Head of Junior School 

Welcome to Week 3 of what promises to be an industrious and busy culmination to the school year. I would like to extend a warm welcome to our new teacher into Prep, Mrs Eleanore Taylor. Eleanore grew up in Hobart, attending Collegiate School, comes with a wealth of experience in Early Years and is married with two young children. Her brother, Aiden also attended SVC Junior School, and, yes, Mrs Messer taught him! We also welcome two new students into the Year 4 classroom, Oscar Lumley and Sanithu Wijewardana, and their respective families into our SVC Community. 

Grandparents’ Day 2025 - Cherishing Generations Together

We had a truly heartwarming Grandparents’ Day celebration last week. The morning began with a beautiful liturgy in the Cathedral, featuring a touching enactment of Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge. This special story reminded us all of the power of memories and the deep bonds between grandparents and grandchildren.

Following the liturgy, grandparents were welcomed into classrooms to share in learning and connection with their grandsons — a wonderful opportunity to see their school life in action.

The day concluded with a delightful light luncheon prepared by our talented VET Hospitality students. Guests enjoyed a choice of delicious pumpkin or mushroom soup and a selection of fresh wraps — a perfect way to end such a meaningful celebration.

A heartfelt thank you to all the grandparents who joined us for this special day. Your presence made it truly memorable, and it was beautiful to see the joy and connection between generations.

Celebrating our Wonderful Teachers

This week, we will also celebrate World Teachers' Day. In what has become a tradition, the Junior School Parents and Friends Association will be providing a sumptuous morning tea for our teachers. We are most grateful for the support of the Parents and Friends Association and appreciate the wonderful teachers we have here.

ThinkUknow Cyber Safety Sessions

Thank you to those parents who attended the ThinkUknow parent session last week. Now that all students from Kindergarten through Tom year 6 have also attended these sessions, I encourage you to make the time to have a conversation about the content and what they learnt in their respective ThinkUknow session. The presentations were aimed at helping children and parents stay informed and empowered about their online safety. With digital technology being such a big part of our lives, it’s essential to understand the risks that exist online, including online grooming, sexual exploitation, and other harmful behaviors.

Some of the student takeaways:

‘I learnt that the Australian Government is banning social media for children 16 years and under from 10 December.’

‘When you’re not being safe on the internet, many things can happen and it can get really bad, really fast.’

‘Your identity can be worked out quickly by identifying things like school badges, address, school name etc.’

‘The government is implementing passport checks to verify your age.’

‘Don’t answer people that you don’t know, online.’

‘Don't talk to strangers online and don't answer their questions.’

‘Be careful, as strangers can pretend to be kids.’

‘If someone calls you and you don’t know them, don't give them any details, like your name and address.’

Polished Man

Today, we supported the The Polished Man initiative. The Polished Man mission is to end violence against children and women, focusing on both trauma prevention and recovery.

On Tuesday 28 October, Mr Hudson Arkley, in our Junior School Assembly, talked to the boys about what this awareness campaign is about and what it hopes to achieve. From 8:15am this morning, we had a Nail Bar. As the boys enterered the school grounds, they were asked if they would like one nail painted with blue nail polish, which demonstrated our support, ignite conversations and support victims, and hopefully make a real impact. Why not join us on the day in creating safer communities for all and painting a brighter future together!" 

Save the Date - Speech Day:

When:  Wednesday 3 December

Where:  My State Arena

Year Groups:  Kindergarten to Year 12

Time:  12pm - 2.00pm

This year sees a change in the format of Speech night. This will now become Speech Day for all students between Kindergarten and Year 12. On Speech Day, Major Awards for the College will be awarded including Junior Edmund Rice, Junior Virgilian and Sportsmanship Awards, Dux for each class, Years 3, 4, 5 and 6. There will also be performances from Choir and Year 5 and 6 bands.

Save the Date - End of Year Assembly

When:  Monday 8 December

Where:  SMC Nagle Centre

Year Groups:  Kindergarten to Year 6

Time:  1.00pm - 2.30pm (approx)

Our annual End of Year Assembly is being held  between 1pm and 2.30pm in the Nagle Centre of St Mary's College on Monday 8 December. This assembly will be the last for our Year 6 boys, will include a video montage of our boys time here at the Junior School, have performances from the choir and presentation of End of Year Class and Specialist Certificates.

Save the Date - Junior School Thanksgiving Liturgy

When:  Thursday 11 December

Where:  St Mary’s Cathedral

Year Groups:  Kindergarten to Year 6

Time:  6.00pm - 7.15pm

On Thursday 11 December, all students and families from Kindergarten to Year 6 will be invited to attend our Junior School Thanksgiving Liturgy in St Mary’s Cathedral between 6.00pm and 7.15pm.

Learn to Swim Program - Monday 3 November - Friday 14 November

Monday sees the commencement of our annual Learn to Swim Program. Learn to Swim commences on Monday November 3 and concludes on Friday November 14 for boys in Prep through to Year 6. During these two weeks our boys will either be walking or bussing to and from the Collegiate Pool or on a bus. Can you please ensure you have checked your emails and given permission on Consent2Go for your son to attend swimming, before Monday.