From the Head of the Junior School
Welcome Back to school! After more than 25 years of teaching (and more than 40 years of going to school) I still had butterflies in my tummy on Day 1. So did lots of our children, and some of the parents too!
It’s exciting, and a little nerve wracking to begin a new year of schooling. Lots of things are new and unknown, and with this comes expectation and for some, worry. It’s been wonderful to see little people push through and manage this. We have lots of new students on both campuses and I am always so very proud of how our students welcome them, with empathy of what it’s like to be in a new place. Our new students, including our brand new Pre Kindergarten classes, are all settled beautifully.
This semester our classes will be focusing on the Well Being areas of Self Awareness and Self Management. Everybody in the Junior School will be learning about:
Self Awareness
- Identifying emotions
- Self-perception
- Recognising strengths
- Self confidence
- Self efficacy
Self Management
- Impulse control
- Stress Management
- Self Discipline
- Self Motivation
- Goal setting
- Organisational Skills
Our learning in these areas, and the other Social Emotional Domains of Social Awareness, Relationship Skills and Responsible Decision Making take years and years to develop, and this happens in lots of different ways. It’s obviously different at different points of development for children too. Each week teachers will be spending time explicitly teaching this content and the skills that children need. Sometimes this will happen as a discussion, sometimes it will happen as part of Wild Ed, sometimes it will happen through Drama. But it’s important that Junior School students are hearing the same messages with the same language.
We’ll be continuing to include a Well Being segment in assembly too. We will be unpacking the school values and behaviours that are common for students in the Junior School, Senior School and for staff. We hope that lots of parents can join us at assembly to celebrate the learning that happens every single week, and to learn more about these behaviours. Mr Coote and myself will be there for week 2 at both campuses and we have prepared a skit! We hope to see lots of you there! Assemblies begin next week:
- Wentworth Falls Monday February 4 2:30 – 3:00 in Coote Hall
- Springwood Thursday February 7 2:30 – 3:00 in the Hall
Lastly, a big thank you to the Junior School P&F volunteers on each campus. They are already hard at work connecting with parents and building community. It was fabulous to see returning parents and new parents mixing and meeting one another at both campuses this week. Our P&F have lots planned for the year and we hope you can be involved as we build community and raise funds to improve the Junior School.
A reminder to come along to learn all about your child’s teacher and class this year. Our Parent Information Evenings are on Tuesday February 5 from 6 – 7pm at Springwood and on Wednesday February 6 from 6 – 7 at Wentworth Falls. On both evenings, new parents are encouraged to stay behind at 7pm to learn all things Grammar, with a focus on the Parent Portal and My BMGS. Of course, existing parents who’d like more help in this area are warmly invited to come along. Child minding will be available – please let Mrs Arrell or Mrs Boros know if you’ll need that service.
Mrs Rachael Newton
Head of Junior School