By Emily Begbie - Assistant Head of Junior School, Teaching & Learning

DIARY DATES

A reminder for Kindergarten parents and carers that tomorrow evening (Thursday 4 March) we are holding an information session on how to support your child’s reading at home.  Please refer to the email sent by your child’s teacher for details.

In the early weeks of the school year, our Junior School spaces have been abuzz with new class groups, new relationships and new learning.  For our Kindergarten students, there has been special excitement about embarking on the journey of becoming readers; developing phonemic awareness and concepts of print, understanding letter-sound relationships, and learning about ‘what good readers do’. 

Witnessing the eagerness of these emergent readers, and the exhilaration of their early successes, serves as a reminder of the profound joy that reading can and should give.  And it prompts us to ask: how can we ensure that the delight we see in our young learners evolves into a lifelong love of reading?  What do children need to thrive as readers? 

Columbia University’s Teachers College Reading and Writing Project has been a global leader in literacy research and teacher professional development for over three decades.  The Project has distilled the following tenets from the vast field of research on reading acquisition[1]: 

• Above all, good teachers matter.  Readers need teachers who demonstrate what it means to live richly literate lives and who wear a love of reading on their sleeves.
• Readers need long stretches of time to read.
• Readers need opportunities to read high-interest, accessible books of their own choosing.
• Readers need explicit instruction in the skills of proficient reading.
• Readers need opportunities to talk, and sometimes to write, in response to texts.
• Readers need support reading non-fiction books and building a knowledge base and academic vocabulary through information reading.
• Readers need assessment-based instruction, including feedback that is tailored specifically to them.
• Readers need teachers to read aloud to them.

The primary purposes of reading are the same for children as for adults: enjoyment and meaning-making.  The foundations of reading are laid as children acquire spoken language in all its complexity, and they bring vast reservoirs of linguistic knowledge to task of learning to read. 

"The foundations of learning to read are laid down from the moment a child hears:
The sounds of people talking
The lines of a song
And the rhythms and repetitions of rhymes and stories..."  (Mem Fox) 

Children also bring knowledge about their world to the reading process, however young they are.  They relish stories from an early age and give their total attention to meaning.  Like adults, they expect their reading to make sense, and they extend their understandings of the world by connecting what they already know to what they encounter as readers.  

“There are perhaps no days of our childhood we lived so fully as… those we spent with a favourite book.”  (Marcel Proust, Days of Reading) 

As we share the adventure and delight of learning to read with our children, keeping enjoyment and meaning-making at the centre of their reading experiences is paramount.  

From: Lindy Braithwaite, Assistant Principal – Curriculum, and
Tracey Markovic, Assistant Head of Junior School - Operations and Systems 

NAPLAN 2021
In Term 2, all students in Years 3, 5, 7 & 9 will participate in NAPLAN Online. NAPLAN is a point-in-time assessment that allows parents to see how their child is progressing in literacy and numeracy, against the national standard, and compared with their peers throughout Australia. At the classroom level, NAPLAN provides additional information to support teachers’ professional judgement about student progress. 

To prepare for NAPLAN testing, all students in Years 3, 5, 7 & 9 will be participating in an online Practice Test on 25 March. The purpose of the site is to familiarise students with the type of items they will see on NAPLAN Online and related functionalities. This level of familiarisation is worthwhile to help students understand and be comfortable with the format of the test.  

For further information regarding NAPLAN please click HERE 

JUNIOR SCHOOL DETAILS
Contact: Tracey Markovic – tracey.markovic@radford.act.edu.au 

Years 3 & 5 
These tests will be conducted in students’ own classrooms, under the direction of their teachers. This practice will allow students the opportunity to become familiar with the NAPLAN app, as well as some of the types of questions that will be asked. 

• Students in Year 3 will use class iPads and class headphones.
• Students in Year 5 will be required to have a fully charged iPad with them at school on the day, as well as a pair of headphones. 

The practice is scheduled to commence at 11.05am and run through until 12.00pm. 
If your child has an instrumental music lesson scheduled within this time, please contact your music tutor and reschedule. 

SECONDARY SCHOOL DETAILS
Contact: Lindy Braithwaite – lindy.braithwaite@radford.act.edu.au

Years 7 & 9
These tests will be conducted in the Morison Centre under the direction of their tutors. This practice will allow students the opportunity to become familiar with the NAPLAN app as well as some of the types of questions that will be asked. The ICT Help team will be working with students during tutor time in the weeks prior to this test, to ensure that their device is ready for the testing. 

• Students in Year 7 & 9 will be required to have their usual fully charged 1-to-device with them at school on the day as well as a pair of headphones. 

The practice is scheduled to commence at 11.05am and run through until 12.40pm.
If your child has an instrumental music lesson scheduled within this time, please contact your music tutor and reschedule.

The P&F Secondhand Uniform Shop is now stocked for winter! 

We have a great range of junior school, high school, senior school, and PE winter uniforms. Book your appointment now to grab a BARGAIN!  

STOCKS ARE LIMITED - DON’T MISS OUT 

Appointments required for all visits
Please remember that appointments are still required for all visits to the shop.
No walk-in/unscheduled visits permitted. 

Appointment hours
Tuesdays: 12.30-5.30pm
Fridays: 7.30am-12.30pm 

the shop will be closed on Public Holidays, including Good Friday

Donations - to Main Reception, Morison Centre
Please take donations to Main Reception (at the Morison Centre) between 8.00am-5.00pm Monday to Friday. 

All uniform items except Zooties are accepted, and all proceeds from our sales go towards P&F fundraising, which supports grants to the College.  

Enquiries 
Please email: secondhandshop@radford.act.edu.au

See also the Rowing report in this edition

Oztag – congratulations, Wildcats
The Radford Wildcats played in the U14/15 Girls division grand final on Wednesday 24 February.  The team played exceptionally well, taking the game 2-1 against the Tigers.  Congratulations to all students involved and a big ‘thank you’ to coach David Cox, and manager Alicia Sadleir.

Junior School Belconnen Zone Swimming Carnival
Information will be sent to parents of children who have qualified for Zone. Due to a clash with Year 5 camp, Y5 students will be unable to participate in the Belconnen Region (Zone) carnival scheduled for the 17 March. Parents of Y5 qualifiers have been emailed by Tamara Phelps about alternative arrangement options. 

Due to COVID restrictions, we have been informed by SSACT that students in 8 years and 9 years will not be eligible to participate in the Belconnen Region Swimming Carnival in 2021. 

ASC Cricket
Congratulations to Radford Cricket Captain, Lachlan Reid, on his selection as Vice-Captain in the ASC Cricket team that played the Independent Schools Association (ISA) at the Bradman Oval in Bowral on Sunday. Unfortunately, the ASC went down, but Lachlan top scored with 45 runs of 57 balls. Jake Smith Gibson was also selected as first reserve. 

RADFORD SPORT NOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow @radfordsport on Facebook and Instagram for all the latest sports news, updates and events.

EASTER HOLIDAY SPORTS CAMPS

Radford College presents two guest speakers for parents and caregivers in March.

DR JUDITH LOCKE
Founder of Confident and Capable, clinical psychologist, former school counsellor, teacher and workplace trainer. 

Topic: Essential actions to help your teen become confident and capable in 2021 
          (for Secondary School parents and caregivers)
Date: Monday 15 March
Time: 6 pm–7:30 pm
Location: TB Millar Hall
Register: Judith Locke - Secondary School session on Monday 15 March

Topic: Essential actions to help your child become confident and capable in 2021 
          (for Junior School parents and caregivers)
Date: Tuesday 16 March
Time: 6 pm–7:30 pm
Location: RA Young Hall
Register: Judith Locke - Junior School session on Tuesday 16 March

PAUL DILLON
Director and founder of Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia (DARTA).

Topic: Teens, alcohol and other drugs: What do parents in a post-COVID-19 world need to know?
           (60 minute talk, 30 minute Q&A for Secondary School parents and caregivers)
Date: Wednesday 24 March
Time: 6 pm–7:30 pm
Location: TB Millar Hall
Register: Paul Dillon - Secondary School session on Wednesday 24 March

Due to COVID precautions, registration is required for all events, and once on campus, attendees must sign in using the Check in CBR App.

From Tamara Phelps - Assistant Head of Sport, Junior School 

It was wonderful to see Friday Sport resume last week. 

Our K-6 students will participate in a variety of Sports during Term 1, through clinics provided by a number of sporting organisations. 

These Fridays provide the opportunity for students to learn new sports, drills and skills in a fun, non-competitive environment, while being supported by their classroom teachers and Year 9/10 service learning students. 

Sports on offer this term include Softball, Oztag, Cricket, Hockey, Gymnastics, Dance and AFL.

Above: Finn Robinson, Hamish Gaden, Rohan White, Josh Orr (team coxed by Stuart Ward)

From Olivia Hombsch, Rowing Captain 

Last weekend, Radford competed locally at the ACT Head of the Lake hosted on Lake Burley Griffin. This rejuvenated event is growing in stature and popularity, with schools from Sydney and Kinross Wollaroi (Orange) joining us to compete in Year 8 and above on the water. 

Radford performed impressively throughout the day, winning 7 titles, along with several 2^nd places and podium finishes in the B and C divisions. The growing strength of the Radford program was notable particularly in the Year 9 Girls teams, with the A and B Quads winning Gold and Bronze respectively in the A final of Year 9 Schoolgirl Quad. 

This year Radford entered several eights into the regatta for the first time, and were successful in each age category, winning the Under 17 male and female eights, silver in the schoolgirl eight and winning the Fraser cup for the Schoolboy Eight for the first time ever in its 55-year history. This historic win was particularly special for College Captain and crew member Sam Roberts.  Sam lifted the same trophy that was won 34 years ago his Grandfather, who went on to win the trophy 4 times rowing for Telopea Park school! (Sam Roberts and Hamish Roberts, left)The presentation of trophies from the school principals concluded Head of the Lake, after which many rowers returned to the boatshed to begin the heats of the ACT Junior State Championship regatta. 

By the end of Saturday, Radford had qualified a large number of crews and Sunday was lined up to be a jam-packed day of racing. 

The busy boatshed schedule required students to pull together as a team with coxes and rowers jumping between boats, and senior shed rowers offering their experience to our younger cohort from the cox’s seat. 

By the conclusion of the ACT Junior Championships, Radford had earned an impressive 11 title wins, along with 7 silver and 7 bronze medals.  Notable performances include the Men’s and Women’s Year 9 A Quads, who won the U16 coxed quad titles (undefeated from Head of the Lake) and the Year 9 Girls B Quad, who again clinched bronze in the A Final. Hamish Gaden and Hannah Sampson won the U15 and U17 Single scull championship titles, and Radford took out both the Under 17 Men’s and Women’s Quads titles. 

The outstanding performer of the weekend was without a doubt, Mia Kluth, who raced an impressive 8 times undefeated over the weekend. As well as the Head of the Lake Year 9 Schoolgirl Quad & Under 17 Women’s eight title, Mia won the ACT Junior Championship title in the U16 single scull, Under 16 Schoolgirl Quad and Under 17 Schoolgirl Quad.  This is a remarkable achievement for a promising young rower. 

The weekend of racing was fun, emotional and uplifting, as we remembered the disappointment of COVID-19 bringing an early end to racing on the eve of this regatta in 2020. The event also marks the last ACT regatta of the season, and for some of our Year 12s, the last time they will compete for Radford here in the ACT. 

As always, ‘thank you’ to all the supporters – especially the student leaders and staff who came out and cheered us across the line, the parent volunteers who did a shift on the sausage sizzle, or as a regatta volunteer, boat race official or marshal. And the coaches for keeping the rowers organized, on time and pumped for racing! 

Head of the Lake 2021

Above: Schoolboy Coxed Quad Head of the Lake Champions & ACT Junior Champions Under 19 Men’s Coxed Quad: Ben Heatley, Ethan Toscan, Angus Walker, Sam Roberts, Will Gregory

ACT Junior Champions 2021

 Below: Heath Shaw collecting the ACT Head of the Lake medal haul!

Registrations for Cocurricular Music Recitals (Years K-12) are now open.

Recitals provide a valuable opportunity for individual performance.  All students taking individual music lessons are welcome to perform at their relevant year group recital.  

Parent audiences will be subject to COVID-19 number and distancing restrictions. 
Parents will be sent an online form prior to the relevant recital to register as an audience member and will be required to sign in/use the Check in CBR App. 

TO REGISTER

• If you are learning an instrument at Radford - please contact your music tutor to register
• If you are learning an instrument outside of Radford - please email ccmusic@radford.act.edu.au for the recital registration link 

RECITAL DATES 2021

Years 11-12 – Tuesday 16 March
Years 9-10 – Tuesday 25 May
Years 7-8 – Tuesday 1 June
Years K-4 Piano – Tuesday 3 August
Years K-4 Instrumental/Vocal (excluding piano) – Tuesday 17 August
Years 5-6 – Tuesday 7 September

By Melinda Hamilton, Year 1 Teacher

Year 1 is collecting Woolworths Discovery Gardens to plant in our Cubby Village planter boxes. This ties with our inquiry into Where We Are in Place & Time as students are exploring how custodianship has an effect on places. We want to have a positive effect on our play areas by growing beautiful and useful plants! 

If you have any Discovery Garden kits to donate, please drop them at the Junior School Reception.

By Stephanie Comino, Assistant Head of Science 

The Big Science Competition is back for 2021 and this year, it’s 100% online and 100% free!

2021 marks the 35th year of Australia’s participation in the International Science Olympiads, and to celebrate, we’re excited to offer free entry into the Big Science Competition.

The Big Science Competition is a fifty-minute, multiple choice competition testing science knowledge, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills across Year 7 to 10. Challenge  yourself and see the applications of science outside the classroom! 

Participating in the Big Science Competition can lead to some BIG opportunities, like the Curious Minds program. Use it to prepare for the Junior Science Olympiad, and your students could travel overseas to represent Australia internationally.

This year, students can self-register  - registrations close Wednesday 12 May 2021. 

At some point between 17—28 May 2021, students who register will sit the competition as a cohort at school, under exam conditions, to maintain the competition integrity. 

Follow this link to find out more!