News from the Junior School

From the Head of Junior School

You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and sweeter than you think.

Winnie the Pooh

This year, we began with a special quote from Winnie the Pooh that has become our guiding theme for the start of the school year. I shared this quote at our first assembly, encouraging students to keep it in mind as they approach each day.

The beginning of a new year can sometimes feel challenging, especially for students who are new to our school community. It takes courage to step outside of your comfort zone, try something new, introduce yourself to new classmates, extend your thinking, or work through a friendship issue. These moments help us grow.

Throughout the year, I will continue encouraging our students to look for and share ways they can and were braver, stronger and kinder within our community.

Our daily wellbeing sessions each morning give students the language and tools they need to build their own “toolbox” of skills to help them grow in these areas. Why not ask them about what they learned in their sessions and find real examples to use and adapt these skills!

At home, I invite you to ask your child to reflect on these three key words at the end of each week. What did they do that showed bravery? When were they strong? How did they show kindness? Even one small example is worth celebrating.

At our assemblies, we will continue to highlight and celebrate students who would like to share their examples with our school community.

Together, we look forward to a year of growth, courage and kindness.

HEROIC Values in Our Community

Over the past two weeks, I have been incredibly proud of the many students who have demonstrated our HEROIC values through acts of kindness and participation in community events. It is always wonderful to see our Pittwater House values so clearly represented and celebrated within our school community.

One special example is Timothy (P6B), who invited his friend Jack (P6R) to join him in cooking spaghetti bolognese for OneMeal Northern Beaches. Timothy regularly gives his time in this way, and his kindness and compassion are truly admirable. As one of our School Leaders, he is setting a fantastic example for others to follow. Thank you, Timothy, for living our values so proudly.

Congratulations also to Monroe (J6) and her brother Elliot (P5), who both won their 1-metre diving events at the recent 3rd Interclub Competition held at Sydney Olympic Park. We are incredibly proud of their achievements, and we are excited to share that they have now qualified for the Age National Championships in Adelaide this April. What a wonderful story of courage, commitment and determination. Monroe and Elliot, we are all cheering you on!

Connecting Opportunities

Last week, we were delighted to welcome all our Pre-K to Year 6 families to our Classroom Connections Evening. This special event provided a wonderful opportunity for parents and carers to meet their child’s teacher and learn more about the year ahead. Alongside our academic programs, we shared how deeply committed we are to each child’s wellbeing, recognising that their social growth and development are essential to their overall success and happiness at school.

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting more of our families and checking in to ensure everyone feels welcomed, informed and connected. As mentioned on the evening, opportunities like this are so important in helping us come together and continue building our strong and supportive school community.

Over the next two weeks, we move into our Parent/Teacher interviews. These meetings offer a valuable opportunity for a deeper conversation between families and teachers. At this early stage of the year, it is especially helpful for staff to gather insights from you about your child and your hopes for the year ahead, while also sharing their initial observations and goals. We encourage you to use this time to strengthen the partnership between home and school.

There will be a more detailed opportunity later in the year to discuss your child’s academic progress in depth. If you are unable to attend your scheduled interview, please contact your child’s teacher directly so they are aware and can make alternative arrangements if needed.

Hub Clubs and After School Activities

Child safety is always our highest priority in the Junior School. Over the past few weeks, I have been reviewing our after-school procedures and, as a result, we have strengthened several processes to ensure the safe and smooth movement of students at the end of the day.

Please take note of the following important reminders:

• Please write your child’s after-school arrangements in their diary (or have your child write them) if they are attending an activity. This allows the class teacher to direct students to the correct meeting area at dismissal.
• Each afternoon, students attending Clubs or Hub Clubs will meet on The Deck after dismissal. A roll will be marked for every Club. If your child is absent or not attending on a particular day, you must phone or email the school to let us know. If we have not been notified, we will contact you as part of our duty of care.
• Parents are required to sign their child out when collecting them from Hub Clubs.
• Children who arrive at school before 8:00am must sit on the silver seats and wait for the teacher on duty, who begins supervision at 8:00am.
• There is no after-school library supervision. Students must go directly home at dismissal unless they are attending a booked Hub Club or afternoon Club.

Thank you for your support and cooperation in following these procedures. They are in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of every child in our care.

From the Assistant Head of Junior School

You’re off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so… get on your way! 

Dr Seuss, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

These words perfectly reflect the exciting journey our children have ahead of them. There is something special about those first few weeks back. There is a buzz in the playground, nervous/excited energy, friendships forming, routines returning, and classrooms once again filled with laughter and learning. It has been a joy to see our students settle so confidently and happily into the year ahead.

One of my highlights at the start of each year at Pittwater House is school photo day. I love that our School takes photos so early in the year. These photos capture our students as they arrive, fresh, hopeful, and full of possibilities. They reflect new beginnings rather than endings, optimism rather than exhaustion, and the excitement of everything that lies ahead.

This year, my enthusiasm for photo day was challenged when the students in my class asked, quite sincerely, “Why do we do school photos?” 

A fair question. And what followed was a colourful conversation about what each family does with their school photos and whether or not they use the photographs for anything.

I thought about the fact that I dutifully purchase photos every year, only to put them in a box. 

I later reflected that it’s not what we do with the photographs; it is about what they mean.

School photos capture a moment in time. They are a documentation of the changes we often don’t notice day to day. They tell a much bigger story. Years from now, those photos will remind us not just of how our children looked, but of who they were becoming at that moment. The year they loved their teacher, the year they found their people, the year they grew braver, stronger or kinder.

So yes, the photos may sit in drawers, boxes, or envelopes for a while. But one day they will be pulled out, smiled over, laughed about and treasured. Because school photos are not just pictures, they are memories, milestones and markers of an incredible journey through School.

I didn’t share these thoughts with my class at the time but it would have been a very good response to the question they had. 

Here’s to a fantastic year ahead and to capturing and documenting those magic moments.

From the Junior School Curriculum Co-ordinator 

The classrooms have been alive with activity as students put pens to paper, type on keyboards, and use their mini whiteboards to support their learning. It has been wonderful to see students settling into their routines and engaging with their programs across each subject.

Home Learning

Home Learning commenced over the past fortnight. At the end of last year, our K-6 staff developed a Home Learning template for each stage to ensure clear and consistent expectations across the school. In the Junior School, the purpose of Home Learning is to support academic development and nurture positive home learning habits. Key focus areas include English and Literacy (encompassing Reading, Writing and Vocabulary) and Mathematics. At times, students may also be set additional tasks related to other subjects or wellbeing.

Mathematics Home Learning is guided by the principles of retrieval practice to help students store important processes and concepts in their long-term memory. Tasks often involve revising essential ideas, practising basic numeracy skills and developing fluency, speed and accuracy. Some grades may include open‑ended or problem‑solving challenges to extend students’ thinking. These tasks encourage generalisation and the discovery of multiple solutions. A useful tip while your child completes their Mathematics Home Learning is to have a blank sheet of paper or mini whiteboard beside them so they can systematically record their working. This reduces cognitive load and builds the habit of showing clear working out.

Writing Home Learning is designed to be brief and purposeful. Rather than producing lengthy pieces, students focus on targeted sentence‑level work or short paragraphs. These tasks provide insight into how your child generates ideas, organises their writing and constructs clear, cohesive sentences. A helpful strategy is to ask your child to read their writing aloud, as this often supports the identification of spelling or grammatical errors. The inclusion of writing in Home Learning aligns with recent research from the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO), which highlights the importance of giving students regular opportunities to write for a range of audiences and purposes. Our aim is to support students in developing their ideas and strengthening their writing craft.

Reading remains one of the most powerful ways families can support their child’s cognitive development (Wheldall et al., 2025). Reading aloud helps build fluency, including accurate decoding and prosody (the rhythm and expression of spoken language). Regardless of age, it is valuable for children to hear high‑quality reading modelled at home. This may be through reading a page of their novel aloud or sharing a picture book together. Modelling fluent reading supports vocabulary development, oral language skills and independent reading fluency. One idea to try at home is a family book club, where everyone reads and discusses the same text.

If you have any questions about Home Learning, please speak with your child’s classroom teacher. Home Learning is designed to complement classroom instruction, so if you notice any gaps in understanding, we encourage you to share this with us so we can support your child at school.

Readers

Thank you to the parents who volunteered to take home some of our new readers to be covered. We truly appreciate your generosity and recognise the important role our parent community plays in supporting student learning. We have recently invested in expanding our collection of reading resources, which means we now have additional readers that require covering before they can be circulated. Further communication will be shared shortly as we look for a few more volunteers to assist with this process. The school will provide contact details and each pack will include 16 readers. Thank you again for your continued support, it makes such a difference to our students.

From the Junior School Wellbeing Co-ordinator

As we settle into the rhythm of Term 1, I am delighted to share what an amazing start we have had to the year in K–6. There is a wonderful sense of energy and belonging across the Junior School, and it genuinely feels as though our new students have been part of the Pittwater House community forever. They have embraced school life with confidence and enthusiasm, and we are so proud of the way they have settled in.

Our Buddy Programs are now up and running across the Junior School, and it has been a joy to see younger students forging meaningful relationships with their older counterparts. These connections build confidence, leadership and a strong sense of community. They remind us that wellbeing is built not just in programs, but in relationships.

One of the most positive shifts this year has been our 'Morning Huddle'. Coming together each day as a whole Junior School ensures we begin with clarity, connection and purpose. Important messages are shared, achievements are celebrated, and we reinforce the values that underpin who we are as a community. Starting the day in this way has strengthened our collective identity and sets a positive tone for learning.

Form time at the beginning of each day is also proving highly valuable. Each week, classes engage in structured wellbeing activities, with a strong focus on goal setting. Every Monday, students set personal goals and revisit them the following week, fostering accountability, reflection and growth. This consistent practice is helping our students understand that progress comes from intention and effort.

Through our universal wellbeing program, Friendology, we are explicitly teaching the skills that help students thrive socially and emotionally. This evidence-based program focuses on friendships, kindness and being the best version of ourselves. Each week, the entire Junior School concentrates on a specific social skill. So far, we have focused on greeting one another warmly, saying 'no' kindly and respectfully, and always trying our best. This whole-school approach is a new initiative designed to enrich student life by teaching the whole person, not just the academic learner, but the social, emotional and moral individual.

With Parent–Teacher Interviews taking place this week, we are reminded that education is a team journey. Our number one priority is working in partnership with you to ensure the very best outcomes for every child. These conversations provide an invaluable opportunity for us to learn more about your son or daughter through your eyes. We deeply value this collaboration and are committed to walking alongside you in your child’s growth and development.

Personally, I have loved getting to know our students and will continue making the rounds to ensure I connect with every child in our school. Visibility and relationships matter, and I am always available to support our community.

Please feel free to reach out to your child’s class teacher or to me directly if you have any questions about wellbeing at Pittwater House. We look forward to a wonderful year ahead.

From the Junior School PDHPE Co-ordinator

The Years 3–6 Junior School Swimming Carnival was held today and provided a wonderful opportunity for students to come together in a spirit of participation, House pride and sportsmanship.

Throughout the day, students approached their races with enthusiasm and determination, demonstrating confidence in the swimming skills they have been developing during PE lessons. It was pleasing to see students encouraging one another, celebrating successes, and showing respect whether they were competing, cheering from the sidelines, or assisting their House.

The carnival atmosphere was positive and inclusive, with a strong focus on effort, persistence and fair play. Many students stepped outside their comfort zones, embraced challenges and represented their Houses with pride.

Events ran smoothly, and students should be commended for their organisation, cooperation and positive attitudes throughout the day. The support shown between peers was a highlight and reflected the strong sense of community within the Junior School.

Thank you to staff and families for their support in making the day a success. The Junior School Swimming Carnival was a fantastic celebration of participation, resilience and teamwork.

Lost Property 

A reminder to please ensure that all of your child's belongings are labelled. We already have a collection of items in the Junior School Lost Property tub that we are unable to reunite with their owners. If your child is missing anything, please ask them to come to the Discovery Hub reception – the lost property tub is located at the top of the stairs. Thank you. 

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