Junior School Report

From the

Director of Learning

Junior School

Miss Jessika Cichy

What a wonderful Term 1 it has been! It has been a joy to see our Junior School community come together, and we are so proud of the effort and growth we have witnessed across Year 7 and Year 8. Students have settled in well, formed new friendships, and shown real commitment to their learning. We hope everyone enjoys a well-deserved rest over the school holidays, and we look forward to continuing this great work together in Term 2.

The Road So Far

Year 8 Global Literacy Excursion – Half Moon Bay

This term, our Year 8 students took part in an exciting Global Literacy excursion along the beautiful Bayside coast. Students walked from Sandringham Beach to Half Moon Bay, where they completed their fieldwork assessment (CAT) as part of their Geography studies. During the excursion, students investigated how coastal landscapes are managed — looking at things like sea walls, groynes, and other structures that help protect the coastline from erosion and storm damage. It was a wonderful opportunity for students to take their classroom learning outside and connect with their local environment.

• Question to ask your child: “What is one thing that humans have built to protect the coastline, and why is it important?” 
• Fun fact: Half Moon Bay in Black Rock (near Sandringham) is famous for featuring the HMVS Cerberus, a 19th-century warship sunk in 1926 to act as a breakwater.

Term 1 Focus Reminder: Care for Learning – Textbooks & Laptops

As a reminder from earlier this term, our Care for Learning focus has centred on students coming to class prepared with the correct materials. Thank you to all families who have supported this — it has made a real difference! As we head into Term 2, we kindly ask that students continue to bring a charged laptop to school every day, as this remains an essential tool for learning across all subjects.

Textbooks also continue to be an important part of student learning. 

For Year 7s, these include…

• Edrolo Subscription (Science)
• Mathspace Subscription (Maths)
• Year 7 Good Humanities Textbook (Global Literacy)

• Two Wolves OR Onion Tears (English / EAL)

   

For Year 8s, these include…

• Edrolo Subscription (Science)
• Mathspace Subscription (Maths)
• Year 8 Good Humanities Textbook (Global Literacy)

• Crow Country OR Rowan of Rin (English / EAL)

   

A gentle reminder to check that your child has their laptop, charger, and required books ready for the start of Term 2. Being well-prepared helps students settle back into learning quickly and get the most out of each day. We appreciate your continued support in helping students stay organised and ready to learn. If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to myself or Reia Grey in the Junior School.

Celebrations and Looking Ahead

Westall Way Leaderboard & Shining Stars

Every fortnight, we present our Westall Way leaderboards to our Junior School students. Westall points are awarded to students for demonstrating our iCARE values – Care for Learning, Self, Others & their School – and we celebrate these achievements in our sub-school fortnightly assemblies.

Let’s give a big shoutout to our Top 10 Westall Way Leaders across Year 7 & 8:

• Year 7 – Alya, Yesha, Grace K, Sabrina, Steven, Zi Ming, Elleina, Abel, Rebecca & Firas!

• Year 8 – Ghina, Muhammad, Maahi, Dominic, Evelyn, Ruzgar, Ngan, Wessley, Evan K, Alex L & Darsh!

   

Also, I wanted to highlight some students who have shown positive starts to their learning and which teachers have noted on Compass. I’d like to dub them our ‘Shining Stars’ of the term so far. These students have all received Westall points for their attitudes below – and these can be seen on students’ Compass portals by both students and parents. 

Let’s recognise some of the amazing work across Year 7 & 8:

• Shoutout to Sabrina (Year 7) – “Sabrina helped Mr. Smith take a classmate to the general office due to illness. Sabrina showed great care and kindness to her classmate.” – Mr. Smith

• Shoutout to Kalie & Evelyn (Year 8) – “Evelyn and Kalie always contribute well during EAL lessons.” – Miss. Parlanti, EAL

   

• Shoutout to Muhammad, Riley, Ghina, Serena & Cyndie (Year 8) – “Worked well & studied hard in class during Week 4” – Mr. Phan, Maths

   

• Shoutout to Adam, Rogelio, Yesha, Hasna, Francis, Mila, Elleina, Rebecca, Ricky, Duong, Andy & Zi Ming (Year 7) – “Thank you to these students who arrived on time and ready for class. No students asked to go to their locker, and all were present and seated within 3 minutes of the previous class. This is the type of organisation that makes a classroom successful!” Miss. Smetana, English

Supporting Students over the Holidays

The school holidays are a great time for students to rest and recharge — and to keep their minds active! Here are some simple and enjoyable ways to support your child’s learning at home during the break:

• Read every day — Even 15–20 minutes of reading in English each day makes a big difference. Encourage your child to read their English or EAL novel (Two Wolves, Onion Tears, Crow Country, or Rowan of Rin) or any book they enjoy. You can read together and talk about what is happening in the story.

• Use Mathspace and Edrolo — These online platforms are available to students over the holidays. Just 10–15 minutes a few times a week helps students keep their skills strong and feel more confident when school returns.

• Write something — Ask your child to write a short diary entry, a letter to a friend, or a description of something they did during the holidays. Writing regularly — even a few sentences — helps students feel more comfortable and confident with written English.

   

Most importantly, please make sure your child is well-rested and ready to learn when Term 2 begins. We look forward to welcoming everyone back!

Warm regards,

Miss Jessika Cichy

Director of Learning – Junior School Westall Secondary College