HouseNews

And in other elements of the newness (or a sense of pre COVID days), in coming together for the first time as a school… we realised that in our first full face to face regular Secondary Assembly last Friday, that the students had not sung the School Song since February 2020! So, we will be practising this week in order that all will be in full voice for this essential element of our School culture.

This is a significant week for the PHPA with our wonderful Mothers’ Day Lunch on Thursday. A booked-out event within a couple of hours of going live on-line, our Co-Presidents Sheridan Millward and Kate Parsons have worked their magic, and all is in readiness for our foray away from the usual Hall venue. I am sure everyone who has managed to get a ticket will have a great time and have, in addition, the opportunity to take away some of the magnificent raffle prizes donated so generously by each class. Thank you to all our parents who have supported our School in this way. I look forward to sharing some of the photos I shall undoubtedly take at the event to showcase a little of the day.

Last week I had a preliminary viewing of the initial fly-through presentation of our Master Plan works that we will place on our website shortly. I am sure you will be as delighted as I was in the way our architects have captured the essence of the works. Our prime feature at Pittwater House is the natural grassed oval and extent of play space and recreation opportunities that many schools on the beaches simply do not have. Therefore, the sense of green with our trees and gardens and opportunities for environmental works, remains central to the planning that has taken place. We are so fortunate to have these features on hand… no need for Pittwater House students to walk or be bussed to their play areas or have small outdoor areas on the tops of multi storey buildings. There is much research that focuses on the importance of play and outdoor recreation spaces to complement the indoor learning engaged in daily by our students.

As we have shared in the last edition of House News, work will start on the new kiss and drop facility and the extensions to the Secondary South and West wings, in the September Recess… and as with all building works, we must hope that there are not too many unforeseen delays. To achieve improvements on the scale planned, there will be some disruptions for us all, but that is the price of progress, as I am sure you will agree. We continue to be mindful of the need to maintain all student activities and learning opportunities with the minimal inconvenience.

Meanwhile, I hope we can all salute our Mothers. Their role for us all must provide daily awe and acknowledgement. Whether we have the joy of our mothers still close to us, or the memories of all that our mother’s have done for us, let us celebrate this not only on Sunday, but daily, in word and deed.

Our two ANZAC Assemblies, for the Secondary and Junior Schools, provided a wonderful opportunity for the School to gather and reflect. Our Cadets performed with distinction as did our Band participants. We were honoured to  have our local Federal Member, Mr Jason Falinski attend and deliver the Ode for the Secondary Assembly and Pty Officer Mark Butler, HMAS Brisbane deliver the Ode in the Junior School Assembly. The students are to be commended on their reverence in such a setting. Our Cadets provided the Catafalque Party at the Manly Dam Service on ANZAC Day and were involved at the Collaroy Sunset service where SUO Chris delivered an excellent address.

On Sunday morning (25 April) I helped 'Light up the Dawn' at 6am alongside my family and neighbours. I really wanted to commemorate this special day for the Australian and New Zealanders who served and died in wars and conflicts.   

I read a service to our neighbours which included background information of ANZAC day, the ode and history about the Last Post.  My primary school aged neighbour played the Last Post and my younger sister played Advance Australia Fair on her flute.  We then observed 1 minute silence.

This day is important to me because I often stand alongside my grandfather who fought in the Vietnam War as an engineer in the navy on HMAS Hobart II – 48 years ago.  I am thankful to be here today because his ship was bombed in friendly fire and some of his seamen friends died.

My great-grandfather fought in the army as a soldier WW11 in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea -75 years ago.  It was the first time the Japanese enemy was stopped and I’m glad otherwise Australia might be a different country today. 

I also felt privileged to witness the Sunset service on Collaroy beach hosted by Collaroy RSL sub-branch.  I witnessed the Cadets from my school participate in official duties and I was moved  watching the wreath being sent out to sea in a Collaroy SLSC surfboat to remember the fallen.

Sienna (C10)

Over the holidays the cadet unit had their annual bivouac. The bivouac is a three-day camp where the cadets get to show off their navigation skills in a field environment. The lead up to the bivouac consisted of ensuring the cadets had thorough knowledge of both navigation and first aid. On arrival of Douglas Park the cadets set up their sleeping areas and while the CUO’s where placing the navigation points out in the forest surrounding the campsite the cadets filled out their navigation data sheets that they would need to complete the navigation exercise. That evening the cadets participated in 'Operation Starlight' where the older members of rank acted out various common injuries found in the field and the cadets had to assess the mock patients, identify the injury, and apply the correct treatment. The cadets did a great job of correctly identifying the injuries. The next morning after the traditional cadet warmups the cadets started off on their navigation legs. This day was the most challenging part of the camp however the cadets stepped up to the challenge and successfully navigated to all the points across the area. For many of the cadets this was their first time being in a field environment and so were quite nervous but the older members of the unit who had been on camps coached them through the experience. Apart from a few minor blisters there were no injuries and the feedback from the cadets was overwhelmingly positive.  

The Adventure Training Award (ATA) is the most physically and mentally demanding course that is available for cadets to complete. The course consisted of five days with the middle three being the 'challenge phase'. Our cadet unit was lucky enough to get six senior rank members onto the course. The course was held on Holsworthy army barracks located in south-western Sydney. Around 120 cadets participated on the course but only around 100 passed by the end of the course. The hardship that we all endured across the course allowed us to build our character and improve our leadership skills. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience. The other senior rank members who participated have written up their experience of ATA.

SUO Chris 

My name is Anderson and I was one of the 6 to achieve my ATA2021 award. I am so glad I was able to participate in this camp and achieve the award after the 5 days of assessment. My syndicate became great friends to me as we all thought the same and all had similar Banta levels. The nicknames everyone was given at the start of the camp made the trip even more fun as we could always have a laugh no matter where we were.  However, the 3 hours of sleep each night made the camp challenging but even more worthwhile.  

My name is Paris and during the holidays, I embarked on the Adventure Training Award 2021, an experience in which I was able to challenge myself both physically and mentally in developing my field skills, successfully completing the award. I was able to participate in a number of activities on Holsworthy Army Barracks, including obstacle courses, weapon simulation training, navigation and first aid exercises. ATA21 was a great experience, despite the small amounts of sleep, and the cold mornings, and there are many aspects of this course I hope to utilise to better the cadet experience for our school unit. I am very grateful for the bond I was able to create with my syndicate over the 5 days we spent together, and highly recommend the experience for those considering applying in future years.  

My name is Sascha and I attended the 2021 ATA in the Term 1 holidays with 5 other Pittwater House students. The camp was an incredible but difficult experience. Despite the cold and exhaustion, I met some incredible people from the community and other school units. I loved getting to know these people and being given the opportunity to support and connect with them in an unfamiliar situation. Each challenge was difficult, but we learned and adapted together.  

My name is Jamie and for me ATA was a really cool experience and upon arrival all the cadets were tense with anticipation, not knowing what to expect. We were then introduced to our syndicates, the groups that we would be sharing the ATA experience with over the coming days, and trucked off to our campsites in bushmasters (huge army trucks). Over the next couple days we battled obstacle courses, navigation exercises and personal training, all done with roughly 3 hours sleep a night and some nutritious cadet ration packs. We finished up by cooking up a huge meal while we waited for our parents to arrive.  

My name is Jared, and I am a participant and recipient of ATA 2021. It all seemed very intimidating from the beginning, all the people in uniform and the massive complexes at Holsworthy army barracks set the scene for what was a fun 5 days. The lack of sleep, constant assessments and physical activities often felt intense, but it was the camaraderie of our syndicates (the teams we worked in) that made it enjoyable. Being able to run through the army obstacles course, working with friends, climbing obstacles suspended above a pool while your mates cheer you on really made the experience a lot more rewarding. It’s safe to say I’ve learnt a lot and I’m excited to share what I’ve learnt with the other members of the cadet unit. I’d like to thank CPT McClean for his hard work in cadets and to get us onto ATA and I’d like to thank the school for the opportunity their cadet program opened up for me. 

Year 5 students arrived at School on the Friday of the first week back to find the blinds drawn and the doors locked. The result? Suspense and intrigue! They were directed to the Deck whereupon they were informed that the classrooms had transformed into a European Settlers Exhibition, a Gold Experience and an Indigenous Australian Portrait Gallery. Given 45 minutes to explore the spaces, students were asked to ‘get curious’ and make note of their questions and areas of intrigue. There was an incredible level of engagement and interest displayed by the students in addition to sharing some of their wonderings and observations. The Year 5 teachers feel energised and excited about where the students will go this term when considering perspective for our History unit on Early Settlement.

On the 22nd of April 2021, Year 11 Earth and Environmental Science went on excursion to Kimbriki. This excursion gave us a great insight into Waste management and the impacts that Human have on the environment including water and soil, which we are studying this Term 2. We were led around by our guides at Kimbriki, Rachel and Peter, who made us reflect on our own impacts and waste management at home and around the Pittwater House community.

Our excursion allowed us to gain a first-hand insight into the individual impacts of our waste. We had a tour around the site and saw how each type of waste was sorted then would be sent off to be recycled. Even though 80% of the materials would be recycled on-site, there is still room for improvement. The EcoHouse and Gardens was next, and we saw the permaculture garden the team had set up, utilising the most out of every plant they had. Almost every part of the garden was made from materials they had collected from the site. This gave us a good idea of the sort of garden our school could set up. This was most certainly our favourite part of the excursion because we got to taste the native raspberries and cherries, learn how to take care about compost and worm farm. This excursion to Kimbriki made us reflect on our own as well as the school's impact and how we all need to be conscious of our actions.

Hannah (C11)

The Year 11 Geography undertook some fieldwork at Kurnell on Tuesday the 27th April, looking at the intertidal wetlands and focusing on the mangrove ecosystem. The students conducted a number of fieldwork activities including identification of different plant and animal species, collecting water samples and testing for salinity as well as a number of geographical skills. The students were amazed by the variety of aquatic species they were able to catch and identify. The students also took on the mantra of ‘take 3 for the sea’ and collected many pieces of rubbish that had been washed down the river. The class had a great day exploring the biophysical interactions at the wetlands in Kurnell.

Pittwater House now offers an Afterschool Swim Program on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4.00 to 5.30pm in the School Pool. Information has been placed on Skoolbag. For further information, please contact Bernadette Johnson on:

Softball

The Manly Warringah season of club softball has now come to a close for Georgia (J1) and Rose (J1). The girls were coached by Shontelle (C10) and Melanie (J6) and ended up winning their teeball competition in the final on the weekend. Their team were very dedicated and achieved the highest level they can for their age group. Marley (J5) also was part of the winning Modball B team that was coached by Mrs Layton. Well done girls. These girls will now go on to represent their association through representative or development softball in relevant age groups.

NSW State Teams Tennis Championships

Congratulations to Amy (J6) and her team (Metro Dynamite) won the 12/U State Teams Tennis Championships in Bathurst. They played all weekend against teams from across the state, with her team winning their side of the pool, then the playoffs for first place. Well done, Amy.

NSWPSSA State Championships

Congratulations to Amy (J6) who led the CIS girls’ team to victory at the NSWPSSA State Tennis Championships. The girls won their pool, then played off for a place in the final against a tough Mackillop team, with CIS coming away with the win. Both the boys and the girls CIS teams won (our Manager Sue Watts was very happy). CIS were also presented with the Don Moon Trophy for the highest combined region/association point score. 

Topping off the event, Amy was selected in the NSWPSSA State Tennis Team for 2021 to represent NSW Nationally (only 7 girls and 7 boys were selected). Well done Amy.

Little Athletics NSW Youth State Championships

Congratulations to both Ruann (G8) and Leo (G8) who competed in this year's Little Athletics NSW Youth State Championships. Ruann competed in, won the javelin, and came 12th in discus! An amazing effect Ruann.

Leo came 2nd in the Heats U14 boys 90m hurdles, so he qualified for the final. He came 6th in the hurdle's final – it was an amazing line up of athletes and the boy who won smashed the NSW state record, so it was an extremely high standard. Well done to both boys.

Australian Athletics Championships

Congratulations to Ruann (G8) who came 4 at the Australian Athletics Championships during the April School Holidays in Javelin; well done Ruann.

The Australian National Swimming Championships

Congratulations to Conner (G10) who recently competed in Queensland at The Australian National Championships. He made it to the finals in his events (400m freestyle and 800m freestyle and relay). He came 7th in all his events; well done Conner.

Australian Surf Lifesaving Championships

Congratulations to Conner (G10) for competing in and taking home the Gold medal at the Aussies 2021 Surf life saving for Surf race as well as taking home the silver in Ironman!