School Newsletter Week 2 Term 1 2018

Important Information 9 February 2018

SCHOOL BUSES

Please use this email

tudor_bus@kings.edu.au

CLOTHING POOL – Open: 8.30am – 9.15am Tuesdays, term time or by appointment.

Contact the Office with details of all Student Absences. llenarduzzi@kings.edu.au

Upcoming Events:

Mon 12 Feb: PK-2 Parent Teacher Information Session 6-8pm

Tues 13 Feb: Shrove Tuesday

Thurs 15 Feb: Swim Medley 1-1.30pm

Thurs 15 Feb: Yrs 3-6 Parent Teacher Information Session 6-8pm

Fri 16 Feb: K-2 & 3-6 Swim Carnival

Mon 19 Feb: Yrs 3-6 Bullying Awareness

Fri 23 Feb: Yrs 5-6 Junior First Aid

Thurs 8 March: Summer Sports Photos

Tudor House Swimming

Carnival

Friday 16 February

K – 2: 10.00am – 12.30pm

Yrs 3 – 6 : 1.00 – 4.00pm

Please come along to support the

event and join the parent, sibling

or Old Tudorian races.

Head of School’s News

The eagerness with which the Tudor House students started the 2018 School year is infectious!! New routines have been

established and teaching and learning is in full swing! At the Parent/Teacher Information evenings in Week Three I look

forward to introducing you to the Tudor House teachers. The School Community is delighted to welcome the following

new teachers this year: Mrs Blanchard to teach Music (Choral), Mrs Richter to teach Music (Instrumental), Miss Dixon

to teach Year One and Miss West to teach French. Here is a little information about each recently arrived teacher:

Mrs Julie Blanchard has taught Primary School Music in the UK and Australia, as a class Music teacher, a choir mistress,

conductor and accompanist of combined choirs at festivals, teacher of a multitude of instruments to groups and

individuals (adults and children), and as an organiser of many school performances. Julie has worked as a Consultant

for Pre-school teachers in the Illawarra and Southern Highlands, as well as being a Director of a Community Music

School. Julie is well known in the Southern Highlands through her involvement with the highly regarded Southern

Highlands Youth Arts Council (SHYAC) performances, most recently A Roald Dahl Trilogy (with some Tudor House

performers) at The Mittagong Playhouse in which she directed singing and music. The Tudor House Choir enjoyed and

benefited from a few rehearsals with Julie at the end of 2017 when she stepped in to cover leave. Julie’s conducting and

accompaniment of the anthem, One Candle (Andy Beck) at the Carol Service, was simply beautiful. The students are

looking forward to developing their repertoire and love of singing with Julie. The Tudor House community is looking

forward to enjoying many more performances in the future.

Mrs Sophie Richter is both an experienced ESL and Music teacher, having developed and implemented curriculum in

both areas. As an accomplished musician, with Primary School training, Sophie has much to offer the Music department

at Tudor House. Sophie has taught a wide range of music, coordinated school musicals and led choirs. Sophie has a

particular interest in visible learning and a passionate understanding of the benefits children gain from learning to make

and appreciate music. Sophie is looking forward to building instrumental music programmes at Tudor House. As a

mum to three little boys, Sophie has lots of first hand expertise, in addition to her teaching, in channelling children’s

boundless energy!

Miss Annabelle West is well-known to the Tudor House students as a regular Casual teacher in 2017. She has training

and experience both as a Primary Classroom teacher and a French teacher so is ideally suited to teaching French to

Primary School students! Annabelle has a broad range of skills, having taught Music, Art, Drama, Sport and Learning

Support previously. Annabelle loves to travel, collecting teaching resources along the way from France, and New

Caledonia! Her skiing, musicianship and artistic ability may well come in handy at Tudor House too!

Miss Kim Dixon comes to Tudor House after ten years at Queenwood teaching Primary and Infants classes, and

previously at Picton Public School in learning support. Kim is pleased to be back in the Southern Highlands joining her

extended family who live locally. In addition to classroom teaching, Kim has coordinated sports teams, been involved

with Choral showcases and Drama productions. She has considerable experience with integrating technology into her

classroom practice. Kim is a passionate teacher, with a particular love for teaching Stage One students. We’re delighted

she’ll be teaching Year One at Tudor House.

Miss Tina Brown (Chaplain) will be at Tudor House on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, teaching Christian Studies to each

class, leading Chapel on Wednesdays and Crusaders at lunchtime on Tuesday (3 - 6) and Wednesday (K - 2). Miss Brown

is also The King’s School Prep School Chaplain (on Monday, Thursday and Friday). She has qualifications in PE and

Outdoor Education (well-suited to Tudor House!), as well as Theology. Previously Miss Brown taught and was on the

Chaplaincy team at The King’s School Senior School. We’re all delighted Miss Brown has joined us at Tudor House in

2018 in a more permanent capacity. She led several Chapel services last year and brought a group of TKS Yr 9 and Yr 10

Crusaders to visit.

The Tudor House community is particularly close and welcoming. We all benefit from a tremendous sense of belonging.

Our parent body is instrumental in continuing to build our strong community. I understand there’s been a tradition for

quite some time for each class to have a couple of mums, dads or carers (previously ‘Parent Representatives’) who make

new parents and carers feel very much part of our School by including them in local events (e.g. morning teas, dinners),

looking out for them at School functions and generally ensuring our most recent families feel informed and understand

the unique Tudor way of life! It’s always reassuring when there’s a fellow parent or carer there to help if you do for any

reason need assistance or some friendly advice. Mrs Trudeau shares contact details with each year group to facilitate this

process.

Thank you very much to parents who’ve offered to be their son or daughter’s Class Representative in 2018. I’ve included

the parents who’ve kindly offered to assist below. Please let me know if you’d like to represent your child’s class in the

way described above, thank you!

Pre-Kindergarten -

Kindergarten -

Year One - Kelly Bindon (McLean)

Year Two - Alisha Trudgeon

Year Three -

Year Four -

Year Five - Dharmita Maharaj (Rowjee); Tania Tout

Year Six (6C and 6J) - Mel Hartwright; Kate Manka

As an additional initiative for 2018, I propose we have a Parents’ Auxiliary (a group providing additional help and

support) to the School - The Tudor Rose Auxiliary. The purpose of this group is also to continue to build our community

through fun events for the parents and families at our School. Class representatives may of course choose to join this

group (I hope they do). This is for new and pre-2018 parents, dads, mums and carers! I suggest the Parents’ Auxiliary

meets twice per term, in the evening (7.00pm). Some possible events to organise: a Trivia Night, a movie night, a bush

dance, dinners. I’m sure the parents have lots more ideas! More about this at the Parent/Teacher Information Evenings

next week. Let’s have a meeting quite soon, in Week 4, so we have time for an end of Term One event: Tuesday February

20th at 7.00pm in the Library Theatre. I’m really looking forward to seeing you there. Please RSVP to Mrs Sue Trudeau

strudeau@kings.edu.au so we know how many cups to put out for supper.

The School Captains are looking forward to running the first TAG (Tudor House Action Group) meeting, also on

Tuesday February 20th at lunchtime. TAG meetings are rather like a Student Representative Council

meetings. Representatives from Years 2 - 6 (one student chosen per class each term) will meet to present Commendations

(i.e. what’s going well at School) and Recommendations (what can be done to improve things at School) suggested by their

class to the meeting. The number of reps per class and tenure of this important ‘office’ has been amended at the

suggestion of the students. The meeting will be ‘Chaired’ by the School Captain (Charlie Hartwright) assisted by Jack

O’Brien (Fisher House - Day Students Captain) and Hugo Wood (Boarding Captain). I’ll report the Commendations and

Recommendations to the School Community in the bi-weekly School Newsletters.

I remind you that next week we’ll have Parent/Teacher Information meetings:

Monday, February 12th 2018 6.00pm PK - 2 Parent/Teacher Information Evening:

Format - PK and K Parent/Teacher Information session 6.00pm - 6.45pm in your son/daughter’s classroom,

6.45pm - 7.15pm Yrs PK - 2 Parents in the War Memorial Hall Info session with Head of School and staff, Yr 1

and Yr 2 Parent/Teacher Information session in your son/daughter’s classroom 7.15pm - 8.00pm.

Thursday, February 15th 2018 6.00pm 3 - 6 Parent/Teacher Information Evening:

Format - Yr 3 and Yr 4 Parent/Teacher Information session 6.00pm - 6.45pm in your son/daughter’s classroom,

6.45pm - 7.15pm Yrs 3 - 6 Parents in the War Memorial Hall Info session with Head of School and staff, Yr 5

and Yr 6 Parent/Teacher Information session in your son/daughter’s classroom 7.15pm - 8.00pm.

On Monday evening this week, the Headmaster, Mr Tony George and Mrs George enjoyed dinner with the Boarders in

one of their regular visits to Tudor House. On Tuesday, the Headmaster was joined by the Registrar, Mr Peter Reuben,

who hosted a Tea and Talk session for Year 6 parents to present information and answer questions about The King’s

School in preparation for Year 7 2019. We all learnt such a lot about the amazing opportunities at TKS!

Please note that Scholarship applications (for Year 6 2018 boys) close on Friday February 16th. Please go to:

http://www.kings.edu.au/enrolments/scholarships.php for more information:

18 February 2018 – Day Student Candidates

25 February 2018 – Boarding Student Candidates

26 February 2018 – Short-listed Music Scholarship Auditions

March 2018 – Short-listed Interviews

April/May – Awardee’s Notified

You may recall that I wrote to Tudor House Year 5 2017 parents in September 2017 with news that an Academic

Scholarship and a Citizenship Scholarship (fee subsidy at the Headmaster’s discretion) will be awarded to Tudor House

Year 6 2018 students (two Scholarships) for Year 7 2019 entry to The King’s School, based on the Scholarship application

process.

The Headmaster visited each class on Tuesday to catch up with the boys and girls before he had to dash back to North

Parramatta for meetings!

Swimming trials this week have enabled us to ‘time’, organise and prepare students for races at the Tudor

House Swimming Carnival on Friday February 16th. I understand it is the custom for parents attending

the Swimming Carnival to wear their son or daughter’s House colour (Red, White or Blue!) and to bring

swimmers for the Parents’ Race.

Yrs 2 - 6 teachers will have notified you that students in these grades will now change for PE lessons, at School. Please

ensure that your son/daughter has his/her PE uniform at School on their class PE days.

In the coming weeks more lunchtime activities with resume and begin. Choir has got off to a tuneful start in 2018, with

record numbers keen to join! Crusaders with Miss Brown and Coding (for Yrs 5 and 6 at first) with Mr Ewald should

start soon.

Thank you for your enquiries and well wishes about Mr Jamie Everingham, our Catering Manager’s recovery from an

upper respiratory illness. Jamie will be back at Tudor House as soon as he’s given permission by his doctor! On behalf of

the whole School community, a huge thank you to Ingrid, Kelly, Julia, Brigitte (and we’ve brought in Frank too!) who

are all working even harder than usual to bring us the wonderful meals at Tudor House that we’ve become accustomed

to and very grateful for!

I look forward to seeing you at the Parent Teacher Information meetings next week. Thank you for a fabulous start to

2018.

Anni Sandwell

Head of School

0420 988 492

asandwell@kings.edu.au

Mrs Sandwell and Captains: Jack O’Brien, Charlie Hartwright,

Hugo Wood and Phoenix Sparke.

Mrs Anni Sandwell and the Tudor K-5

girls.

Boarding House News After a warm greeting from the parents of Hugo Wood (2018

Captain of Boarding), families were given a hand to wrangle

swags, bags and other bits of kit up the Medley stairs. Boys,

eager to find their new dorms and select the ‘best bed’, raced

ahead. Medley House was once again humming with the

sounds of excited children, ready to start another fantastic

year at Tudor House.

As soon as goodbyes were over, Full Blues were exchanged

for the Khakis and the troops headed down to Foxy Creek.

Returning boarders, keen to show their new mates around,

conducted a ‘cook’s tour’ which included lessons on where to catch the best yabbies. The hunt for yabbies soon

turned into an opportunity for a swim and before long, new

and old boarders were cooling off in one of the creek’s

waterholes.

Last weekend the boarders stayed on site. We made use of

our new orienteering course. James Parry-Okeden and Will

Johnson came first in the Boarders’ Inaugural Orienteering

Challenge. The boys loved the challenge of orienteering and

we will be definitely be doing more of this great sport this

Term.

The boarders all participated in a canoeing survival course.

The boys learnt how to remain calm when their canoe

capsized and how to ensure their mate’s safety too. Not only

did the boys have to capsize their canoe, they had to self-

rescue: swimming their upturned canoe to shore, hauling it

onto the bank and emptying it of water. Although the boys

had a great deal of fun, by the end of the activity they were

exhausted - for a canoe full of water is incredibly heavy!

Boarders camped out on Friday and Saturday nights,

unrolling their swags as the sun went down over Year 6

Kahiba. To top it off, the boys lit their own fire and cooked

up all the yabbies they had caught during the day. They were delicious!

I would like to thank the Captain of

Boarding, Hugo Wood, for all his help over

the past week. The start of a school year is a

particularly busy time. Hugo has worked

tirelessly to help boarding staff get everyone

settled in and organised. Thank you too, to

Tim and Amy, for all your help helping new

and returning boarding families move in last

Wednesday.

A reminder: Year 5 boarders are beginning an inquiry into their

family’s heritage in class. If you are able to send me any

information/photos/text about your family’s heritage, I will help

the boys organize their assessment task during Prep. Year 6

boarders are required to obtain some photos that represent them

and their interests (e.g. riding motorbikes, with family, with

pets…). You can either send these to me or Miss Coleman.

The boarding staff are looking forward to helping your son

enjoy a wonderful year in boarding. Please do not hesitate to

contact me if you need my assistance at any time.

Tim Jenkinson

Head of Boarding

tjenkinson@kings.edu.au

News from the Director of Teaching & Learning

Over Scheduling

Welcome back to school and the busyness of term time. There are so many extra-curricular activities for our

students, it is timely to consider their overall well-being. The next two terms are the colder terms and the days are

shorter. These environmental factors combined with homework, sports training, music lessons and dance

rehearsals, leave our students tired and their immune systems depleted. Now is the time to be managing their

schedule and ensuring their week is not over-crowded with activities.

Children require a balance of playtime, down time and family time in order to achieve optimal health and school

engagement. These are things that every child needs in order to thrive physically, mentally, and academically—

and they need them every day.

Playtime: Play is really the work of children. It helps them to solve problems, negotiate with others, try out new

ideas and identities, and develop self-regulation, among other things. Playtime can include structured activities,

such as soccer training and an after-school dance class, and it can include unstructured activities, such as playing

with Lego or going to the cricket nets with friends. For all ages, research suggests that play—when it is freely

chosen, unstructured, and child-directed—is linked to a wide variety of positive outcomes including increased

cognitive skills, physical health, self-regulation, language abilities, and social skills (Alliance for Childhood, 2010;

Barker et al., 2014; Hofferth & Sandberg, 2001).

Downtime: Life these days is hectic. Everyone is flat out trying to chase their tail and cram 32 hours of a day into

24. It is madness but we all do it. Running from activity to activity is exhausting for adults and children alike.

Students require time each day that is not focused on structured play or academics; rather, it is time to reflect and

to do nothing much—literally. That might mean listening to music, reading a book, watching a television show, or

spending time outside. Even a moderate amount of screen time- playing a video game, watching a TV show, can

be a good way for children to relax before getting started on homework. Being BORED can be good!

Sleep is an obvious component of downtime for all ages, and many students just don’t get enough of it. The

recommended sleep time for children ages 6 to 13 years old is 9 to 11 hours a night.

Family Time: Finally, family time is a significant factor in establishing well-being and optimum school

engagement. Research has found that when students are part of a family unit that spends time together, they

are more likely to feel supported, safe, and loved unconditionally.

As we are in Week 2 of the term, I encourage you to sit down with your children and plan their week. List their

activities before and after school for each day and outline when they will complete their homework and manage

their playtime, downtime and family time. We are, after all, all aiming for optimum engagement and learning

whilst at school.

Caitlin Hayman

Director of Teaching & Learning

chayman@kings.edu.au

News of Tudor House Snowsports

2018 Snowsports

Despite this gorgeous summer, the planning stage is now upon us for the 2018 Snowsports season. After coming

off a very successful and fun 2017 ski season, we are keen to maintain our Snowsports at Tudor House takes two

forms:

1. Tudor House Snowsports Interschools Competition Team

This programme is an inter-schools based competition and suits skiers and snowboarders with some

experience. Students are able to enter the following Snowsports events: downhill (alpine, skier-x, and moguls),

snowboard and cross country.

2018 Interschools’ dates:

Travelplan Ski Northern NSW Championships - July 9th—14th @ Thredbo

Westpac NSW & ACT Cross Country Championships - August 22 @ Perisher Trails

Subaru NSW State Championships - August 20-25 @ Thredbo (Tudor House Ski Club Week)

Subaru Australian Championships - September 5-9 @ Perisher

2. Tudor House Ski Club

This programme is non-competitive and suits skiers and snowboarders of all levels as well as their families who

are looking to enjoy skiing at a social level. The emphasis is on learning new skills, developing confidence, whilst

having fun and forming a life-long love of snowsports.

2018 Ski Club date:

August 20-25 @ Thredbo

Registration for the Tudor House Ski Club is: Monday 26th February, 2018

To confirm your place on our Ski Week, please pay a $500 non-refundable deposit per student ($100

registration fee + $400 deposit towards lessons) online through our website:

https://quickweb.westpac.com.au/OnlinePaymentServlet2?communityCode=ISQWEB&currencyC

ode=AUD&supplierBusinessCode=TUDOR

PLEASE BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATION NOW!

Over the years many Tudor parents have used On Snow Reservations. On Snow Reservations will continue to

assist Tudor House parents in 2018. Early bird deals (discounts) end 29 February, 2017.

Contact: ON SNOW RESERVATIONS 1800 008 838 www.onsnow.com.au

Registration forms for the Tudor House Snowsports Racing Team and the Tudor House Ski Club accompany

this Newsletter for those families who intend on participating in either programme.

Please ensure that you are able to commit if you are selecting the Tudor House Snowsports Team

programme. Unfortunately, once registrations are paid for there will be no refunds.

Complete and return your registration form to: chayman@kings.edu.au

Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. We will be holding an information night towards the

end of term and will distribute more information after registration closes.

Looking forward to a successful and fun Snowsports season.

Caitlin Hayman

Coordinator of Snowsports Tudor House

News from Pre-Kindergarten

Pre-Kindergarten says yes to Chicken Duty

It has been a joy this week to welcome our youngest members of

the Tudor House community.

A highlight of our first week was completing the first of our

regular ‘Chicken Duty’ on Tuesday afternoon. We collected the

scrap buckets from Ingrid in the kitchen and proceeded to set off

down the hill to the chicken coop.

The ‘girls’ in the coop were extremely hungry and felt very happy

with our offering of lunch scraps.

We were delighted to collect eight eggs from the laying boxes before setting off back up the hill.

On our way back to the

kitchen, we took it in turns to

hold the rather ‘stinky’ scrap

buckets. We created story

pictures about our first chicken

feeding expedition.

Alison Lawson

Pre-Kindergarten Teacher

alawson@kings.edu.au