- Mr Ramos, Head of Primary

 

On Monday, Redfield remembered the service of Australian men and women in war through a whole-day presentation in the College Hall. With the room packed with WW1 memorabilia provided by Australian Military History's Paul Martin, all students in the school had an opportunity to participate. To begin, I gave a presentation about the end of World War 1 and the significance of Remembrance Day. Following this, students were able to view and, in many cases, handle genuine items from the war and inquire about the nature and purpose of these items. This is a particularly significant activity, as it allows the boys to connect with the experiences and events of the past in a very direct way and grow a truly empathetic connection to the history of our country. Lastly, students were able to ask questions and learn more about specific items, drawing on the knowledge and experience of Paul and his team of military historians. 

Throughout the day, both Primary and Secondary students were incredibly well behaved and showed the appropriate respect for such a solemn occasion. It was commented regularly that these were some of the best-behaved students the team had met and the quality of the questions asked was particularly impressive. 

In addition, there are also two other projects that the College has conducted for Remembrance Day: an educational display and the creation of the Australians At War Learning Centre. For the former, students from Years 5 to 12 have contributed to an educational display which tracks the events and developments of the war from 1914 to 1918 and which can be viewed in the Library. In addition, the school has constructed an Australians At War Learning Centre in the Library, containing wonderful memorabilia items that will be used throughout our regular teaching practice in ongoing years. More information about this will be available in coming weeks, along with some photos. 

- Mark Anderson, Head of History

 

I was very impressed by the enthusiasm of our students and the overall quality of projects submitted.

- Andrew Murray, Primary Deputy

It is almost the end of the academic year in Mathematics. We have a few minor challenges to get through such as exams, rounding off the course and choosing carefully our course of study next year (for those students who do have a choice). 

You may disagree with the idea of calling exams and choosing your course for next year minor. In my view, the two mentioned follow on from the hard work we do during the course of the year. Exams are about showing what you have done during the year. Choosing your next course is also dependent on what you have been doing during the year. 

The major idea with Mathematics is that you busy yourself with studying the subject throughout the year (consistency). We have too many students say: “I am waiting for exams so that I can study” and ask “which chapters do I have to study for the upcoming exams, sir?” 

During the year, you have time to work on understanding concepts (time management and understanding). The concepts in Mathematics become easier the more time you spend contemplating and practising them. So, we can do better next time. At Redfield, let us commence our study of Mathematics early, so that exams and choosing courses become a formality. 

Why do I have to study Mathematics? This question comes up often in a time when students can lift their mobile phone and say “Siri, what are prime numbers?” or just google it and get a ready answer. 

It is always a struggle to explain to young men the connections between the mathematics we learn at school and real life. A complete answer to this question is not always possible, as young men do not have the life experience to grasp the complexities of life and have not yet been exposed to them. Another is that we cannot predict our future and the mathematical requirements it will hold. 

I do believe, however, that the study of mathematics brings with it intended and unintended consequences for all young men. 

It helps them be financially prudent and wise. Understanding numbers and having good numeracy skills enables one to grasp the underlying reasons for any financial decisions. Numeracy skills enable one to follow recipes, to read data and to manage a household budget. We are called upon to make wise purchases in a time when things are becoming costly. Do we know how to calculate successive discounts quickly? Are we able to discern between different data plans offered by telcos?

It develops logic, critical thinking and decision-making skills. In Mathematics, we teach logic. It simply is not good enough just to give answers to problems. We need to be able to explain in a consistent, logical manner how we arrive at the answers. The processes involved in arriving at answers should be cost-effective and simple. We base decisions not only on answers but on all the ideas leading to the answer. These abilities could help our young men at Redfield become better managers, better dads and better community leaders. We can do better! 

It provides them with the skills required for jobs today. My brother is a builder. He employed a young man as an apprentice and the following happened. The young man was asked to measure a length and then dig a trench. After a while, my brother discovered that this young man could not do a simple measurement and did not know the different units of length. Siri could not help him. 

Many jobs require mathematical skills. Some skills are obvious requirements for some occupations such as builders, doctors, engineers and architects, to name a few. Some are not so obvious. Animators use linear algebra and transformations to create spectacular visual effects. Computers game engineers use game theory and applied mathematics. The skills we learn now are useful. 

It provides them with skills for the jobs of tomorrow. We do not know what the future will be like but I know it will be mathematical. The fastest growing new industries are in the fields of science, technology and engineering. These all require mathematical skills. 

One last point: at Redfield we introduced Mathspace across all years of study to assist students with their studies. At the heart of any assistance program is the philosophy that students should firstly make a good attempt at their classwork and homework. I find that many students still come to class without any preparations or homework done. We have to change this. Teachers and parents have to check with the boys and ensure that these basics are done. No online assistance program can assist us when we do not do the basics. 

As from next term, parents will be added to their son’s Mathspace account and will receive updates as to what is expected to be done when their son has a task due. Parents may choose to opt out and will need to notify the Mathematics Department if they do not want to receive updates but, to begin with, everyone will be opted in by default. We will trial this idea over the coming summer holidays. 

I wish all students all the best in their upcoming Mathematics exams, as they will be a great chance to show what we have learnt over the last year!

 - Leon E. Petersen, Head of Mathematics