An Autobiography By Mason Kemeny

My parents, Tamira Kemeny and Robert Kemeny were married on Sunday 19^th June 1994.

Less than four years later on 6^th April 1998 at 9.05am my mother brought me into this world with the help of Dr Steven Horrowitz at the Randwick Women’s Hospital.

At the time my father, Robert was 28 years old and studying part time at the University of Technology in Sydney. My mother, Tamira was 26 years old when I was born and was working as a book keeper.

One of my first memories of school or pre-school was of the pre-school I went to on Old South Head Road in Rose Bay, just down from the petrol station. On my first day in 2003 I can remember walking into a room full of friendly faces and meeting a lot of people who I became friends with during the course of that year. Some are still my friends to this day. It was a really fun packed year and a year with lots of memories that I will remember for many, many years to come. During the last few months of 2003, I remember travelling to different primary schools around the area to get a feel for what they would be like for me for the following year. The first one we looked at was Moriah, but I didn’t think that was where I would be. After a few other visits at other schools we finally found the school that seemed to be a perfect fit for me. That school was Reddam House.

It seemed to me like I was walking into a castle, but not any ordinary castle, this seemed like the greatest castle on earth. The school grounds seemed grand and mysterious all at the same time.

The year I first started year K was 2004. I was put into KE and my teacher was Ms Mache. In my classroom I met all of my new classmates. The first classmate and friend I made was Michael Grant. He was nice and friendly and we played together during the course of the day. It was nice to have a friendly face to talk to at recess and lunchtime.

During the course of that week I met other people and had tried to remember all their names, as well as trying to remember all the names of the new teachers. It really was tricky trying to put all those new names to the new faces.

It took a while to learn the ropes of this new school and how everything ran at Reddam House, but I soon got the hang of it all and by the middle of the year, I felt like I had been there for years.

The years rolled by and before I knew it, I was in year 3 and wearing my own school blazer once a week to assembly. Just like all the other big kids I had seen wear it week after week for all those years. I couldn’t believe it was finally my turn. I was lucky enough to have Mr David Freeman as my year 3 teacher. He taught me many, many important and fun things, especially how to be more independent.

Fast forward to the year 2011 and I have just entered year 7 at Reddam House. Where has the time gone? How have those years just flown by? I now understand when my parents and their friends tell me, I remember when….. and how quickly the years can go by.

I feel like it was just yesterday when I was sitting in Ms Mache’s class with her standing up the front of the classroom, instructing us in all the Reddam rules on that very first day of year K, now its Mr Garrett’s turn to stand in front of me and tell me what to expect from year 7 and the next 6 years of school. I have reached the half way mark of my school education.

2011 is a real milestone year, not only for me, but for my brother and sister too. My brother started year 5 this year, and my sister started year K, in fact she is also in KE just like I was.

I know we all have many more milestones ahead of us, and I am looking forward to writing about the next 13 years of my life, when I will be 26.

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.