We are thrilled that for the first time in a few years, we will be able to hold our annual Christmas Lunch in the Junior School Gymnasium. Next week, our students in Years 3-6 will receive their personal invitation to this special lunch, to be held on Thursday, 1 December. Students in Y3-Y6 should handwrite an acceptance to attend the lunch and post it in the red ‘Christmas Lunch’ Post Box in Reception.
There is also a separate consent form for parents to sign which will be sent via Operoo shortly. In the coming weeks, our CSPA Vice President for Junior School will reach out to our families to ask if they would like to help with this event.
During the lunch, the students have the opportunity to meet staff from across the entire School, especially those who work in ‘behind the scenes’ roles. This helps our students come to appreciate how all these people work together to provide the wonderful education they are so fortunate to receive. The lunch is one way the Junior School staff and students say thank you to the many people who work at Cranbrook in non-public roles, but without whom we could not function!
We also ask our students to bring in a donation of non-perishable food and/or children’s gifts for Anglicare (Toys’n’Tucker). Information about this will be shared very soon.
During the last week of the term, students in K-2 will enjoy special Christmas Activities. Details about this lovely event will be sent home in due course.
Message from Michele Marquet
Dear Parents,
It is already Week 3 and the term is really starting to get busy with some lovely events and experiences for all the community.
Yesterday, our JS Theatre Sports team had its first heat up at Knox School and they did a great job. Earlier this week, Year 2 and Year 3 visited the wonderful Sculptures by the Sea exhibition as part of their unit of inquiry. Year 5 look forward to their Claymation DigiEd Incursion next week.
World Teachers’ Day takes place tomorrow (Friday, 28 October) and is an ideal opportunity for our boys to say thank you to our dedicated teaching teams. We have asked boys to bring in their cap, so they can tip the cap and say thank you to their teachers – this year’s theme is ‘Hats off to Teachers’.
Families in Y3-Y6, please make sure you read about the upcoming Christmas Lunch for the students in the Y3-Y6 News section.
Upcoming Events & Important Dates
Y3 Instrumental Concert – Tuesday, 8 November 2pm – 3pm
Y6-Y7 Immersion Day at Senior School – Thursday, 10 November
K-5 Moving Up Morning – Thursday, 10 November
Y2 String Concert – Friday, 11 November 11am – 12noon
Y3 2023 Parent Information Session – Thursday, 17 November 8.30am – 9.30am (note: updated time)
Y2-Y6 Swimming Carnival – Friday, 25 November (all day)
K-Y2 Carols Service – Wednesday, 30 November 5pm
Y3-Y6 Christmas Lunch – Thursday, 1 December 11am
K-Y2 Family Christmas Activities – Monday, 5 December (details to come)
Y6 Valedictory Service – Tuesday, 6 December 11am
Y3-Y6 Carols Service – Tuesday, 6 December 5pm
Last day of classes – Tuesday, 6 December
P-6 JS Prize Giving – Wednesday, 7 December 10am
We hope all our families have a wonderful week.
With thanks,
Michele Marquet
Pre-schools’ Update
Author and Comedian, Gary Eck visited St Michael’s Pre-school this week to share his story ‘Wake up Sleepy Head.’ Gary told us the idea was inspired by his daughter who was a deep sleeper which has been helpful in our discussions about where we get our imaginative ideas from. He also showed us how to draw one of the characters in the book which in turn, inspired children to draw their own characters and create stories. Thank you to Gary!
Gary will also visit St Mark’s Pre-school in November, so we look forward to seeing him again very soon.
Please see the Day Book at the end of each day or via the digital copy placed on Cranbrook Connect at the end of each week to find out more about the learning experiences that have taken place this week.
Food Storage With warmer weather arriving, this is a timely reminder to place freezer blocks in lunchboxes to help keep food cool. Perishable items such as yoghurt, cheese and meat can be stored in the refrigerator. All food to be stored in the refrigerators should be clearly labelled with your child’s name. This should be placed in the plastic tub located at the gate on arrival to Pre-school. Please let a member of staff know during drop-off if there are items to be stored in the fridge.
Dates for the diary: Christmas Celebrations We are pleased to welcome back families for our Christmas Celebrations this year! Peter Fox and the Pre-school staff have already begun preparations. Our concerts will be held on the following dates:
Friday, 2 December – 2 Day Group at 9.30am & 5 Day Group at 12pm (St Michael’s)
Monday, 5 December – 3 Day Group at 9.30am & St Mark’s at 12pm
Further details will be provided nearer the time.
CSPA – World Teachers’ Day
Tomorrow, Friday 28 October, is World Teachers’ Day. We are asking that parents facilitate their sons in writing a card, letter, or even a drawing, expressing gratitude to their teachers. We are so lucky here at Cranbrook to have such incredible teachers providing guidance and support and, most importantly, a world class education!
Cards can be handed to their teachers on the morning of Friday, 28 October.
From last Friday, 14 October 2022, it is no longer mandatory to self-isolate at home, if your child tests positive to COVID-19. However, NSW Health strongly recommends people who are sick or have tested positive to COVID-19 stay home until their symptoms have gone. Please consider the impact on our community, if unwell children are at school.
Our Health Centre’s focus will still be on ensuring unwell students are sent home and stay home until well. Thank you for your ongoing understanding and sensible caution.
Y7 Scholarships 2024
Parents of boys in Year 5 2022 who may be interested in applying for a Senior School Scholarship for their son, should read the Scholarships 2024 information available now via this link.
Reuse and Recycle Uniform Sale Update
Last week CSPA held our bi-annual Reuse and Recycle Uniform Sale, raising a total of $5 220 for Thread Together, an organisation chosen by Claire Burden, Senior School Director of Service https://threadtogether.org. This is the first time Cranbrook has supported Thread Together and Claire is hopeful that Cranbrook can support them for a year, having boys visit and volunteer their time as part of the Service Program.
In the lead up to the sale, Senior School boys donated their used uniforms in the various House common areas. They folded, sorted and assisted in carrying baskets to cars for transporting to the Cranbrook Boatshed. In the Junior School, Jill McPherson, very graciously collected and stored uniforms for us. Parent volunteers joined forces from across the School, working together to set up the Boatshed the day before the sale.
Day One of the sale was particularly busy, with long queues and deck chairs set up by parents eager to be first in line. Around 70% of the stock was sold in the first hour alone. The next day was relatively quiet, but we were still able to sell most of the clothing.
Treasurer, Kate Greenhill, had arranged the purchase of Square payment processing devices. It is exciting because it will significantly reduce processing fees for the CSPA, which in turn means more funds will be donated to the chosen charities. Another perk of Square is that it provides an itemised rundown of sales. The standout sellers were: 131 blue school shirts, 104 grey shorts, 63 PE shirts, 42 woollen jumpers and 34 blazers. Any clothing that had marks were given away for free. We sold a total of 586 items.
We aim to hold the next sale towards the end of Term 1 2023, in preparation for the winter uniform changeover.
The success of the sale reflects the strong community support for sustainability and parents desire to supplement their son’s school wardrobes!
K-Y2 Christmas Activities
On the last Monday of the term, students in K-2 will enjoy special Christmas Activities and their parents are invited to come onto campus at the very end to collect their sons from their classrooms. Details about this lovely event will be sent home in the coming weeks.
Little League Summer Sport Reports Round 8
Basketball Round 8
Basketball Year 5/6 As – Cranbrook 61 defeated Grammar St Ives 33
The As had another convincing win to keep their undefeated season alive. The boys came out strong, playing full court man to man defence. Grammar struggled to deal with the pressure, resulting in several easy baskets to Cranbrook. Charlie R and Tyson B dominated the boards on both ends of the court, gifting some nice opportunities on the fast breaks to Andre M. Jaysal K and Alfie T brought great energy off the bench, contributing in all aspects of the game
Basketball Year 5/6 Bs – Cranbrook 24 defeated by Grammar St Ives 29
The Bs had another disappointing loss on the weekend against Grammar St Ives. Although the effort was better than last week, the teamwork and cohesion were lacking. The team gifted Grammar too many easy baskets and were unable to capitalise on their own opportunities. Tom D had a strong game, with Oscar R contributing well. The boys will be working hard at training this week, in preparation for their round 9 game against Newington.
Basketball Year 5/6 Cs – Cranbrook 26 defeated Grammar St Ives 10
The Cs won another game making their record 2-0. The team came out in full confidence heading into the game. The boys maintained a healthy lead throughout the whole game scoring nonstop. Vinne B, Sebastian K, Sam F and Lachlan R W had the opposition pinned down not letting them dribble or pass without extreme pressure. Edward N, Edward F and Logan H made sure to keep the lead with some spectacular individual performances such as Edward F’s beautiful steal and then basketball making the crowd gasp in awe.
Basketball Year 5/6 Ds – Cranbrook 36 defeated Grammar St Ives 12
Another amazing games from the boys with a 36-12 Win! The boys came out in high hopes to the game and started off on an amazing run. Aidan M and Jake C scored consistently throughout the whole game displaying in matched talent against the opposition. Charlie R and Jimmy D limited the scoring opportunities of Grammar by deflecting and stealing the ball, giving our boys the opportunity to capitalise. Heath C G once again showcased his passing ability, assisting the boys towards their win. Finally, Rahul W’s once again unbeatable defensive force was outstanding and made it extremely difficult for the opposition to score.
Basketball Year 5/6 Es – Cranbrook 28 defeated Grammar St Ives 18
Another fantastic match for Cranbrook basketball, with outstanding offensive performances from all the boys, with almost everyone on the team contributing individually towards the scoreboard, quantitative evidence of their collective effort towards this great win. Moreover, their passing ability and unselfishness on the offensive end was incomparable to the Grammar side, with the boys having a critical eye on Grammar’s defence in order to deliver passes to the top scorers of the day, those of Oliver G, and Harry R, who each scored 8 points. Overall, this was a great game for Cranbrook and the final score of 28-18 represents this wonderfully.
Basketball Year 5/6 Fs – Cranbrook 35 defeated Grammar St Ives 12
This was a fantastic match, with the boys coming out early in the first half with intensity, demonstrating beautiful passing and space creation ability, whilst maintaining a strong defensive presence with a low foul count of only 2 in the entire game. As a result, Cranbrook’s offensive presence was unmatched, putting on an absolute clinic on offence scoring 22 points in the first half alone. Over the remainder of the game, whilst difficult to observe due to the collective effort of this game, the standout offensive performers became noticeable. These being Rocco B and Eamon R, scoring 14 and 10 points respectively. The game ended with a final score of 35-12, a summary indicative of their outstanding performance.
Basketball Year 5/6 Gs – Cranbrook 4 defeated by Grammar St Ives 6
This was a tough game for the boys on Saturday. Coming out in to the first half with intent, and an eye on the basket. Despite the players’ passing ability and Michael I’s offensive strength, scoring 4 points in the first half, the Grammar defence was in top form, matching our defensive ability and communication lead by Costa V and Hugo L, leading to a score of 4-4 at the end of the first half. Unfortunately, Grammar’s defence in the second half got the better of us, leading to missed shots. Despite this, the boys kept their composure and kept playing hard. Everyone played with intensity and respect, doing their absolute best for Cranbrook.
Basketball Year 5/6 Hs – Cranbrook 18 defeated Grammar St Ives 8
The boys came out extremely strong in the first half, demonstrating their efficient scoring ability and defensive presence whilst keeping their total foul count relatively low throughout the entirety of the game. They played well as a team, looking to pass before they looked to score. Standout performers of Saturdays game were Max C and Jack D, who each displayed excellent efficiency on the offensive end, scoring 6 points each, lifting the entire team up together, leading to their 18-8 win over Grammar St Ives.
Basketball Year 3/4 As – Cranbrook 19 defeated by Mosman 36
For the 2nd away game so far this season, the As were unfortunately outmatched by a strong Mosman side. Despite the result, there were glimpses of the high potential the team has from moments of great communication, some very unselfish passing as well as some very locked in attitudes. Leonardo B and Seb D were instrumental in rallying the boys and they should be commended for their relentless efforts during the game. The boys will particularly work on rebounding in this week’s training sessions.
Basketball Year 3/4 Bs – Cranbrook 21 defeated Mosman 8
For the first game of the day, the Bs set the tone early against Mosman as they showed tremendous poise and energy being active on all areas of the court. Jumping out to an early 14-2 lead, the boys never looked back and showed great sportsmanship throughout the match. Hugo L and Alex P made some impressive baskets from all angles of the frontcourt and their efforts have reflected well in the prior week’s training sessions. It was great to hear boys communicating and chatting about game plans on the sidelines and it is clear that these boys are in for a successful season!
Basketball Year 3/4 Cs – Cranbrook defeated Knox
The boys faced Knox again this weekend looking to bounce back after a tough loss last week. Defence was stressed to the boys at the start of the game, which was executed perfectly by all players on the court. The dominance on display was incredible to see, limiting Knox to roughly 10 total shots at the basket. Special mention must go to Xavier L and Aurelius S for their consistent effort on both offence and defence.
Basketball Year 3/4 Ds – Cranbrook defeated Knox
The boys started a little slowly defensively, allowing too many open shots on the basket. However, after an unfortunate injury to the opposing team, Cranbrook was able to regroup and lock in defensively. This led to many great shots made by Ziggy D, Lachy C and Frank T
Basketball Year 3/4 White 1 – Cranbrook 8 defeated by Mosman 6
A close loss for the Year 3/4 White 1, 8-6. Trailing for much of the game, Mosman snuck in for a win with 2 baskets near the end of the second half. We defended very well but unfortunately struggled to get shots up against a tall Mosman defence. Ziggy S led the attack with some great dribbling and passing. Will A and Harvey H were very solid in defence as they used their aggression to dismantle the ball on many occasions.
Basketball Year 3/4 White 2 – Cranbrook 26 defeated Mosman 4
A great win for the Year 3/4 White 2, 26-4. The boys showed great perseverance to keep Mosman to 4 points and showed their skills late in the second half to pull away with a comfortable victory. Oscar Mc was a standout in offence scoring most of the baskets with a mixture of layups and excellent mid-range jump shots. Lachlan B and Kaiden S were unreal in defence, tracking back and making plenty of steals.
Basketball Year 3/4 Blue 1 – Cranbrook defeated Mosman
The Cranbrook Blue 1s embodied the concept of great teamwork on Saturday. Henry W was constantly looking to help his team mates offensively, running up and down the court with unprecedented speed. Charlie W and Tully S, always in positive spirits, demonstrated excellent basketball intelligence as they strategised who to mark from the opposite team. Tom S and Marcus K were rebounding machines, each individually establishing a strong court presence, while the dynamic trio Sung H, Oliver P and George Y energised the team through their laser scoring. Well done boys. Great win!
Basketball Year 3/4 Blue 2 – Cranbrook defeated Mosman
The Cranbrook Blue 2s brought an electric energy to the court this weekend. Curtis C and Kyran D were strong and persistent on the defensive end, while Oliver. S and William S scored relentlessly in the fast break. Both Christian K and Mathew AH uplifted the team spirit through an admirable demonstration of resilience, while Nicholas A and Oliver L passed and dribbled the ball with a miraculous finesse. Well done boys. Great win!
Cricket Round 8
Year 6A Cricket – Cranbrook defeated Newington
After starting the season on a high the boys looked to make it 2/2 as we hit the road to play a reinvented Newington side. After winning the toss and electing to bat we found ourselves in some early strife at 6/50. Enter Johnny Y and Christoph F who put on an outstanding partnership to see us get to a defendable total of 102. Again, the boys missed the jump with the opposition looking well set at 1/60. The game was then turn on its head by a 1 handed screamer by Spencer R. The boys cleaning up the rest of the Newington side thanks to some brilliant bowling from Ethan M. Congrats on the win boys!
Year 6B Cricket – Cranbrook defeated Newington Wyvern
The 6Bs continued their winning ways on Saturday against a formidable opposition in Newington. The weather nor the average parking conditions could stop the boys from putting on yet another dominant display of cricket. Having lost the toss and bowling first, the intentions of the side were clear from the get-go as Andrew ‘Mr Consistent’ H and ‘Pocket Rocket’ Peter Z terrorised the batsmen with blistering pace and relentless accuracy. Having kept Newington to a below par target of 70, Xavier D clearly had somewhere else to be as he all decided the fate of the match within 4 overs, having punished the opposition to all corners of the ground. Brilliant teamwork from Tomas L and Middle order secured the victory for what is proving to be a very promising side in the program. Very much looking forward to what the dream team can achieve next.
Year 5A Cricket – Cranbrook defeated by Grammar St Ives
The 5As unfortunately lost on the weekend. However, their spirit was high most of the game. Our batting and running between the wickets had improved from last week. Our ability to drop and run gaining those quick singles and rotating the strike really aided in our accumulation of runs throughout the team. However, Shores impressive batting performance and difficulty fielding made it hard for us to stay in the game. Overall, a good performance but looking at continuing to work on our fielding.
Year 5B Cricket – Cranbrook defeated by Grammar
The 5Bs took part in a closely fought match this weekend, which Sydney Grammar eventually won by a narrow margin. The collective response, to an impressive batsman and bowler from Sydney Grammar, from the 5Bs to this challenge is to be commended – each player played a significant role in bringing the match back to an even footing. Highlights during the batting innings included a sweetly timed six off his pads from Alex M and a number of well-struck boundaries from Rafferty S. Alex M also bowled very economically, picking up 0-1 from his two overs. Elsewhere in the bowling innings, our openers Jackson P and Zach S came up against Grammar’s star player, but bowled very accurately and with good persistence nonetheless. Zach S was rewarded with a wicket, and Jackson threatened to dismiss the star batsman on a number of occasions. Jansen J’s leg breaks show great promise, and with practice will become more consistent. Harry R’s wicket maiden near the death, as well as plenty of dot balls from Ishy S and Patrick G during their bowling partnership in the middle overs, nearly proved enough to turn the match in Cranbrook’s favour as the team came up just short. Nonetheless, this was an impressive team performance against talented opposition, and one from which the players should take plenty of positives. We look forward to continuing the season in the same manner.
Year 5C Cricket – Cranbrook defeated Barker
After a tough loss last week, the 5Cs were able to clinch a convincing win against Barker at Steyne Park. Cranbrook lost the toss and were sent into bat. They were able to scramble to a total of 111 with the loss of only one wicket after 16 overs. Special mention goes to Steven H, who top scored with 18*, and Teddy C who scored a season high 16*. Barker was set a challenging total, and they were limited by what was a solid effort in the field by Cranbrook. The standout bowling performance goes to Teddy C, who took a crucial wicket early in the innings, and secured Cranbrook’s first win of the season with a very sharp run out. This week saw much improvement upon their performance last week against Scots, and the boys should be encouraged by their all-round efforts this week.
Year 4A Cricket – Cranbrook 72 defeated by Shore 81
Cranbrook won the toss and bowled at Steyne Park on Saturday and immediately got off to a strong start, bowling quality lines at a composed Shore top order. Oliver F, bowled fantastic areas, which restricted the opposition’s run scoring, and the entire team fielded well and kept their concentration for the duration of the innings.
With bat in hand Cranbrook were certainly solid, scoring plenty of boundaries quickly, including a highlight of a monster stand-and-deliver 6 straight over the bowler’s head from Hugh W. Unfortunately, while we played plenty of great run scoring shots, we played plenty of loose shots too. While we outscored the opposition, the difference in the wickets was such that Cranbrook were defeated 81-72. The focus in the weeks to come will be valuing our wickets highly and keeping our concentration with bat in hand.
Year 4 Blue Cricket – Cranbrook 156 defeated Sydney Grammar St Ives 89
Cranbrook 4Blue were ready to take on Sydney Grammar St Ives after hearing about a narrow win for the 4Red team. Cranbrook won the toss and elected to bat, Austin M and Joseph L were our opening batters looking to get Cranbrook off to a flier putting the bad balls and running the quick singles. Otto Y and Tomek O were the next pair in really boosting our total posting 40 runs in their runs; With George F and Felix C were the third pair in and took their options to take the 1s, 2s and even the 3s which was great to see, Angus D and Otto Y really took it to Grammar and boosted Cranbrook’s total to 96 runs (not including extra runs for wickets). Cranbrook 4Red were ready to bowl and it was a great start Angus D steamed in and bowled a peach of a delivery taking a wicket on the first ball of the innings. Tomek O took 2 wickets in his first over, while Otto Y took 2 wickets in his first over as well. Joseph L took 2 wickets in his first over also bowling a maiden over as well, Austin M took 2 wickets. Angus D came back for his second over and took a wicket, paving his fellow bowler Felix C’s wicket hit. George F with disbelief in his face, took one as well. Cranbrook finished on a total of 12 wickets by the end of their innings, really helping Cranbrook boost the total. Overall, very pleased with their winning streak for the Term 4 Cricket.
Year 4 Red Cricket – Cranbrook 104 defeated Grammar St Ives 102
Another early start for Cranbrook driving out to St Ives. Cranbrook won the toss and elected to bat, Henry C-S and Jack E opened the batting looking to get Cranbrook off to a good start working the singles and hitting the bad balls for four, George Y and Charlie H were the next pair in and once again took their chances with quick singles, Tomek O and Joseph L put the bad balls away helping the total slowly increase, Rembrandt T and George Y were our last pair both batsmen took their chances to boost Cranbrook’s total. Sydney Grammar had some great fielding taking a total of 9 wickets, giving them a 45 run head start before they even batted. Cranbrook 4Red ended on a total of 59 runs (not including extra runs for wickets). Cranbrook knew they had to take some wickets in order to give them chances to win. Cranbrook started well with Tomek O taking 2 wickets in his first over, it was then followed up by Henry C-S steaming in on a hat-trick only to take a wicket the ball after with a great 3 wicket maiden from Henry C-S, it was then followed up by Charlie H also on a Hat-trick from his first 2 balls Charlie H was close just going over the stumps, Jack E took a very important wicket which was then followed up by Tomek O taking another wicket. Cranbrook 4Red took a total of 9 wickets giving them the edge in the last over of the game, Henry C-S was the MOM to take Cranbrook over the line for a narrow win over Grammar. Overall, it was a great performance from the boys in their 2nd game of Term 4.
Year 3A Master Blasters – Cranbrook defeated Newington Wyvern
The mighty 3As have gone 2 from 2 with a great win against Newington. Cranbrook scored 165 to Newington’s 85. Special mentions go to Leo S for his great spin bowling and Thomas F for a great batting innings. Well done boys!
Year 3B Master Blasters – Cranbrook defeated by Grammar Edgecliff by 1 run
The Cranbrook 3Bs put in another strong performance on the weekend in a nail biter of a game. Fielding first, the boys displayed good discipline in their bowling, taking three wickets. In response, the boys started their batting innings well and looked set to win, however an untimely wicket in the final over put us behind by one run.
Year 3C Master Blasters – Cranbrook defeated Newington Wyvern
Entertainment is the word to describe the Cranbrook 3Cs! Their on-field plays were nothing but outstanding, remaining unbeaten this week against a very strong Newington side. The boys showed their class when required to get the result and came out the winners.
Tennis Round 8
Tennis As – Cranbrook defeated by Knox
We had another glorious sunny Saturday morning for our second fixture against Knox on the Kent Road Courts. It was a sensational series of matches with plenty of great rallies and well-earned points. There were some joyous victories along the way however the morning finished 3-12 to Knox. Sebastian T. and Riley T. stayed consistent and played some powerful serves. Lachlan B. and Ethan G stayed in sync and had a fantastic doubles fixture. The students look forward to continuing the season with their home fixture this week against Redlands.
Tennis Development & Tennis Cs
During our Lyne Park training session, the boys played a round robin tournament. There were long rallies across all courts and strong serves. Matthew Z and Niko D showed consistency when placing winning shots. It was enjoyable to see all the boys enjoy playing their matches.
Multi-Sports
The boys continued to focus on striking skills through activities and games of ‘Dodge Tee ball’. On Saturday, the Green team were the winners by a small margin of 3 runs in Dodge Tee Ball. Although one team was successful in Dodge Tee Ball, all the boys demonstrated an enhanced ability at striking the ball with a baseball bat. Fantastic performances from both Toby W and Harry D with impressive striking distances.
