researched and answers are found. Students present their knowledge and understanding as a result of the research, tasks and activities carried out. The final phase of inquiry learning is reflecting on what worked well and what didn’t, what could be changed next time in terms of knowledge and skills.

In an inquiry classroom teachers are co-learners working with children engaging in sustained and shared conversations. Through such conversations teachers are able to enrich and guide thinking and learning and students can gain new understandings of themselves, the learning process and the topic under investigation. This means that there is less of a focus on transmitting knowledge and more about supporting and extending the children’s attempts at understanding. Time, space and resources are provided to allow the students to become deeply involved in investigations. Learning is richer and more effective when it develops over time and when there are opportunities for planning and reflection throughout the experience. The class routine allows for blocks of uninterrupted time in which to think, investigate and explore. Thinking and learning happens more effectively when they are unhurried as ideas need time to develop.

Inquiry is a collaborative task. Learning is enriched when children work with others to solve a problem or investigate an interest. Exposure to others’ ideas and perspectives help broaden individual understandings and as children work together on a joint project they develop strong relationships with each other.

Inquiry learning creates a culture of investigation and active learning, supporting and encouraging questions and curiosity together with skills of problem solving, experimentation and prediction.

Sue Gough – Teacher Librarian/PYP Co-ordinator

Pastoral Care

Sleep – The Importance of Sleep for Your Child’s Health

BTN Article

Sleep Problems – http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s4748478.htm

Kids Sleep – http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3809197.htm

Why Do We Sleep?: http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s4633222.htm

Your children and our students lead busy, energetic lives and their growing minds and bodies require a healthy sleep pattern in order to function properly. The benefits of good sleep are endless and sleep efficiency (not sleep duration) contributes significantly to improved grades in maths and languages. Unfortunately, studies have indicated that up to 7 out of 10 children don’t get enough sleep, which can lead to temper tantrums, concentration and behavioural problems, and much more.

HOW DOES SLEEP AFFECT YOUR CHILD?

Physical Health

Sleep allows our bodies to repair and rejuvenate through repairing tissue, boosting muscle mass, synthesising proteins, releasing growth hormones and maintaining a strong immune system (sleep-deprived children, for example, are much more prone to common colds and flu).

Another benefit to sleeping well is weight management. Studies have shown that young children who get less than 10 hours sleep a night are three times more likely to be obese than those getting 12 or more.

Mental: Mood, Emotion and Clarity

Ever noticed how, when you’re tired, you’re prone to crankiness and moodiness? The same applies to your children as well. Lack of sleep negatively affects the way emotions regulate, increasing your stress levels through amplified anxiety and aggression. While sleep won’t eliminate stress, it increases readiness to cope with it.

Studies have also shown that while we sleep, our brains process and consolidate memories, helping your children to remember the important things in life. In contrast, losing sleep makes you more likely to make silly mistakes and impairs problem solving and focus, as brain neurons aren’t able to function optimally. 

HOW TO SLEEP BETTER?

Here are a list of things that you can do to get your child to sleep better:

Watch the sugar /caffeine

A can of coke or a sugary snack before bed can hinder any or all of the good work you’ve done in getting your child to bed. Diet dictates how energetic and active we are, and as you’re no doubt aware, sugar and caffeine are two hyperactive ingredients not conducive to sleep. 

Limit technology/stimuli before bed

Colourful, interactive stimuli is detrimental to your sleep because it keeps the brain active at exactly the wrong moment. Whether your children are chatting to friends, playing games or watching their favourite show, modern technology is making it harder for us all to sleep. Turn off all technology an hour or so before their bedtime. Instead they could listen to an audio book or relaxing music, take a warm bath, do some relaxation exercises or a play a quiet game like a puzzle. 

Keep a regular routine

Regular sleep times help maintain our body clock’s circadian rhythm and keeping these consistent will make it easier to fall asleep. This tip is especially difficult during the school holidays when routines are often relaxed, the days are longer and activities more varied, however, it can make a big difference. 

Know how much sleep is required

As a general guide, your child’s sleeping needs naturally decrease by about 15 minutes each year. Toddlers and pre-schoolers need around 12-14 hours per day, primary school-aged children should get 10-12 hours and teens will usually want 9 hours. (Grown-ups do best with about 8 hours).

Do your best to meet these requirements.

Hopefully these tips will help your children sleep like a log and wake up fresh as a daisy each and every day.

References

BTN

http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s4748478.htm

http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3809197.htm

Sleep

https://kidshelpline.com.au/teens/tips/lets-talk-about-sleep/

Kid’s Health

http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&np=152&id=1771

Life Education

https://www.lifeeducation.org.au/parents/the-importance-of-sleep-for-your-childs-health

E-Learning

Have You Thought About Screen Time for Yourself?

My daughter has recently started walking and as all parents know, this starts a whole new ball game. She is into everything. One moment she is in front of me playing, the next she is either about to wrestle the dog on her way out the back gate. My wife and I are certainly being kept on our toes and much less on our screens.

An interesting article that I came across in the holidays got me thinking about the amount of screen time adults spend their days on. Whilst listening to the radio in the car, I heard a discussion where each presenter researched their time spent of certain apps on a weekly cycle. One of the radio presenters was shocked that they had spent 7 and a half hours of their week looking at Instagram. You have to admit, that is a lot of time wasted looking at other people’s lives on a screen. They were amazed at the time spent and lost and even admitted to having spent a bit of that time whilst with the kids. So, the question is, do we really need to be conscious of our screen time around our children?

The simple answer here is ‘yes’. We need to make sure that the time we are spending looking at our screens is truly a device appropriate time. The article written by Sierra Filucci titled, ‘Screen-Time Limits for Parents?’ states, ‘If parents are going to be smart about our smartphones, we do need to make a few rules for ourselves – Smartphone users tend to underestimate the time they spend staring at their phones instead of their kids. It might feel like 20 seconds, but really three minutes have passed.’ Too often you see a child have an accident when someone was looking down at their screen. If we want our children to be great digital citizens, then we need to model this behaviour.

Sierra Filucci offers some great advice on how to get that balance right for yourself. She encourages:

• No devices during mealtimes. If a topic comes up that you would normally google, add it to a list to look up later.

• Leave the game-playing (Words With Friends!) until after the kids are in bed.

• No texting or talking on the phone while driving.

• Put away the phone if the kids are swimming unattended or doing anything else potentially dangerous.

• Designate “no-tech zones” in your home — and respect them!

Sometimes just putting one or two of these into your home routine can enhance the quality of the conversations you’ll have with your family and maybe even free up some time.

As always if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

Regards

Tony Cross – eLearning – Wyvern House and Lindfield Preparatory School

Reading and Listening to Reading

Reading to Children

Reading storybooks to children is one of the most important activities for developing the knowledge required for later success in reading. Reading to children from a young age has proven to increase language growth, early literacy skills and reading achievement.  Children’s vocabulary is increased through discussion and questioning during story time, it is important to ask questions, challenge their thinking and connect them to the text. Modelling positive reading behaviours encourages children to develop a passion for reading themselves and further develops their cognitive skills. Cognitive skills of young children are an important factor in later life success. Cognitive skills are not fixed, however, can be influenced through education in schools and parental efforts. There has been evidence to suggest that there is a strong link between reading to children and developmental outcomes.

Listening to Children Read

It is also important to listen to children read. Listening to children read involves listening as well as facilitating and guiding discussions about the text. Discussions around the text help children build their understanding of the text, the author’s intentions and purpose as well as building vocabulary. By asking questions about the text children develop their skills in communication as they explain and interpret the information. Children also develop their thinking skills as they comprehend meaning and purpose of the text. Children may also have questions while they read, by listening and engaging in their books we are able to guide them in their questions and possible responses. As we read we create questions about characters, settings or plots in the story, while listening to children read we have the opportunity to discuss these questions and formulate ideas with our children. Shared reading time is also an opportunity for us to demonstrate our interest and enjoyment of reading.

Parents play an important role in the educational development of their children. Parental reading to children has been proven to increase children’s reading and cognitive skills and has lifelong benefits.

Ms Isobelle Best and Ms Petra Raic – Learning Enhancement

White Ribbon Day

As noted earlier in the year we are on a journey to become a White Ribbon School which means that we promote the White Ribbon movement www.whiteribbon.org.au. The White Ribbon movement promotes the development of respectful relationships to reduce and eliminate violence against women. This is a generational change and one that we are proud to be a part, especially as it ties into our existing practices and focus on ‘respect for all’.

Throughout the term, classes are participating in activities and learning experiences (age appropriate) to develop their understanding and knowledge of this important issue and later this term, Friday November 24, we will participate in White Ribbon Day (nationally on November 25). Further information regarding the school event will be sent home shortly.

Breaking the Silence is independently evaluated and suitable for both primary and secondary schools. Through the Program, students learn and experience respectful relationships, gender equality and how to challenge attitudes which support violence. The aim is to create real generational change to stop violence against women in Australia.

Schools that complete Breaking the Silence are recognised as White Ribbon Schools, becoming a strong symbol of a safe, equitable workplace and vehicle for community change.

Why are schools important to stop violence against women?

From a young age, young people are exposed to information, messaging and behaviours that can support and condone violence against women. Young people are also already exposed to, and influenced by, domestic violence.

A critical time for forming ideas

During this critical life stage, young people are already forming ideas about men, women and their relationships. Exposure to harmful messaging and gender stereotyping can lead to attitudes that support inequality and disrespect towards women.

Exposure to violence against women also has a clear and negative impact on children and young people’s behaviour, mental health, and social development.

Breaking the cycle of violence

Schools play a pivotal role in breaking the cycle of violence by teaching young people how to recognise and challenge violence against women and build respectful relationships. Breaking the Silence engages the wider school community to promote and role model gender equality and create a safe, inclusive school culture to stop violence against women.

The Australian Government have developed an online resource www.respect.gov.au containing a variety of resources to support initiatives of this nature and this very important issue. I recommend having a look at these resources, particularly the respect checklist as it provides some insightful prompts to have this important conversation with your son or daughter.

THE RESPECT CHECKLIST

https://www.respect.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Respect-Checklist.pdf

A practical checklist to help parents and family members identify some important aspects of respect to talk about with children.

START A CONVERSATION

https://www.respect.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Conversation-Guide.pdf

“Adults have the greatest potential influence to shape positive attitudes among young people.”

EXCUSE INTERPRETER

https://www.respect.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Excuse-Interpreter.pdf

Discover the hidden meanings of common expressions that can excuse disrespectful behaviour towards girls.

Pascal Czerwenka – Year 5 Teacher/Deputy Head

Kindy Art – Clay work

Kindergarten have just completed a Unit of Inquiry that explores materials and their properties. In Art, the boys have had the opportunity to use clay as a basis for their discoveries. The boys collaborated on what they knew about clay before venturing out to the bush classroom to make our clay forest faces.

To help the boys understand how clay changes over time and how it’s properties transform, we made forest faces with clay and found natural materials to decorate them (gum nuts, leaves, twigs, even a feather!). Our clay faces were left for a few weeks before returning to see how they had changed. There was excitement all round when discovering how their clay faces had evolved.

Our exploration into clay continued in the art room, and the boys were set with the mission of working out how two pieces of clay can be joined to each other. After trialing different techniques and sharing these with each other, the scratch and wet technique was introduced as the method used by sculptors to stop clay joints falling apart in the kiln.

We experimented with this joining technique when making our clay turtles. Tools were introduced to manipulate the surface and create texture. After a bisque fire, glaze was added. Our clay turtle sculptures are now on display in the glass cabinets for all to view, however, the forest faces we left in the bush classroom did not have such a happy ending.

The Kindergarten boys have made many discoveries about clay during this Unit of Inquiry:

‘Clay dries quickly and you need water to wet it,’ Jamie.

‘It takes 3 days before it goes in the kiln,’ Hamish.

‘Clay comes from under the ground,’ Parker.

‘The water stops it from dying out,’ Jonathan.

‘It can easily break if you don’t put it in the kiln,’ Ted.

‘Clay is very squashy and flexible,’ Damon.

‘It goes hard after you get it out of the kiln,’ Sam.

‘You can break it in half and cut it,’ William.

‘Clay can stick on trees,’ Christian. F.

‘If you put more water it will be stickier,’ Ethan.

‘You put Glaze on the clay, it is not paint, because paint will burn off,’ Jamie.

‘After it comes out the kiln it is hard,’ Oliver.

‘The kiln is so, so hot,’ Christian. H.

‘It goes up to 1000 degrees in the kiln,’ Jackson.

Kylie Bain – Art Mistress

Year 1 Scientists

The Year 1 boys have been observing landscapes and identifying ways in which they change over time.  We have learned about weather patterns and seasonal changes and observed how the plant life in and around the school has been changing in response to the warmer Spring weather.  This unit has also provided the boys with opportunities to explore how wind, water and varying temperatures cause environmental change.

Initially the boys worked on researching different weather events including hurricanes, bushfires and floods.  These inquiries were sparked by the most recent hurricanes in Puerto Rico and the US as well as the bushfires south of Sydney.  As part of their learning the boys looked at how good questions drive research.  The boys started with what they already knew about these natural events and then asked questions around what they wanted to know.  With these questions in mind the boys engaged in research using various sources including non-fiction books, news reports, photos and images, maps and graphs.

Through experiments the boys have developed their understanding of how natural phenomena causes weathering and erosion. The boys investigated concepts, made observations, asked questions, tested out ideas and engaged creatively in the scientific process.  The boys enjoyed the hands on learning and over time have developed their vocabulary and observational skills.

In these final weeks the focus has been on the human impact on landscapes and how our actions are resulting in changes to the environment. The boys have been curious to learn about deforestation in the Amazon and the effect this is having on the rainforest.

Over the unit the boys have developed their appreciation of what it means to be a scientist.  They have worked hard to acquire knowledge to help them describe and understand the world around them through deliberate research and careful observation.

Colleen Chan – Year 1 Teacher

Teaching Voice

The text trait that propels writing forward and best captures the audience’s imagination is voice, the tone and tenor of the piece. Voice is the force behind the words that proves a real person is speaking and cares about what is being said. Writers engage the reader with voice, drawing him or her in by making connections between the reader’s life and the piece’s topic. At the next level voice distinguishes a writer’s work as distinctly theirs, a good writer experiments with their writing and discovers how to make words work. Simple words come together to create a signature style.

In Year 3 we are at the beginning of our exploration into how we can stamp our voice into writing.  The quality of tone captures how the writer wants the reader to feel as he or she is reading: excited, scared, angry, worried or joyful.  Establishing the right tone is essential to connecting to readers and keeping them interested.

Below is a snapshot of the learning experiences we are engaged with to help shape our understanding and skill.

DISCOVER – What can you find out about how authors and illustrators establish voice?

In small groups the boys flipped through picture books, carefully reading the images for clues into the tone of the story, pinning down their thinking by placing post-its on the page.  The boys shared their thinking with the class and together we realised that a good narrative changes tone throughout the story, the story arc keeps us interested and makes us feel.

This lead us into the next step of noticing how the author has consciously chosen words that cleverly reinforce the intended tone of that section.

IMAGINE – Initial ideas for how you can express your intended tone.

We have been smashing through writer’s block by brainstorming and sharing ideas for words and phrases to convey tone before writing.  By doing this together the boys are already thinking through sentences before putting markers to whiteboard.

EXPLORE – Prototypes, feedback, explorations, findings.

We have used a variety of stimuli to prompt our writing, videos of Usain Bolt’s Olympic victory, photos of planes buried in Antarctica and illustrations from picture books.

Usain Bolt sweeps around the bend as his muscles bulge like never before.  He rips through the air, cutting in front of everyone.  The spikes on his shoes shred the track, victory is in his reach.

Christopher Worsley

The animals were finally free. They were no longer in their cages. They were all smiling and cheering as they charged out of the pet shop. Their heads were no longer down and their eyes were fixed on only one thing. Ahead!

Ashok Reddy

SOLVE – A well-developed solution

The goal is to take our small writing explorations into action by writing a short narrative that connects with our new Unit of Inquiry.

Carol Peterson – Year 3 Teacher

S3 – Leadership and Service in Year 5

It is that time in the school year again when the students in Year 5 start to consider their roles for next year and whether or not they would like to be recognised as a leader. We encourage every boy to apply for a role, but also appreciate that not every leader has to wear a badge.

The students in Year 5 have come a long way this year and have stood up and been counted as leaders on many occasions already. The boys have helped mentor their Kindergarten buddies throughout the year, successfully delivering the Arthur Interactive Mouse (AIM) Buddy Project, teaching their buddies social skills through topics such as empathy, forgiveness, honesty and learning from others. In addition to this, the school has started to explore service learning for each year group and Year 5 have partnered with Cromehurst School. The boys have been partnered with Cromehurst students from Kindergarten to Year 6 and have started to visit on a weekly basis, assisting the Cromehurst classroom teachers and students with learning activities. It has been fantastic to watch these interactions as the Year 5 students have really stepped into their leadership roles and we are hoping to extend the partnership with Cromehurst into next year.

As part of the leadership process, the students unpacked the qualities of a good leader, exploring those qualities with Mr Barrington-Higgs and the current Year 6 leaders. Among those that the boys identified most strongly with were the themes of being respectful, empathetic, open minded, demonstrating equality, being yourself, a problem solver and a great communicator. As part of the process, the boys who wished to nominate themselves for leadership roles had to deliver a speech to their respective house, with a massive 39 out of 51 boys delivering speeches this year. The standard of the speeches was fantastic considering that the boys only had an hour to prepare, and the boys then voted for the nominees. The staff will then have some input into next year’s school leaders, and there will be some students waiting excitedly until all is revealed on Presentation Day…

Throughout the boys’ current unit of inquiry, ‘The colonisation of different places is influenced by significant events and people and can impact future generations,’ they have also been exploring significant female figures in Australia’s history. These have ranged from Edith Cowan to Julia Gillard, Evonne Goolagong-Cawley to Cathy Freeman. Many of the women were pioneers and leaders in their various fields, and it has been great giving boys the opportunity to broaden their understanding of leadership and gender. This has been particularly important in the context of building a culture of respect, both for each other and members of the opposite sex in the lead up to White Ribbon Day (25 November) and through partaking in events such as the UN’s International Day of the Girl Child.

It has been a real pleasure teaching Year 5 this year and watching the boys grow into potential future leaders of this school and beyond into ‘men of substance’.

Sam Watson and Pascal Czerwenka – Year 5 Teachers

Year 6 – Service Learning

On Monday the 23 October, Year 6 visited Thread Together and the Kids Giving Back as part of their Service Learning. Both these charities are committed to helping homeless and disadvantaged people get back on their feet.

Thread Together, organises the supply of new clothes to charities across Australia. Previously, these clothes were dumped into landfill to make way for new lines and at a significant cost to the clothing companies, however, now they can give these to Thread Together, get a tax break, and help hundreds of people. Last year the charity dealt with over a million items of clothing.

On arriving at the warehouse the boys were greeted with a massive pile of clothing that required folding and sorting – the sorting was fine, but the folding may need a little more practice.

We also had the opportunity to make meals for the Addison Project organised by Kids Giving Back. This project in Kensington offers accommodation for young people and families who would otherwise live on the streets. Our meals of pasta salad and wraps were possibly the only meal these men, women, and children would have that day.

Having the opportunity to serve others was a wonderful experience for the boys, and made quite an impression. On returning to school, we received a lovely email from the charities which showed just what a difference the boys made that day.

To the school Principal

Today, we hosted 45 young boys from your year 6 class. They came to Thread Together to put into practice service work I am advised you promote at the school.

The purpose of this email is to congratulate you on these boys. From the moment they arrived to our community centre/warehouse, they showed respect and maturity well beyond their years. They listened carefully to what Thread Together is about, they interacted beautifully in discussion, and then attended to the practical charity work with enthusiasm and determination. The upshot of their time with us today, under the Food Clothing Shelter Program they attended, was that over 2,000 items of clothes were sorted and prepared for our charity partners in Adelaide and Sydney, and over 80 meals were made and delivered (by your boys) to a youth crisis centre in Kensington, with which Thread Together is associated.

Your teachers and the school generally, as well as the boys’ parents ought be extremely proud of their conduct. They represented themselves and your school with absolute distinction.

There is no doubt as to the reason Newington often produces leaders, today we met 45 future ones.

We thank you and look forward to welcoming new groups in the future.

Please send our thanks to the boys.

Best wishes

Greg Fisher | Chief Executive Officer

Katrina James and Phil Trethewey – Year 6 Teachers

Long Service Leave – Music

During Term 3, while I was on Long Service Leave, I took some of the time to travel to Canada and the US to attend some courses.

The International Kodaly Symposium was held in Camrose, Alberta, in Canada. There were delegates from all around the world. Each day began with singing and then there were a number of sessions to choose from to attend.  As with most Music Classes, they are “doing” classes. You don’t sit back and take notes, you are singing and dancing. I learnt a number of new songs as well as realising the importance (again) of singing folk-songs and doing movement based activities.

The University of Alberta is a beautiful campus with elk wandering around. I saw these a number of times when walking to and from the classes.  There were a number of American Indian songs taught to everyone, along with the understanding of the areas.

I always leave these courses very inspired, thinking of ways to use what I have learnt with the students. I am getting the younger boys to do some simple dancing with some fun folksongs. If you want to find out more information please click here.

My next stop was a seven day workshop of improvisational singing with a fabulous team of singers, including Bobby McFerrin. This course was called Circlesongs.

There are a number of Circlesong groups throughout the US. Darren Percival of The Voice fame has attended this – it seems he is the only other Australian. There were people from other countries and from all around the US. Many of the delegates have been to previous sessions. I have never attended a course like this before. It is very confronting to stand in the middle of a group of amazing singers, improvise and ask them to start singing a pattern that you have created, for you to then continue to make at least a further 4 patterns for the rest of the group to sing and then for you to further improvise melodies on top. It is an incredible feeling when you do and it is just as fantastic to be part of the group singing the patterns that others create.

The other teachers were very unique too – a body percussionist, a vocal percussionist, a beatboxer (these are different!), an incredible singer from Lebanon who sings in 1/4 tones (really small intervals) and wonderful bass singer and then there were three other singers to make up the group. Bobby McFerrin is an amazing vocalist. The standard he expects is really high and it is wonderful to achieve this.

Here are a couple of links:

Showing the pentatonic scale

CircleSongs – you can hear in this how there are patterns that are repeated and they evolve and Bobby McFerrin is singing on top of these.

Again I am looking forward to using the ideas and techniques that I learnt at this course throughout my teaching as well as in the Community Choir.

Vanessa South – Music Mistress

Parents & Friends

P&F AGM – Monday 6 November

This is a reminder that the P&F AGM is being held on Monday 6 November. 

We’d like to encourage your attendance, as it is a great opportunity to find out about the role of the P&F and our plans for 2018, however, it is also an occasion to thank all our parents for their help.

AGM details:

Date: Monday 6 November

Time: 6:00pm (including Thank You drinks and nibbles) for a 6:30pm start (Finish at 8:00pm)

Location: The Library

AGM agenda:

A detailed Agenda will be sent out by Class Parents, however, here are some of the key highlights:

• Mr Barrington Higgs will be presenting the findings from the recent parent survey and plans for 2018.
• Sasha Titchkosky and Pascal Czerwenka will provide an update on the Flexible Learning Spaces Project.
• Confirmation of Class Parents for 2018, P&F Executive positions and other committee positions.
• Dr Mulford will be attending and will be available for questions.
• P&F Successes for 2017.

P&F Nominations

The current members of the P&F Executive Committee will be moving on at the end of 2017.  We’ve received nominations for President, Secretary and Vice President, however, we are urgently seeking a nomination for Treasurer.

If you’re interested or would like to discuss this role, please contact Jules Ashworth, P&F President via email jcashworth@vbmglobal.com or Vicky Sharp, P&F Secretary via email vixsharp29@gmail.com.

There are other ways to be involved in the P&F. If you enjoy sport, have a flair for creative arts or enjoy organising events or getting creative, then come and join one of our committees:

• Social and Fundraising committee
• Sports committee
• Creative arts committee
• Casserole crisis committee

For more information on committees.

The role of Class Parent is an essential one as you know. They make sure you’re up-to-date with what’s happening in the class, organise playdates and social events for the class. Why not help out and become a Class Parent for 2018? For more information on becoming a Class Parent.

To nominate for one of these roles, please contact Vicky Sharp at vixsharp29@gmail.com.

Deadline for nominations is Wednesday 1 November 2017.  We aim to announce nominations at the P&F AGM on Monday 6 November 2017.

Prep Shop and Tuckshop Volunteers for 2018

The success of the Prep Shop and Tuckshop is down to the volunteers who staff them.  With Year 6 volunteers moving on, we need to replace and top up our volunteer pool.  This is a great opportunity to support the boys and the school community.  Plus the boys love seeing their parents at school!

If you’d like to volunteer or even find out more about what is involved. Take a look at SPACES, download and complete the Nomination Form.

Prep Shop Volunteer SPACES Page

Tuck Shop Volunteer SPACES Page

School Fee Raffle

2017 School Fee Raffle flyer (2)