Head of Junior School

It has been a wonderful start to the term in our Junior School and there is much to celebrate, acknowledge and share with you. 

Year 5 & 6 Outdoor Education Camp

Our Year 5 and 6 students are currently away enjoying their Outdoor Education camp, and by all reports they are having a fantastic experience. 

Camps provide such valuable opportunities for girls to build independence, resilience, teamwork and confidence. With many new girls in Years 5 and 6, it gives opportunity to develop new friendship within and across the year levels. We look forward to sharing more stories and photos from their adventures when they return. 

We thank our dedicated staff for making this experience possible, especially Camp Coordinator, Ilse Johanson, for all her work behind the scenes.

Lunar New Year Celebration

We recently marked the Lunar New Year with a wonderful celebration across the School. A highlight was the vibrant Lion Dance, which brought energy and excitement to our community. It was great to see a wonderful turn out for the morning tea afterwards with many parents attending. 

Thank you to the PFA for putting on such a great event.

Staff Professional Development – Phonics & Spelling

Our teaching staff have recently engaged in professional learning focused on the explicit teaching of phonics and spelling. The sessions centred on strengthening explicit instruction practices and ensuring clear, sequential skill development across year levels. This work supports consistency in teaching approaches from one year to the next and ensures that students build strong foundational literacy skills in a structured and intentional way. We are committed to continuous improvement in our teaching practice to achieve the best outcomes for every girl.

Introducing URStrong – New Wellbeing Program

We are excited to introduce URStrong as our new Junior School Wellbeing Program. URStrong focuses on explicitly teaching friendship skills and providing students with practical tools and language to manage social challenges. The program is particularly powerful in supporting girls to navigate social conflict, build healthy friendships, and develop emotional intelligence.

By equipping students with a shared language and clear strategies, we are empowering them to manage friendship dynamics with confidence and resilience. We look forward to providing a more in-depth update about the program in the coming weeks.

Parent-Teacher Interviews Reminder

A reminder that Parent-Teacher Interviews will be held on Thursday 5 March. Please note that school will conclude at 12.30pm on this day. 

These meetings are a valuable opportunity to discuss your daughter’s progress and learning goals. We encourage all families to attend. 

If you would like to speak with a Specialist Teacher, please contact them via email to organise an interview.

Have a wonderful week with your family.

Dr Brendan Kean

Head of Junior School