From the Primary School

Natanya (Tany) Milner – Head of Primary

Our brains

I have recently been reading about the human brain and neuroplasticity. We are so lucky to live in an age when we have developed a deeper understanding of the brain and how it works. Some time ago, it was the view that ‘ability’ was a fixed measure in people and therefore growth or human capacity was considerably limited. More modern research has shown us different ways that we are able to build capacity and ‘grow’ our brains.

The prefrontal cortex of the brain controls our ‘executive functioning’ which includes functions such as creativity, planning, perseverance, comprehension, problem solving, reasoning and impulse control. There is evidence that suggests that a well-developed prefrontal cortex can lead to better academic and life outcomes.

Here are some suggestions for ways to improve the prefrontal cortex:

Use hooks to assist your memory (acronyms, mnemonics and silly sentences can help)
Learn new skills that require intense focus eg. juggling, playing a musical instrument, sport and dance
Play logic and problem solving games – especially ones that require working memory, quick decision making and strategic thinking eg. rummy, chess, crossword and number puzzles
Get plenty of sleep and exercise
Build positive emotion through expressing gratitude and looking for positives (increasing dopamine engages the brain)
Try to stay calm and avoid negative drama (which engages the amygdala and can hijack the prefrontal cortex’s ability to think clearly).

Sasha Novy – Year 3

Mazal tov, Sasha

Over the weekend, Sasha Novy attended the JKA – SKC national karate tournament in Melbourne. He achieved outstanding results including winning two individual gold medals and one silver group medal. What an outstanding achievement! Mazal tov, Sasha. We are so proud of you.

Mazal tov, Lucia

Well done to Lucia Meyer who was part of a team of 39 Kids Giving Back volunteers who cooked, packaged and delivered over 350 warm, nutritious meals to local shelters and individuals in need this past Sunday. Lucia took part in our Community Cook4Good Program with her family and is commended for giving up her time to help others. Thank you, Lucia.

Changes to Presentation Evening

In response to the Year 3-6 Presentation Evening survey, we have decided to change the format for this year. The teachers value the opportunity to acknowledge each child for his/her growth throughout the year and will therefore still be creating a certificate for each student. These will be handed out in the classrooms. Only the students receiving an award will be given these on Presentation Evening. We would like to ensure that families are aware that this is still a compulsory school event and all children are to attend. We will again seek feedback on this new format after the event.

Fit-A-thon

We are looking forward to next Friday’s ‘Fit-A-thon’ (17 November). On this day, the children will be involved in numerous fitness activities to promote healthy lifestyles and the different types of activities children can be involved in that can keep them fit and healthy. You would have received an email requesting permission for your child to be involved as well as a sponsorship form. We would be so grateful if you would encourage your family and friends to support this initiative. We are fortunate that the JCA matches our funds raised so that anything we raise is doubled. In the past, this has allowed us to purchase a number of additional items for the School, from further reading resources through to playground equipment. Thank you to Talia Hynek, Katie Narunsky, Stacey Rosenfeld and Stuart Taylor for co-ordinating this event for us.

Excursions galore

What a busy week for excursions. Despite the rain, our spirits weren’t dampened as we had Year K and Year 6 visit the Sydney Observatory, Year 2 visit the Royal Botanical Gardens and Year 4 visit Taronga Zoo. Each of these excursions has connected to the students’ learning and allowed them to develop deeper understandings of their class Science topics.

Aiden Merten with his Volcanica’s flag and information stand at World Expo

World Expo

Year 6H shared their Geography learning with us this week through their creative World Expo presentations. I thank the students and Anna Economou for their wonderful efforts to learn about different countries around the world before using their knowledge and skills to create their own countries.

Kindy orientation 2018

Our final Kindy orientation session took place this week and it has been wonderful to meet next year’s children and families as we prepare for 2018. There have been a number of interesting and informative activities planned and I would like to thank all the staff involved for their planning and efforts.

Night of Instrumental Music – 14 November

This exciting event will showcase some of the School’s many instrumental music ensembles. It will celebrate the journey of learning a musical instrument by featuring musicians of all ages and abilities. For our Year 3 Instrumental Program (IP) students it will be their first school performance on their new instrument.

The concert is a compulsory activity for all members of the ensembles listed below, for all Infants String Program students and for all students in Years 3-6. Performers are only required to attend the section of the concert in which they are performing (details of attendance requirements are below), but everyone is warmly encouraged to join the audience to watch the other half of the concert.

The first half of the concert (6.00 pm – 7.20 pm) will showcase our Years 3-6 Instrumental Program (IP) ensembles, our Years K-2 Infants String Program (ISP) instrumentalists, and our middle school extra-curricular instrumental ensembles. Primary School students should arrive at 5.30 pm and are welcome to leave at 7.20 pm, at the end of the first half of the concert.

The second half of the concert (7.35 pm – 8.20 pm) will showcase our High School school extra-curricular instrumental ensembles, and grandparents, parents and students are warmly welcomed to stay and watch.

Innovation Showcase – 24 November

We are very excited to invite you to the Primary Innovation Showcase on Friday 24 November from 8.15 -10:00 am. The showcase will commence in the Angles Leadership and Learning Centre (LLC) where students from Primary ICT clubs and selected Years 5-6 class projects will exhibit their work from throughout the year. This will be followed by a presentation in the Millie Phillips Theatre which will include awards for students. To RVSP please use this link by Wednesday 22 November.