There was a buzz of excitement on Monday as we celebrated Harmony Day across the Junior School. It was a wonderful occasion of acknowledging cultural diversity and prompting conversations about respecting differences. You couldn’t miss the pop of orange that filled the school – I spotted some very creative orange accessories which brought a fun element to the celebration. Stage 3 invited three parents to share about their cultural backgrounds and family life. We thank them for such an engaging presentation.
Mrs Peddie and the Chaplaincy team have been working hard behind the scenes to prepare for Mission Week in Week 10. This is always a highlight on our school calendar and we are blessed to have the opportunity to share the Gospel message with students in engaging and relevant ways – be on the lookout for theme hints around the school next week…..
We are excited to commence our much-anticipated Buddy Program next week, with students to meet during Friday assembly time for their first session. As such, there will be no Assemblies in Week 9 to facilitate this time together.
Next Wednesday is the Junior School Cross Country and Sports Heroes Day. We anticipate this will be a wonderful occasion of competition, sportsmanship and fun. Carnival Lunch Packs for students will replace the traditional sausage sizzle, with a percentage of the proceeds going to The Salvation Army Flood Appeal.
The students in Year 2 have been enjoying ‘Genius Hour’ on Thursday afternoon. The students research a topic and then create and present their new learning or knowledge. Just before the photo was taken, the students completed a Gallery Walk to observe all the completed creations. Then they collaborated with their learning partner to chat about how their creation could be improved. They completed 2 stars and a wish as their evaluation. After that, 5 groups presented their learning while the other students listened, displaying wonderful characteristics of effective and confident communicators.
NAPLAN Practice Tests occurred on Thursday this week for Year 3 and Year 5 students. A reminder to parents that this is not an assessable test, rather a trial run to allow students to become familiar with the technology and iron out any system issues prior to the NAPLAN assessments in May.
Please be aware that we have experienced an increasing number of COVID cases among staff and students in the Junior School this week. Please pay close attention to hygiene and consider sending your children with masks to wear during the day. Many teachers have also resumed wearing masks to assist in containing potential virus spread.
Finally, a matter of house-keeping regarding labelling uniform and lunchbox items. Could I remind all parents to please check that items are clearly labelled to assist staff with returning lost items. Over the past few weeks we have had many lost items come to the Junior School Office with no means of identification. I thank you for your assistance in this.
For those playing their first round of Club soccer this weekend – good luck!
Andrew Coote
Head of Junior School