21 March 2023

It was a wonderful opportunity to honour and celebrate all our grandparents who were able to attend the recent Grandparents Day events. The morning presentations were well attended with grandparents being able to experience the learning happening in our classrooms alongside their grandchildren. 

Come and reminisce the stories of Dr Seuss through this dazzling extravaganza of theatrically crafted performances by our students. I would like to invite all of our families to come and experience the amazing talent of our Secondary students as they perform in the Secondary musical production, Seussical, next week. Details of dates and time are available here for ticket purchases. Tickets are still available for most nights, though they are filling up quickly. 

In the last edition of the RJ Review we launched our Strategic Plan 2023-2025: Growing Learners. Connecting Hearts. Building Community. Each family should now have their own hard copy booklet which was sent home through the youngest in the family. The School Executive and myself will start to share elements of the plan we are focussing on this year as we start into Term 2. Watch out for opportunities to engage in hearing about our new learning initiatives here at the School.

With NAPLAN pretty much behind us now, I would like to thank Mrs Scrimshaw, Mrs Taylor, Mrs Shannon-Duhigg, Mr Sale, Mr Maxwell and their respective teams for their organisation and running of the latest NAPLAN testing regime. 

While the NAPLAN standardised tests only provide a snapshot of student ability on a given day, our school staff will use the data as part of our own analytical processes. These include our ability to ascertain where students may currently sit with respect to national standard, track our students’ progress around their learning and to inform decision-making around strategies that could be used by teachers to assist students develop greater capabilities in their learning. The NAPLAN data is also used in conjunction with other data collected by our staff teams throughout the year to make informed decisions on a range of initiatives.

It's been a quick run to the end of this first term, but we still have some magnificent activities and events for our students to enjoy alongside their learning adventures. So look out for the Bandaged Bear Day and Secondary Musical – Seussical next week, and then Jump Rope for Heart, Public Speaking Finals and our end of term Easter assemblies and Hat Parades. 

God Bless

Mr Alan Dawson | Principal 

The theme was entitled “The Five W’s of Leadership” and reflected on “The Why?”, “The Who?”, “The What?”, “The Where?”, and “The When?” of leadership. It was a wonderful opportunity to sew into the next generation of leaders from RJ and hear from them on the types of things they wanted to learn about. 

The day kicked off with a bang with the students hearing from Mr Dawson about the “The Why?” of leadership. Students engaged in a vibrant game involving chickens, T-Rex and Elvis and had the opportunity to reflect on leadership. Students enjoyed the game, the opportunity to reflect and how it set them up for the day to think about leadership. A sample of their thoughts can be seen here  

Students then had training on public speaking and planning an event, a very practical session where students shared that they had a lot of things to put into practice. One of my favourite things to come out of the day has been students reflecting on their own public speaking as they have continued to serve the RJ community by making announcements in Chapel and Secondary Assembly. I have had the privilege of having conversations with students as they’ve sought feedback on how they are improving in their public speaking and where they can look for opportunities to continue to improve in the future. 

In addition, there was fantastic team building and relationship building exercises run by the student leaders, who did a remarkable job as always. The student leaders also had the opportunity to share outstanding questions that arose as part of their leadership role or about RJ in general and the final session of the day saw the leadership teams and portfolios meeting together to plan for the remainder of 2023. 

These young people are an absolute credit to our community and are part of the reason for such a wonderful day had together. I look forward to working with them for the remainder of the year. 

Bullying. No Way! Day and Kindness and Compassion Day 

On Friday our school community celebrated Bullying. No Way! Day. A fantastic day to promote positive behaviours and supporting students to stand up to bullying and behaviours that are unacceptable in our community. The Secondary Student Forum organised a bake sale and some lunchtime activities, which were appreciated by all. One unnamed staff member was even able to demonstrate their questionable skill of being able to sniff out Betty Crocker icing on cupcakes. The student presentations at Assembly were an encouraging reminder of what combating bullying in schools means to our students as well as sharing a video presentation that encouraged people to stand up and speak out. 

Not to be outdone, our wonderful Primary communities celebrated Kindness and Compassion Day after working towards it all week with activities and learning opportunities. This culminated in a wonderful dress up day on Friday (Oakhurst campus) where students from each grade wore a specific colour. It was fantastic to see the kaleidoscope of colours at morning lines and the very special tie dye that some of our staff wore. It is wonderful to see our staff working hard to establish positive values in our Primary students and encouraging them to reflect on how to be kind and compassionate. 

NAPLAN 

A huge thank you also must be said to all our section leaders, Mrs Scrimshaw and all our supporting staff for making NAPLAN a reality this year. With NAPLAN having been moved forward, it put extra pressure on our staff in a busy time of year with a number of other commitments going on at present. Thank you also to our families that work with our students to just do their best and remind them that they are more than a performance in a standardised test. Congratulations to our students also who conducted themselves very well, with a large number of students involved across multiple year groups. As our catch-up examinations conclude, it is great to know we can get out of “performance mode” and get back to “learning mode” and learning about learning as a community. 

Secondary Ribbon Run 

Secondary families should receive information this week about Ribbon Run, a wonderful opportunity to raise funds for charity. Our student leadership team have been working hard at this event to consider how best to raise money and have chosen three excellent causes: National Breast Cancer Foundation, Safe Haven Community and Humanity First: Türkiye and Syria Earthquake Appeal. The event has been moved to Term 2 Week 2 on Friday (5/5/23) to ease the pressure for students and staff with the busyness of the end of Term 1. Please keep an eye on your inbox to support your student in their fundraising efforts. There is some wonderful incentives coming for those who got actively involved. 

Mr Scott Roby
Deputy Principal  

GRANDPARENTS DAY

We held our first in-person Grandparents Day since Covid restrictions ceased Friday week ago and it was a great success. Over 500 Grandparents attended, enjoying a concert in the Hall by all Primary grades followed by morning tea then a visit to the classrooms. This was a massive day and involved many staff to make it happen. A huge thank you for everyone’s help before, during and after the day.

LEARNING SUPPORT AT OAKHURST PRIMARY

Mrs Sarah Pinney, our Learning Support Leader has put together a helpful outline of this important aspect at Oakhurst Primary.

We are truly blessed with a dedicated team in Learning Support here at Oakhurst Campus. This team consists of Mrs Ann Millis and Mr Joshua Robertson who started just this year and Mrs Michelle Arundel and Mrs Vanessa Smith who have been with us for several years. 

Our role is to assist students with disabilities, and those who may have learning difficulties. We work collaboratively with teachers, parents and external specialist to support students with their learning and to provide the most appropriate learning experiences and environment. In supporting a student to achieve their best potential we also may work collaboratively with the Wellbeing team. The result of this collaboration is often the writing of Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) and Positive Behaviour Support Plans (PBS).

Whilst we assist teachers in accommodating individual student needs, Learning Support does not usually provide one-to-one support for students. Learning Support staff are timetabled into different classes to support students in various subjects, such as English-Initialit, Mathematics, Reading, and Writing. Some small withdrawal groups occur for subjects such as Spelling and for reading intervention programs such as MiniLit and MacqLit.

As part of understanding our students better we conduct testing in areas of Reading and Mathematics. We also support teachers in adjusting assessments for students. We are involved in classroom observations and provide feedback to teachers on how to best support students. 

We are involved in creating visuals, social stories and other resources to help support student engagement and participation in learning both within and without the classroom. A new program we will look at implementing this year is our Fun Zone program for students who may be finding the playground difficult to navigate for a variety of reasons. This will provide students the opportunity of a quiet lunch time spent with friends. 

As we provide adjustments for students with disabilities, we are also collating data for the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) for students with Disability as we provide adjustments for individual students. 

We truly are excited to see the growth of individual students in their learning journey as we support them in the process.  

Mrs Sarah Pinney
Primary Learning Support Leader

KINDNESS AND COMPASSION DAY

Last Friday was Kindness and Compassion Day with funds raised going towards the sponsorship of our 4 Compassion children in Indonesia. Thank you to our Student Forum for promoting this day. The students looked amazing in their various grades’ rainbow-coloured mufti. Teachers organised activities to promote kindness and inclusion such as card writing and chalk pavement art. The playground has never looked so good! As we strive to be more like Jesus, we work daily with students to ensure respectful and kind relationships are established across our School.

NAPLAN

Our Year 3 and 5 students commenced NAPLAN last week and will continue until Wednesday with catch-up days for students who have been absent on Thursday and Friday. We encourage parents to not add undue stress to students sitting these assessments. Keep a solid routine happening at home - make sure your child gets to bed early, has a good breakfast, gets to School on time and stays relaxed and positive.

HOUSE MEETINGS

In preparation for our upcoming Cross Country days next term and the Eagles House Assembly, House meetings will occur this Friday 24 March. Students are to wear their House shirts with sports uniform shorts.

AFTERNOON GRASS PICK-UP AND JERSEY ROAD

We commenced the Grass pick up option during Covid so parents could easily socially distance. With this need no longer current, this pick-up point has moved to the rear Courtyard area near the Year 2 staircase. Unfortunately, a number of parents have been seen crossing Jersey Rd in a dangerous manner after picking up their children. Please set a good example and walk down to the crossing lights. This pick-up point will have to cease if unsafe practices continue.

PUBLIC SPEAKING FINALS

Students in Years 3-6 have participated in public speaking rounds within classes this term and on Wednesday 5 April at 6:30pm in the Hall we will hold the Finals. Parents are welcome to attend this exciting event and students will be informed shortly if they have made the finals this year.

DOES YOUR CHILD HAVE LUNCH?

We seem to have an increasing number of students coming to School with no lunch. This does put pressure on the Canteen to make up basic sandwiches so these students have something to eat. Please check each morning that your child has their lunch or that an order has been placed for that day.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• April 4: Easter Hat Parade for Years K-2. 11am start followed by a picnic lunch. Parents invited.
• April 5: Jump Off Day to culminate our term of skipping and raising funds for the Heart Foundation. Held throughout the day. Not a parent event  – students only.
• April 6: Easter Assembly with Rev Ramsey. Parents of Ricky J singers only may attend. Last day of Term 1 with normal finish time.
• Wednesday 26 April:  Start of Term 2

Enjoy the rest of your week,

Mrs Karen Shannon-Duhigg
Head of Primary - Oakhurst

At RJ we value the interest and enthusiasm of family to be part of what happens at our School. As I said on the day Grandchildren are the crowning glory of Grandparents, they are a tangible sign of your success in raising your own children well. The event took part in three sections. 

Firstly, we put on a show where Kindergarten performed two songs that had been learnt with the accompaniment of Ms. Emma Dunn.  

Secondly, as well as the concert, a lovely morning tea was provided by the School. We had the assistance of Year 11 Food Technology students who served us all admirably.  The scones were a particular hit with everyone.  

Lastly, Grandparents were able to visit student classrooms and spend time with their Grandchildren looking through their work and for the morning working along side their Grandparents. Afterwards I am sure many Grandparents took the opportunity to take home their Grandchildren and spend some extra quality time with them.  

NAPLAN testing continues to push ahead with the conventions of Language and Numeracy tests this coming week. We wish all students in Year's 3 and 5 the best and we can already tell that they have absolutely tried their hardest in the all the tests so far. My thanks goes to the many hardworking teachers and the Learning Support team in being able to make the tests run as smoothly as they possibly can.  

Bandaged Bear Day – 28 March  

On Tuesday 28 March we focus on the work of the “The Children’s Hospital at Westmead” and through our Bandaged Bear Day raise funds for their amazing work. All Students are asked to bring a $2 coin donation (or more if you would like to donate). Students wear School Uniform. They are encouraged to bandage a limb and bring along a bear (also with a bandage). 

The Activities Include: 

• Bear Mini-Movie  
• Bear Disco 
• Bear Trivia Competition 
• Gummy Bear Dancing 
• Bear Colouring Competition 
• Bear in a Basket (basketball) 
• Tiny Teddy Guessing Competition 
• Gummy Bear Guessing Competition 
• Pin the Bow on the Bear 
• Various ‘Minute to Win It’ Bear activities 

Kindness and Compassion Day (Combined with Harmony Day) 

On Friday 17 March we held a mufti day where we raised money for our compassion sponsor children. Children participated in activities including the Year 6 leaders spending some time handing out Kindness stickers at lunch. Another event included the Harmony Hand wall that each class was able to see and take a photo of. Students had a wonderful day taking part in all the events, and we raised a significant amount of money for compassion as well. Great job Marsden Park.  

Term 1 Events

Please see an overview of Term 1 events below. Dates will be confirmed in the note to families across the course of the Term.

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Housekeeping   

• Absences: Please email the absences email address:  absences@rjas.nsw.edu.au or SMS 0438 657 339  
• After school care arrangements: If you have arranged after school care, please remind your child before dropping them to school. Please call the office to ensure the message is not missed in an emergency.  
• Please remember that the carpark is now rear to curb only. Please drive safely due to the high volumes of children walking through the area.  
• Snack Day items. Please be mindful that we limit the amount of items that students are allowed to purchase for snack day. The rule is one item and one drink for all students.  
• Early Leavers. Please also remember that if students are leaving early then a call should be made to the office no later than 10am that day.  

Mr Luke Sale
Head of Primary - Marsden Park

Last Friday our Student Forum hosted activities for Bullying No Way Day, which included a Bake Sale, Just Dance, Volley Ball and Table Tennis. The captains also addressed assembly with a lasting quote that is a simple but strong summary of their main goal for the day - "It is better to be a friend than a bully", and there were also "hands" around the school -  raising awareness and encouraging students to make a positive contribution to the community. Thank you to the Student Forum and Mrs Cocks for all their effort in making the day a great success.

It was a privilege to join students in Stage 6 and a number of Secondary staff as we hosted the first Master Class and Pizza night last Wednesday. It was pleasing to see a number of students take the time to undertake individual study, while others worked in small groups focusing on specific subject areas. Other students took advantage of being able to access staff seeking their assistance in relation to a specific challenge. Again, thank you to the students and staff that made event a great success. I do look forward to seeing more students take advantage of the Master Classes on Wednesdays as well as hosting another Master Class and Dinner event next term.

Opportunities for students

Art and Poetry Competition - hosted by the Christian Ministry Team - focus on Forgiveness. Submissions are due this Friday.

Tech Team from Term Two - students who are interested in joining the tech team need to complete an application form and return it to Mr Manaloto or Student Reception by the end of Week 10.  

The Remaining Three Weeks of Term One

Musical - looming large in the School Calendar. Ensure that you have purchased your tickets for at least one of the three night performances in Week 10.

House meetings will take place on Friday 31 March, Week 10.

The Easter Assembly will take place on the last day of the term, Thursday 6 April, Week 11.

Students will need to leave their lockers emptied and locked at the end of term. Time will be set aside on the last day of the term for a 'clean out' to take place.

Final Thoughts

Students were reminded during the last Secondary assembly to ensure that they all strive to meet some basic expectation of them to ensure that they make the most of their learning and opportunities within the RJ Community. Being on time, having the correct equipment for lessons, wearing the correct uniform and demonstrating respect to each other. Sadly, a number of students have struggled in these areas which has impacted not only their own opportunities to learn  but the opportunities of those around them. Students were reminded of the need for them to also be checking their emails and Edumate on a daily basis to ensure that they access all communication relevant to them in a timely manner.

Mr Brad Maxwell
Head of Secondary

Year 11 Biology students recently had the opportunity to participate in a field trip to Bantry Bay in North Sydney. This excursion allowed students to apply their knowledge of ecosystems and environmental science in a real-world context. During the field trip, students learned about the biodiversity of the Bantry Bay ecosystem and the impact of human activities on this delicate ecosystem. They conducted field studies to collect data on flora and fauna in the area and analysed the data using statistical methods. This experience provided students with a hands-on learning opportunity that allowed them to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Year 12 Biology students engaged in an investigation of biotechnologies in the lab. This investigation is designed to give students a deeper understanding of the role of biotechnology in modern biology and the potential applications of biotechnologies in fields such as medicine, agriculture, and environmental science. As part of this investigation, students have conducted experiments using gel electrophoresis to separate and analyse DNA fragments. They have also been exploring the process of inserting genes into bacteria plasmids and observing the effects of these genes on bacterial growth and function. Through these investigations, students gain practical experience with the latest biotechnologies used in modern biological research. 

Year 11 Chemistry students visited ANSTO and the nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights. They viewed demonstrations of the radioactivity of common household substances and were able to interactively explore the properties of various types of ionising radiation. Students were guided on a tour of ANSTO’s world-class nuclear facilities and studied examples of the application of significant radioisotopes in medicine and industrial contexts. Through this practical learning experience, students gained valuable insights to support their completion of a Depth Study, in which they explored using a specific radioisotope of their interest within a particular societal context.

Several students in Years 10-12 participated in the Women in STEM conference in partnership with the Maritime Museum. The conference provided an opportunity for students to learn about the wide range of STEM careers available to them and to gain insight into the behind-the-scenes work at the museum. The conference featured presentations from women leaders in their respective STEM fields, including marine biology, palaeontology, and AI. Students could ask questions and learn about the challenges and opportunities of different STEM careers.

Both these venues are currently displaying the 2022 Artexpress artworks which include approximately 150 artworks. The students were able to view the high level of technical development these students had applied to their Bodies of Work. Most artworks have different concepts that the students investigate through a visual form. Ranging from the natural disasters that occurred to homelessness, growing up and pollution and climate change. There are artworks based on many different mediums such as painting, drawing, ceramics, digital medias (including digital drawings), video and printmaking. For Year 12, it was an opportunity for them to see the completed Bodies of Work in full presentation and the standards that are able to be attained through diligent application. For Year 11, it was able to show the broad range of artmaking styles, ideas and mediums that they could start considering for their Bodies of Work which begin in Term 4. It was a great day, besides the rain, and well worth the effort to go to both venues.

Mr Christopher Bemrose
Secondary Teacher

The day started off with a small introduction, where Mr Dawson took us through the ‘5 why’s of leadership’ and a very interesting game. It was followed by Mr Roby discussing the management of public speaking, giving some very valuable advice and a group session where leaders were able to get together and plan towards the serving and betterment of our school community.

Luckily, Subway was served as lunch! This was a time when everyone got together and discussed highlights of the day, but more importantly chose to speak up as leaders and get to know everyone. It was nice to see that it didn’t take much effort to make a person’s day better and play team games, regardless of how well we all knew each other. Some highlights for myself, were of course the lunch, but also a game called the ‘bun shuffle’ that was hosted by the school leaders. Overall, the day was a wonderful and memorable day, where I have been able to take the advice given to me and use it in my role as a Student Forum leader. Thank you to all the students and teachers that helped this day to be what it was.

Nazahah Hussain
Year 11  Student Forum

Students have investigated how artists use this to create art, and extended this knowledge to develop skills in analysing and writing about art while developing their own technical practice as artists.

As part of students preparation for their upcoming drawing task students were asked to  compose a tonal drawing of a cupcake through a still life sitting. Students each received their own cupcake and asked to alter it, to give it an authentic individual aesthetic then draw it using lead pencil, with an emphasis on line, shape, texture and tone. The results were breathtaking and reflected some burgeoning, prestigious artistic talent that we look forward to seeing develop further at Richard Johnson.

Mrs Sarah Key
Secondary Teacher

Students have explored traditional First Nation Farming techniques to current sustainable practices. Extending and building on this knowledge students have also explored the importance of following the recommended daily food intake, guided by the Healthy Food Pyramid to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. Students were asked to create a Healthy Burger aimed at the youth/teenage market encompassing most areas of the Healthy Food Pyramid.

The results of students creative cooking were outstanding, mouth-watering and reflected the knowledge that students had gained in class. Student’s demonstrated strong technical skills in the kitchen right through to Food presentation.

SUSTAINABLY BRILLIANT

This Term Year 7.1 Food Technology students have explored the issue of Food Sustainability within Australia and the world, in maintaining a constant food and water supply that meets the needs of a burgeoning population while taking in consideration changing environmental and access issues which can impact food supply. Student’s investigated various methods, and modes of applications that people can employ to make a positive contribution individually, collectively and nationally to ensure sustainability and reduce burdens on the food supply network. This culminated in students been asked to create a self-watering system that could be used to grow various food plants in a multitude of living environments, be it in houses or apartments , while also making it easily accessible across cultures, socio-economic needs and challenges. In this instance student were asked to  grow herbs in their self-watering systems that could later be used in various meals such as a pizza. The results were multi-layered mouth wateringly brilliant pizza’s, with handmade pizza dough.

Mrs Sarah Key
Secondary Teacher

Jump Rope for Heart

Since the last RJ Review, our students have continued their fundraising efforts and have raised an additional $1000 for the Heart Foundation. Our students have already raised over $4800 which is fantastic and will greatly benefit the Heart Foundation. If you haven’t already commenced fundraising, you can still sign up and donate for a worthy cause. Please click on the link or access the QR code to sign your child up.

The program is coming to a close soon and will culminate with our Jump Off Days which will be held on Monday 3rd April for Marsden Park and Wednesday 5th April for the Oakhurst Campus. Unfortunately due to spacing requirements, these are student only events.

https://www.jumprope.org.au/fundraisers/richardjohnsonanglicanschool 

WSCS trials

WSCS teams will be announced prior to the end of the term so that parents have adequate time to buy shin pads if needed for the boys football teams. If you have your WWCC and you are willing to give up an hour of your time on Wednesday’s between 12pm and 1pm, please contact Mr Mitchell. We would love some assistance with either refereeing or umpiring boys football or girls netball.

Mr Gavin Mitchell
Primary Sports Leader