Middle School

A Term to Be Proud Of

Article by Matt Hill, Deputy Head of Middle School

As Term 3 comes to a close, we want to pause and celebrate just how much our school community has shared together this term. From the sidelines of the athletics track to the stage lights of Battle of the Houses, Term 3 has been a wonderful reminder of what makes our school special: the way our students, families, and staff come together to support, encourage, and celebrate all members of our community.

Coming Together 

So much of this term has been about connection. Our Father's Day Stall brought smiles all round as students carefully picked out something special for the dads and father figures in their lives, and our PTSI sessions gave parents, teachers, and students the chance to strengthen those all-important partnerships that help every child thrive. Meanwhile, our School Alive Tours gave our prospective families a wonderful window into the life of our school, and our now offering of Middle School Prospective Student Experience sessions were a lovely opportunity to welcome future students and their families into our school community.

Celebrating Active, Healthy Kids

Our students showed fantastic energy and team spirit throughout the term. The Year 4–6 Athletics Carnival saw students give their all with enthusiasm and great sportsmanship. Battle of the Houses brought out plenty of friendly competition and house pride. Our Maths Games Day was a brilliant celebration of curiosity and problem-solving, proving that learning can be every bit as exciting as a race to the finish line.

Supporting the Whole Child

We were proud to see our students grow in confidence and character this term. The first of this years "Me You Us" days gave students valuable tools for building respectful, healthy relationships with Elephant Ed workshops, as well as education on making healthy choices from a range of external providers. PAT testing was approached with real focus and resilience. As students worked through their Subject Selections, we saw them thinking thoughtfully about their interests and future pathways — a big step in taking ownership of their own learning journey.

Sharing Stories and Stepping Into the Spotlight

Some of the most memorable moments of the term came through storytelling and adventure. Year 5 Camp created lasting memories and new friendships, experiencing all the historical magic of Sovereign Hill, while Year 5 Monologues and Suitcase Stories gave our students the chance to step into the spotlight and share their voices with courage and creativity. Watching our students express themselves so openly is always one of the true joys of the school year.

Looking Ahead to Term 4

Thank you to our students, families, and staff for making Term 3 such a memorable and connected one. Every event this term, big or small, was made better by the community that showed up for it.

As we head into the holidays, we're already looking forward to everything Term 4 has in store. Here's to more learning, more laughter, and more moments together as we finish the year strong. Enjoy the break, the longer and lighter evenings, and we will see you all next term!

Battle of the Houses reflections

Pasteur House Leader Reflections

This term, rehearsing for Battle of the Houses was a fun and rewarding experience. I enjoyed working with everyone and seeing the ideas come together to create a performance. Although there were some challenges during rehearsals, we worked together, supported each other, and kept improving our performance. I’m really proud of what we achieved as a team and enjoyed being part of such a fun experience. - Nikita C

Battle of the Houses has always been a highlight of the year for me, from junior school until now, I have consistently been looking forward to everything from the theme announcements to the performances across the year levels. Back in Year 5, I hoped to be just like the house leaders standing in front of me. Having that same opportunity and being that role model for someone else was a dream come true. Looking back now, I am not disappointed in the slightest. Every week, I looked forward to the rehearsals, the planning, and the meetings with the other leaders. I worked my hardest to ensure Battle of the Houses and being a house leader is a future dream for the younger students I taught. This will be a memory I hold onto forever and I wish the same for this year's and future house captains. - Penelope M

During rehearsals this term, I enjoyed working with my classmates and practising our performance. It was sometimes challenging to teach the whole Pasteur year level but overtime everything improved with practice. It was fun to perform in front of everyone and show what we had made and come up with. Overall, I enjoyed the experience and was proud of our teamwork and effort. - Asher C

Edison House Leader Reflections

Battle of the Houses is by far the most exciting day of every year. From the rehearsals, full of hard work and dedication, to the big performance, filled with excitement and fun, it is a day that everyone looks forward to. As we watch each performance, we can see the support and passion coming from each house and the audience. Many students stepped outside their comfort zones today, and I am sure many are already looking forward to the upcoming Battle of the Houses in 2027. - Zoe

I really enjoyed being part of the Heroes vs Villains performance for the Year 6s. I enjoyed working with my house and helping to bring our ideas to life. I found getting everyone to feel confident and comfortable performing in front of a crowd a little challenging, but it was really rewarding to see everyone come together. Overall, I really enjoyed the experience and being involved in Battle of the Houses. - Isabella

Newton House Leader Reflections

Battle of the Houses was such a fun and exciting day. We really enjoyed being involved as the Year 8 leaders for Newton. There was definitely a lot happening in the lead-up to the day, and at times things felt a little chaotic and unorganised. However, once the day actually arrived, everything seemed to come together and it was great to see all the hard work from students pay off.

One of our favourite parts of the day was seeing the different performances from the other houses as well. We loved seeing the different dance routines, drama and lip sync performances, and thought it was great to start the day with the Year 8 Opening Ceremonies. Having the theme of heroes and villains made everything even more exciting and gave each House the opportunity to be creative and show their personalities.

It was also great to see the friendly competitiveness between the Houses. Everyone was really getting into the spirit of the day and cheering on their teams. There were some mixed results for Newton, but we are still really proud of everyone who participated and gave their best effort.

One of the biggest highlights for us was definitely seeing our Year 5s receive a “perfect score” for their dance routine! They worked so hard and absolutely deserved the result. It was such a great moment for Newton and really showed how much effort everyone had put into their performances.

Overall, Battle of the Houses was a fantastic day. We loved being able to lead and support the younger students, and it was great to see everyone coming together, having fun and competing in such a positive way.

Now we just have to wait and see what the overall House scores are! We can’t wait to find out at next term’s assembly and hopefully Newton has done enough to take the win.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the day happen. We had an awesome time and are already looking forward to next year’s Battle. - Grace, Daniel, Eliza & Alysia

Curie House Leader Reflections

The Battle of the House was an exciting event where each year level showed their creativity, teamwork and house spirit. Each year had a different performance, making the event fun and entertaining.

Year 8 performed an opening ceremony, Year 7 took part in lip-syncing battles, Year 6 performed a drama, and Year 5 performed a dance.

The House Captains really enjoyed helping and teaching the younger students during preparation, seeing them become more confident and having fun together on stage.

Curie had an amazing overall performance, finishing with two second place and two third-place finishes. Everyone gave it their best and showed great house spirit.

Well done, Curie!  - Jada, Sophie, Victoria and Phoebe