15 February 2023

Meet Radford Junior School’s new best friends – composting worms.

In January, these wonderful creatures (red wriggler, Indian blue and tiger worms) became responsible for recycling the Junior School’s food waste into nutrient-rich compost.

The process takes just eight weeks and will significantly reduce contamination of the Junior School’s plastic and glass recycling by separating food waste into dedicated bins and the amount of carbon dioxide omitted into the atmosphere.

Anything from mango seeds to biodegradable packaging and cutlery, eggshells, tea bags and newspapers can be fed to the worm farm, which is six-metres long and one-and-a-half metres wide.

The worm farm can handle more than 120 kilograms of food waste every week (more than five tonnes per year) and the compost will be used to fertilise the Junior School’s garden. The leachate – also referred to as worm juice – will also be available to purchase to nurture gardens beyond the College grounds.

Radford’s Sustainability Working Group began the project in 2022 and engaged contractor Global Worming to construct the worm farm.

“Sustainability is a key component of Radford College’s Strategic Plan,” said Radford Sustainability Working Group member and Director of Finance, Agnes Kopras-Ianson.

“Our worm farms provide a fantastic opportunity for the College to reduce its waste to landfill and educate our community. We are thrilled to be working with such an experienced contractor, who will help us to maintain the health of our worm farms and with the education.”

Global Worming owner Cid Riley is a full-time worm farmer and looks after 20 schools in Canberra. He and his staff will visit the Junior School weekly to collect food scraps to feed the worm farm with and hold workshops with students and staff.

“We are on a mission to make people aware that there are other ways of disposing food waste besides the landfill,” said Cid. “Worm composting can be done in any household or business with waste. You can even compost in an apartment. Everyone should be on the fight against filling up our landfills and making our plants a little greener in the meantime.”

Teacher Dean O’Brien, who is also a member of Radford’s Sustainability Working Group, recently took his Year 4 class to the worm farm to meet their wiggly friends.

Here's what the students had to say:

"I am excited that our community took a step closer to becoming a more sustainable school" - Yongmin Yin.

"The worm farm has no bottom, so the worms can get out, but they don't because they are compost worms, so they stay near the top for the food, which is why they make great compost worms" - Fraser Treloar.

"I think the worm farm is great because I see lots of banana peels and apple cores on the playground. It is great because we can use the compost to help all the plants we have. Thanks Cid" - Emma Weenink.

"The worm farm is really good for the environment because when you tell people about it, people stop putting their scraps on the ground and start giving them to the worms and the school will stay clean! But you have to look after them if you want to keep them" - Zoe Quinn.

"Worms, worms are incredible and this year they're going to help our earth thrive. Right at this moment, they're composting a wonderful, juicy potion for Radford's garden. 4DO are very excited for the environmental year ahead" - Alannah Bullock.

Radford’s Sustainability Working Group has plans to install another worm farm at the Junior School - doubling the capacity of food waste managed on-site - and one more at the Secondary School down the track. Facilities Manager Craig Webber is also managing a roll out of desk bins for all staff to capture as much food waste across the College as possible.

See the Junior School worm farm being built in the video below.

If you would like to purchase worms to set up your own worm farm, or have any questions, you can contact Cid at globalworming@mail.com or check out Global Worming on Instagram at global_worming.

You can also join the ACT Government’s Food Waste Challenge if you would like to work on reducing food waste in your home.

Students at Radford College have much to look forward to - their very own, bespoke drum kit!

This one-of-a-kind instrument was handcrafted using native Australian wood species: Jarrah, Acacia and Huon (the names of three of the College's houses). To bring it all together, the exterior is adorned with illustrations of the College's remaining five Houses (Banksia, Boronia, Karri, Kurrajong and Wandoo) by talented artist, Candela.

Steve Crawley from Evetts Drums put a lot of work into this project over 12 months and just recently delivered it to Radford College.

"The biggest challenge was working out how we were going to incorporate the eight species from the brief in the kit," said Steve.

"A lot of the species requested are not commercially available and it was a challenge to bring all the species together without the drums looking cluttered and tacky. I think, in collaboration with Candela, that we tied it all together beautifully with her artwork and the timber selection."

In addition to Jarrah, Acacia and Huon wood, the main shell of the drum kit was made from Blackwood.

“Blackwood is one of my main materials for drum shell construction. It delivers a very warm, clean, musical tone, which is sought after by many instrument makers,” said Steve.

Jarrah and Huon pine were then combined to create the outer ply of the Radford drum kit.

“Jarrah is another one of my primary materials, but Huon pine is not a species I come across very often. It is a beautiful timber to work with, when it's available,” said Steve.

Together, these species of wood form a drum kit that will provide a unique sound and sense of pride at special events held at Radford.

“This drum kit is truly one of a kind. Blackwood produces warm, mellow, rounded tones with lots of low end. The woody character creates a rich and balanced sound that is extremely sensitive yet punchy. It's a great material for a versatile drum tone. While I often use Blackwood for drum shell construction, every batch and shell have their own unique voice and character that will develop more over time,” said Steve.

Radford’s AV & End User Services Officer, David Burcher, was the one who engaged Steve for the project. The pair met in 2008 and sold musical instruments together in Sydney.

“Steve has earned a reputation for making amazing and unique drums played by very well-regarded musicians from around the world. I'm really proud to know someone who has such talent for this work!” said David.

Head of Co-Curricular Music, Kirsten Knight, has also been involved from the start on this project.

“The Music Department is grateful for this collaboration and the stunning end result, and we would like to thank Steve Crawley, David Burcher and Candela for their contributions to this special project,” said Mrs Knight.

The College would also like to acknowledge Nerys Knoke from the Grounds Team who conducted all the research to inform Candela's illustrations of the House plants.

By Gordon Marcks, Head of Rowing and Megan Fritsch, Director of Sport

Hot was an understatement for those Radford students who competed at the NSW Rowing Championships at Sydney International Regatta Centre in Penrith last weekend.

Across three days of racing, crews had to manage extreme heat conditions of 39 degrees and back-to-back events. It was a tough regatta to say the least!

The NSW Championships is one of the pinnacle events on the rowing calendar, with many Victorian and Queensland rowers joining the fold in preparation for Nationals. This event is contested by rowing clubs and schools, from under 16s through to the elite level.

All Radford rowers, coaches, staff and parents were pushed to their limits, but their grit and determination was evident and definitely showed in the results:

• 40 per cent of Radford crews were finalists (progressing from a heat to a semi-final and then final).
• Radford won Bronze in the U17 Men’s Double – Hamish Gaden and Hamish Whithear.
• Radford won Silver in the Schoolgirls Double – Hannah Sampson and Chole Miller.
• Radford won Gold in the U19 Men’s Coxless Quad – Hamish Roberts, Ollie Fox, Jake Schemen-Rogers and Hunter Jolly.
• Radford won Gold in the Schoolboys Coxed Quad - Hamish Roberts, Ollie Fox, Jake Schemen-Rogers, Hunter Jolly and Izzy Faris.

These amazing results meant that Radford College:

• Placed 13^th overall on the Clubs and Schools medal tally.
• Placed third overall on the Schools medal tally.
• Was the number one ACT School on the medal tally.

Congratulations to all involved.

By Karen Mahar, Assistant Principal and Deputy Head of Junior School

We know relationships contribute to a community of wellbeing. So far, feedback suggests our year level teams are engaged, committed and collaborating effectively; students are settling into their new routines; and a positive vibe exists throughout our school.

A strong school community supports the development of emotional literacy skills and helps students learn to navigate and manage their own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. By fostering a positive school community, students will have a better chance of developing healthy relationships and thriving academically and emotionally.

Emotional literacy

Emotional literacy or emotional intelligence refer to the ability to understand and manage our emotions, as well as the emotions of others. It includes skills such as empathy, self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, and social awareness. Research has shown that individuals with high emotional literacy tend to be more successful in their personal and professional lives.

Emotional intelligence plays a crucial role in helping our children develop healthy relationships with significant people in their life, their peers and teachers, as well as promoting a positive and safe learning environment. By teaching our children emotional intelligence skills, we equip them with the tools they need to navigate challenges, resolve conflicts, and build strong and meaningful connections with others.

All are welcome!

To further discuss the importance of emotional literacy and how it can be fostered in children, we are hosting a parent-information session with Psychologist Phil Slade and Learning and Development Expert Roshelle Weir, who are founders of Switch4Schools (the program we are using in Years 4–6 to help build emotional intelligence at Radford).

During this session, parents will have the opportunity to learn from Phil and Roshelle, ask questions, and engage in discussions about how we can support our children in developing their emotional intelligence.

When: 6:45–7:45 pm on Monday, 20 February
Where: RA Young Hall
What: An informative session offering practical strategies to increase emotional literacy, strategies for managing anxiety and emotional regulation.
Who: All parents and interested community members are encouraged to attend and take advantage of this valuable learning opportunity.

Please RSVP here by Sunday, 19 February to confirm your attendance.

2023 Parent Gatherings

Following the successful social gathering for many of our Pre-K parents in Week 2, we look forward to additional parent events in the coming weeks.

Next Monday, 20 February, we extend a very warm welcome to all Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 Parents to join our K-2 Parent Gathering. Please RSVP by Sunday, 19 February.

In addition to this child-free event being an opportunity for parents to connect over a beverage, it is also a chance for parents to chat socially with Junior School staff.

Parents of students in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 are invited to gather on Monday, 27 February. Please RSVP here.

By Kath Notley, Acting Director of Service Learning

Year 10 students volunteered their time at the Lifeline Canberra Bookfair, which returned for the first time since COVID-19 from Friday to Sunday, 10–12 February.

Crowds gathered from 2 am and our students were amazed at the extensive line up snaking through the carparks before the doors opened to the public.

Year 10 students assisted organisers with tallying sales, re-stocking shelves, assorting books, offering refreshments to customers waiting in line and supporting workers in the special collections area.

Lifeline Canberra’s Student Coordinator, Colin, was thrilled with the students’ efforts as no one could have imagined how busy the fair would be by 10 am.

Our team of volunteers were redeployed to ensure smooth movement of customers through the tallying process to minimise wait times.

See more photos of our students at the Lifeline Canberra Bookfair below.

By Tracy Kelly, Acting Head of Library and Information Services

This year, in the Years 5–12 Library, we celebrated Valentine’s Day with our annual Library Lovers' Day displays and activities.

Years 7 and 8 were going to be away on Camp from Monday, 13 February, so we began Library Lovers' Day on Friday, 10 February to ensure no one missed out. Students had the opportunity to join in the various quizzes and enjoy the book displays.

As always, the lolly jar count and book quiz were hotly contested, with our lucky winners enjoying a book prize and a huge jar of lollies to share with their friends.

Our very gothic and Addams Family-inspired book display was enjoyed by students and staff – especially by those who have watched the new Addams Family spin-off series, Wednesday.

We had several romance books on display and a lucky dip to encourage students to read a book they might not normally choose for themselves.

As you can see from the photos below, it was a fun and very busy few days in the library to celebrate and foster a love of reading and books.

The College Library staff hope you had as much fun on Valentine’s Day as we did.

Radford Basketball

By Ryan Kinnane, Head of Basketball

The College would like to congratulate the following students on their selection for the 2023 ACT Junior Basketball Representative Programs:

U18 Girls

• Grace Kent
• Holly Denman
• Jessi Palframan
• Millah Sullivan
• Rena Cao

U16 Boys

• Hamish O’Sullivan
• Kanyi Menakaya
• Nicholas Wen

U16 Girls

• Kaiya Barsby
• Madison Scholfield
• Poppy Smith

U14 Boys

• Aarav Kochhar
• Austin Saunderson
• Bryson Abraham

U14 Girls

• Ashley Ward
• Chloe Ji

U12 Boys

• Harry Wang
• Marcus Te Moananui

U12 Girls

• Alba Murphy
• Madeleine Richardt

BACT Scoretable Course

Basketball ACT will be conducting a Scoretable Course in the lead up to the 2023 winter season. This course is aimed at parents and volunteers who need some additional learning and exposure to what is required on the scoretable at a more specified basis.

Anyone who is involved in a representative program or in Basketball ACT’s Molten Junior Premier League is strongly urged to register.

This course is aimed for participants aged 15+ years.

When: Wednesday, 22 February 2023
Time: 6 pm-8 pm
Location: Belconnen Basketball Stadium
Cost: Free
Register you interest: Click here

Student Athlete Achievements

By Alex Timms, Sports Program Coordinator

Congratulations to Ruben Seow who competed at the 2023 Australian Youth Water Polo Championships, held in Perth in January. Ruben played in the U14 Boys Nordek team.

Water Polo – Last round before Christmas

By Molly Jones, Forward - Radford Water Polo

On Saturday, 10 December, the Year 7/8 Radford Raptors played their last game before the Christmas break against Woden Waves. In the first ten minutes of the game, the girls really had to persevere. At half time, Kate Daly explained good tactics for a successful game. Throughout the whole game, Phoebe Fox demonstrated great leadership while stopping goals.

Gemma O’Rourke and I gave the opponents a hard time while on offence. Kate Kristiansen, Svara Kelkar and Carys Hodgkinson were amazing on defence - not letting the ball pass them without fighting for it.

The girls have shown how much they have improved throughout this year of water polo. The final score was 3–9 to Waves. All the girls can agree this was one of the toughest games of the season, but with persistence, the girls managed a great first year of Secondary School water polo.

Football Refereeing

By Dianne Wilson, Sports Operations Manager

Capital Football has significantly increased referee payments (as much as 50 per cent in some age groups) for the 2023 season. You can now earn up to $70 refereeing Junior League games. Parents and students are encouraged to consider refereeing, which is also a great way to develop life skills and keep fit.

Those who commit to refereeing at Radford will also have the cost of the course and registration and half the cost of the uniform and equipment reimbursed.

Check out the Capital Football website for further information and upcoming courses, including online and female-only course options starting as soon as early February. The Level 4 course is recommended.

Contact Dianne.Wilson@radford.act.edu.au once you have completed a course to be appointed to games.

Please note – Radford Sport does not get officially notified by SSACT nor ACT-based associations when a student is selected in a representative team. This information is publicised on the SSACT Facebook page, the State Sporting Association websites, or needs to be provided by the student or parent to CCSports@radford.act.edu.au to be celebrated.

By Andy Fleming, Associate Chaplain

At the end of last year, Mr Scott Corbett, Mrs Erica Whitby and I accompanied 11 students to Eden to participate in the Eden Canoes project.

For participating students, the project is a practical opportunity to be immersed in the cultural experience of building wooden canoes, which grows their confidence and teamwork skills and gives them a greater cultural awareness.

We were privileged to be the first residential program for Eden Canoes. The students learnt so much about the culture and the lives of the local First Nations peoples through spending time with Indigenous mentors on Country.

As representatives of Radford, I couldn’t be prouder of the students' efforts and attitudes towards being part of our wider community.

Do you or your family know of someone who wants to attend Radford but whose financial circumstances prevent them? Please help us share the word about our Foundation Senior Scholarship (applications open now and until 3 March).

The Foundation Senior Scholarship is a full, two-year scholarship for one student commencing Year 11 in 2024. The scholarship covers 100 per cent of the tuition and capital levy fees for two years (Years 11 and 12), and up to 100 per cent of other College-related fees.

The scholarship will be offered to a student who demonstrates outstanding achievement and community involvement, but whose financial circumstances prevent them from attending the College.

For more information and to apply, please click here.