4 April 2023

Your hard work, dedication and talent brought to life the magical world of Dr. Seuss in a truly spectacular way. Your creativity and enthusiasm have inspired and entertained us all. Thank you for your outstanding contribution to the school community and for making the musical such a huge success.

Speaking of creativity and artistic talent, one of our senior art teachers, Mrs Sarah Keys, recently entered a painting in the Archibald Prize. For those unsure of the significance of this, the Archibald Prize is an Australian portraiture art prize for painting, generally seen as the most prestigious portrait prize in Australia.  Mrs Keys' work is called "Behind the Scenes" (Richard Wilkins AM). It depicts who Richard is “Behind  the Scenes”, what he has accomplished, his many charitable works, his humanitarian work and his contribution to the Entertainment Industry. We wish Mrs Keys all the best with her entry. Click on this link to see her painting.

Next term will commence on Wednesday, April 26 and kicks off with a range of exciting events. On Day 1, our Year 8 students will head off on their Canberra camp, while our Year 9 students will embark on their Somerset camp, and our Year 10 students will participate in the Urban Challenge. I’m sure it will be a fantastic time and look forward to hearing about their experiences when they return.

In addition to the camps, we have many other exciting events taking place in Term 2, including the Secondary Ribbon Run, Primary Sports Gala Days, Year 11 Subject selections, National Simultaneous Storytime, and much more. Furthermore, we will be hosting a Building Learning Power presentation for our parents. This presentation will provide you with valuable insights into the skills and attitudes needed for successful learning and the approach we have introduced in our school to help all learners become better learners.

We’re looking forward to rounding out Term 1 with a few events in this last week. Jump Rope for Heart is a regular feature of our end of Term 1 activities. Students will move more, have fun and raise funds for Aussie hearts. Not only will they learn heart-healthy habits, they’ll also see how their actions can help others as students learn to skip rope and raise money for the Heart Foundation to continue their great work. We also have our Easter Hat Parades for our youngest students and the Easter Assemblies to finish the week. 

Easter is a time to remember the profound meaning of Christ's sacrifice on the cross and the hope and new life he offers us. Through his death and resurrection, Christ defeated sin and death, offering us the gift of eternal life with him. This reminds us that no matter how broken or lost we may feel, Christ's love and sacrifice can bring us back to him and give us a new start. This Easter, let us be encouraged by the transformative power of Christ's sacrifice and remember that he is always with us, offering us hope, love, and forgiveness.

God Bless

Mr Alan Dawson | Principal 

What a phenomenal testament to the hard work and dedication of the students who gave their all in their performance. So too a wonderful reflection of the tremendous number of hours, thought energy and leadership from our staff team. Every member of this production should be incredibly proud of what they have achieved.

However, it would be remiss of me to not acknowledge the dedication, commitment and taxi work of the families that support our staff and students. If it takes a village to raise a child, then it certainly takes a community to run a musical. Whilst many of you will remain “silently thanked” by your students, we want to thank you for all your contributions that made it possible to put this production together. This extends also to the families of our staff team who no doubt made sacrifices in allowing their loved ones to serve the students, the musical and RJ with their commitment.

Term 1 Reflection

What a joy it has been to serve the RJ community as Deputy Principal this term. I’ve met so many students, parents and staff that remind me so positively about why I came to join the RJ community. In reflecting on first term, I am hoping to share some insights with you that you can consider applying in your families.

1. You cannot do this alone.

Each day I am reminded by the wonderful people I work with that I simply cannot do my job alone. There are so many staff doing an incredible job each day that I am simply grateful that I can trust that things will happen not because I make them happen, but because I can rely on competent people to do a great job. Our students cannot succeed at school in a vacuum either. They need the contributions of their families, their peers and their teachers in order to succeed. It is the effective use of these partnerships that allows us to achieve far more than we could on our own.

2. Stay curious

As you start at a new organisation you are acutely aware of just how little you know about your new workplace. In addition to that you are also aware that there are things that you don’t know that you don’t know. (I discussed this in a previous newsletter in the four stages of competence). It has been incredibly important to me to stay curious and ensure I continue to seek out what I am yet to learn, rather than hiding from the hard parts. It’s incredibly important for our students to do the same. Students need to lean in/move towards difficulties and challenges, rather than hoping they’ll go away.

3. Avoid, identify and overcome fear of failure

Coupled with the need to stay curious is the need to avoid, identify and overcome fear of failure. I have found that fear of failure is a key driver in increasing avoidance and consequently can increase feelings of shame. The problem with this cycle is that this increases avoidance and ultimately makes the shame spiral continue. I have found one of my best weapons this term is identify when that cycle first starts and confronting the situation to resolve it or seeking out the person to apologise when necessary. Fear of failure in students has long prevented young people from being brave, taking a risk, learning from their mistakes and most importantly improving. This is a key part of the learning journey and most young people benefit from being wrong before they can be right. 

I want to wish you all a wonderful and restful break. Our Chair of Council Reverend Mike Smith shared a wonderful devotion with the staff on Friday last week on “refreshment”. I encourage you over the Easter break to remember the sacrifice made for you on that first Easter and find refreshment and restoration in Jesus.

Mr Scott Roby
Deputy Principal  

It has been an action packed, event-filled term and the staff and students are all looking forward to some much needed rest during the Easter break. Thank you to all who were able to get along to one or more of our special events this term – more happening this week!

BANDAGED BEAR DAY                                                                                                                                                                             

Our Bandaged Bear Day last Tuesday was lots of fun with many furry friends of varied shapes and sizes sharing the day with us. The students enjoyed the Bear-themed activities at lunchtime and over $2000 was raised for the Children’s Hospital at Westmead. The Teddy Bear’s Picnic with Stage 1 parents was very well attended and we managed to beat the rain! Great effort everyone and special thanks to Miss Ross for her organisation of the day.

EASTER HAT PARADE

Our K-2 Easter Hat Celebration of New Life Parade will be held this Tuesday from 12:00pm in the Primary Courtyard followed by a picnic lunch from 1:00 – 1:25pm The themes for hats are as follows –

• Kindergarten – eggs
• Year 1 – flowers/plants
• Year 2 – chicks/baby animals

Gates will be opened at 11:45am. Students stay at School after this event.

JUMP OFF DAY

This Wednesday, 4 April will be the culmination of our Jump Rope for Heart work this term. The students have all improved greatly with their skipping skills and RJ has currently raised over $7 000 - terrific! We are looking forward to each grade showing off their skipping skills

PUBLIC SPEAKING FINALS

The final round of the Public Speaking Competition for Years 3-6 will be held in the School Hall this Wednesday evening commencing at 6:30pm. Congratulations to all the finalists competing on this night and a special thank you to Miss Parata for her organisation of this event.

SCHOOL MEDICATIONS AND EXPIRY DATES

A reminder from our Reception/First Aid team in Primary to keep medications stored at School up to date. This includes Ventolin puffers and Anaphylaxis autoinjectors. You will be contacted to replace any medications that are past their expiry dates. Please remember that asthma and anaphylaxis plans must also be updated annually by your GP. A number of students have had vomiting bugs recently. RJ follows the NSW Gov. Health guidelines which state that students who vomit at School must be kept at home for a minimum of 24 hours.

JERSEY ROAD CROSSING

Just a reminder for parents who pick up their children at the Field/Rear of Courtyard to please walk down and use the lights for crossing busy Jersey Road. Thank you for your co-operation.

EASTER ASSEMBLY 

We are very much looking forward to our Easter Assembly with a  presentation from Rev Jason Ramsay from St Mark’s Anglican Church this Thursday.  We will be reminded of the true meaning of Easter and why this holiday is such a special one for God’s people. Parents of Ricky J singers are invited to attend to see this group perform.

A reminder to please not send in chocolates/Easter treats to be distributed to your child’s class.

Wed 26 April:  Start of Term 2

I wish every RJ Oakhurst Primary family a happy and blessed Easter and a safe holiday time.

Mrs Karen Shannon-Duhigg
Head of Primary - Oakhurst

These might be good moments, or they sometimes can come out of a challenging situation like a test or assessment task where learning took place. Celebrating these moments with your children can be a source of absolute joy for both parents and children. 

Last Friday, we had the honour of seeing both C block at Marsden Park Campus and The Paul Cockrem Senior Learning Centre be opened by local federal MP Ed Husic. In particular, for Marsden Park C block has had a tremendous impact on teaching and learning in primary school. Mr Peter Fowler and foundation principal Mr Paul Cockrem were also at the event. 

A wonderful Bandage Bear Day was had by all staff and students, check out Mrs McLeod's separate article for an update on our fundraising and some cute pics.

I hope all families will have some time over Easter to enjoy a much needed break.  

God Bless  
Mr Sale 

New Kiss and Drop signs 

This week also saw the introduction of new signage in the primary car park that affects both morning and afternoon pick-up. Please be aware that, first and foremost, this affects child and pedestrian safety when in the car park. If you need to exit the car, then the parking option is always available to you. In the afternoon the Stop, Drop and Go Zone is only in operation after 3.20 pm. 

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

While it was a much cooler and slightly wet day be outside, we still loved exploring the farm and learning about how people lived in the 1800’s. We loved pumping water from the well, hanging clothes on the line, feeding chickens! We also enjoyed learning how clothes were washed and ironed in the 1800’s and the jobs kids our age had to do before school, like milking the cows! 

The schoolhouse was another fantastic place to visit and we loved dressing up and taking on new character names. The slate boards we had to use for Handwriting and Science lessons were a big change from the books and iPads we use to show our learning today! The wind and rain tried to stop us from dancing around the Maypole, but we still enthusiastically performed fitness movements using dumbbells and tried our hands at sewing. It was tricky, but lots of us got the hang of it!

As always, we are very thankful for the help of the parents who gave up their time to come along and assist on the excursion. Thank you to Miss Templo, Ms Lee, Mrs Leitner and Miss Godwin. Another huge thank you to Miss Ross, who also came and joined us for the day. 

We are looking forward to more exciting learning opportunities to come!

Mrs Frakes, Miss Foster and Mrs Foxall
Year 2 Teachers

While we have great fun with class and lunchtime activities, our aim is to raise money for the work of the Children’s Hospital at Westmead. We acknowledge the great work they do and the many ways that children are assisted by the services they provide. At RJ we aim to ‘Belong, Serve and Succeed’ and days like Bandaged Bear Day give our students opportunities to learn to serve others in a very practical way by fundraising. I am very proud to announce that Bandaged Bear day 2023 at Marsden Park Campus raised a whopping $1600.00

A huge thank you to Year 6 who helped with lunchtime activities and to all the staff who gave up their lunch break to supervise activities.  

Mrs Karen McLeod
Primary Curriculum Leader

During the Secondary assemblies we have been able to increase our discussion around learning, introducing key ideas in relation to students building their 'learning muscles'. In classes students have been introduced to "learning mode" and "performance mode" and been encouraged to consider parts of their learning a challenge rather than hard, therefore persisting rather than giving up. I look forward to the terms ahead as we continue build on the start we have made in focussing increasing our awareness and understanding how we learn in all aspects of life.

Through our fortnightly secondary chapels our students have had many opportunities to hear the message of love, grace and mercy found in Jesus. A message that I hope all RJ families can reflect on and celebrate over the Easter weekend. I look forward to seeing what the Christian Ministry Team and Chapel Captains have planned for the students next term.

Secondary Musical

It was great to see the so many students put on an amazing display of ability and talent last week. The energy and commitment from all the students and staff involved resulted in a fantastic musical that so many of the RJ Community enjoyed. Thank you and well done to all who made it happen.

Secondary House Meetings

The energy and involvement of students in the Secondary House Meeting last Friday was pleasing to see. Thank you to the student leaders for each house and the staff House Patrons for their involvement in making the meetings successful.

End of Term One and commencement of Term Two

All Secondary students need to leave their lockers empty and locked over the holiday break. Students will be given time to do this during Period Six Thursday 6 April, the last day of term. Students are encouraged to take home any books that they to do not need for Wednesday or Thursday earlier in the week to avoid taking home a very full school bag.

Given the recent reports of increasing cases of COVID within Sydney students in Year 7 to 10 will be issued a single RAHT kit during Period Six on Thursday 6 April. This is to be taken home and used on the morning of Wednesday 26 April before coming to school. This is of particular importance for the three Secondary Camps that commence on that day. Families are reminded that students that are unwell are not to attend school including the camps. Students in Year 11-12 are able to take home a RAHT kit by request if needed.

Important Upcoming dates:

Term One

Last day is Thursday 6 April
Easter Assembly at 9am
Locker Clean Out Period Six
Issuing of RAHTs to students in Years 7-10 Period Six

Term Two

Commences for students on Wednesday 26 April
Years 8, 9 and 10 Camps take place on Wed 26 to Fri 28 April

Mr Brad Maxwell
Head of Secondary

A Tip from Study Samurai

IMPROVING HANDWRITING

Most tests and examinations still require students to handwrite. To improve your handwriting, first consider how healthy you are in the four elements of legible handwriting:  letter formation, sizing, alignment on the line and spacing between words.  Then use the steps below to start to improve your handwriting:

- FIND THE BEST PEN FOR YOU: Experiment with different pens to see which is the easiest to write with and which one gives you the neatest handwriting. Use the same pen all the time.

- GOOD GRIP: Hold the pen/pencil gently and do not grip too tightly or push too hard on the paper.

- USE ARM MUSCLES: Always write with your forearm and shoulder NOT with your fingers or wrist. This way your strokes will flow much better. It may take you some time to retrain your arm and hand but be aware of these movements when you practise. The muscles in your forearm and shoulder tire less easily than your fingers.

- BEGIN WITH LARGE STROKES: practise initially on a whiteboard (or even tracing letters in the air) using large strokes until you feel comfortable with using your forearm and shoulder muscles. When you feel you have conquered this, it is time to begin practising on paper. Keep using large strokes, gradually reducing them in size as your control of the muscles increases. Once you have accomplished this it is time to begin practising in your exercise book forming normal sized letters.

- POSTURE: Ensure you practise your handwriting skills at a desk or table. Sit up straight using a good chair.

- RULED LINED BOOK: Buy a ruled exercise book (like a primary cursive pad) for practice use. Always write on lined paper and take note of how you are writing and how your work looks on the page.

- COPY STYLE: Look for an example of a handwriting style that you like and can use to copy from. Keep this in front of you at all times to inspire you towards improving your style.

- INDIVIDUAL LETTERS: Begin with individual letters and practise writing at least one letter per day concentrating on the four elements of legible handwriting.

- WHOLE WORDS: Once you have worked your way through individual letters in the alphabet practise writing whole words. Be aware of the flow from one letter to the next as well as spacing between each word.

- TEST SENTENCE: Choose a test sentence for yourself and write it at the top of your first practice page. Each week write this sentence at the top of a new page to check for improvement in your writing.

- SPECIAL SENTENCE: Frequently practise writing the sentence ‘the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog’ in small and capital letters. This sentence contains all the letters in the alphabet and gives you good overall practice of each letter.

- WRITE SLOWLY TO START: Write slowly when practicing until you are happy with the quality of your handwriting. Then increase the speed.  

- REALISTIC GOALS: Don’t set impractical goals for improvement. Improvement will take time and is a matter for persistence – it all comes down to practice, practice and then more practice! 

- LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO WRITE: Try and handwrite whenever possible.

Once your handwriting style has improved, you can then focus on improving the speed of your handwriting. Every day, practise writing at speed. Choose a particular passage and write it out neatly. Time yourself. The next day write it out neatly again but try and speed up a bit and time yourself again. The goal is to get to the point where you can write the passage out quickly but still maintain neat handwriting. Doing this for just 5 minutes every day will really help you to improve your handwriting. If your cursive (running) writing is really bad, you may find it easier to learn to print really fast in exams rather than focus on improving your cursive style.

You can also try writing with a pen that is weighted on the end to build up the muscles in your hand used for writing. When you get to the exams take the weight off the end and feel the benefits of a lighter pen!  

www.studysamurai.com
Login: RJ@studysamurai.com
PWD: success21

The truly outstanding performances have been a testament to the power of collaboration and the energy that comes from working together.  Audiences have had the opportunity to enjoy and witness the results that come from months of working together with a common vision. 

The constant commitment that students have given to excellence and rising to a vast array of challenges has been evident throughout the learning and performance phases of the show. The central theme of “Seussical” is the importance of perseverance in the face of challenges and adversity. Through the story of Horton the Elephant and his efforts to protect the Whos, we are reminded of the importance of having the courage to stand up for what is right, even when it is difficult.

Our team of actors, singers, dancers and crew have put in countless hours of hard work and dedication alongside our staff team, to bring this magical world of Dr. Seuss to life. A special mention needs to be made of the Director Mr Derrington, Vocal Director Mr Manaloto, the Choreographer Miss Shannon- Duhigg, and Costume designer Miss Adams. The support of Mrs Stathoes, Mr Bemrose, Mrs Reed, Mr Hughes, Mr Burgess, Mr Grima and Mr Robertson, Mrs Job and many of our RJ staff members has also been truly appreciated.

Our students and their teachers have embraced the message of “Seussical” and have created a spectacular production that is both imaginative and inspiring. We are very grateful that this production is the result of the grace of God working in and through our lives. Our particular gratitude goes to our Principal Mr Dawson for his tireless and energetic support of all aspects of the production of our show.  

Mrs Marrable
Director of Performing Arts K-12

Year 11 Engineering Studies

As part of the first Module, Year 11 Engineering Studies students have been using our newly acquired testing equipment to enhance their understanding of engineering concepts.

The first experiment was the analysis of static forces in three force systems. Here students needed to load the apparatus and measure the magnitude and direction of each force in the system. Then using vector addition they summed the forces together to determine if the force system was balanced. Students soon found out if their calculations were accurate!

The second exercise formed part of their assessment task. Students were divided into groups and tested different metals to destruction on Tensile Testing machines. One student operated the equipment, a second student observed the test and read out the data at each stage of loading and a third plotted the readings. Individually each student analysed the data, plotted a Stress / Strain diagram and made calculations to determine the materials strength and ductility properties.

Year 12 Engineering Studies

Year 12 completed the construction and destruction of a Truss Bridge as part of the Civil Structures unit. Although students were a bit reticent to destroy their wonderful bridge creations, that all changed once the bridges were loaded and started to crack, split and collapsed. After the bridges broke students then analysed the reasons for the collapse of the bridge by observing the slow-motion video, making calculations and examining the broken truss members.

Mr Rob Cohen
Faculty Leader – TAS & Visual Arts

We hope that the Marsden Park Campus enjoyed their day yesterday and we look forward to the Oakhurst event on Wednesday. The Oakhurst teachers have a proud record to defend against the students. Can the students get their second ever victory over the teachers?

So far we have raised just over $7000. This is a great effort from our RJ Community. If you were still intending to fundraise before the end of term deadline, you can sign up using the QR code on the key ring your student received or alternatively via this link: 

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

WSCS

Next term sees the resumption of WSCS competition after a long break with wet weather playing havoc with the fields last year. We look forward to starting this competition in Week 3 of Term 2. Please notify Mr Mitchell at gmitchell@rjas.nsw.edu.au if you are willing to assist with some refereeing or umpiring or expert coaching in the term 2 sports of boys football (soccer), girls netball or mixed tee ball. All parent volunteers must have their WWCC and follow the WSCS sporting code of conduct.

CSSA NEWS

26th May – Primary State Cross Country

1st June – Primary State Gymnastics ( boys can be any MAG level. Girls must be of a WAG Level 3 to be considered. All competitors are required to have a gymnastics coach from their club attend on the day).

CIS NEWS

8th May – Rugby League Trials. Must be playing in Division 1 in under 11s or under 12s

Mr Gavin Mitchell
Primary Sports Leader