SGS St Ives Prep School Newsletter Vol 25, Number 6


Year 6 Debating Trials are being held on Monday 4 March, 11 March and 25 March 2019.

Summer Sports photos were postponed today and will be held next Friday 8 March. All boys to bring their sports uniform to School on Friday for the photos.

P-2 Cross Country Carnival on next Friday 8 March from 9.10am. See the Sports section of the newsletter for more details.

Mrs Lee is running a Reading Information Session that all parents can attend on Monday 4 March. For more details see the Library section.


PA Welcome Drinks

The Annual PA Welcome Drinks was a great success last Saturday evening. I thank all the volunteers that assisted to make it such a wonderful evening. Please enjoy a small selection of photos from the event.

We are now firmly into the rhythm of this term and I hope that your son has settled in to a steady routine of work, play and rest that will make his experience at school happy and productive.

All children (and adults) feel more secure and comfortable when routines are established, and expectations are clear. All our lives are becoming increasingly hectic and less predictable and there is wisdom in creating some structure around our lives that grounds us and reinforces positive patterns. Children and adults feel most secure when their lives are predictable. In what some researchers have described as an ‘epidemic of anxiety’, the predictability and familiarity that comes with routines offer the ‘safe place’ that our children need.

Afternoon and evening routines for our children are crucial in developing their organisational skills, maintaining expectations and promoting a calm and measured outlook. Reading is always an essential part of the boys’ nightly habits. Reading with them should also figure prominently during the course of the evening and this modelling sends a strong message of the value we place upon reading in our lives.

The expectation of homework should be developmentally appropriate and I encourage all parents to take an active interest in their son’s work and place an emphasis on the quality of what they are producing. Music practice also is an important element in nightly routines. I understand that some children may be somewhat reluctant to practise their instrument but it is through consistent repetition that the boys see growth and build confidence.

The quality and quantity of sleep can determine how productively we live our lives. Establishing consistent nightly bed time routines will prepare them for a sound sleep where they recharge their batteries for the day ahead. Removing technology and other distractions encourages healthy sleep patterns.

Children need enough sleep to let their bodies grow and develop. According to the Sleep Foundation guidelines, Preschoolers need 10 to 13 hours per night and for primary aged children 9 to 11 hours per night are recommended. Poor sleep patterns can lead to behaviour problems, obesity, academic issues and emotional instability.   Lastly, I ask you to reflect upon the past few weeks of your son’s life. Has he had any ‘down time’? Is there any opportunity in his week to relax, play with toys, listen to music or play outside?  We all need balance in our lives and children are no exception. Their physical and social/emotional wellbeing depend on the structure and consistency in their busy lives that supports them and allows them to blossom.

Mr I Stephens

 


Update on our Comprehension Committee

Our intrepid team of comprehension enthusiasts met this week to continue our research and debate into comprehension strategies.

Our meeting began with each member talking through his or her research techniques and findings. I think it would be fair to say that most people reported at least some confusion at the sheer amount of information available from collegial testimonials, online tools, reports, books and articles.

We all came through this research period with two clear realisations: 

- that we need a set of terms, languages and resources so all staff/programmes are on common ground and the boys get the benefit of a whole school shared approach.

- that the pedagogical way forward is a combination of explicit teaching of the strategies (that we choose for SGS) as well as a more holistic approach at times where we utilise multiple strategies every time we explore text with boys.

One area we talked a lot about is Inferencing. I will write more about Inferencing in a future newsletter piece. In short, Inferencing is a ‘hot’ topic for debate in many schools at the moment, as some schemes have it as a standalone strategy while others have it as an overarching field affecting all strategies.

It is early days still for our committee but I think we are leaning towards making Inferencing its own strategy rather than overarching all. The committee agrees that Vocabulary should be overarching all our strategies. Our vocabulary extension and enrichment programmes (working with lexicon, tiered level differentiation and building depth) overarch and interplay with all the comprehension strategies.

At our next meeting we will be back mapping skills that we teach from Preschool right through to Year 6 and categorising them into some subheadings of comprehension strategies. We hope to be able to communicate with parents either late this term or early next term as to our ‘Grammar’s Reading Toolkit’ of strategies for comprehension.

Quote for Week 6

From one of the most famous book series for children of all time:

“It is our choices that show us what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” 

- spoken by Albus Dumbledore

Author - JK Rowling

 

Words of the Week - Week 6

Year 1 journey

Year 2 grateful

Year 3 delicious

Year 4 anxious

Year 5 innovation

Year 6 tyrant

Mrs C Greenup

 


In the last few weeks of Science, the investigations about the properties of different materials in Year 2 included a toy take apart activity. Boys brought in broken toys from home and took them apart using tools, to examine the materials that were used to make them. There were many surprises inside! We discovered a lot of plastic. Boys made connections to plastic being a modern and inexpensive material. Boys noticed that toys from the past were usually made of wood. The materials were categorised and labelled on large posters. The posters will be displayed with photos of the process in Year 2 classrooms.

This week they learned about the importance of specific instructions in sequencing actions to complete a task for example, a robot taught to make a Vegemite sandwich. With this understanding we will move into coding robots over the semester.

What in the World?

 Last week’s answer (glitter!)

Mrs M Scott

 


Combined Orchestra Tour to Singapore

A reminder that our first rehearsal will be 2:00-5:00pm on Saturday 30 March at Edgecliff Prep.

Music Lessons

If a school excursion falls on your son’s music lesson day and scheduling a lesson is not possible, his name will appear on the timetable for that week with ‘Excursion’ beside it. 

Piano Lessons

A reminder that to have piano lessons at School, either an acoustic piano or a keyboard that meets the specifications listed on our website, must be available at home for your son to practise between lessons. 

Amati and Sartory Strings and Kenyon Concert Band

Thursday rehearsals are on as usual next week. The excursions are during school hours only. 

Diary Dates

Cushion Concert at 6:30pm Monday 11 March (Week 7) in the Hall

End Term 1 Concert at 6:30pm Thursday 28 March (Week 9) in the Hall

Music timetable

Music Timetable for Term 1 Week 6

Click here for the Week 6 Music Timetable. Parents please note this is subject to change.

Mr M Smith OAM


CIS Representative

Congratulations to Jonty Snyman and Kai Sloane who represented IPSHA at the CIS Tennis Trials. Both boys played extremely well throughout the tournament to represent Sydney Grammar with pride. After the group stage, Kai was successful in winning his final knockout match to gain selection in the CIS Team. Well done!

Swimming

On Tuesday next week, 19 boys across Years 3-6 will represent our School at the IPSHA Swimming carnival. I wish all of these boys the best of luck and I look forward to reporting back on their achievements.

Saturday Sport

Summer Sport fixtures continue this weekend with Round 2 matches. An up-to-date Fixture List is on the Sports Fixtures website and can be viewed by clicking here. Teams Sheets are accessed using the website and can be viewed using the password Sport2019.

A printable version of the Fixtures can be found by clicking here. Please note the printable version will not automatically update if there are changes during the season. Any changes will be notified by the Sports Fixtures website.

 

Team Sheets

Please access team sheets posted on the Sports Fixtures website on Thursday, by clicking here. Team Sheets provide you with the most up-to-date information regarding your son’s fixture and detail your son’s game location, arrival and match time, team members and non-playing reserves. 

Boys in the ‘A’ teams are to arrive 30 minutes prior to the start time, all other boys are to arrive 20 minutes prior to the start time to ensure a good warm up, and games start on time.

 

Barefoot Bandits

In preparation for the School Cross Country Carnival in Week 7, training sessions will be held at School.

Training began this morning with an excellent turnout of boys. All boys in Years 2-6 are welcome to attend our session on Friday next week 8 March from 7.30-8.00am. Please meet on Cowper Field.

In preparation for the IPSHA Cross Country Carnival on 6 April, Friday morning sessions will continue as School Team Training on Friday 22 March, 29 March and April 5, 7.30-8.00am. Boys included in these sessions will be notified.

 

Year 3-6 Cross Country Carnival

The Year 3-6 Cross Country carnival will be held in Week 7 on Friday 15 March. All details for the Carnival can be found by clicking here.

From this Carnival, the first 5 runners from each age group will be selected to attend the IPSHA Cross Country Carnival to be held at the Kings School on Saturday 6 April. 

Our School Carnival is a great occasion for the boys; it is a challenge for all and there are House Competitions throughout the event in which your son will be involved. I hope you are able to join us on the day.

 

P-2 Swimming Programme

Preschool, Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 boys will be participating in a swimming programme during PE on Mondays and Thursdays of Week 6, 7, 8 and 9.

Swimming will begin on Monday 4 March (Week 6) and conclude on Thursday 28 March (Week 9).

The School Pool is heated and under a shade cover so no rash vests are required. Each Monday and Thursday boys need to bring goggles, a towel, underwear and a plastic bag for wet towels and swimmers to go in. 

We ask that parents please ensure that all swimming items and clothing are clearly labelled with boys’ names. Thank you.

 

P-2 Cross Country Carnival

On Friday 8 March, all P-2 boys will be participating in their Year groups' Cross Country race. Each race is at a distance suited to their age and is a great way for boys to show House spirit and support for their peers. Parents are welcome and encouraged to come and cheer their sons from the hill outside the Hall. 

 Programme of Events 

  • Welcome 9:10am
  • Preschool race 9:20am
  • Year 1 Tug-o-War 9:20am
  • Kindergarten race 9:30am
  • Year 2 Tug-o-War 9:35am
  • Year 1 race 9:40am
  • Preschool & Kindergarten Tug-o-War 9:50am
  • Year 2 race 9.50am
  • Conclusion 10:10am

Boys are to remain at school for the remainder of the day and can be collected at the usual time after assembly. Presentations will be made at Assembly on Friday 15 March  at 2.00pm for boys in K-2.

We hope to see you all there to support your son.

Mr C Cook

 


On Wednesday, Mr Stephens talked about his interest in historical fiction, and showed some of his favourite books. Next week, in Lunchtime in the Library, the topic will be Maths, with Mr Palethorpe and Mrs Strothers presenting.

All members of the School community are reminded of the Reading Information session to be held next Monday, 4 March. Beginning in the Library and now moving to the P-2 Music Room, the focus of the afternoon will be the importance of reading in children’s lives and the essential role parents play in this. 

Reading Information Session

Each Friday morning, a dedicated group of parents comes to the Library to cover new books. I am so appreciative of this support, as it means beautiful new books are more quickly added to our collection, and able to be borrowed. 

Happy reading!

Mrs R Lee

 


Grazie mille to James Bates, Scott Hu, Henry Gorton and Ewan Mellows, all from Year 5. They have enriched our lessons with presentations and fabulous souvenirs of holidays in Italy. Boys in Years 3 and 4 were filmed this week using Italian in an improvised situation with pleasing accents and fluency. They were entertaining and impressive. Year 5 enjoyed a speaking activity ‘Steal the Cards’ and demonstrated their writing and speaking skills as they compiled a short profilo personale then presented this description orally to a classmate or the whole class from memory – a perfect introduction to a host exchange family, a penfriend or job application, as one of the boys suggested. Bravissimi! Carnevale has begun in Italy and here is a small introduction to this spectacular celebration in Venezia with the ‘flight of the angel’ over Piazza San Marco. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgKoICX7q9E&t=13s 


Thank you for completing the expressions of interest online form in Term 4, 2018. As a result, we have engaged coaches for the Debating Club for all registered Year 5 and 6 boys. The Debating Club will be held on Monday mornings from 7:30-8:25am during Terms 2, 3 and 4. 

Year 6

Starting next week, on Monday 4 March, we will hold trials for Year 6 boys who are interested in being part of the IPSHA (Independent Primary School Heads Association) team. Year 6 boys who are interested in debating and did not sign up last year or only completed one term are encouraged to attend. Please arrive promptly for a 7.30am start. These trials will run over three Monday mornings during Week 6, Week 7 and Week 9 from 7:30-8:30am in the Art Studio and break out areas. 

Year 6 boys who do not make the IPSHA team will commence Debating Club on Monday 29 April, 2019 (Week 1, Term 2) and continue into Term 3.

Year 5

In Term 2, the Debating Club will commence for Year 5 boys, where the focus will be on skill building and the basics of debating. The Introduction to Debating course will begin on Monday 29 April, 2019 (Week 1, Term 2) and continue into Term 3.

Mrs G Chapman, Mrs P Evans, Mrs R Lee and Mrs J Matheson

 


The application forms for the 2019 Inter-School Chess Competition are due to Mr Palethorpe or the Office by Friday 8 March. Matches are held on Friday afternoons during Term 2 and the beginning of Term 3. Click here to download a form.