Head of Junior School 

Our boys explore a world of experiences 

This past fortnight has been a wonderful reminder of the wide range of experiences and opportunities available to our boys. From testing their skills in Interschool chess competitions, celebrating the joy of reading and dressing up in costumes during Book Week, to fundraising and taking part in meaningful awareness activities for Mary Rice Day, our students have certainly been busy! 

It is these diverse experiences that make our College so special. We are incredibly fortunate to be able to provide our boys with opportunities to get involved, try new things, broaden their horizons and develop an understanding of the world around them. 

Keep and eye out for important information about our Year 2 to 6 Athletics Carnival which is taking place on Friday 11 September at the Domain Athletics Centre. Parents will be welcome to attend and show their support on the day.

7HOFM  School of the Year Competition

We’re excited to announce that the Junior School has been nominated for 7HOFM’s School of the Year for 2026.

There is a staggering $10,000 up for grabs if we’re voted the top school. Imagine what we could do with that!

But we need your help. We need lots of votes from now until 10 September. You can vote every day. One vote per person per day adds up to a lot of votes.

If successful, the Junior School P&F will use the entire $10,000 for the upgrade of our School Hall to benefit our students for years to come. Let’s get the whole St Virgil’s community behind this. You can vote here:

https://www.7hofm.com.au/win/7hofms-school-of-the-year-voting-2026/

A Different Kind of Book Week Celebration: ‘A Symphony of Stories’

What a magical celebration of books to kickstart Book Week at the Junior School this week. Our Symphony of Stories brought every genre to life, with colourful characters and creative touches representing everything from adventure and fantasy to mystery, history, comedy and more. We even had a real transformer, Optimus Prime!

Each class has been involved in celebrating a wonderful week of celebrating the stories, characters and imagination that make reading so special. Years 3 and 4 headed to the hall to run a Jeopardy Quiz, with questions such as, guess the author, name the main character. Boys participated in House Teams, with Joyce House being triumphant. Afterwards, they engaged in activities like redesigning book covers. Boys were also encouraged to bring in and discuss their favourite picture book. 

Another Book Week activity featured our Year 5 and 6 students reading to small groups of boys, from all classes, on the Futsal Court.  

From Junior to Senior: Year 5 Explores What’s Ahead 

On Monday, Year 5 students had a fantastic day visiting the Senior campus as part of their Year 7 Orientation. Run by Mrs Van Heerden, the incursion gave students a chance to see what life is like in the older years and begin to imagine themselves at our Austins Ferry campus in a few years.

Students were given a comprehensive tour by Year 9 students and were especially excited by the metal, wood and auto workshops. They joined a fun science experiment with Miss Yates and Mr Grice, created their own art pieces with Mrs Scanlon, and worked together in groups on a team-building challenge. Throughout the day, the Year 5s showed great enthusiasm and clearly loved the experience.

A Day of Strategy and Checkmates 

Our Chess boys are gaining valuable experience as they continue to develop their skills through interschool chess competitions. 

JATNET (Japanese Language Teachers Association of Tasmania) Speech Competition

A number of our students from years 3 to 6 will record their very own speeches under the expert guidance of Mrs Alsion Wignell, on Friday 4 September. The boys have worked very hard to write and rehearse their speeches. The recordings will then be sent in for the JATNET Competition. We are grateful we have the expertise of Mr Bruce Woods who will film the boys in the JS hall on the day. We wish our boys all the best for their speeches.

Upcoming Dates:

Fridays this term: STCPSSA Football fixtures for Years 5 and 6: except for 28/8, 11/8

Monday 31 August: SVC/SMC Band Day at SMC. Concert at 2.15pm.

Friday 4 September: Filming of Japanese speeches

Monday 7 September: Fathers’ Day Breakfast and Open Morning for Principal's Tours 

Friday 11 September: House Athletics Carnival: Years 2 to 6 at the Domain Athletics Centre.

Wednesday 23 September: Footy Colours Day: Kinder to Year 6