From the Head of Junior School

This week we had Orientation Day. I love these days because we get to meet new friends and we get to watch our students “step up” and practice being in the grade above. It reminds the staff of just how far the children have come in one short year. Our Pre-Kindergarten children suddenly seem so big, and our Kindergarten students (now reading!) feel very grown up heading into Stage 1. Our Year 6 students of course make a huge leap into the Senior School – a step that they are absolutely ready to make.

At this year’s Orientation Day we stepped into a new program for our Stage 3 learners. For a really long time, we’ve run two classes – Discovery and Performing Arts – and we’ve loved seeing the learning that’s taken place in these streams. After a review, we’ve made some slight changes, which will give a greater range of choice for our learners.

We will now have two Stage 3 classes and these will be known as ‘Core Classes’. They will be mixed, with a balance of gender, personalities, abilities and learners in those classes. In these classes, our students will do a ‘Deep Dive’ into the core subjects of English and Maths. These subjects will be taught explicitly, with students given time to deepen their skills and continue to ensure they have the Literacy and Numeracy skills and knowledge to use in meaningful ways.

All students will also have an ‘elective’, similar to what happens in Senior School. In the afternoons, students will join their Discovery or Performing Arts elective and undertake learning through those unique lenses, in areas such as Art, HSIE and Science. This ensures that the passionate learning that our students love can happen in creative ways, and through exploratory, inquiry-based learning. This afternoon program will set up our students for the Odyssey program that gets undertaken in Year 7 and Year 8.

Many parents and students are pleased about being able to try the different electives. In past years, our Year 4 students have had to make one choice which lasts for the remainder of their primary years at school. Now our Stage 3 students can try out both electives, even changing each semester if the numbers stay in balance. For the students who feel well suited, or even a bit curious about both Discovery and Performing Arts, will now get the opportunity to try both streams.

These styles of learning are both important to us and we look forward to seeing our students embrace the opportunity to be challenged across a broader learning spectrum. Our students will also get to work with a bigger variety of people across the stage, and benefit from the passion and experience of more staff.

Orientation Day was also an opportunity to welcome a couple of new staff members. Laura Lysaght will join Miss O’Keefe on the Discovery class, and comes with a wealth of experience in Opportunity Classes, and across K – 6 and in both Australia and the UK. Patricia Vaughan is joining us at Wentworth Falls in Kindergarten, as Mrs Brischetto takes leave to work on her farm, and plans to return to us part time in 2027. Mrs Vaughan is a passionate teacher, committed to the growth and wellbeing of every child. She loves early literacy and can’t wait to join the team. As a parent of Senior School students, she knows just how special this community is.

We’d love to thank Miss Jess Gale, who has been teaching Burrawang on Thursdays and Fridays, and we congratulate her on her full time role next year in our Senior School. We have also heard just this week that Mrs Catherine Ratcliff has been appointed in a significant promotion position in another school. She has been a phenomenal part of our teaching team and we will miss her, though we are very pleased for her. We are recruiting for an Early Childhood teacher for our Springwood Pre-K class.

Our other teaching staff are continuing on the same classes next year and are looking forward to continuing with some students, and welcoming new ones into their rooms. Please join me at the end of the term in thanking these staff, and praying for a restful holiday break for them all.

Rachael J Newton

Assistant Principal – Head of Junior School