Ben Shvarts

The beginning of high school

My first two weeks at school was a new change in my life. The new routine the new children new teacher’s and classrooms, it was all exhilarating for me and especially for others. When I first walked into the gates and seeing that my mother was already starting to tear we had to follow our Teachers who had to divide us into five groups.

My group was told by the teachers to discuss the rules, and how to read the time table each of us got and which classes we would be in for the year to come. We had a brief tour of classes than straight after that we looked in our schedules and went off to class and my first class to start the year was science.

Then after the entire whole school introduction it was home time and within that time from 8:50 till 3:30 I made at least twenty friends. Which were all nice boys and girls then as soon my mum was approaching the school I saw her face and she was still tearing and she asked me at least seven thousand question of my first day at a High school.

On my second day of school we had the swimming carnival it was a fun day with lots of excitement we had events like freestyle which I came third in and other fun events like the participation event and the relay. Also the teacher’s had their own event. Then after all that we got back at 3:00 and I was exhausted and relived that the day had ended. Then we had to go the teachers for them to dismiss us.

Day 3 camp it was early in the morning when I had to wake up let’s say like 6:30 in the morning to get there on time. I had to eat breakfast really early and my mum kept telling me to hurry and finish your breakfast so you don’t be late for the bus taking us to the scout camp.

Then when I arrived there I got there at 8:00 and departure time was at 8:45. So during that time I was playing with friends touch footy for about 30 minutes then after that we had roll call. Then straight after that we had to find partners on the bus then we left straight for the camp.

Then when we arrived there the bus stopped and our camp instructor got in the bus and told the children in the bus what do before going in your cabins. So we had to go to the meeting place in the wood area and settle our bags there. After that we went to the kitchen to have a snack then straight after that we went straight to activities. Then later in the day after I and my group finished the activities we got our cabin number and went straight to them.

Day 4, we left our cabins which my friends Jonathan, Sam and Jordan we went to the dining area and straight after that my group went straight to the activities such as caving, obstacle course and big swing. 

Day 5 the same routine but the only thing is it was leaving day so before anything we had to pack our bags and put them outside our cabins then we got I our groups again and our final activity was the mystery hunt which was really fun and challenging.

3 hours after we had to get on the bus and leave the camp site and return home to reddam were each and one of our parents were waiting for us and that is how the beginning of my first week of high school was for me.

Task - My First 2 weeks at school

Task 1

My first two weeks at school!

By Lucas Brown

My mum dropped me off at school carrying two heavy bags with all my books in it. I walked to the gates and saw this big enormous building, probably twice the size of my old school! I had butterflies in my stomach thinking “oh wow this is a big school, “ but as for me I am now a big kid.

Thinking about all the fun and interesting subjects got me jumping, meeting the teachers and students, “Oh boy” I knew they were going to be nice, then the butterflies came back. When I thought of the tests and assignments that my older brother had told me about, (there were tests every Friday), but that didn't scare me, I got rid of those butterflies and knew I would do well. I was DETERMINED! I stopped in the school and was wondering, “why hasn't anyone else got their books.” so I walked up to Jono, (I knew Jono from my old school, he left in year 3.) and asked “were we meant to bring all our books,” looking confused, He replied “no we weren't.” thinking why did my own mother make me carry these very heavy books? Obviously I looked worried, as a teacher came to me and asked “is anything wrong?” I responded with “yes,” and I talked to this teacher about what happened, he asked “is your mother coming ” I said “yes.” so he told me to wait here till my mum came.

Two minutes later she came in and I told her everything, whilst walking up the stairs we bumped into Mr. Pitcairn, my principal. I was delighted when Mr. Pitcairn kindly offered to take my books into his office, as our new lockers were not yet available. The rest of my first day consisted of a English and a Maths test to assess our ability. After that challenging day I was ready for my next... the Swimming Carnival!

It was a great day, I came third in breaststroke and also played rugby with year 12's with a water bottle. The next three days I knew would be the best of the year, CAMP!

When we got there after one and a half hours, we were told about the activities. There were eight, there was the Giant Swing, Rock Climbing, Pioneering, Orienteering, Waterslide, Flying Fox and Challenge Valley. My favourites were, the Giant Swing, Challenge Valley, (which was very muddy), and the Waterslide. The food that they provided was excellent, everyone was talking whilst masticating their food. My favouite was the hamburger, I savoured its delightful taste. I looked forward to getting home and having a great big sleep, after all I went to bed at about midnight each night. What a week, but next week I knew work was coming.

My next week I knew I was going to meet the teachers and discover what their expectations of us were. First I had English, which I thought would be boring. I was proven wrong when I met my joyful, exciting, and especially funny teacher, I knew I would have a great year with him. Then I had Maths, the teacher was playful, similar to Mr. Francis only a tiny bit more strict. She lets us listen to our Ipods “YAY.” I had recess, followed by Science and Art. Both teachers were 'great.' Lunch was up and then I had D&T with my year coordinater, Mr. Johnson, that was fun.

Finally to complete my day I had Drama, 'wow' what a great way to finish with Miss B, so much excitement, I knew she was great. The rest of the week consisted of work and meeting other teachers. I had Sport, Geography, Music, Physical Education, French, Digital Media, Assembly, Public Speaking, and Cycle Tests. 'Oh was I ready for a fun fulfilled year' with these exotic teachers and friendly students. I am determined to beat my brothers average.

TASK 1 Jasmine.F

My First Day

It was the 31st of January 2011. I was nervous as I was getting dressed for my first day of high school. I had my breakfast and grabbed my lunch and I was anxious to get out of the house. My mum drove me and my sister to school on the first day. Having both my mum and sister there made me feel less nervous because I new that they would be there with me as I walked into the school were I will be spending the next 6 years of my life.

When I arrived, I slowly walked forward as I started looking at all the other kids. Most were in groups and all talking, laughing and smiling. I felt very scared and felt like an outsider, but it was okay because then my cousin Hayley who has been at the Reddam all her life found me and introduced me to all her friends. As she showed me all the classrooms and introduced me to some teachers I warmed up to school and felt a little bit better and more at home.

As soon as the day began I had little time to settle in. We had to quickly go to a room and get ready to complete two tests which would decide what classes we were going to be in for the rest of the year. I was a little nervous but new I would do well because I take school seriously and enjoy learning and doing well. As I sat the first test which was maths, I paced my self with each question and also managed my time well. In the 45 minutes we had to complete the tests I completed the test and felt confident about my answers. We then went to recess.

At recess I tried to talk to a lot of people because I new this was my time to get to know and make some friends. All the girls were nice and welcoming as I wasn’t the only new one. I felt that the people I most connected to some students. The recess bell had rung and we all rushed to out next text making sure we weren’t late. 

It was time for the second test and recess time was over so I had to snap out of that mode and get focused. For this test I was a little bit worried because I new that English isn’t my best subject and that last year I struggled a bit. In the English test we had to answer various questions the focused on our comprehension, grammar, spelling and also short story writing skills. I thought the test was going to be very hard but to my surprise it wasn’t that bad. But unfortunately unlike the maths exam I didn’t time manage well and that resulted in me not finishing the short story which would’ve cost me a few marks.

We then had lunch and I bonded with my new friends, everything was going great and I had enjoyed the day. After lunch we didn’t do much and got the time to sit down and relax for abit. It was then the end of school and everybody was getting excited for the swimming carnival which was the next day. I picked up my school bag and found my mum, and we drove of. On the drive home I told her all about my great and exciting first day at Reddam House. 

Eric Zykov Task 1

FIRST TWO WEEKS AT REDDAM HOUSE 

Since kindergarten I have never experienced being to a new school before, therefore I was very anxious to see whether I would be happy at Reddam House.

As I woke up on the first day, I could not help, but notice what a wonderful sunny day it was. I remember feeling very nervous and excited. I put on my new uniform and made my first ever journey to my new school. When I got to Reddam there were already lots of people there. It looked like the city at rush hour. I was making my decision, of what to do first, when Mrs Karney and Mr Mesimeris came and greeted me. This calmed my nerves down. The first day turned out very entertaining, because I got to meat lots of new students and teachers and we also did some fun activities, but the streaming tests were pretty annoying because of the hard work we had to do. Overall it was a great start to high school.

The next day was the swimming carnival, which was held at Drummoyne Olympic swimming pool. The pool was a nice crystal blue colour 50 metres in length. Even though I have been swimming in pools for years, I still could not resist the temptation to feel nervous. I only participated in the 50m-breaststroke competition. I remember standing ready to start my race, and thinking about how wonderful my dive is going to be. Unfortunately Mr Pitcairn spoiled these magnificent thoughts as he fired the pistol. I quickly dived in and got completely mesmerised by the wonderful feeling of cool water wash over me. I felt pretty good when I finished and wanted to do the race again, but unfortunately it was time to go. 

The next day was camp. We were going to Cataract Scout Park, which is near Waterfall. The time to get there was one and a half hours. Usually I dislike long rides but this one was pretty enjoyable as I admired the beautiful surroundings, and I felt comfortable in my big seat.

When we got off the bus I smelt the nice clean forest air that made me feel good. I remember how hot it was that day and how I really wanted to go into an air- conditioned room, luckily I got just that as the canteen and the lodges were all well air-conditioned. Everyone really enjoyed the activities. We had a lot of fun, but the highlight for me was orienteering. I enjoyed it a lot because I loved searching for hidden checkpoints in the forest and I also loved the fact that we got to explore the bushes. There were lots of interesting flowers that were all different colours. I could not stop looking at a vivid orange flower that apparently smelt like oranges. There were also a lot of noisy insects and animals. I was also searching for the animals at the same time as checkpoints. I saw many immense spiders and some light green grasshoppers, but my favourite insect was the brown stick insect that lazily crawled onto my shoe. I was also favoured by numerous mosquitos that liked me so much they kept coming back for more.

Camp was very enjoyable. I had a great time, and I am sure everyone else had a great time too, including the mosquitos.     

The next week studies started. I remember walking into the dance studio where year 7 students were waiting to meet Mr Johnson and the tutors. Mr Johnson gave us our timetables. I did not understand a single bit of it. To me it just looked like a list of jumbled letters. Thankfully, Mr Johnson explained how it works, and now the timetable is as easy to read as a television guide. I do not have a favourite subject or a least favourite subject. I really like the Reddam mini merit system. I try to get as many as I can. Currently I have 37 mini merits. I have got no demerits and I hope it will stay that way for the rest of the year.          

So far I am really enjoying Reddam, because of the kind teachers, funny students and great facilities. It usually is tricky to adjust to a new environment, but the Reddam community makes everyone feel welcome. 

Task 2 by Issa O'sullivan

Help!!!                          

                                                                               by Issa O’Sullivan

“Hello? Is anybody there? Mum? Dad? Can anybody hear me? Please help me! I’m too young to die! Please! Please! Can anybody help me!?”

There she was, trapped in the hottest and most humid room of the house. Yes, I’m talking about the sunroom. It was called the sunroom for a reason. The sun shined in from every direction you could possibly imagine. No taps, no water, no food! It was just Molly and the sunlight.

Mum had gone to pick Sophie (her sister) up from karate; dad still hadn’t come home from work yet, which meant that only two people were home. It was just Molly and her brother. Oh great.

Molly’s brother is the heaviest sleeper in the world. If that was a title in the Guinness book of records, he would have it for sure. You can walk right over the top of him and he wouldn’t even notice. There is only one thing in the world that will wake her brother up and that is an air horn but Molly’s was in her bedroom so she couldn’t get it because she was trapped in the sunroom.

She tried yelling out to her brother so many times but he just didn’t wake up. She could hear him snoring from the front door! (That probably explains why he has never had a girlfriend). It was now getting seriously hot but there was nothing she could do. Molly started stacking the furniture to build a wall between the sunlight and her. She laid a towel down on the floor and took one of the cushions off the couch. It was old and dusty but it was better than nothing.

“How am I even in this situation?” Molly Thought “Was it my fault? Maybe it was a prank? Stop being ridiculous, it was just an accident!”

It was getting hotter and hotter but she managed to get sleepy and sleepier until she drifted off…….

                                                                                                                    

When Molly woke up she was so relieved! Both of her parents were by her side and her brother was doing chores as a punishment for not taking care of her properly! She was so happy that everything turned out ok!

And they lived happily ever after….. Or did they???

My camp experience-Johnathan Christianos

I went to the most amazing place this year… Cataract Scout Camp.

I was packed and ready to go on camp with my friends, and feeling lucky to sit with them, as they were new to the school.

After a long bus ride to the camp, we finally arrived. I was later informed

that it took us over one and a half hours to make it to the campsite.

We dragged our luggage off the bus and then hauled it over to our cabins. After arriving at lunchtime, we were told to choose our rooms, ergo I bunked with my newfound friends.

First we were given lunch in the form of a sandwich… it was OK… for a sandwich. After lunch ended, we were informed that we were going to participate in the set camp activities.

After my first day of camp, I was well rested and refreshed for the second day ahead. I was told by one of the instructors to bring my mess kit and head down to the Mess Hall, where we ate lunch the day before. We all seated ourselves at the tables that crowded the moderately sized room, before lining up to receive our breakfast. Luckily, the Hall was air-conditioned, which was a temporary relief to arid desert that is Australia.

After I ate my breakfast, I walked outside to wash my plate in the sinks outside the mess hall at the front on the porch, then walked back inside and asked my friend if I could borrow his rag to wipe my wet plate.

After breakfast we were split into groups of four – I was put into group two with instructor Garth. He was really cool, and acted like one of the kids. My instructor told me that the first activity was just a walk away, but he lied – it was more like an eternal hike.

I had reached our first activity, the giant flying fox. It was just two wire cables that stretched out far then you were stopped by tyres that were connected to the cables. After everyone had gone, we went on to a little place were you can get together and have a snack so we waited and got cordial and cake.

After that we went caving which was horrible it skimmed all of our knees and the tunnel was too small for me and the other tall people. We continued our activities until, we went on the waterslide with a pool at the bottom. I went down superman style.

The next day the waterslide was an afternoon activity and at night I went to a barn-like hall that we played games that had names that barely connected with the object of the games. Then came a blackout

The last day. We left at noon but we did have fun on the giant swing. I was practically leading since I told the group what they needed to do. When we left, one of the instructors did a back flip for us.

My favorite parts of camp were challenge valley, what a groggy place and challenge it was and orienteering, since my team came first and I decoded the pattern so quickly.

An autobiographical response by Blair Mayer.

An autobiographical response by Blair Mayer.

My first two weeks at Reddam High school were amazing, this is what we did. First was a day where we met more teachers and did some tests to determine our classes, then we had the swimming carnival the next day were Bennelong won (I was sad as I am in Darling). The next day we set off for camp, but this camp was different to other camps.

                                              Cataract Scout Park

    This camp was very memorable, on the first day we were put into cabins; my cabin was me, Jordy, Bryson, Zac, Mason and Jono. We were then put into groups to go and do activities with certain group leaders. My group was number 3 and first up we had orienteering.

Orienteering was a lot of fun, we all split up into groups of 2 or 3 (I went with Lucas Brown) we had to follow maps and stamp our cards at each post. Lucas and I came back 2^nd but another team already took the winners flag. A couple of minutes later we realized we weren’t all there. So we set out in different groups to look for the missing students, of course I was in the group that found them.

Then, we went back to camp to have afternoon tea, they gave us cake and cordial, after that they told us what our next activity was, it was challenge valley. Challenge valley was extremely fun, we had to crawl through mud, swing of ropes, walk on balance beams and crawl through pipes. We got very dirty.

After that we had dinner.  It was kind of fatty and the meat was dry, but I’ve had worse. After that was the most amazing part of the camp, the waterslide, (I mean how many camps have a waterslide?) it was long and bumpy and it was so much fun.                                       

  That night was pretty fun, after the waterslide we had supper (Milo in a small plastic cup), but I’m talking about after that when it was lights out. When it was lights out my cabin was actually quite tired but that didn’t stop us we were having loads of fun until some people wanted to sleep, after a moment silence we would hear, “shut up Mason” even though he wasn’t even talking.

The next morning breakfast was at seven, we had fatty bacon and oily eggs, but everyone ate as many hash browns as they could. After we were done eating we were told our activities for the day, I had rock climbing.

Rock climbing was pretty fun, I didn’t climb but I enjoyed belaying. Dan Butler was one of the best rock climbers I’d ever seen. After that activity we went to have morning tea, (more cake and cordial), next up the giant swing.

The giant swing was 15 meters tall, you would be harnessed up then you would be tied onto several strong ropes and when you are ready the whole group pulls you to the top, and then when you pull the rip cord you freefall about 10 meters and then you start swinging. This was very painful for me as the harness was twisted and was rubbing the whole time.

After that we had caving. I couldn’t do it, I went about 10 meters inside and I couldn’t breathe everything felt so small and like it was going to cave in. Although I couldn’t do this I could do what was next, afternoon tea that was a lot easier for me to do.

We all had waterslide next so that was again lots of fun. Then we had dinner, but after dinner tonight we went and played games but after about 10 minutes we had a black out and we continued using torches.

But with no power when we got back to our cabins this meant no showers because there was no warm water and we also couldn’t see our bags so we slept in our dirty smelly clothes.

This was our last day at Cataract scout camp, so we packed our bags and went to breakfast. After breakfast we had pioneering where e built a chariot and a catapult. But next we had the 12 meter giant flying fox were we also had to be harnessed up but this time we had to jump from 12 meters.

Then it was time to leave, the bus ride home was pretty funny because when I fell asleep Philipa drew all over my arm and leg. When I got home I slept until 8 o’clock the next morning, but it was one of the best camps I had ever been on and an even better first 2 weeks of school.    

Daniel Butler's first two weeks

My first two weeks at Reddam were much better than I expected. 

On the first day I woke up very early and was really nervous because everyone had built high school up to be a really big thing.I put on my uniform and new shoes and felt much more mature than I had at primary school because I knew I was now in high school.

I met lots of new people that I liked, even on the first day. 

I missed the swimming carnival on the second day because I was sick. 

On the third day, luckily, I was better because we were going to camp for three days and I really didn’t want to miss it. 

The bus trip to Cataract Scout Park was quite long but we still had a lot of fun. It was a good opportunity to get to know the other new students. When we arrived, we unloaded our bags and went down for afternoon tea and then headed to our cabins. I shared my cabin with Darcy, Ethan and Jonas who were friends from my old school. It was very rural out where we were. Over the next few days we did many activities such as Giant swing, Flying fox, Rock climbing, Challenge Valley, Caving and Orienteering. All of these were fun but I found the giant swing scary and I got lost in orienteering which seemed funny at the time. On the last night there was a black out in the middle of the night games and everyone was tired and a bit scared. We had to get a car to shine its lights through the door so we could continue the games. Later we left with our torches and I nearly fell in a ditch which gave me a fright but made everyone laugh.Camp was a very good way of meeting new friends and having lots of fun together. 

The next Monday was the first real day of schoolwork. We were given our classes and our timetables. I was a bit disappointed that I wasn’t in the same class as my old friends but I had already made new friends and it didn’t seem to really matter. I would see them all at lunch time anyway.

It was a bit hard to get used to changing classrooms and subjects every period but I started to get used to it by the end of the week. I made a mistake reading my timetable and was a bit late for one class and was told that next time I might get a demerit so I will try not to do that again. I was very nervous about my first english test but than I was told not to worry because it was only a practice test. 

I really like most of my teachers. I think I have already improved in Maths and am really enjoying English. I am now getting used to the school, teachers and especially the students who I did not know before.

So Far So Good!        

Daniel Butler

Dario Pizzuto CAMP!!-Task 1

Ah camp, the few days which make my year. I have many fond experiences of camp, but lets face it, I will never be able to tell you the really interesting things that we got up to. Although I won’t tell you everything, I will tell you the things we did that were legal. I hope they were because in my opinion challenge valley was a form of child cruelty, and no it wasn't the terrible crawling through mud, gurgling a mix of dead insects and what ever else was hidden beneath the murky surface. It was the part were you had to go home to your parents and show them the beauty and delight of your muddy, soaking, smelly and rotten clothes. 

Anyway the first memory that really struck me of camp was definitely the giant swing! I can remember all the thoughts running through my head, wait no, the weren't running they were sprinting, I felt a ridiculously strange sensation running through my body which I had never felt before. I think I was somewhere in between soiling myself and bursting out laughing. As the final tug was made to pull me up the sensation just got ridiculous, I swear I could almost see fluffy elephants flying in circles around me. I the took hold of the rope that would release me from the safety of the other ropes holding me up, and the countdown began 3,2,1 GO! I pulled the rope a couple of times and on the third pull the ropes snapped and I started to fall. I spread my arms and resisted the urge to hold on. As the the rope tightened and prepared for the swing I was sent hurtling upwards and soared like and eagle. Then being the typical idiot I am I said “Look Mama I’m flying!!!!” where the hell that came from I have no idea. Must have been those stupid fluffy elephants. 

The next memory I have is quite daunting and scary, it was the second day of camp and Harrison was taking a shower and came out screaming ‘There’s a frog in our shower!’ in excitement (and don’t worry Harry had clothes on, i’m sorry if I planted any images in your mind). We all rushed to see the frog that lurked in our cabin bathroom (that included all the people in our cabin which was Dylan, Jared, Don, Jett, Harrison). Jett and I tried to catch he/she but the slippery sucker squirmed out of our hands every time we got a hold of it. Eventually Jett caught it and he was rewarded with a fresh batch of urine, thats right he took a leak right on Jett’s hand. So much for hygiene. Well I’m sure by now your saying ‘Whats so scary and daunting about that?’ I didn’t mention the second part did I? 

He was back!! On the last day of camp I walked into the bathroom and then the ambush began, thats right I was ambushed by a frog. He jumped on my leg, and I didn’t move, I just welcomed him as an old rival, from yesterday. I called upon my good friend Jett. We once again embarked on an epic battle. We fought for 2 minutes and our friend Mr Froggy was then cornered. Jett and I then advanced upon the frog and Jett grabbed him, and released him into the wild. He took one last look at us and then he jumped out our line of sight.

Mr Froggy will always have a place in our hearts.

Moving on, somewhere around the beginning of camp we were lead to pioneering. We were given some blocks of wood and some rope. The final goal was to create a catapult which would fire a water balloon. There were two teams and I only had one target. Yes, it was the lethal Justin Bieber of Year 7 ‘Dylan Chilchik’. My turn came last and all the other team piled up in front of our catapult eager to get wet. Then I spotted my target behind the crowd trying to hide, ‘HAHA I’m gonna ruin your hair!!’ I thought to myself, I felt like a psycho and it was awesome. I aimed the catapult towards the crowd. I pulled back. Then at the very last second I changed my angle towards Dylan and fired... A DIRECT HIT, BOOM HEADSHOT.

Those were my most favored memories of camp and I hope I didn’t bore you much. I certainly enjoyed it a lot and can’t wait until our next camp! Year 7 will be great!

The Giant Swing

THE GIANT SWING

It was the second day of camp, all of us were just starting to get used to things around here, every day getting out of our comfort zone, experiencing new things. It was fun until you really started to get scared of something, it was the giant swing.

It was the morning we just woke up. It was weird how we woke up it usually worked like this. First one person got up and either got out of his bed or made a really loud noise then someone else woke up and did the exact same thing, and after a while everyone woke up and started arguing about who woke who up in the very beginning.

After a little argument one of us would go outside and see who else was awake and if they are not already awake wake them up... just for fun. Another would go outside and look at the schedule for today and see what they have in terms of activities. After a little while around seven o'clock Mr garret would come storming in and wake everyone if they are not already awake and scream “come on everyone fifteen minutes until breakfast,” and at that point everyone in our cabin started to fuss about who goes in the shower first.

Breakfast the most important meal of the day, we all lined up outside the mess hall with our cutlery, plates and cups, Eager to get some food. So we all rush in and found a place to sit down with all our friends. After that one of the instructors stood in front of everyone and told us all who's going first to eat, they did a little trick I hate in this case cause I was so hungry they said the quietest table will go first I was so I hungry I couldn't shut up, so which meant my table didn’t go first in fact oddly enough we nearly always went last.

After a satisfying breakfast the same instructor would stand up again and tell us what each group was doing today, at this point I was fine I wasn't worried about anything until they said “group four will be doing flying fox and giant swing,” and I said to myself, “giant swing, giant swing,” I didn't know what to do.

So after breakfast me and my shivering body followed the instructor and my group to the giant swing. I was talking to my friend in the group hoping my nerves would settle a bit, but they didn't so we got they THE GIANT SWING, my legs were shivering I was so scared I thought to myself that thing must be fifteen meters high it massive.

After the instructor explained the rules and safety requirements he asked who wants to go first one of my friends screamed out ME!! as they were eager to get on that stretchy sling of death but on the other hand I wanted to get as far away from that thing as I possibly could I watched her go higher and higher as we pulled her up, alright she was there at the top now I want to see how it works and then we counted down from three 3,2,1 and then she dropped so fast if you blinked you would miss it, screaming she was screaming as loud as she could and my mind was frozen stiff with the though of me doing that how and how scared I would be.

After time I thought to myself I should go up and try it, I was always told give everything a chance and plus you only live once so I made my decision I was going up on the stretchy thing of death. One of my friends just came off it and told me it was so fun now knowing that I was eager to get on he gave me his harness and I put it on, waiting in line with the people that have been pissing their pants to get on the giant swing they couldn’t wait and finally It was my turn.

I had to admit I was still a bit scared not scared enough not to do it but still quiet a bit scared I got to the top thinking i'm already up here I should just do it get it over with and then in the end I will be proud of myself so they started counting back from three which I didn’t like because it put me under pressure to do it exactly when they hit one but I wanted to go when I felt like it but then they hit one and my hand just jerked the blue string and I went flying down with the wind on my face, whistling through my ears and breezing through my hair it felt great and it was so fun , the giant swing was actually fun I was so happy I did it I wanted to scream it out into the world but then I thought hmm that would be weird.

I finally stop swinging the instructor unhooked me and I walked down the ladder, I was proud, proud of myself for getting up there and facing my fears and getting out of my comfort zone. Frankly enough after that I wanted to go on it again we begged him and begged him but sadly he told us we have run out of time. He sat us down after every big activity he did this he gave his own little speech saying that we should be proud of ourself for going out there and trying new things getting out of our comfort zone, expanding our comfort zone and facing our fears and he also said that as well as us being proud of ourself he was also proud of us which was really nice and heart warming.

By

Emmanuel Christianos

task1 by Ben Price

On the 31^st of Monday we went to school after the holidays were over. We were welcomed by year 8, 9, Mr. Garret, Mr. Pitcairn and the teachers. The teachers and our year coordinator showed us around the school. Then we had break, after a confusing morning, we talked and played in the playground. We were told about the rules on the campus, they were very stricked rules.

On Wednesday the 2^nd we went on camp, this was very exciting, and many people were excited about camp. Most people were looking forward to an activity called the Giant Swing. We had an hour and a half bus drive from school to Cataract Scout Park, on the bus we talked and listened to music, even though we weren’t allowed to.

After along bus trip we finally arrived at Cataract Scout Park, we all couldn’t wait to get off the bus and find out who was in our cabins. We hopped off the bus and took our bags, and then headed down to the dining hall for all information and instructions. We met all the instructors in the dining hall, after we had lunch and were told who our group instructors were and who was in our cabins.

As soon as we dumped our bags in our cabins we ran outside to our groups. Our group instructor ‘Nick’ he was aged in the twenties and he wore different colored glasses everyday, they were very cool. After Nick introduced himself properly we headed to an activity called Challenge Valley.

Challenge Valley was very interesting, because it was a number of courses; my favorite course was a course where you had to climb up a ladder and then go down six or more tires into a muddy pit full of dirty water and mud. Everyone in our group had a go and had lots of fun, after we completed Challenge Valley our group headed back to our cabins for a shower. We were very muddy.

By the time we got back to our cabins had a shower and got changed it was dinnertime, we all went to the dinning hall and had dinner. As soon as dinner was over, they told us that there was a waterside, everyone was really excited. We went back to our cabins to change and then headed for the slide, all of our groups raced to see which group got to go on first. The water slide was a long blue slide ending in a pool at the bottom of the hill.

We went superman style, on our knees, in a train and many more different styles. After the waterside we went back to our cabins to change and then off to bed, not that anyone actually went to bed, people were running around and making lots of noise, not me, until Mr. Garret came in. We all got sent outside with our active and sleepy heads on the wall, we stood outside for ten minutes and then went to bed.

We had a great camp.

task 1 (Josh Broyda)

My first two weeks at school (task 1) By Josh Broyda

“Ima Slap you……..”  were the first words that my friends said to me as I stepped into school on the first day back.  I’m not new to Reddam so the whole experience wasn’t that frightening for me I knew all the same people and all the staff. Basically, I knew everything about the school and how boring it can be...I started to mingle as you would on the first day back but then i heard shouts “CLASS TIME GET TO YOUR CLASSES” and then i began to  panic. I did not know what to expect...fortunately for me nothing happened.

As I was getting ready to go to bed that evening, the phone suddenly rung. I soon found out it was Jordan who called me because he wanted me to help him DJ at the Swimming Carnival. The next day was just awesome, it was one of those fun school days because we had the Swimming Carnival. I was very excited because I had been training for this day for a long time. Overall, I was happy because I came 3rd in Freestyle and 2nd in Backstroke for my year group.

The next 3 days were one of the most funnest in my life. The reason for this was that it was the Reddam Year 7 camp. But this was no ordinary camp, it was the best 3 days of my life with many, many fun events. One such activity was the Flying Swing, which I highly recommend to anyone. Basically, i was attached to a harness and the entire group had to pull me up 15.6 m high into the air. As I reached this level, i had a decision to make. I had to either pull the rope causing me to quickly swing down towards the ground or stay at 15.6m for the rest of my life. I decided to tug on the rope and for a few seconds i was flying in the air. It was just an unreal feeling...

On Monday, it was time for school to really begin. We were given a 10 day sheet with all our classes and we had to follow it like it was our leader. One such class was English, a subject i was a little scared of and when the teacher walked into the classroom, my whole class was nervous. However after a few minutes, it became obvious that this man was in fact one of the most epic teachers that i had ever met in my life. He taught our class many cool ways to use things in context, for example “I went to Woolworths yesterday and guess what the near queue was just ridiculous so I had to go to the far queue“. When the class first heard him say this, most of us didn't understand what he was talking about. However a few minutes, after much discussion we all began to laugh.

So far, Reddam in 2011, has been very exciting and enjoyable. I hope the rest of the school year can be as good as the last two weeks have been.

Jett ferguson Pugh

Camp

Finally the day had arrived, the day I had been waiting for all week, camp. 6:30 am the alarm wakes me from my deep sleep. My bags were packed and I was ready to go, but before I could leave I had to get dressed and have breakfast and then I would be on my way.

The horn blasts, mums in the car waiting for me while I’m struggling to carry my bags into the car. I departed with hugs and kisses from my dad, my sister and my two dogs; Georgie and Henry. The car ride felt like it took forever, but then we finally arrived. I said goodbye to mum and leaped out of the car with my bags and ran straight into the school. I meet some of my friends there. We were then called to enter the bus. We were waiting in the bus for an hour to depart from the school. Until finally, we were ready to start our adventure.

The bus trip was terrible, no windows were open so there was hardly any oxygen in the bus. I felt like I was going to be sick. Then finally we arrived at our destination. I jumped off the bus with joy, trying to breath in as much oxygen as possible.

After we had settled into our cabins it was time for our first activity, caving. The walk was long and exhausting and it was boiling. When we arrived at the tunnel our instructor took us through some safety tips and showed us how to attach a helmet. When we had put our helmets on we entered a small metal door, which started the cave. Once we entered the cave everything suddenly become black. I could not see anything even when I turned on my torch it was like the sun had been blowed up. The tunnel was the size of one of the slides that you find at the Mc Donald’s playgrounds sometimes even smaller.

On our second part of the caves I noticed the cave was getting smaller, and smaller. We came across a small tunnel that we had to fit through. For some people it took a while to fit through it. It was even a struggle for me, because you had to position yourself in the right spot. This reminded me of the tunnels in Vietnam.

 The water slide was awesome; if you went down the water slide on your stomach you would get a massive amount of air. You felt like you were in a formula 1 race car.

After a full on day it was time for some rest or so that was what the teachers thought we were doing. But I must not tell you, for what happens in the cabin stays in the cabin.

 Day 2 a delicious breakfast, I was ready for the next activity the giant swing. This was the activity I had been waiting for all week. Once we had arrived at the giant swing I had butterflies in my stomach, when I saw what I was dealing with.  Our instructor showed as how to put the harness and helmet on. When it was my turn I walked over to the ladder, climbed up it and sat on it so the instructor could attach me to the bungie cords. The instructor had attached me, I jumped off the ladder, I was pulled up to the top. I could see everything up there it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. Then I was told to tug on the cord, which suddenly dropped me downwards swinging me up high into the air. It was amazingly fast like a rocket. 

 Day 3 my group and I headed towards the Flying Fox. Our instructor showed as how to put on the helmet and harness. I was chosen to go first. I climbed up the ladders. When I got to the top I was attached to the zip line. When I was clear to go I ran non-stop,  jumped off the building and went flying down to the other instructor.

The downside to camp was the bus ride home.

Don Menounos Task 1:

The Teachers Of Reddam House

This is my second year at Reddam House and it’s a great school. The teachers really care and everybody is welcoming and friendly. Even though the school lacks massive ovals and high buildings, Reddam house has the best teachers and that’s more important.

The teachers that teach Reddam House in year 7 are the best!

My English teacher Mr Francis, is very nice and sort of like me because he is a very funny teacher and likes to make jokes. He also has 3 earrings on one ear.

My Maths teacher Mrs Freedmen, is full of mathematical wisdom. If you don’t set out your work correctly or pick up you pen while she’s talking, she will become very angry. If you mark and do you homework she will reward you. She is an extremely fair teacher.

My Science teacher Mrs Maloney, is a very knowledgeable person and has the funniest Irish accent. She has a lot of scientific wisdom and is an inspiring person although, I have had only a few lessons with her. She is a role model for me.

My Geography teacher Mr Patella is a ‘legendary beast’. He is always outdoors and he knows all the different trees outside. He has a video of his scoobadiving to the bottom of the sea and swimming into a broken ship. He says, “ If you aren’t dying at the bottom of the sea on a boat then you aren’t living life to the fullest.” He is impressive in character and muscle. My geography teacher is head of the ‘green’ house Macquarie, and ofcourse the emblem is a tree!

My Tutor teacher Mr Messemeris, is a legend. He is Greek and he is extremely optimistic. He tells us to have a wonderful day or else he’ll follow us up. He is a very nice teacher to be with.

My Chinese teacher Miss Yeh, is a fair teacher. She likes the whole class to listen when she’s talking. I have had her for a year and I think she is a very good teacher. She listens when you need help and she is very nice when it comes to demerits. She doesn’t give a demerit unless you deserve it.

My sport teacher Matt, is a persevering coach. He is such a good teacher and  helps me in water polo and also makes jokes in PDH. Even though he broke his leg, he still gets in the water to help us in water polo. Matt is truly an inspiring man.

My Design and Technology teacher Mr Johnson, is a funny man. He knows all the different woods and he is always there when you need him. I have enjoyed all the classes.

My Public Speaking teacher Mrs Karney is such an awesome teacher. She isn’t afraid to shout at us and she has fun Public Speaking games that we can all play.

Meeting my teachers has been tremendous; they are so nice and they really care about you. They are always ready for questions. I like all my new teachers at Reddam House and I would like to know more about them.

By Don Menounos

Year 7 camp Gemma Eagle Task 1

On the 2nd of February Year 7 went on camp. To say I enjoyed every second of it would be a lie, to say I didn’t enjoy any of it would also be a lie. To say there were moments when you felt fear, nervousness and shock, would not be a lie but the truth.

The Giant Swing was an example of fear. Harnessed, you were pulled up in the air and then were to pull a rope dangling in front of you to come down making it the giant swing. Down on the ground, it looked a lot less high up than it did in the air. 1,2,3 pull. Swinging through the air with the wind blowing all around you is an amazing feeling, but coming to a stop with a camp instructor grabbing your feet is not quite as amazing as the first part of the experience.

One of the other coolest activities was most definitely caving. Torch, helmet, and the knowledge that there were going to be itsy bitsy gaps to squish through were all you went in with. The caves in Cataract Scout Park were the tiniest little caves I have ever seen let alone had to crawl through. Crawling along the ground in the light of torches, listening to the sound of people yelling at you to hurry up, not being able to see where you are putting your hands is a very interesting thing to do. At one stage during the caving, I put my hand on what I thought was a slug, later I was told it was in fact a leach! Not exactly what you want to hear on your second day of camp when you still had Challenge Valley to go.

Orienteering. Compass, map and a group full of people whom half of us held the map upside down. The map being upside down, and not knowing which needle in the compass pointed north, its no wonder we got lost and only found two of the ten pointers. Orienteering was hilarious and tiring and most of all HOT. The temperature was unbelievable so we found our way back to the scout hall less than half way through the time limit we had. In the scout hall we suggested playing sleeping lions and that’s what we did. It was relaxing!

The other activity I enjoyed the most was the waterslide! I think I enjoyed it because all the groups were there not just the people in my group. Because everyone was there it was more fun and I met a lot of new people at the waterslide. I came to Reddam knowing ten people and because of camp I know everybody in our year. Also the waterslide was fun because it was a waterslide!!! Of course it was going to be fun, especially when you could go down in chains.

Year seven camp was a great experience. Full of laughs, making new friendships, mud, amazing activities and most of all FUN!!! All I can say is I cant wait for year eight camp next year!

Hannah Rubinstein- task 1

FIRST DAY

Lulu sits in the playground, waiting for the bell. Her thoughts and emotions swirl. Who will her classmates be? Will her teachers be friendly? How will she ever find her way around the school? Lulu imagines vast, empty classrooms, vicious, malicious teachers, tight knots of friends in which she is not welcome. Lulu tries to calm the butterflies in her stomach and gets up as the bell begins to ring.

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Emily walks slowly up the unwelcoming yellow stairs towards reception.
'Hello?' she ventures, timidly. 'Where is my room?'
She receives the answer happily, and almost sprints to the safety of her classroom. Emily worries. What if her students hate her? Or worse, what if the teachers hate her? Emily waits until the bell rings, then gathers her folders and walks to the field.

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Lulu lines up at the back of an exceedingly long line, trying to peer over her classmates' shoulders to see the teacher standing at the front. She catches a glimpse of him - a bulky man in his mid-forties, wearing a grey suit. His shoes, she notices, shine brightly in the sun. His balding head shines just as much as his shoes. She giggles.

A small, nervous-looking teacher approaches. Lulu smiles. The teacher is carrying a bundle of books and folders. The shiny, balding teacher introduces the small rabbity young woman whom Lulu has already noticed as Miss Emily Jones.

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Emily walks into the staffroom at break. All heads turn and look at the new arrival. She puts her head low, hoping her hair will cover her burning cheeks. She creeps to a table at the back and sits down, chewing on her peanut butter sandwich. A handful of other young teachers join her table and start talking to her. She answers monosyllabically, but soon finds herself relaxing and talking to them properly. She finds out their names and they talk about the subjects they teach and the kids they have taught.

Emily finds herself caught up in the animated conversation and starts to enjoy herself. The peanut butter becomes more than a lump of soggy bread, her flaming cheeks cool and she feels at home.

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Lulu sits by herself at lunch, unsure of where to go or what to do. Three girls call to her and motion for her to sit down. She sits, relieved to have found some friends. They talk about school, tell Lulu about themselves. Lulu relaxes and starts realising that high school isn't so bad.

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Emily leaves the staff room happily, contented with her new friends. As she walks down the corridor, she thinks about her next class. Year Seven. English. She smiles. They are new too.

Task 1: Hugo Powell

We finally arrived at camp, and got off the bus. It was boiling outside. The teachers and instructors told us to put our bags by the campfire and make our way to the dining hall. I sat next to the only person I knew at the time, his name is Daniel Mallat. We were both new so we didn’t know anyone. After eating and drinking, the instructors came up and introduced themselves. If I could remember their names then I’d probably write them down, but to be honest that sort of stuff doesn’t stick in my mind for very long. Anyway, after the instructors introduced themselves, they told us to get into groups of four and go to a cabin. So Daniel and I stuck together but we needed two more people before we could go into a cabin. We found out that there were no more cabins left anyway and there was a group of kids who didn’t have a cabin. Some other kids came out and said that they had six beds instead of four. Then the instructors chose me and another kid called Jay to go in their cabin. This was just great. A cabin full of people who knew each other, and me who doesn’t know anyone at all!

So I walked in and put my bag under the bed. Then a boy named Roderick introduced himself and then he introduced me to the rest of the cabin. And as soon as I was finally settled in, we had to go to lunch. Roderick asked me to sit next to him. He pointed out some other people and told me their names. It was turning out quite well after all. But then we had to go to our activities, which I didn’t mind, except I only knew one kid in my group. So we went to our first activity which was the flying fox. I wasn’t really in the mood to do it so I sat down with a few of the other people who didn’t go on. There I met Alex Markezinis and Ben Shvarts. Our next activity was caving, which I wasn’t looking to forward to. I don’t like being in small areas for very long, but I did it anyway. It was really annoying because I couldn’t lift my head because my helmet kept hitting the ceiling. I was behind Jonathan Christianos and we made it to the end of the cave. Our instructor wanted us to go back in while he hid somewhere in the cave. But Jonathan and I had got enough grazes and scratches so we sat out with Mr. Mezimeris and Ben. Well anyway, they’re most of the people I met and the rest of the activities weren’t that great, except one. The giant swing.

It was the last day, everybody wanted to go home, but we still had a couple of activities left. And one I was looking forward to. Roderick told me that it was really fun and that I should definitely go to the top, which I was obviously going to do. So when we got to the area, our instructor showed us how to put on a harness (again) and how to use the swing safely. One person would be strapped on to a rope and the rest would have to pull the person up with another rope. Then the person on the swing would pull a chord and go flying. I think the swing was about fifteen meters. Well anyway, after pulling the rope heaps of times, it was finally my go. I was last. I wasn’t really nervous at all. I had watched everyone else do it and it didn’t look that high, but was I wrong! When I reached the top it looked so much higher.  I heard my instructor say “PULL!” and without thinking I pulled the chord. It felt like my stomach completely left my body. I was falling down, and then I went up, and then down, and then up. It was so cool. And after that we had rock climbing. But no one wants to hear about that, we all know what it is. So after our last activity, it was finally time to go home.

Kenneth Koon Task 2

                                                 Autobiography

Ok my life may be boring to you, but if you read on you'll understand.
First day of school, I walked into gates. Knowing that I had just walked into The Underworld, I decided to act very shy.
But eventually I made new friends. I'll name a few. I dunno if I can name them all but I'll try. Ok, Maxmo Collins, Sam Newton,
Bella Kable, Harrison Stein and Kenny Wong.

Day 2

We were welcomed by Mr Johnson on arrival at the Gym. We recieved our dairies and timetables and headed off to class.
It was awesome to meet new friends and meet teachers. Firt teacher I met was Mr Francis. The most awesome teacher, I have ever met.
Reddam was much better than my old school. Camp early, Swimming Carnival early, Funny teachers and Fun activites.

Day 3
Getting bored of classes, I coped with our teachers. D and T is probably may favorite subject right now. It's very fun.
Drama was also very fun. Aside from our friends and me ACCIDENTELY messing up. Drama was awesome.

Day 4
Getting more boring. I nearly fell asleep in Maths Class. Thank god, Mrs Friedman did not see that. Maths was my best
but worst subject. Although  I'm good at it, Maths never appeals to me.

The rest of the days just got more boring, but I survived them.

Kenneth Koon Task 1

                                            The First 2 weeks at Reddam
The first week of Reddam was awesome. Day one started with our Maths and English tests to see what classes we would be in.
Boring as! I couldn't wait for the tests to finish.

Swimming Carnival and Camp, the two most memorable events of the first week. Bennelong, Maquarie, Darling, Piper. 4 teams.
Swimming in the race was lots of fun because Bennelong won for the first time in history! Yay! However, none of this was
as good as the School Camp.

The neXt day was School Camp. Away from our parents was probably the best thing that happened to me. We got to do whatever
we wanted to do, stay up late, eat lollies, chat wih friends, even have sleepovers. Nothing could've been better. So, we
were on the track to Cataract Scout Park, Wollongong. On arrivial, we stumbled right into the kitchen, where we had our daily
meals. After having lunch, we did many acivities.

Camp was not as good as I expected. Aside from people looking into ur stuff, we also repeatedly found our snacks in the
toilets. However, all this was gone from my memory as we started the Waterslide.


On the second week, it was a normal school day. I quickly grew from being super shy to being able to know everyone.
Maths English, Science, Art, Music. Some of the boring subjects of school. English and Art were not too bad. Mr Francis
and Mr Conroy being the best teachers, I loved the subjects.

My first two weeks were awesome!

Masih Sadat Shafai Task 1

My Experiences of the First Two Weeks At Reddam House

During the first two weeks at Reddam House, I made friends; I got familiar with the School and met the teachers. Reddam House has a great environment, and I really couldn’t say I had met a teacher that was unfair or mean. The students there are also very kind, and are very open to the new students.


During Year Seven Camp, I Made friends, familiarised myself with the personalities of some of the teachers, and overcame fears. During camp we participated in many different activities, and I had a second chance on some things that I did not think I would ever be able to get a second chance on. And this time, unlike last time, I made the most of that chance. I also decided that it is my main goal for camp to make friends and get to know the teachers.


At first it was a strange feeling to go to another school, it just didn’t feel like school usually does. However after a while, I got used to it. The second Monday day was quite fun, it was nice to actually meet the teachers and get an idea on what we would do in the next year. During the first two weeks I discovered that I really liked English, Geography and Design and Technology, however the only subject that really surprised me that I liked out of my three favourite ones was geography, I really didn’t think I would like geography, I thought it was just knowing where everything was on the map, but its very different.


Assemblies at my old school were very boring, however, the assemblies at Reddam House are a lot better. I used to always think of assemblies as teachers telling us not to litter or chew gum, the principal going on about how this is the best school in the world and that she has been to so many horrific schools, that we are so much better than them, and saying she remembers when all of us were in kindergarten and she taught us, when half of us did not even go to the same school in kindergarten. However, in Reddam House, the assemblies are so much better, the teachers speeches are so interesting, and the students perform in term two and term three, which I am looking forward to.


On the second Thursday I also joined debating. And I am vey happy I did so, I believe that joining debating was one of my smartest moves since coming into Reddam House. I enjoy debating so much, and after I got to meet Mrs Karney (the public speaking teacher, and the person that organises Reddam House debating), I decided that I should definitely join debating.


One the second Friday, I got to wear the formal uniform (I wore the formal uniform on the second Friday because the during the first, we were at camp). There was something about wearing a blazer and a tie that made me feel different, superior, it even made me feel a bit smarter; it made me feel a bit like I was in a higher rank or position. Maybe because the people you see wearing these things are smarter, and could be in a higher rank or position.


At the end of the day, I have to say I really like Reddam House, and I feel that I belong in it, that it is my school. I like the environment and the people, I like the teachers, I like the extra curricular activities, and most of all I like the school in general. The first two weeks were great, and I really appreciate all the effort that the teachers put into it for it to be so good.