17 May 2023

By Mrs Jo O'Brien, Assistant Head of Junior School Learning and Teaching

On Friday, 12 May, we celebrated Mother’s Day as a Junior School community. The event, held at the Junior School undercroft, brought together students, teachers, and parents for a fun-filled morning of food, laughter, and celebration.

The highlight of the morning was the performances by our Songsters and Vox choirs, who entertained our community with their joyful singing and beautiful renditions of ‘Never Fully Dressed without a Smile’ and ‘When I Grow Up.’

College Principal, Mrs Fiona Godfrey, addressed the gathering and highlighted the importance of community connections. She encouraged our families to be involved in Radford College life in whatever capacity they can and emphasised how strong family-school partnerships help establish and maintain high expectations and contribute to positive attitudes about learning and student well-being.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped to make our Mother's Day Breakfast such a success. We are grateful for the dedication and thorough organisation of Mrs Tracey Markovic, Mrs Beth Maggs, Ms Kath Notley and Ms Cathy Jackson, as well as our hard-working Year 9 service-learning students, and the support of our other teachers and staff. Most importantly, we would like to thank all the wonderful mothers and mother figures who attended the event for their love, support, and inspiration.

By Oscar Boswell, Musical Captain

Musicals always feel like a gamble: will the show be as good as the one two years ago; why do the songs feel so hard; can any school band really play such sophisticated music; how could there be so few rehearsals remaining; and are the ticket sales okay?

Radford Theatre Company's production of Guys and Dolls faced the odds and won, not least thanks to its superb directors, Ms Tracy Bourne and Mrs Alira Prideaux, and to the inspirational conducting by Mr Caleb Campbell. Yet every time I am involved with a production at Radford, I am also amazed at what the students achieve. The depth and breadth of talent in co-curricular drama, Mr Nick Akhurst's tech drama class and the Tech Crew were on full display in Guys and Dolls. Students were behind its every aspect: set, staging, props, lighting, sound, and music. More than 90 of us – the largest Radford production group in years – acted, sang, danced, played, and ran the tech with a strong sense of community and determined professionalism. Guys and Dolls is a great vehicle for collaboration, in part because of its many key roles, both on stage and among the instrumentalists.

A number of character parts were double cast, with each cast bringing their own flavour and individual interpretations to the comic roles of Sky, Sarah, Adelaide, Nathan, and Nicely. Other memorable figures of musicality and hilarity included Benny, Harry the Horse, Arvide, Big Jule, and Lieutenant Brannigan. Most importantly, the opening and closing vignettes of 'Runyonland' and the showstopping numbers, 'Luck Be a Lady' and 'Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat', proved that this was a musical for the ensemble and for the amazing band musicians as much as for the leads. Friends were made across year groups, lights came up and went down again, and everybody who rolled the dice on the show this year won.

Our Autumn Concert was held in T.B. Millar Hall last Thursday, 11 May. Each of the following groups performed:

• Precision Percussion
• Songsters
• Haydn String Orchestra
• Gershwin Concert Band
• Vox
• Elgar Strings
• Camerata
• Corelli Chamber String Orchestra
• Bernstein Symphonic Wind Orchestra

It was a wonderful evening of quality music at all levels!

Thank you to the conductors, accompanists and music managers who were involved, and to our music directors, performing arts prefects, music captains, and performing arts administration team for their work toward this event.

Why engage in Music at Radford?

Music is one of life’s great experiences. The time students spend rehearsing and performing together create memories that are often revisited many years in the future. There is something transformative about the process of music making that is a gift.

What's more, the cognitive and social and emotional development that students undergo has been proven to be invaluable for a balanced education. Research has proven the benefits to all areas of learning that musical studies have on a student’s brain. Increased attentiveness, executive function, empathy, and creativity have all been linked with students studying music. Similar findings have also been discovered when exploring decision-making in young adults.

By Tracey Markovic, Assistant Head of Junior School Operations

Service is one of the six Round Square IDEALS that form the foundation of the Round Square educational philosophy. It emphasises the importance of serving others and making a positive difference in the community. The IDEAL of Service encourages students to develop a spirit of empathy and compassion, to engage in meaningful service activities, and to contribute to the well-being of others.

Earlier this year, our Year 5/6 Round Square students expressed an interest in visiting Calvary Aged Care to spend time and connect with members of our community. Ms Kath Notley introduced us to Betty, Calvary’s Diversional Therapist, who has been pivotal in our visits.

Each fortnight, students from Round Square have visited Calvary to spend time getting to know the residents. Family stories were told, photos of loved ones shared, and family trees drawn. There was even a friendly debate on whether big dogs are better than little dogs!

Last Friday, during their visit to Calvary, students entertained the residents with a Mother’s Day concert. The piano was played, dances were danced, songs were sung, and a few skits and jokes were shared (if you haven’t seen the skit about the invisible bench, you must! It brought about many a giggle from our audience). Students and residents enjoyed spending time together, laughing and smiling. At the conclusion of the performances, students had the opportunity to interact with the residents, reconnecting and finding out what they enjoyed the most.

We are very much looking forward to our next visit to Calvary to see our friends and connect with new ones.

By the Radford Awareness & Service (RAS) Junior ‘Bee Team’

Did you know? This Saturday, 20 May, is World Bee Day.

Did you also know? Our caretaker, Florin, has a beehive at his on-campus residence.

Late last term, RAS Junior students, accompanied by Ms Markovic, visited Florin and Cristina to find out about Radford's bees. When we were visiting, Florin told us that smoke scares bees because they think a fire is coming. They fill their mouths with honey and stay in the hive until they are certain there isn't a fire. They keep the honey safe.

We had a great time visiting the hive. Here are some of the things we learnt:

"Bees do not like dark colours. When Florin wore his dark Radford work clothes, the bees didn’t like it. They seemed to chase him!"

"When bees sting someone, they die. They are willing to sacrifice themselves to protect their queen."

"Did you know bees fight? Well, they do – we saw two bees having a fight!"

Cristina made us honey cookies, which we were allowed to taste. They were delicious! We also got to try the honeycomb and Radford honey. When we tasted the honeycomb, we chewed...and chewed...and chewed, and it turned into a gummy blob. It was like chewing gum.

When we visited the hive, we all got to get close to the hive, so we could see the inside of the hive. There were a lot of bees buzzing about. The saying is very true – as busy as a bee!

Winter School Holiday Program

Are you looking for something to do in the first week of the winter school holidays?

Improve your football (soccer) skills with Coerver Coaching, which is running a holiday camp on Radford's J.A. Mackinnon Oval, from 9 am-12 pm on Monday, 26-Thursday, 29 June.

The program is targeted at boys and girls from our U8-16 teams, and each day will include ball mastery, 1v1, receiving and passing, and small-sided games and tournaments.

In addition to the 12 hours of programmed Coerver Coaching sessions delivered by Coerver-accredited coaches, players will receive a Coerver Coaching training shirt, Adidas football, home study program and certificate of attendance.

Cost: $360

Click here to register.

Capital Football Girls Only Futsal Come and Try Session

Capital Football is running a free, girls only, come and try futsal session as part of Female Football Week on Friday, 19 May, from 6:30-7:25 pm at Dickson College. RSVP here.

Undefeated Radford Raptors!

We’re almost a quarter of the way through the Junior League Football season. A special shout out to our oldest teams – the Year 12 U18 Open Raptors and U18 Girls, currently sitting undefeated so far!

Cross Country Age Champions

Congratulations to the following students who were crowned Age Champions at the House Cross Country Carnival last week. Stay tuned for the House results at upcoming assemblies/celebrations.

Junior School

Secondary School

By Mr Nick Martin and Mrs Jo O’Brien, Assistant Heads of Junior School

On Tuesday of last week, two teams of Year 6 students ventured to Canberra Grammar School to compete in the DaVinci Decathlon. The DaVinci Decathlon is an academic competition in which students compete in teams of eight across ten disciplines: engineering, mathematics, code breaking, art and poetry, science, English, ideation, creative producers, cartography and legacy. The students work as a team throughout the day to complete the ten challenges. Teams have some autonomy over how they approach each problem so they can play to their strengths throughout the day.

Both teams performed exceptionally well, placing second and third in the final standings. More importantly, all students demonstrated outstanding behaviour, beautiful manners and positive interactions with the students from the other schools. The students should be very proud of themselves.

In unpacking the learning that was embedded in the DaVinci Decathlon, we asked the students to reflect on the day in response to the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) Approaches to Learning (AtLs). The AtLs are important skills that are embedded in all learning, from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 6, and are vital for success in the Secondary School and life beyond school. The AtLs fall into the following five areas: thinking, research, communication, self-management and social skills.

These were some of the reflections from the students:

"The DaVinci Decathlon really improved our self-management and thinking skills. We all had to think about things outside of the box and we had to face problems and questions that we would never face at school. We practised self-management because we had to manage our time and divide up the team to complete the papers. The DaVinci Decathlon included ways to help us grow and think of different things that we might not have previously," Dinugi Weerabaddana Dissanayake.

"Doing the Da Vinci Decathlon for the second time was very enjoyable; I loved doing it with my team, and our placing was amazing! This competition is extremely hard in every aspect. It challenges creative thinking, communication between people, organisation of tasks and your overall knowledge. For example, creative producers only gives you eight minutes to create a one-minute act, so communication, time management and collaboration are critical. Research is important too, because there are hidden clues in the questions that can give you a better chance at getting the questions right. In code breaking, there were five children but only three different soups; we had no idea what to do! All in all, this is a great experience for anyone and everyone. I absolutely loved it, and had the greatest time!" - Sophie Linton.

By Mr Nick Martin, Assistant Head of Junior School Learning and Teaching

On Monday of last week, Junior School teachers participated in ‘job-alike’ meetings with other International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) schools in Canberra. We now have 12 PYP schools in the growing local network. The ‘job-alike’ is an opportunity for teachers with similar roles to meet, build connections, and discuss practice. The hope of these sessions is that teachers are able to foster ongoing collaborative relationships with their colleagues from the other PYP schools in Canberra. This can be professionally enriching and also practically beneficial for all teachers.

Reflecting on the success of the ‘job-alike’ meetings, it was another moment where we were appreciative of the benefits of being an IB school. Not only can we break down some of the barriers that often exist between educational sectors locally, but we can also tap into a wealth of expertise nationally and globally. Earlier this year, Adelaide hosted the IB Global Conference, which saw educators from all around the world connect for four days of learning. Radford College was well represented with staff from the PYP and DP (Diploma Programme - Years 11 and 12) in attendance.

We are also due to host a team of IB educators who will facilitate our five-yearly IB Evaluation Visit in late July. This year, the PYP and DP will be evaluated together. We benefit greatly from this visit as the visiting team acts as a ‘critical friend’, supporting us to reflect upon our progress to celebrate achievements and identify areas for future programme development. It is a very healthy process for a school as we continue to grow, develop and improve.

We are proud to be an IB school and appreciate the opportunities to learn, reflect, collaborate and connect. We believe this makes us a better school and allows us to positively influence the educational landscape around us.

Brennon Dowrick OAM is one of Australia’s most successful male gymnasts and is now in demand internationally for his motivational speaking.

Brennon is also a Radford College Foundation Student (Class of 1989).

After competing at two Olympic Games, three Commonwealth Games and seven Gymnastics World Championships, as well as winning countless Gold Medals for his country, Brennon knows a lot about setting and achieving goals. Spending 18 years on scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport, Brennon discovered the importance of taking every opportunity presented to him to allow him to achieve his Olympic dream.

In addition to speaking, Brennon was on the Board of Gymnastics Australia in charge of High Performance and has been awarded an OAM for his achievements and services to Australia.

Collegians Long Lunch
When: Friday, 16 June
Where: The Marion, Regatta Point
Link to tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/radford-collegians-long-lunch-1ccbsdj4

Last chance to secure tickets to the Gala Opening

Tickets close at 9 am on Thursday, 18 May

Have you purchased your tickets for the Gala Opening Night of the 2023 Radford Art Show?

This popular community event will be held on Friday, 19 May from 7:00 pm in T.B. Millar Hall.

This will be the 39th year that the Radford Art Show has celebrated the work of local and regional artists, as well as student art.

Please join us as we celebrate many artists who will exhibit works in a wide range of media: oils, watercolours, digital media, photography, sculpture, ceramics, woodwork and more. These pieces will be for sale. Student art will also be on display across the weekend.

Gala Opening tickets: $20 per person (includes drinks and canapés).

Click here to buy tickets.

We are seeking donations to support Roundabout Canberra

The Radford College Parents & Friends Association is thrilled to work alongside Roundabout Canberra for the 2023 Winter Appeal.

We are seeking donations from the community for the following items in sizes 5-16:

• Pyjamas
• Socks
• Beanies
• Jackets
• Jumpers
• Long pants
• Long sleeve tops

Donations can be brought into the Principal's Building, located in front of T.B. Millar Hall.