the king’s school preparatory school nneewwsssllleeettttteerrr … · prep newsletter issue 12 -...

THE KING’S SCHOOL PREPARATORY SCHOOL

NNNEEEWWWSSSLLLEEETTTTTTEEERRR

Issue No. 12 – 5th

August, 2016

Prep News 5th August, 2016

King’s Boys ‘Get Their Groove On!’ For the past one and a half terms a group of enthusiastic and well-coordinated Prep boys have been meeting each week with Music Teacher, Linda Browne, enjoying and learning a range of dance moves. Dance is an area that hasn’t had much profile at the Prep except in specific year level activities and whole school musicals. The new Dance Activity Group was developed to provide an avenue to explore this aspect of the creative arts. Subsequently, instead of holding a Prep production we have placed the performance emphasis on the area of dance this year. The goal for this fledgling dance troupe has been to prepare a dance performance to be shared at the 2016 Junior Schools Dance Showcase. The King’s dance performance resulted from suggestions of dance moves generated by the boys and sculpted by Mrs Browne. This special concert event hosted by Ravenswood School for Girls saw 16 independent schools share their dance performances in front of a large student audience. The boys performed superbly belying their beginner status in this area. It was terrific to see how much they enjoyed the experience and how carefully synchronised they were in their movements. One of our learner profiles which we examine at school looks at being a risk taker. These boys certainly demonstrated this attribute by being involved in this new initiative and throwing themselves into developing and delivering a performance in front of a large crowd. Later that day, the dance troupe returned to the School to share their performance with the Prep boys in Horrocks Hall. It was wonderful to see the support they received from their peers. It was an opportunity that was proved to be a great experience for those involved as evidenced in the words of dance troupe member, Armadeep Gill (6M). “I was extremely nervous on our first rehearsal, not knowing what to expect at all (I think that feeling was shared among the other dancers too!) Later in the term, as the boys gelled together, Mrs Browne decided to merge both crews together. At first it was bedlam, ploughing through a number of songs before finding one we were all capable of performing. The Thursday morning practices were always attended by weary boys, arriving in dribs and drabs with varying concentration levels(!) … On the day, I thought we smashed it, everybody playing their part. I cannot wait to perform at the Art Show, maybe with a couple of extra members!”

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus”. Hebrews 12:2

PREP NEWSLETTER ISSUE 12 - 5TH AUGUST, 2016

Year Six PYP Exhibition The Year 6 students have many highlights to look forward to in their final year at the Prep. One such event is the Year 6 PYP Exhibition. The Exhibition is a celebration of learning for PYP students at the end of their PYP journey. In the final year of a student’s engagement with the Primary Years Programme, they undertake an independent inquiry into a particular focus area to demonstrate their mastery of the process of inquiry and the transdisciplinary skills. Mentors from across the Prep staff are assigned to small groups of students to discuss learning directions and help the boys in setting targets in their inquiries. This year, the research topics are framed under the Transdisciplinary Theme: Where we are in place and time. The boys’ interests and research have led them to such topics as, drugs and gambling in sport, alcohol addiction, poverty, animal cruelty, global warming, human impact on the environment, pollution, global warming, vaccinations, war etc – some challenging topics with which to wrestle. The boys have written their Central Ideas, Lines of Inquiry, identified the Key Concepts, and co-ordinated their research and presentations. I have been particularly impressed with the way that the boys have sought opportunities to gain information from primary sources. The Exhibition provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills as independent learners and requires considerable time management and organisational skills. All parents are welcome to come and view the Exhibition and learn from the boys about their areas of exploration. Venue: Horrocks Hall and Year Six classrooms Dates & Times: Thursday 18 August 6:00pm – 7:30pm Friday 19 August 8:30am- 12:30pm Art Show Opening Night – Friday 26 August – Don’t miss out! Tickets to one of the hottest events in town are on sale now with the Art Show Gala Opening only a few weeks away – Friday 26 August. This year, tickets are priced at $65 per person including a wonderful canapés and drinks package with live band and the awarding of the 2016 Art Prize Winner. Our feature artist is Jun Chen and the evening will also include the auction of his artwork Bondi Beach with all proceeds donated to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. It’s going to be a wonderful event so if you haven’t already, book a ticket and join this special community event. We continue to require volunteers for number of different roles over the course of the weekend. It is an expectation that all families will be involved at some stage with assistance, so please sign up and help with this important fund and community raising event. Tickets can be purchased here: http://www.kingsartshow.com.au/purchase.php Volunteer to assist in a role here: http://volunteers.kingsartshow.com.au/ Prep Athletics Carnival All boys at the Prep enjoyed a day on the Price Fields at the annual Prep School Athletics Carnival. The House spirit was intense as boys battled it out in various track and field events. The addition of our new Pavilion allowed the perfect viewpoint for spectators to take in the hotly contested sprint races on Price One. A highlight was the energy and enthusiasm of the Kingsbridge boys who did a great job of generally staying in their lanes and flying through to the finish line in their first athletics carnival. Our thanks go to Mr Darren Lawrenson and Mrs Lisa Sayer for their endeavours in organising various elements for the day, and to the staff for their coordination of the roles required across the many different events.

Peter Allison Head of the Preparatory School

http://www.kingsartshow.com.au/purchase.php

http://volunteers.kingsartshow.com.au/


Headmaster’s Distinctions

Term 3 Weeks 2 & 3

Pre-Kindergarten

Year 1

Year 3

Year 5

BARTLE, William GUPTA, Rohan KARAM, Nicolas KNIPPERS, William HASHEM, Michael HUANG, Jason x 2 LOTTER, Jean COMPAGNON, Lincoln x 3 DIMOKAS, James DOHNT, Lex FAN, Sky SASSINE, James PAYNTER GROAT, Ryan USHER, Callum

AKUOKO, David CHADWICK, Harry MITCHELL, Tyler WOODHOUSE-BEDAK, Edward x 2 BALL, Sebastian DAVEY-WEBB, Kieran LIU, Jake SINGLA, Ishan

ANIL PILLAI, Pranav x 2 BALL, Duncan x 2 BYRNE, James DAVEY-WEBB, Cameron LI, Gavin MILLNER, Tom ORPEN, Cameron SYED, Ali SERAGLIO, Joshua x 3

Kindergarten Year 2 Year 4 Year 6

CHEN, Charly KEOMANIVONG, James GIANG, Arthur GOYAL, Yash IJAZ, Ayan JAYASURIYA, Keshan LUSTED, Zephyr MADSON, Oliver MOYO Tee Jay MYATT, Tex NAGARSEKAR, Aroosh PETROVIC, Archer RAJANI, Jad WHEAT, Jack ZREIKA, Omar CHILDS-TORR, Ethan EGAN, Blake x 2 ELVE, Ilhan FARHART, Ali FLEET, Harry IERARDO, Franco JAYASURIYA, Keshon JI, Felson x 3 KANAGARATNAM, Aiden LUU, Keagan MERCIECA, Hunter x 2 SABA, Joseph YOUNG, Alexander

ANDREW, Connor BERNARDO, Jacob ELVE, Cenk GAUCI, Patrick HASSAN, Ashmaan x 2 IRVING, Harry NASHED, Aaron x 2 BALL, Alexander KURIAN, Neil LUSTED, River MADSON, Samuel NAGARSEKAR, Adeep SHARMA, Ishaan

CHEMERYS, Daniel DEAN, Billy x 2 HUANG, Adrian MAGUIRE, James

DUKE, Noah x 2 LEE, Tony


Uniform I have spoken to a number of boys recently about their uniform; both their sports and School uniform. There are a number of boys arriving to School and trying to depart School, dressed incorrectly. Kindergarten to Year 2 boys should be arriving and departing School in their full uniform; ie tie, blazer, socks up with garters and in their black shoes, or full tracksuit. This includes boys who have been at KIP or any other activity in the afternoon. Boys in Years 3 to Year 6 need to be responsible for ensuring that their uniform is in good order. This includes ensuring that their black shoes are polished, that their jackets have all the buttons and that they wear garters with their socks to ensure their socks don’t fall down. Unfortunately, it is becoming harder to find sandshoes that are predominately white. However, they are available and it is a requirement for the boys to wear predominately white sandshoes when dressed in their sports uniform. I understand that in some sports such as basketball that this becomes even more difficult. The vast majority, if not all, shoes made specifically for basketball are any colour but white. Therefore, these boys would need to wear their white sandshoes to school and then change into their basketball shoes for training, just like they do during the winter season. Boys who come to school in sandshoes that are not predominately white will be considered as being out of uniform and will be issued with a reflection. To allow parents and boys time to ensure they have the correct shoes, I will give all boys a two week grace. From the commencement of Week 6 all boys without a valid reason will be issued with a reflection. Finally, could I remind parents to ensure that all items of uniform need to be named. I am most disappointed with the current amount of lost property, with the vast majority of it unnamed.

Prep Athletics Carnival

We were blessed on Monday with fine weather for this year’s Athletics Carnival. It was great to see the boys compete so well, striving to do their best and showing great sportsmanship. Thank you to all the parents who were able to attend and support the boys. Congratulations to our Prep Sportsmaster, Mr Lawrenson, for his superb organisation and to the Prep staff for their support in running a very successful carnival.

ICAS Competitions On Tuesday, all boys in Years 3-6, completed the English Competition. The Mathematics Competition will be held on Tuesday 16th August. These competitions are multiple choice tests and provide the staff and parents with additional information on how the boys are achieving.

North West Region Professional Development Afternoon and Dinner The King’s School Preparatory School belongs to a network of schools who join together once a year for an afternoon and evening of professional development and networking. This year’s session is due to take place on Wednesday 14th September 2016 at Abbotsleigh.

As all Prep staff will be involved, we will be unable to run any After School activities on this day. However, Camp Australia will run their normal After School programme for families unable to make alternative arrangements. This is a user-pays system and more information can be found by contacting Camp Australia. It is important that all families wishing to make use of the Camp Australia After School Care, book their child in to ensure there is enough staff to supervise. Boys needing to catch the late buses will need to attend Camp Australia.

DEPUTY HEAD


Cyber-Safety Seminars As you are aware, I have been focussing on Cyber Safety for a number of months by distributing flyers on some of the more popular apps and websites. To ensure the boys have a good understanding of this important topic, we have organised for a number of seminars for the boys in Years 3-6. These will be delivered by Senior Constable Rob Paterson, who is the Youth Liaison Officer for The Hills Local Area Command. Rob is an experienced educator in this field and will speak to Year 4 and Year 6 on Monday 29th August, and Year 3 and Year 6 on Monday 5th September. We have also organised for a Parent Seminar on “Cyber Safety for Primary aged children” for the evening of Monday 29th August. The evening will commence at 7:00 pm. More information on this evening will be sent to parents in the near future.

Greg Blackman Deputy Head of the Preparatory School

Upcoming Events Week 4 Monday, 8 August 2016 Compassion Week

Y3-6 House Meeting (12:20 pm)

Art Show Meeting (7:30 pm)

Tuesday, 9 August 2016 Year 1 Excursion to Strongbuild

Wednesday, 10 August 2016 Game On Rugby Programme - Years 1-2

Author Visit - Tim Harris (Years 3-5)

Thursday, 11 August 2016 Kindergarten Excursion to Equestrian Centre

Winter Sport Gala Day Training

Friday, 12 August 2016 IPSHA Debating

Music Soiree – Horrocks Hall (4:00 pm)

Saturday, 13 August 2016 Shore Invitational Athletics Carnival

Sunday, 14 August 2016

Week 5 Monday, 15 August 2016 P-6 Assembly - Presentation of Athletics Medals (11:50 pm)

Fathers' Association Committee Meeting (7:30 pm)

Tuesday, 16 August 2016 ICAS Mathematics Competition

Author Visit - Stephen Michael King (Pre-K to Y2)

Wednesday, 17 August 2016 Maths Olympiad

Game On Rugby Programme - Years 1-2

Thursday, 18 August 2016 No Sport Training today

Year 2 Learning Journey

Year 6 Exhibition - Horrocks Hall and Y6 Classrooms (6:00 pm)

Friday, 19 August 2016 Year 6 Exhibition - Y6 Classrooms (8:30-10:25 am)

Saturday, 20 August 2016 Barker Invitational Athletics Carnival

Horrocks Hall Set-up for Art Show

Sunday, 21 August 2016 NSW Band Competition - Joan Sutherland Theatre Penrith


This week our beautiful memorial Chapel has once again been a place of farewell to a precious one of our own. You may know of families in our community who are managing change and illness, grief and bereavement. One cannot connect with social media, television or radio without hearing bad news, devastating tragedies and causes for alarm. Much comfort can be found in our relationships with family and friends. Research indicates that we will not necessarily be comforted through the use of our own strengths, but rather with a focus on the strengths and virtues of those we have lost. We muster our resilience and strength through a focus on the legacy left from our loved ones’ courage and life journey. As relationships with our support networks are so vitally important, so too is our relationship with our Lord. In Christian Studies classes and in Chapel, we often refer to the famous poet David. David was gifted in many domains, not least in his linguistic and musical abilities. The poetry we read in the book of Psalms of The Old Testament is written by a man who could create beautiful imagery by way of words. The Psalms of David are amongst the finest poetry we can read. There is much hope and comfort to be gathered through the reading of the Bible, prayer and praise.

Psalm of David (New King James Version)

23 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2

He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3

He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell

in the house of the LORD

Forever

There are a number of other books of poetry in the Bible. Why not take some quiet time to enjoy and reflect upon them? Whilst this is often thought of as a very sad psalm, I encourage you to read it as a lifeline of comfort in troubling times. It is a tribute to the human condition that people do cope in times of desperate suffering and grief. For those with faith, the shade of the valley will be less harsh, with the promise and security of an eternal future.

Take Kare

beyondblue Support Service 1300224636 https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/who-can-assist Belinda Baxter

DIRECTOR OF STUDENTS


International Mindedness ‘The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognising their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.’ (p.4, Making the PYP Happen)

As a PYP school, we are focused on developing international mindedness in our boys. We want them to have an awareness of the human condition and an understanding that the human experience is shared across the world. International mindedness is:

– A frame of mind, a mindset – A curiosity about the world – Openness to ‘other’ – Appreciation of the complexity of our world – Engagement in and awareness of other cultures – Understanding of language and culture – Understanding of diverse perspectives, values and

traditions, leading to a sense of common humanity

Working within the framework of the PYP, we believe that we can help our boys to become internationally minded by equipping them with knowledge, skills and attitudes that help them see themselves in connection to the world. The IB learner profile is a set of ten learner attributes that embody international mindedness. We encourage the boys to reflect on their learning using the language of the learner profile, and we refer to the attributes daily in our teaching and learning. PYP Self-Study Every five years, PYP schools undertake an evaluation process. The aim of this evaluation is for the IB to ensure that the standards and practices of the programme are being maintained across all schools. We have just started our self-study, a twelve-month process where we examine our practices, gather evidence and develop a profile of the School. At the end of the self-study, in early August 2017, the PYP will send out an evaluation team to interview staff, students and parents. They will then prepare a report for the School, which will help us to create an action plan for the next five-year period. This is a great opportunity for us to revise, evaluate and celebrate our practice as a team. We will be asking for parent volunteers to assist us in gathering information in the next few months. Mrs Sonia Weston Director of Learning

DIRECTOR OF LEARNING


Book Week - Author Visits to The King’s School Preparatory ILC Dear Parents, August heralds the national celebration of children’s books and literature; Book Week!

To celebrate Book Week 2016, the ILC will be hosting a number of authors. The purpose of these visits is provide opportunity for the boys to meet a published author, who will explore their personal love of writing and reading with them. We are looking forward to welcoming Tim Harris Wednesday 10 August Year 3 – 6 Stephen Michael King Tuesday 16 August PK-2 Tony Flowers Wednesday 14 September Year 3 – 4 Letters are sent home prior to the author visit. Please be on the lookout for these as they will contain information about

opportunities to have books signed. Author visits provide a wonderful opportunity for the boys to step into the world of the author. Although a personally signed copy of a book is one to treasure, such visits alone frequently result in an increase in reading enthusiasm. Additionally, the Premier’s Reading continues. The parent pack, where you can find links to the PRC site, as well as password information, is located on the ILC iLearn page. Happy reading, Mrs Shelley McMorran


Write a Book in a Day 2016 On Wednesday 20th July, eighty King’s and Tara students made their way to the ILC to participate in ‘Write a Book in a Day’. We began our day at 8am and didn’t finish until 8pm! The teams met last term in a session led by Tim Harris, at Tara. This helped them to develop skills in brainstorming and team-writing. On the big day, the students immediately clicked into gear and began working towards their 12-hour deadline. Working around their own list of parameters and criteria, teams allocated various roles to each student, before commencing the planning stage. The different roles included chapter writers, illustrators and editors. Towards the end of the day, individual students became responsible for digital communication with the supervising teachers. One of the exciting changes made to this year’s experience was the use of team ‘Google docs’ which made collaboration between team members more effective.

Teachers were impressed by the high-level of organisation and engagement each group demonstrated. Story planning and drafting were well underway by the first break, which allowed for detailed reflection and editing later in the day. The editing process was challenging as always, but all the teams gave their best and met the deadline.

Sponsorship funds for this day go to The Kids' Cancer Project, which supports medical researchers around Australia in their search for a cure for childhood cancer. Thank you to those boys, parents, relatives and friends who have already sponsored a team. If you have not yet sponsored and would like to do so, this can be done via the Write a Book in a Day website www.writeabookinaday.com, under the ‘Sponsor a Team’ Tab. Please remember that our ten teams are registered under Tara/Kings. Teams must meet a minimum level of fundraising to be considered for judging in the competition.

The day was a great success with students working capably and efficiently for the duration of the event. This was a great collaborative effort between Tara and King’s. Finally, I would like to send a big thank you to Mr Ell, Mr Curtis (Tara), Mr Harris (Tara) and all the other teachers who assisted us on the day.

Ms Vanessa James

http://www.writeabookinaday.com/


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Church@Kings + Church@theChapel One for all. All for Jesus.

Anglicare Winter Appeal A big thank you to all those who have supported the Anglicare Winter Appeal by providing tinned food. The staff at Anglicare were delighted at the amount received and have assured that it will go to supporting those in our city who are most in need. This Sunday at Church@Kings + Church@theChapel, we will continue our focus on Anglicare, hearing more about their

work, praying for their ministry and hearing how we can support them in an ongoing way. All are welcome to join us in the CLL at 9:30am or in the Chapel at 6:30pm. The following Sunday, 14 August, Rev. Stephen Edwards will be speaking on one of the most famous verses in the Bible – John 3.16. We will hear about God’s love for us – something we all need in our troubled world.


Vocal Improvement & Effective Communication Skills The Vocal Improvement & Effective Communication Skills program on offer at Kings is designed to enhance the speech, language, vocal and presentation skills of participating students. Research has shown that it is important that students engage in this form of training to improve their verbal communication skills to further develop academic and social processes. Lessons are held in the Theatrette at the following times: Kindy: Friday afterschool 2.50-3.20pm Year 1: Friday lunchtime 1-1.40pm Year 2: Friday lunchtime 1-1.40pm Year 3: Friday after school 3.20-4pm Year 4: Friday after school 3.20-4pm Year 5: Friday lunchtime 1-1.40pm Year 6: Friday lunchtime 1-1.40pm To obtain a copy of the enrolment form and/or if you have any queries please email Angela Tesoriero on [email protected]

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Join us at Cherrybrook Athletics Club in August!

For children and adults who enjoy family fun and fitness, Cherrybrook Athletics Club welcomes you!

Cherrybrook’s streamlined Little Athletics program runs on Friday nights from 5.45 pm to around 8.00 pm. The club

provides children with the opportunity to develop confidence, skills and friendships in a fun, family environment.

The program, involving 5 or 6 events of running, jumping and throwing, is held at Greenway Park No. 2 Oval from

16 September to mid-March. Training is available Mondays and Wednesdays at the oval (for a fee) under the

guidance of the professional coaching team.

The club is not only a second family to its 500 members, but highly competitive. In 2016 the club achieved 22 medals at

the NSW Little Athletics State Championships, to be ranked among the top clubs in NSW!

Little Athletes can trial for 2 weeks on dates and at a cost to be advised. Try it out! Watch the website for details.

For more information on the club and registrations see www.cherrybrookathletics.org.au. Register online from

1 August 2016 and come to our registrations days on Wednesday 10 August or Sunday 21 August, or later dates to be advised, to collect your registration numbers. There is a discount for online registrations. Fees start from $145.

Senior athletes compete on weekends, and must register online. See the website for details.

For Saturday Little Athletics in your area contact Hornsby, Ku-ring-gai, North Rocks, Northern Districts or Ryde Little Athletics Centre.

http://www.cherrybrookathletics.org.au/

the king’s school preparatory school nneewwsssllleeettttteerrr … · prep newsletter issue 12 -...

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