Around the Junior School
Year 3 Friendship Excursion
26 March
Year 3 enjoyed a fun and meaningful Friendship Day on 26 March, filled with activities that helped build confidence, kindness and connection. We started with Friendship Bingo, where students chatted, moved around the room and discovered new things about classmates they don’t usually work with.
Throughout the day, students learned how to join in, use respectful communication, and understand how tone, words and body language impact others. They practised solving Friendship Fires by talking things out calmly and thinking flexibly about tricky moments.
We finished with a heartwarming Web of Belonging, sharing compliments and celebrating the unique strengths each student brings to Year 3.
It was a wonderful day of learning, laughter and strengthening our community.
Miss Caruana and Miss Moloney, Year 3 Teachers
Pre-K Excursion to Lake Canobolas
Our Pre-K children recently enjoyed their first excursion to Lake Canobolas. It was wonderful to see the children immersed in nature, taking in the fresh air, open space, and natural beauty of their surroundings. Opportunities like this are so valuable, as time spent outdoors supports children’s wellbeing, curiosity, and overall development. Venturing beyond our familiar playground also provided a gentle challenge, helping the children step outside their comfort zones. Navigating a new environment, staying together as a group, and listening carefully to instructions all contributed to building their confidence and resilience. It was such a beautiful day at the lake and fun was had by all.
Year 5 National Science and Engineering Challenge
Year 5 attended the National Science and Engineering Challenge Day in Orange, where students demonstrated a high level of engagement and commitment as they collaborated across eight diverse STEM challenges throughout the day. These tasks required students to design an environmentally sustainable habitat; construct a mechanical device capable of grasping and propelling objects; and engineer a lightweight yet durable bridge able to support increasing loads as force was applied. Additional activities involved working with electrical circuits, interpreting and using Morse code, and designing and testing an aircraft to evaluate flight distance.
The day provided a rich and intellectually stimulating experience, with both students and staff highly invested in the learning process. Through participation in these challenges, students further developed their collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving capabilities, while gaining valuable insight into real-world applications within STEM-related fields.
We commend our students for their enthusiasm, resilience, and willingness to extend beyond their comfort zones in embracing new and complex challenges.
We extend our sincere appreciation to the University of Newcastle, Orange Rotary, John from the Orange Function Centre, and the many sponsors whose support was instrumental in delivering this outstanding event. Congratulations also to all participating schools for their involvement and contribution to such a successful day.
Easter Competition Winner!
Congratulations to Rocco Taylor in Year 2 who is the winner of the Library's chocolate Easter Egg Competition. Rocco is the proud owner of the entire jar of chocolate eggs as well as a gift voucher to Collin's Bookstore which was hidden in the large plastic, golden egg. Rocco guessed the exact number of chocolate eggs which was 103.
Have a wonderful Easter and Keep Reading!
From your friendly Library team
Year 5 and Year 6 da Vinci Decathlon
Huge congratulations to our Year 5 and Year 6 students who recently represented Kinross Wolaroi School at the da Vinci Decathlon in Bathurst.
The da Vinci Decathlon is an academic competition designed to challenge and extend students through higher‑order thinking, problem‑solving, and creativity. Teams of eight compete across ten demanding disciplines, including engineering, mathematics and chess, code breaking, art and poetry, science, English, ideation, creative producers, cartography, and legacy.
I am incredibly proud to announce that our Year 6 team won their division, placing first overall and earning the opportunity to represent Kinross at the State Finals at Knox Grammar in Term 2. This is a remarkable achievement and a testament to their teamwork, perseverance, and impressive academic strengths.
Our Year 5 team also performed exceptionally well, placing third in their division. Their outstanding effort and enthusiasm across all ten disciplines was truly commendable.
Congratulations to all students involved.
Mrs Brooke Church
Co-ordinator of Learning Enhancement
House Muster – Unplugged Activities
Our Year 6 Leaders had to quickly change the activities they had planned for the House Muster on Friday, 27 March, due to the cold and wet weather conditions that set in on Friday. Instead of outdoor activities, Year 6 worked with Kindergarten to Year 5 students on unplugged activities. Year 6 Leaders went to year groupings in their spaces to play boards games, like chess and snakes and ladders, do puzzles, play card games and complete mindfulness colouring in. All students enjoyed an afternoon of activities, staying warm and dry.
We look forward to Year 6 Leaders running their outdoor activities very soon on a date to be determined.
Mrs Muriel Fatai
Leader of Technology and Innovation
Year 2 Excursion
Our Year 2 students had a fantastic day at the Wellington Caves on Friday, 27 March, as part of our Science unit on rocks and minerals. A highlight was exploring the incredible Cathedral Cave, including the Thunder Cave where students created a deep vibrating sound through the rock formations. Students also enjoyed the hands-on Fossil Discovery Lab, carefully sifting through dirt samples to uncover tiny bones and fascinating finds. The day finished with a visit to the interactive museum and a stroll through the beautiful Japanese Gardens. Despite the cold weather, students showed great curiosity and enthusiasm throughout the day!
Mrs Chapman