Newsletter, Term 2, Week 8, Friday 16 June 2023

Music Festival • Friday 16 June @ 6.30pm

Whisky & Gin Ceilidh • Saturday 17 June @ 6pm SOLD OUT

Junior School Disco • Tuesday 20 June @ 5pm - book on Parent Lounge

Senior School Disco • Tuesday 20 June @ 6.30pm - book on Parent Lounge

Winter Solstice Pipe Band performance • QEII Square, Wednesday 21 June @ 5pm

Term 2 ends • Friday 23 June

Young Engineers Camp (suitable K-7) • Monday 10 July to Tuesday 11 July BOOK HERE

Pipe Band Concert • Friday 14 July and Saturday 15 July BOOK HERE

Term 3 starts • Monday 17 July

This week I thought I would set everybody some homework and ask you all to reflect upon the learnings of Bluey. Those with little ones will already be aware that new episodes of Bluey have been released on ABC, and I would like to draw your attention to last week’s new episode: Cricket.

For anyone who has ever engaged in the fun (and sometimes dangerous) pursuit of backyard cricket, you will find this episode completely relatable. I found myself reminiscing about my childhood in the backyard playing with two competitive younger brothers and an even more competitive father! This episode reminded me that backyard cricket is not only about "hitting a ball around the grass", it's also where we learn many of the critical skills of how to approach life.

While I laughed at Rusty who doesn’t ‘take his bat and go home’ despite the bizarre and quirky rules of backyard cricket (that often change suddenly depending on who does NOT want to go out; we’ve all played with THAT sibling...), I couldn’t help but reflect upon how much he was learning about confronting challenges and working towards a goal. We learn so much from participating in sports and, as I watch the students at Auskick at the time of writing, they don’t know it yet, but they are learning skills that move with them into the classroom and then beyond the school gates. We all need to remember the advice: “...as you grow up, you’ll face harder things than a cricket ball and you’ll have two choices: Back away and get out, or step in front and play a pull shot”.

Rusty adopts a growth mindset and with his failures, develops the perseverance to pursue success. The courage and resilience he shows in continuing to practice will flow over into other areas of his life; he just doesn’t know it yet.

Sometimes it takes a children’s program to remind us all that learning extends well beyond the classroom, and that when we step up to the crease success is not guaranteed, but our approach most certainly is.

Thanks Bluey!

The end of term is fast approaching; students across the Senior School have been busy working on assessments and finishing off modules of work. Dropping into classes, I have witnessed students working together, students working side by side with teachers and students with their heads down concentrating on the task at hand. Many students have shared with me that they are feeling tired and very much ready for the mid-year break.

Year 12 students are in a different situation; most are planning to use these holidays as a time to consolidate their knowledge and to start preparing for the Trial Examinations in Term 3. It is an important time for them, but I encourage them to set aside some time to take a break, rest and recuperate. This break should be a holiday of balance; taking the time to nourish their mental, emotional and physical health will hold the class of 2023 in good stead for the demands of the end of the HSC course.

On Saturday 3 June, weeks of dancing preparation for Year 11 came to a crescendo with the evening of the Year 11 Formal. Each of the students were presented to their friends and families and then proceeded to entertain with some dancing routines which were full of smiles, laughter and triumph. An event like this takes many hours of preparation. Thank you to Mr Roger Barrows and Ms Amanda Ross for all the behind the scenes work. Also, a big thank you to the Year 11 parent group, which assisted with the arrangements and decorating the venue. It was a wonderful event where a strong community spirit and strong connections were on display.

The day after the formal, Scots students participated in the Sunday morning service at St David's Uniting Church. Students contributed to the service by reading and a music performance. It was a lovely service; thank you to Rev Beth Bear for making us so welcome and to Mr Simon Goss for coordinating. The connection between Scots and St Davids is a strong one and it is wonderful to be able to share some time together.

Another wonderful event held in the past fortnight was the annual Artistix evening. Arts Prefect, Madeleine Steer, coordinated a wonderful evening starting with the Jazz Gang and an opportunity for guests to admire some work from Year 7-11 visual artists. The evening then moved to an informal performance from some of our up and coming musicians in Years 9-11. We were also regaled with some powerful words and performance poetry from Year 12 English Extension 2 student, Lylah Ellao, as well as a beautiful dance routine from Year 11 student Jonathan Cotter. A welcome addition to the soiree was hearing from Year 12 art, drama and music students about why they chose the arts as part of their HSC studies. Listening to our young people share how arts have transformed and shaped their lives demonstrated the importance and power of these subjects. Thank you to Ms Belinda Costa, Mr Chris Torok and Ms Deb Nixon for supporting Maddie with this event.

Tonight, we have the Music Festival, which will be an excellent opportunity to hear from and celebrate our student musicians. At Scots, we are very proud of our musicians/performers and the consistent work they put into their ensembles and choirs throughout the year. I know that Mr Stewart Lucy, Mr David Coughlan and the other music teachers have been putting in a huge amount of work to prepare for the Festival. I am very much looking forward to seeing our students perform in Under the Night Sky.

We also have the School Disco coming up on Tuesday 20 June. This event is being organised by the Year 12 Prefect group. Senior School students are invited to come along to the ISC at 6.30pm for a hot dog dinner and drink. Steve Bowen will be getting the dancing started for Senior School at 7pm. The disco will conclude at 8.30pm. Please see Parent Lounge for details and permissions required.

Wishing all of our friends, families, staff and students a safe and restorative mid-year break.

Brighter Beginnings

Research shows that the first 2000 days of a child’s life sets an important trajectory in how they will head off to Primary School and beyond into their adolescent and adult lives, with up to one million neural connections forming every second during the first few years of life.

Brain development is being strongly influenced by their experiences and relationships at this time. The NSW Government has committed to giving every child the best start in life through access to high quality, early childhood education and other early childhood initiatives including health checks, supporting development, parenting resources and financial support for families. For more information on Brighter Beginnings please CLICK HERE

Scots staff

At Scots Preschool, our staff members are committed to providing the highest quality early childhood education in line with this understanding of the important role we play in a child's development. Our teachers are all university-trained teachers with Bachelor's or Master's degrees in Early Childhood Education. We have learned, as part of our studies and professional development, about brain development and how we can best support this important time in early childhood. Our Educators all have (or are studying towards) their Diplomas in Early Childhood Education. We have a commitment to ensure that every interaction, every relationship and every experience in our space is carefully considered and purposeful in its intent; that we are making a difference in the hours spent here towards those 2000 days.

Looking into the classroom as I type, I can see this in action. There is a book on my desk that we have had printed where our class has created visual representations of Wiradjuri words into a beautiful bound art book. There is peer-led learning occurring as two children sit at the art table conversing, planning and problem solving with the art media before them. "How will I get this to stick?" "Can I use the glue after you?" "I’m not sure I can draw this – can you help me?"

There are children at the blocks, practicing patience and resilience as the towers tumble and fall. But there is a pride in their success in how to get the blocks placed just right and perhaps even a nervous energy as it starts to take height. There is the gentle rub on the back for the child seeking a physical connection before they join in on play. The intuitive Educator knows that a simple ritual of time and reassurance will create a positive start to play. A teacher takes cues from a child about being ready for that next step in communicating, who wants to learn to write words for their letters, looks at the letters of a name badge and looks for letters we share in common. There is the child who has taken themselves off to the bathroom, ok to head in there on their own; or remembered to wash their hands after or making comments about being water-wise as they do so. This is the teaching that is happening; often quietly, often repeated every day. But so very valuable.

As we head into our three-week school holiday break, you may be looking for ways to continue to foster this love of learning. There are multiple online resources such as podcasts and animations about the value of play and ways to support families to be able to do this. Just remember that this is often just part of your everyday routines. It doesn’t need snazzy toys or online programs. It doesn’t need flash cards or a costly holiday program. It is in the joy of the song you share in the car, the comments of the colours of nature on your walk to the park or the reading of a recipe as you make porridge in the morning. These are the shared time of play and learning. Enjoy them. They are important.

Podcast Resource

Animation Resource