The Hamilton and Alexandra College Newsletter

Myrniong 

Ikigai

At the beginning of the school year, the Junior School staff and I looked at the Japanese notion of Ikigai.  It relates to the concept of your 'reason for being.’ 'Iki' in Japanese means 'life,' and 'gai' describes value or worth. Your ikigai is your life purpose.  It's what brings you joy and inspires you to get out of bed every day.  Term One has provided many such inspirations.  The last 10 weeks have been punctuated with highlights and great reasons to get out of bed. Such as:

  • Our successful Intensive Swimming program
  • The wonderful introduction of Drama as part of our specialist offer. 
  • The enjoyable House Swimming, with Berry House coming away with a strong win.
  • The energetic House Athletics, with Laidlaw pipping Berry House.
  • Successful District and Division Athletics and Swimming carnivals.
  • Berry House’s excellent ‘Bravery’ Service.
  • Year 3 and 5 students confidently completing their NAPLAN testing.
  • Inspiring Pyjamas Day and donations of sleepwear for charity.
  • Spirited Early Learning Centre visits to Senior School and House Athletics.
  • Positive Learning Progress meetings.
  • Comfort zone pushing - Year 5 and 6 Grampians camp.
  • The moving whole school Easter Service.
  • High quality teaching and learning in all our classrooms.

Wishing everyone a well-deserved holiday break and I look forward to seeing you all for the commencement of Term Two on Wednesday 26 April.

 

A.N.Z.A.C Day Service

College will again participate in the Hamilton ANZAC Day march to be held on Tuesday, 25 April.  The march commences at 10.30am outside Gray Street Primary School.  Junior school students are welcome to march. They are required to be in full winter uniform with blazers and ties.

 

Premiers’ Reading Challenge

The Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge (PRC) is now underway, and The Hamilton and Alexandra College is excited to be participating.  The Challenge is open to all Victorian children in recognition of the importance of reading for literacy development.  It is not a competition; but a personal challenge for children to read a set number of books by 8 September 2023. 

 

Children from Prep to Year 2 are encouraged to read or ‘experience’ 30 books with their parents and teachers. Children from Year 3 to Year 10 are challenged to read 15 books. 

 

All children who meet the Challenge will receive a certificate of achievement signed by the Victorian Premier and former Premiers. 

 

Your child’s login details for the 2023 Premiers’ Reading Challenge have been placed in their record book.  This includes a username and password.  To read the Premier’s letter to parents, view the booklists and for more information about the Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge, visit: https://www.vic.gov.au/premiers-readingchallenge  

 

Many thanks to Mrs. Kym Dempsey for all her work in setting up this year’s PRC.

 

Preservice Teachers at Myrniong

Next term we have five preservice teachers on placement in classes at Myrniong. 

  • Toby Hawthorne will join the Year 6 class for 9 weeks.
  • Tzu Winstanley will join the Year 2 class for 6 weeks.
  • Sarah Lyon will join the Prep class for 6 weeks.
  • Richard Weisbach will join the Early Learning Centre for 6 weeks.
  • Scarlett van Wegan will join the learning support team in Years 1 and 2 for 6 weeks. 

Year 5/6 Grampians Camp

We were blessed with some wonderful autumnal weather for our three-day trip to the beautiful northern Grampians.  The camp provided the students with many opportunities to push their individual comfort zones via climbing, abseiling, mountain bike riding and bushwalking challenges.  Special thanks to Upper Years teachers Mrs Anna Robertson and Mrs Sarah Covill plus our GAP student Caycee for their encouragement and support of the students. We will present student Camp Brownlow medals at an Assembly early in Term Two.

 

House Cross Country

The Junior School House Cross Country will be held on Monday 1 May at the Parklands Golf Course commencing at 9.30am.  Students have been given the opportunity to run the course during PE lessons and are encouraged to continue to prepare for this during the term break. Parents and friends are welcome to join us on the day. 

 

Stephen Nelson

Head of Junior School