From The Head of Lindfield K-6

Self-confidence

Self-confidence is something we all wish our children to have.  It is not linked to a particular personality type.  Whether as an individual he is gregarious or an introvert – we want our boys to have a feeling of trust in their abilities, qualities and judgement. Without this, the courage required to move out of one’s comfort zone into meaningful challenges for learning is less likely to appear.

My children do martial arts and one of the things that I particularly like about it, is that it involves a framework of values that encourage mental and spiritual development, alongside the physical.  I enjoy hearing the ‘talks’ given to the students at the end of each session and recently I heard the instructor give the group 3 pointers for developing their confidence.  I share them here because they are relevant, simple and easy to implement.

1. “Appreciate what you have” –  A practice of gratitude not only makes us feel good, it changes the brain.  Feeling grateful for all that they have helps our boys realise how lucky they are.  Regularly practicing gratitude is also believed to encourage our brains to focus on the positives rather than the negatives, in general.  I’ve heard the analogy of Velcro and Teflon used to describe the ways our brain can process experiences.  Negative experiences stick like Velcro while the positive ones are like a slippery, non-stick Teflon coating.  A regular practice of gratitude can help minimise this by getting boys into the habit of recalling all that is actually going well in their lives.  This goes beyond material possessions to the more important aspects of positive relationships, abilities and personal characteristics.

2. “Remember your accomplishments” – In martial arts one of the big motivators for kids is the hierarchy of the coloured belts.  It’s such a tangible way to measure progress and a great way to set goals, however, on this day the message from the instructor was the need for the students to savour their accomplishments.  There is the habit in our culture to nail a goal and then head straight to the next one as though the last one didn’t exist.  I’m a big believer in goals but sometimes rather than look ahead to what we haven’t yet achieved, we need to sit with the glory of the belt colour we are currently wearing.  When something has taken effort and commitment, it’s worth savouring.

3. “Positive affirmations” – This can be defined simply as positive thinking to develop a positive attitude.  We can teach children to reframe their thinking in order to develop their confidence with positive self-talk.  Newington is committed to developing growth mindsets in the community, which is closely linked to this idea.  So, next time you hear your son say “I’m bad at this” reframe the thought to something like “Once I get more practice, I’ll be much better”.  The example used by my children’s martial arts instructor was to reframe “Oh, I’ve got to get up early to go swimming” to “I get to go swimming today!”.

Thinking about this in a parent context, some of us might say I have got to go to work today. Instead we should say I get to go to work today and think about all the benefits (opportunities, family security, helping others and sense of self) that work provides us all.

Self-confidence is the ability to recognise that what we do has value, adds meaning to others and is purposeful. Important lessons for all of us. 

“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint’, then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” Vincent Van Gogh

Ben Barrington-Higgs

Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care at Lindfield (including Student Behaviour Management)

Pastoral care is not merely a complementary practice; it is policy and practices fully integrated throughout the teaching and learning and structural organisation of a school to effectively meet the personal, social (wellbeing) and academic needs of students and staff.

To this end we have a robust and consistent approach to student behaviour management that values the rights of every member of the school community and highlights the responsibilities that accompany these rights.

The School’s Philosophy of Pastoral Care

Newington College’s overall aim is to provide a well-balanced liberal education, nurturing the physical, emotional, social, moral, academic and spiritual needs of the students, and assisting them to grow towards the full stature of responsible citizenship. As a central component of this aim, the school seeks to provide a supportive environment for boys, where individual needs are recognised and the pursuit of excellence is valued. This is done with the recognition that we have a sound understanding of the needs of boys and what works best for them.

Pastoral care at Newington focuses on the total development of each student and enhancement of the dignity of each person. It nurtures success and has a commitment to forgiveness, tolerance and reconciliation. As teachers, we seek to motivate young people to be socially responsible and committed to building a better world through a partnership of the school community, teachers and parents.

To assist in facilitating a supportive, positive and affirming environment, it is important that expectations, both academic and behavioural are clear, and rules and limits are set. Every member of the community has responsibility to contribute to achieving such an environment. Therefore, an effective Behavioural Management Policy is viewed as an essential component of a genuine approach to Pastoral Care. This works in conjunction with the School’s overarching Anti-bullying Policy.

Valuing Individuals

At Lindfield, we acknowledge that people respond to genuine praise and positive recognition. We also recognise that learning best takes place in an environment that is supportive and caring, is encouraging of risk taking and where all are valued and individual needs are met. This positive approach greatly contributes to the enhancement of each child’s self-esteem. Children who have a positive self-concept and sense of self-esteem feel worthy, valued and resilient and are ready to succeed.

All children should be actively encouraged to participate in the many opportunities that are provided both within the classroom and through the rich co-curricular program. The talents and capacities of each child should be nurtured and their efforts and achievements recognised. As students develop and mature, they should be guided towards becoming self-motivated and life-long learners. From this perspective, pastoral care can assist students to develop positive self-esteem, healthy risk taking, goal setting and negotiation, thus enhancing their strengths and other protective factors contributing to their resiliency as well as developing a sense of social cohesion that together can improve their overall health and wellbeing.

Students are encouraged to understand and value others (Mark 12:30-31), work cooperatively and be guided towards stable and satisfying interpersonal relationships. As all children are unique they should be encouraged to be individuals and their uniqueness should be viewed as an asset.

Valuing Each Other

As a teaching community at Lindfield, we feel it is important to build positive relationships with our students based upon mutual respect and trust. We endeavour to provide students with a stimulating, challenging, enjoyable and supportive learning environment. As teachers, we believe that all students can learn and as such we have appropriately high expectations of students. We aim to support each individual within the classroom, academically and behaviourally, and encourage each student to take responsibility for his actions. The relationship between each teacher and each student is of great importance in achieving this aim. This is supported by recent research that suggests that one of the most significant aspects influencing students’ learning is this relationship. The health and wellbeing of students is increasingly being attributed to school conditions, school relationships, means of fulfilment, and health status.

Communication

To encourage mutual respect, we believe it is essential to treat all members of our community with integrity. This includes talking to others in an appropriate manner, listening to their concerns and dealing with them appropriately, be they students, staff or parents. At Lindfield K-6, there is a strong understanding that parents know their children best and have the right to be involved in their child’s education. The development of a strong partnership between parents and teachers is an important aspect of the educational and pastoral process at Lindfield.

We feel it is essential that staff and parents work together to foster each child’s development so that he may grow towards an appreciation both of himself and of his place amongst his peers.

Our Pastoral Care Policy for Lindfield together with the school’s overarching Anti-Bullying Policy can be found on the Policies Page on our Lindfield SPACES site.

Mr Pascal Czerwenka – Deputy Head of Campus

Service/Action News

Part of the reason we enrolled Kareem in Newington is the emphasis on service and action in the community.  I have had the privilege of being brought up as a global citizen living in many countries and I have always had the urge to help people. Below is a recent experience I want to share.

My story begins in Dec 2010, my son Kareem was 5 months old and I had taken him to Aleppo, Syria to attend my brother’s wedding. I was not aware that it would be the last time my family would all meet up in Aleppo and that soon there would be a war.

As the civil disruptions in Syria escalated and millions of Syrians became displaced around the world, I wanted to do something to help people who were affected. Through my searches, I came across Karam Foundation, an organisation that helps people inside Syria as well as refugees who are living in a small town in the south of Turkey called Reyhanli. In 2016 they established Karam House, a safe haven for Syrian teenage refugees to learn life skills that help them build a better future. In April 2017, Karam House was looking for mentors to teach a STEM subject or topics that help develop entrepreneurial and innovation skills. This was my chance to take action! I applied to teach a one week workshop introducing the fundamentals of online marketing and was accepted. The trip there would leave a very lasting impression.

On the afternoon of 18 August, the aeroplane door opened and the westerly summer wind took me back to memories of Aleppo. I felt like I was going home. The land, the people, the accents, even the smells of the area reminded me of Aleppo. Of a city that hosts a part of who I am; a part of me.

There was a nervous energy about Reyhanli, eyes watching everywhere, however, within this nervous energy was Karam House. A beacon of light and knowledge amidst the suspicions, darkness and sadness that the air carried.  My workshop, which was merely a grain of salt in the sea of online marketing, was my action. What struck me the most was the students’ eagerness and desire to soak up as much information and knowledge as I had to give. The Syrian teens of Reyhanli had scars of starvation marking their lanky bodies and faces. They told stories of sieges that wounded their minds and souls (trapped with one pita bread to share among 24 people hiding in a flat). But their eyes were full of desire to climb above and strive for a better future. They fully understood that the key to breaking the cycle of violence and despair was education. There is a lot of talk these days about grit, struggle, and about letting our kids learn resilience and struggle. If anyone can teach us that… it is the children of Reyhanli. The people of Reyhanli teach what it means to live life every single day.

It was brief, but the encounter with the teenagers of Karam House in Reyhanli reminded me about the important aspects of life, and made me appreciate what we have in Kareem and the community around us. As I flew back to my reality, I looked down at all the countries and lands along the way to Australia. And wondered how I could extend my action further and help more people. This story, and spreading the word about beacons of light like Karam House is just a small way to share my experience and hopefully inspire more stories of action that impact people’s lives positively. I’d love to hear from others who have had similar experiences in other parts of the world.

On my part, I look forward to making this and similar actions a regular part of my year… and hope Kareem will be inspired to take his own one day!

For more information about Karam House: (https://www.karamfoundation.org/karam-house/)

 Dema Chaikhouni (Kareem Assi Y2)

Emotional Regulation

Emotions and emotional intelligence impact every aspect of people’s lives including learning, decision-making, creativity, relationships, and health.  It is therefore vital that the boys learn how to recognise, express and manage their emotions.

The RULER program was developed by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.  It is designed to teach individuals of any age how to develop their emotional intelligence to create a more effective and compassionate society.  

Studies have shown that the RULER program enhances learning environments, improves academic performance and decreases aggressive behaviours. One study in particular found that students in classrooms integrating the RULER program had higher year-end grades and higher teacher ratings of social and emotional competence compared to students in classrooms not using RULER.  In other words, the RULER program also helps students to develop vital social and life skills such leadership and communication.  

The program uses the word Ruler as an acronym for:

Recognising emotions in self and others

Understanding causes and consequences of emotions

Labelling emotions accurately

Expressing emotions appropriately

Regulating emotions effectively

Following the acronym helps children, who often find it difficult to label and express emotions, learn how to identify and understand their emotions using more complex language.  They learn to replace basic feeling words with more sophisticated words and progress from using words like ‘ok’ or ‘fine’ to using words like ‘tranquil’ or ‘serene’. This helps both students and staff handle and regulate strong emotions at school so they can make better decisions for themselves and their community. It also results in fewer incidents of bullying, a more productive classroom and greater student well-being.

How can you help your son develop his social and emotional skills using RULER?

• Follow the acronym at home
• Point out and discuss with your son facial expressions, vocal changes and body language that reflect different emotions
• Use a wide variety of emotion words with your son
• Help your son evaluate the best time, place and way to express his feelings
• Help your son find useful and successful strategies for managing the emotions he experiences

Patricia Kazacos – Learning Enhancement Intern

Bracket, M., Rivers, A., Reyes, M & Salovey, P. (2012). Enhancing academic performance and social and emotional competence with RULER feeling words curriculum. Learning and Individual Differences, 22(2), 218-224. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2010.10.002

Leaders Induction

During our Chapel Service on Thursday 15 February we witnessed the induction of our 2018 School Leaders, with Dr Mulford and Richard De’Brooy officiating the ceremony.

Leadership is very important at Newington College. An important part of leadership is the example we show others, the way we treat and care for those around us and the way we consistently give our best effort in everything we do.  While every Newington boy is encouraged to be a leader, our Captains and Vice Captains will lead the challenge for 2018.

Congratuations to:

Freddie Bourne – School Captain

Finn Wicks – Kingswood House Captain

Nicholas Vicars – Kingswood House Vice Captain

Stylianos Vasili – Rydal House Captain

Nirav Shah – Rydal House Vice Captain

Service Learning

Welcome back to Term 1 of 2018, I hope that everyone had an exciting and also restful summer break. During the summer, I spent some time reflecting on last year’s successes in Year 5, and one of the ‘big ticket’ items that really stood out for me was the boys’ commitment to Service Learning. At the start of 2017, I was one of several staff members who formed a Service Learning Committee in order to explore how we could better promote the idea of service throughout the school. There had been some fantastic examples in previous years, but often in isolation and also outside of school. The committee’s goal was to really raise the profile of Service Learning throughout the school, which will be an ongoing target for this year and beyond.

Year 5 engaged with a number of projects last year, including weekly visits to Cromehurst School in Term 4, a local school for children with special educational needs. This was an empowering and rewarding experience for both students and staff alike, and having met with the Cromehurst staff this week, we are pleased that we will be continuing the partnership this year. The eventual, and successful aim of the project was for our students to design, make and then test a range of products aimed at aiding the Cromehurst students with their learning, using the design thinking process. These included games about sun safety and dance lessons to help improve coordination.

The move to become a White Ribbon school took a lot of behind the scenes planning, and as a staff we were incredibly impressed by both the student and parent response. This year, we will continue to promote the White Ribbon movement, so that it is a meaningful cause that our boys can engage with in a positive way.

Students also undertook a number of individual and group service projects, to raise money for various causes. This year’s school captain, Freddie Bourne, completed the MS Sydney to Wollongong Charity Bike Ride and promoted the cause around the school prior to the ride. In the final week of Term 4, a number of Year 5 boys put on an arcade for the Junior Primary boys to raise money for Cancer Council. Their games, rules and ticketing system had been carefully planned, and the success of the arcade was a testament to their commitment to Service Learning.

Pascal and I were very impressed by the boys’ enthusiasm and commitment to service and we’re hoping to emulate last year’s success again this year. Last year stood the boys in good stead for this year and we are planning on involving the younger boys in service projects, as well as welcoming the suggestions of the School Representative Council and parents alike. Watch this space!

Thank you.

Sam Watson – Teacher Year 5W

Sport

At the beginning of the year, Mr Barrington-Higgs addressed the boys encouraging them to “be yourself, at your best”.  In reflecting on this, it is particularly applicable to sport this term. On the sporting calendar this term there were summer sport trials and the swimming carnival over the past few weeks and cross country ahead for all boys.

We know that the reality is that when there is competition, not everyone can finish in the A team or in first place, however, encouraging boys to “be yourself, at your best” provides a different perspective. For one boy in each age group, that will mean finishing in first which should be celebrated, though the efforts of every boy who has strived to “be his best” are to be equally recognised and celebrated.

At a school carnival level, each boy should be striving to do his best knowing that he is representing himself and his house and that without the efforts of each individual boy, the house does not succeed. Each Saturday every primary boy represents Newington in a team sport. Regardless of the result of the game, boys should first focus on their effort, and then how that effort contributed to the performance of the team. If every boy is striving to be his best on the court or the field, there is a sense of satisfaction knowing that nothing was left in the tank, then the result can be reflected upon from that perspective.

From a parent perspective, rather than the first question being “did you win” or “what was the score” as the boys come off the field or court could it be “are you proud of how you played today?” or “did you give 100% out there this morning?”. These questions take away all opportunity to blame team mates, or an official if a decision or result has not gone the way the boys would like, but forces a level of accountability for the individual boy to the team.

While sport is competitive in nature, and everyone likes a win or a positive result, if boys are individually forced to consider are they performing “at their best” then that is all we can ask of him. By nature, if every boy is performing at his best, the team has the very best chance of success and victory, whatever the sport or competition may be.

Eliza Monaghan – Sports Mistress

Mandarin – Spring Festival

Celebrating the Spring Festival

Recently you’ve probably seen a lot of red colour and heard words like Gong Xi Fa Cai (Have a prosperous year) and Xin Nian Kuai Le (Happy New Year) or in Cantonese are: Gong Hei Fat Choy and Xin Nian Fat Loh.  Australia, being a multicultural society, is quite happy to celebrate the Spring Festival (also known as Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year) with Chinese food from local Chinese restaurants or watch a noisy Lion Dance Parade in a local shopping centre. Our students at Lindfield celebrated this festival in a unique way.

For our Kindergarten boys, they designed their own red envelopes. The red envelope/packet is given by the adults to children during the Spring Festival. Inside the envelope, it contains money wishing for another safe and lucky year. The Kindy boys decorated their envelops with traditional lucky symbols such as persimmons, pineapples, oranges, fish, flowers and more. Instead of money, we put our sincere wishes into the envelopes before the boys gave them out to their loved ones.

Stage 1 and Stage 2 boys put their paper cutting skills into practice! Stage 1 cut out the Wealthy god pattern while Stage 2 cut out fish. Why fish during the Spring Festival? The word: Fish sounds like yú in Mandarin meaning abundant and it is a play on words that is used a lot during the Spring Festival. Boys from Stage 2 went deeper – they were asked to compare and contrast the Spring Festival with another festival that we celebrate in Australia. Christmas is the most popular one that was mentioned a lot during our discussions.

Stage 3 boys took part in a joint project of Art and Chinese to create a poster to demonstrate their understanding of the Chinese Zodiac using traditional Chinese characters. Their work will be sent off to enter a poster competition. Furthermore, Stage 3 boys have learnt how Australia connects to the rest of the world by completing the Spring Festival Project. The boys applied their observation, higher level critical thinking and deep understanding skills to justify the conclusion they reached.

All students received a red envelope with money in it – a lucky coin. Sincerely wishing all the boys and their family a very happy year of dog!

Eva Angel – LOTE Teacher (Mandarin)

Prep Shop News

Its been a great start to the year and I hope all the boys are enjoying Summer sport. 

Its already time to think about winter uniforms.

For those boys new to the school, winter uniform is a long sleeve grey shirt (the same sizing as summer shirts), Winter shorts (which are a more tailored cut and we therefore offer a bigger range of sizes) and a matching Blazers. Socks, jumper and prep cap stay the same.

All Winter Stock is now in-store and able to be purchased. Please either come in during our opening ours or pop through an email with you order.

As it starts to cool down – please remember that the tracksuit needs to be worn as a set (Jacket and Pants together) to and from school. We now have stock from size 4 through to a 16 (which is an XS in mens). The tracksuit is also the same as that worn by senior school students – so the Year 6 boys can wear them straight through!

We are also having a sale on some limited sizes until the end of term or sold out.

Summer Shirts

  size 14 – now $10 down from $30

  size 16 – now $10 down from $30

PE Polos

  size 16 – now $10 down from $35

  size 18 – now $10 down from $35

Winter Shirts

  size 14 – now $12 down from $35

  size 16 – now $12 down from $35

  size 18 – now $12 down from $35

If you have any questions, please send me through an email and I’ll be happy to help.

Nicole Williams – Uniform Shop Manager

Prep Shop Open – Mon 3:00pm to 3:45pm and Wed 8:00am to 8:45am

lindfieldprepshop@newington.nsw.edu.au