Junior School

I must admit, there was a collective groan last week when we heard the news that we would return to Stage 4 restrictions and remote learning. We miss the students so much, yet understand the need to stay safe and minimise possible exposure. Reminds me of that old movie, Groundhog Day! We are so proud of the students, who are managing well the need to learn in a different place and space. Let us pray that, before long, we are once again onsite and in real classrooms.

In true Olympic spirit, Junior School staff enjoyed a break from online classes last week to take part in the inaugural Oxlympics. Staff members performed in their selected event with much gusto!

We have asked students to recreate an Olympic event at home with their family and the winning photo or video will earn a gold medal prize! Thanks to Mr Joshua Gaschk for officiating the Oxlympics event!

It has been an absolute joy to jump into class videoconferences with teachers and students this week. We thank families for their support in assisting students to access these meetings. The delight experienced by staff is indeed tangible; staff have certainly learned a lot about information technology during remote learning, especially in their use of the Surface Hub device in their classroom, which has helped them to feel like they are really teaching in front of a class.

This week, we appreciated the opportunity to meet with parents at Parent Teacher Interviews, albeit via videoconference. It was so lovely to see parents face to face over the screen. Thank you to everyone who made an appointment and contributed to conversations about student progress and goal setting for Semester 2. There is strength in the partnership between teachers and parents. We could not do this without parents and appreciate the role you play in ensuring your child experiences progress and success in their learning.

It has been a delight to receive emails and cards from students, who happily share photos of their work or learning space. I’ve been the recipient of words of encouragement, as well as questions about the staff. Please feel free to encourage communication with me, Mrs Kirby-Beach, or your child’s teachers.

We will keep parents updated as to the state of upcoming events. Staff continue to plan and prepare, yet we often have Plan B in place, just in case. Rehearsals for the annual Junior School Musical, Annie Jnr, continue online for our main cast members. Please put these dates in your calendar – Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 September – with information about ticketing soon to come.

Philippians 4:6-7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

Sharee Gaiser

Head of Junior School

What Did You Do at School Today?

Prep

We had so much fun celebrating 100 Days of School! It was great to see so many students dressing up like they were 100 years old. Our classrooms were transformed into a party room with so many colourful decorations. We even took home a balloon covered with stars. It was interesting to see what we would all do with $100 and what we would and wouldn’t like 100 of. The day was topped off with a Tug of War with Dr Peck. The Preps are so strong! Click here for the video and more photos of our fun day! 

On Friday, we enjoyed completing the Choose Your Own Adventure grid. The teachers loved receiving some pictures of the students completing the tasks.

Year 1 and Year 2

We had a special visit to the Enviro Barn to learn about the First Peoples of Australia. We are Celebrating Differences in Integrated Studies this term and Mrs Gaschk volunteered to help us understand how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people lived on and cared for the land. We smelt and tasted Lemon Myrtle, which is a Native Australian plant grown in this local area. It was exciting to build a bonfire and make damper. Mrs Gaschk told us an Aboriginal Creation story of How the Kangaroo Got Its Pouch. This story was passed down by a local Aboriginal woman. We cannot wait to learn more about other cultures over the next few weeks.

Year 3

We have moved into our new classrooms! Much excitement was visible as students found their new lockers, chair, and toured the new building and learning spaces. We have enjoyed our joint class reflection time when we call each other’s class on the Surface Hub to share our learning. We congratulate the students who performed at the Music Chapel last week. Congratulations to you all for the way you have responded to Learning from Home this week. You are all superstars! This spectacular artwork by Danielle Motha (3B) is one example of the level of creativity being displayed. 

Year 4

Well, it seems that the Olympics have synchronised themselves with Lockdown 6.0! It has been excellent to see students take up the challenge and compete in their own Olympics, while undertaking remote learning. A few students made a ramp and participated in jumping as high as they could with their bikes. There will be a prize if you can name who these risk-takers are! 

Furthermore, we have seen some amazing creativity! Who would have thought that a light sabre could be a hockey stick, and Lego an Equestrian track?

Meanwhile at school, Henry, Archie, Lincoln and Cin Sian jumped for gold as they completed their remote learning activities – well done boys!

Year 5

It was so exciting to return to school and start learning in our new classrooms. We have enjoyed exploring new technology and have shared our reflection time across classes using the Surface Hubs. One of the best parts of onsite learning is collaborating with one another to complete tasks. Completing our displays for the Travel Expo was a wonderful example of this. In order to succeed, we negotiated with our team to decide the best way to present our information and learning. We look forward to sharing our inquiry with the rest of the Junior School when we return to onsite classes. The Year 5 students pray a blessing over the College community during this latest lockdown.

Year 6

It has been a hive of activity in Year 6, as we prepare for our up-and-coming Travel Expo! We cannot wait to introduce other year levels to the delights of various European countries, their attractions, local wildlife and culture. We have been learning to present our learning in engaging ways by creating a variety of posters, brochures, maps and recipes for those who may pass by our stalls. It has been wonderful to set up in our new space with a beautiful view overlooking the oval and mountains in the background. We look forward, with anticipation, to sharing our research and presentations with our school community soon!