Meghan Carroll – Deputy Head of Primary

What does it mean to be human and what does it mean to be kind?

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of attending TEDx in Sydney. This year’s topic, Humankind, explored the rapidly changing world we live in, the things that unite us as humans, the need for us to connect and collaborate and the importance of kindness.

I’d like to share a few ideas from some of the speakers (below) and encourage you to explore them further with your children when you get a moment:

Eddie Woo – Teacher

Youtube: https://misterwootube.com/

• Learning is a creative process involving perseverance and improvement
• Maths is a sense just like sight, touch and smell
• Maths is everywhere (eg: in flowers – spirals, symmetry and angles)

Thomas Oxley – Endovascular Neurologist

Twitter: @TomOxl

• Brain functionality: sense, compute, control
• Power of innovation and engineering
• Research on neural recording devices to help the command center of the brain (motor cortex) function better for patients with tetraplegia due to spinal cord injury, stroke and ALS

Magda Szubanski – Entertainer

Twitter: @MagdaSzubanski

• Importance of teaching courage; courage is like a well-trained muscle, we need to nourish and cultivate it
• Do we have the desire to be courageous?
• Courage is not a state of being, but rather a state of doing

Jahan Kalantar –  Lawyer

Twitter: @JahanKalantar

• Saying sorry is difficult but there is a process: say sorry – provide the ‘why’ – explain
• Being vulnerable allows us to access our true thoughts
• Showing and teaching gratitude

Lucinda Beaman – Editor

Twitter: @Lucinda_Beaman

• Why do we listen to refute rather than listening to understand?
• Importance of being open minded and accepting change over time
• Don’t shy away from disagreement. Instead use this as an opportunity to see things using a different lense

You can also access many of the videos from the day here: http://bit.ly/2SraJUv

Innovation Festival and Art Spotlight (Week 3)

Well done to Sophie Poisel and her amazing team of students and staff who planned, organised and managed last week’s Innovation Festival on Friday morning. The event showcased our students’ growing talent and helped many of them further their interest in STEAM initiatives and projects. Well done also to Louise Heilpern and the Art Department for the beautiful display of primary artworks. Thank you to everyone who was able to attend.

Uniform update

After meetings with the SRC, a student vote and lots of discussion a decision was made about changing the uniform for Years 3 and 4. After considering all of the data presented, Ben and Bella Freed, our Heads of Primary for a day last week, decided that Years 3 and 4 will no longer be required to wear a tie as part of their uniform. This was announced to the students on Monday morning and will commenced in Term 1, 2019. Please check the parent portal uniform section for more details or any uniform related information.

Healthy Harold

This week Years K-3 participated in Healthy Harold presented by Life Education, an organisation that empowers children to live a safe and healthy life. As part of the Personal Development and Health curriculum students participated in the following programs:

• My Body Matters – Kindy
  • Focus on personal hygiene, choosing healthy foods, physical activity and sleep, ways to keep safe
• Ready, Steady, Go – Year 1
  • Focus on physical activity, keeping safe in different environments, body reactions to new situations, fueling our body with the right foods, water and sleep
• All Systems Go – Year 2
  • Focus on factors that influence functions of different body systems, managing peer pressure, effects of second hand smoke, making healthy food choices
• Mind You Medicine – Year 3
  • Focus on factors that influence someone’s sense of self-worth, effective communication, factors that impact health and wellbeing, managing stressful situations, medicines and drugs and the consequences of their misuse

Colour Day

On Monday at lunch the K-2 students participated in Colour Day. Thank you to Katie Narunsky and the staff who helped organise and manage this year’s event.