Junior School Report

Message from the

Director of Learning 

-  Ms Alice Paget

I would like to congratulate all the Junior School staff and students for their flexibility and resilience this term. After the snap lockdown, we were very excited to see the students again and be able to teach them face-to-face! I am so proud of all the junior school students with their swift transition back to remote learning, showing great flexibility, maturity, and enthusiasm in online classes. Well done, Year 7 and 8!

The team of teachers and extra support staff in the junior school did an outstanding job in modifying their teaching style once again, adapting their resources and supports to allow for a smooth transition into remote learning. Thank you very much to the team of the amazing staff we have at Westall!

ONSITE JUNIOR SCHOOL CAMP POSTPONED

As a result of the unpredictable situation in Victoria at the moment, we have decided to postpone Junior School Camp until Term 3. We want to provide the best possible experience for the students in the Junior School, and we are hoping we will be in a better position to do this later in the year. Stay tuned for new date confirmation.

WESTALL WAY LEADER BOARD 

(SEMESTER 1)

The Westall Way are a set of learning behaviours that bring together the College values that students endeavour to demonstrate in College life. We have a reward system (Westall Points) around these behaviours where students are awarded points for demonstrating these behaviours on an ongoing basis.

Well done to the following Year 7 and 8 students who have made into the top 10 students for their respective year levels this Semester:

Students can continue to work their way up the Westall Wall of Achievement, achieving progressive awards based on the number of points they receive. Keep up the great work and striving for your Personal Best!

LOOKING FORWARD:  SUBJECT SELECTION FOR 2022

Semester 2 is almost upon us! The Year 7 and 8 students are looking forward to beginning their new electives next semester, which may include Food Technology, Visual Arts, Music, Drama, Digital Technology and Visual Communication and Design. 

The Year 8 students will begin to make important decisions regarding their pathway through secondary school, starting with their choice of a Year 9 elective next semester. Their time in junior school, studying a broad range of subjects will assist them in making an informed decision based on their passions and interests. Both Year 7 and 8 students will choose their iCreate subject for next year too. 

All Year 7 and 8 students will take place in a Course Counselling information session on Wednesday 23rd June to help them navigate the decisions they need to make. There is a handbook on our website for students, parents and guardians describing the process, Middle School Electives and iCreate subjects. I strongly encourage you to sit down with your child over the holidays and explore the options on offer. 

Ms Alice Paget

Director of Learning - Junior School

Victorian Virtual High Ability Program

Brighty, Kallfu, Khyber and Maryam, all of Year 7, have been selected to participate in the Victorian High Ability Program (VHAP) this Term. Students have been involved in one online lesson every Friday of Term 2. Congratulations on your selection and striving for the challenge! 

Kalfu has described his experience below:

“I found the program to be quite a unique experience. There were many concepts I learnt in this program that wouldn't be covered in the typical Victorian curriculum and I found that it has enriched my understanding of mathematics in many ways.”

Kalfu

Year 7 student

Numeracy Scholarship 2021

iCreate - 

Master the Westall Cafe

Junior school students preparing food and beverages. 

Junior School Chinese

What has been happening in Chinese this Semester?

YEAR 7

This year we welcomed new Year 7s into our Westall Chinese classroom from different LOTE learning backgrounds. We have students with varying degrees of exposure to the language, and meanwhile quite a few only started to learn Chinese for the very first time. But one thing in common is that everyone is giving it a go in the classroom; they fit in quite nicely and caught on quickly!  

For example, in Chinese class Ms Summer does not call out names to mark the roll; instead, the students take turns to say nǐ hǎo (Hello) to the next person on the roll as part of the routine.  Ad for the exit greetings, everyone needs to say xiè xie lǎo shī, lǎo shī zài jiàn (Thank you, teacher!  Goodbye!) to the teacher not together, but one by one. Such seemingly insignificant small gestures help our students use the target language in an authentic way and establish the confidence to say a foreign language in a meaningful and routinely manner.  I am pleased to say that every very Year 7 has nailed it and I truly enjoyed teaching this fabulous group of newly minted high schoolers! 

With the help from senior students from Chinese backgrounds, the Year 7s are experimenting on the Chinese handcraft of lantern making. 

Use of whiteboard for CFU in LOTE classroom

YEAR 8 

During this semester, our amazing Year 8s did one unit of cultural learning on Chinese symbols and another language-focused unit on self-introduction (10 Statements About Me). 

Culture Research:  Chinese Motifs

From the most beloved character FU 福 (which means joy and luck) to Chines seals, from Yin and Yang to Chinese dragons, students explored their origins, characteristics, significance and their relation to the way language is being used. They demonstrated a 

positive attitude and well-rounded understanding of the ancient culture through a complete research process from posing research questions, forming predictions, evaluating sources of information to presenting research findings. 

Different to Indo-European languages such as English, the Chinese language is a pictograph that carries meaning and story behind it.  By exploring the drawing and strokes of characters, students appreciate the artistic beauty of the language and gain a better understanding of the culture.  

Student showcasing her drawing of Chinese characters.

Class Blog:  10 Statements About Me

As the product of our language-focused learning, the students created a class blog where they used both Chinese and English to introduce themselves.  The blog allows students to apply what they learned in the LOTE classroom in an authentic way and express themselves visually through themes, photography and designs.  Students also practised other essential skills including problem-solving, critical thinking, and cultural awareness.  Their beautifully made work never failed to touch my heart and make me moved!!

Ms Summer Bao

LOTE Coordinator