From the Head of Junior School
It is hard to believe that the school year has ended and we are preparing for the holiday break and all the festivities of the season. I would like to thank our students and our school families for how well they managed the end-of-year events. Carols was once again a thoughtful and respectful event, with each House conducting services at their respective churches. The tradition of donating gifts was very much appreciated by each of the charitable organisations that received them.
Our Junior School Speech Night ran smoothly once again and our students were well behaved at both the rehearsal and the event itself. I sincerely thank all the staff involved in planning and coordinating this event, particularly Mrs Potter, who was coordinating her first Junior School Speech Night. The backstage logistics were carried out calmly and efficiently to ensure all our students were presented at the correct place and time. Congratulations to Grace Beattie (Jenkin) and Ryan Guo (Riley) for being inducted as our 2024 Junior School Captains at Speech Night. I would also like to congratulate the following students who were awarded dux of their respective year levels at the Junior School Speech Night:
Margaret Yau (3 Millward)
Graham Ziffer (4 Jones)
Síofra O’Malley (5 Jones)
Gracie Seipolt (6 Riley)
Additionally, I am grateful to our students for the way they welcomed our incoming students on Transition Day. This was particularly challenging this year with the reduced play space due to the COLA build, but our students were wonderful as always. Many of our students were nervous about finding out who their new teacher was and which friends they were with, but they put those feelings aside and went out of their way to ensure our new students felt welcomed. This selflessness was certainly appreciated by the new students and their families, who went away from the day feeling like they were coming to a school where they were welcomed and where they too could belong.
Staffing
Next year, we will welcome four new teachers to Junior School. Miss Amy Bilkey joins us to teach Year 6, Mrs Sarah Wood has accepted a 12-month position teaching Year 1, Mrs Jazlyn Chambers will rejoin us to teach Year 2, and Mr Jarrod Epps joins us to teach Physical Education and Year 3.
Thank You
Thank you to our parent volunteers, particularly our Classroom Representatives and the Friends of Junior School (FOJS). The help provided during the year allows us to run many of our events more effectively. Without our FOJS and the many volunteers they bring with them, we would not be able to run the additional aspects of our special days (for example, our Swimming Carnival sausage sizzle or the Cinema Day lunch). I know those families who are new to the school also appreciate the efforts that are made by our Class Reps to make them feel welcome.
Finally, I would like to thank each member of our Junior School community – students, parents, staff and all of those people who, in some way, are involved in helping our school thrive. I wish you all a happy and safe holiday and look forward to working with you all in 2025.
Mr Don Thompson
Head of Junior School