Junior School News

From the Head of Junior School

This week, we celebrate the Creative and Practical Arts and recognise the many ways our students are enriching our community through their creativity and talent. A special congratulations once again to Amelie (J6), whose stunning artwork continues to brighten our Junior School Reception and inspire all who visit. We are delighted to share that Amelie has two exciting market opportunities coming up as she takes the next step in her artistic journey. Her first market stall will be held on Saturday 5 September, from 10.00am to 2.00pm, at the opening fete for the new Down to Earth community space in Newport. In further exciting news, the Manly Village Markets recently contacted Amelie after seeing a social media post featuring her work and have generously offered her a complimentary stall on Saturday 17 October, from 9.00am to 2.00pm, in recognition of her talent and potential as a young local artist. We are incredibly proud of Amelie's achievements and look forward to seeing her artwork continue to make a lasting impression both within and beyond our school community. I would encourage you to drop in to see Amelie and support her work.

The NSW IPSHA Travelling Art Show arrived at Pittwater House this week, providing a wonderful opportunity for our students and community to experience more than 50 outstanding works of art from schools across Sydney and regional New South Wales. Curated by Ms Brennan, the exhibition also featured a selection of works by our own talented Pittwater House students that have been chosen for inclusion in the travelling collection. The exhibition not only showcased the creativity and artistic skill of young artists, but also allowed our students to gain inspiration from the diverse range of artwork being produced by their peers across the state. It was a valuable opportunity to celebrate artistic achievement, share creative ideas and connect with the broader educational community through the visual arts.

Spark Program Update 

Following my recent communication at the end of last term regarding the pause of our Hub Clubs program, I am pleased to share an important update regarding after-school care arrangements for our youngest students.

Firstly, I would like to sincerely thank the many families who took the time to provide feedback and share their ideas and requests. We have listened carefully and understand the importance of having reliable, high-quality after-school options available. I am delighted to advise that we have secured an after-school activity provider that will operate on campus for our Pre-K and Year 4 students from 3:20pm to 5:30pm, Monday to Thursday. We have prioritised our younger cohorts based on demand over the last 12 months. If you believe you would be interested in a regular booking for a student in Years 5 or 6 please reach out. 

The program will be delivered by Camp Blue, operated by the highly regarded local family-owned organisation Bell Leisure. Bell Leisure has an excellent reputation in the sector and maintains long-standing partnerships with schools including Queenwood, Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College, and Newington College. In addition, they successfully deliver programs within long day care settings and vacation care services across Sydney. We are currently finalising the booking and registration portal and will share full details with families as soon as this process is complete. We appreciate your patience as we work through these final arrangements.

In addition, I am pleased to share that we are also finalising a range of exciting after-school opportunities for Kindergarten to Year 6 students as part of our renewed after-school offering. These activities will provide students with a variety of engaging experiences and will form part of our enhanced “Spark” program moving forward. Further details regarding these opportunities and registration information will be shared with families shortly.

From the Junior School Wellbeing Co-ordinator

Building a Common Language for Wellbeing

Each morning, our students begin the day with their Form class. While this time may appear to be a simple conversation, activity or reflection, it forms an important part of our whole-school wellbeing approach. At Pittwater House, we believe that social and emotional skills should be taught with the same intentionality as academic skills. Through our Form program and initiatives such as URStrong, students develop a shared language around friendship, respect, kindness, communication and healthy boundaries. These conversations provide students with practical strategies to build positive relationships, communicate their needs effectively and navigate challenges with confidence.

The development of social and emotional skills is a gradual and ongoing process. Just as students revisit concepts in literacy and numeracy, key wellbeing concepts are explored repeatedly throughout their journey from Kindergarten to Year 6 and beyond. While the language and expectations remain consistent, the learning becomes increasingly sophisticated as students mature. A Kindergarten student may be learning what kindness looks, sounds and feels like, while older students explore more complex concepts such as maintaining respectful relationships, resolving conflict constructively and establishing healthy boundaries. This developmental approach ensures that students continue to build the understanding, confidence and skills needed to thrive both at school and beyond.

We are already seeing the positive impact of this consistent approach across the Junior School. There has been a noticeable reduction in incidents of deliberate unkindness, alongside a growing ability for students to discuss friendships, behaviour and conflict using the shared language and strategies they have been taught. While challenges and disagreements remain a natural part of growing up, our goal is to equip students with the tools to manage these situations respectfully and effectively. By fostering a culture where kindness, respect, healthy boundaries and strong relationships are valued, we continue to strengthen our school community. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child's wellbeing, please do not hesitate to contact me at: marcial.nunura@tphs.nsw.edu.au.

From the Junior School PDHPE Co-ordinator

IPSHA Athletics Carnival

Twenty-seven students proudly represented Pittwater House at the IPSHA Athletics Carnival at Sydney Olympic Park last week.

Throughout a long day of competition, our students embraced the opportunity to compete against athletes from across the IPSHA schools and should be proud of their efforts. It was wonderful to see students supporting one another, demonstrating good sportsmanship and approaching their events with determination and a willingness to do their best.

Just as importantly, the team represented Pittwater House beautifully beyond the track and field. Students wore their uniform with pride and conducted themselves respectfully throughout the day. This has been an ongoing focus in our morning Huddles, where we have discussed what it means to represent our school and the importance of taking pride in how we present ourselves.

Congratulations to all 27 students on the way they competed and represented Pittwater House. A special congratulations to Jack (P5), who qualified for the CIS Athletics Championships in both the 100m and 200m events. We wish him every success at the next level of competition.

From the Junior School Library

Junior School Celebrates Book Week 2026

Last Friday, the Junior School gathered for a special Book Week Assembly to celebrate the wonderful books, authors and illustrators recognised by the 2026 Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year Awards.

Book Week is a time to celebrate the stories that inspire us to dream, imagine, learn and grow. Through books, we can travel to new places, meet fascinating characters, discover different perspectives and learn more about ourselves and the world around us.

On Friday, 21 August, our Junior School Library Monitors, along with Mrs Arena and Ms Paton, had the exciting opportunity to attend the 2026 CBCA Book of the Year Awards ceremony at the State Library of New South Wales. It was a privilege to be part of such a special occasion and to hear from the talented Australian authors and illustrators whose creativity enriches the lives of young readers.

This year marked an important milestone for the CBCA Awards, which are now in their 80th year. Since the first awards were presented in 1946, the CBCA has celebrated outstanding Australian children's literature and the talented creators who bring stories to life.

During the Assembly, students were introduced to a selection of the winning and honour books across the various award categories. These books showcase the very best in Australian storytelling and illustration, encouraging readers to explore new ideas, develop empathy and discover a lifelong love of reading.

We encourage all students to visit the library and borrow some of this year's CBCA shortlisted and winning titles. You never know where a great book might take you!

Out and About in our Classrooms

Mrs Afshan Valani on behalf of Mrs Ciara Loughland

With Mrs Loughland on maternity leave, Mrs Valani will be sharing what is happening in the Junior School curriculum space. Each week she will be sharing different class stories.

Enjoy!

Learning Democracy by Doing: Year 6 Class Parliament 

What happens when Parliament moves from the pages of a textbook and into the classroom?

For our Year 6 students, learning about Australian democracy has become far more than simply understanding terminology, processes and structures. Under the guidance of Mrs Roberts, Ms Olds and Mr Backmann, students have been immersed in a rich learning experience that has allowed them to learn about Parliament by actually participating in it.

The Year 6 Class Parliament has brought theory and practice together in a way that is authentic, purposeful and memorable. Rather than only reading about political parties, elections, preferential voting, government and opposition, students have experienced these processes for themselves.

From Students to Political Parties

Each student became a member of a political party, with responsibilities and roles including party leaders and minute takers. Working collaboratively, parties were challenged to develop three meaningful policies: one focused on a Year 6 activity, one designed to improve the school, and one proposing a whole-school initiative.

Suddenly, persuasive writing had a genuine audience.

Students needed to listen to one another, negotiate different viewpoints and determine what their party stood for. They then had to communicate their ideas clearly enough to persuade their peers to "Vote 1" for their political party.

Campaigning culminated in an authentic ballot, giving students first-hand experience of voting and the process required to form a government. Students discovered that winning an election was not necessarily as simple as receiving the most first-preference votes. They experienced the suspense of counting votes, the redistribution of preferences and the importance of achieving an absolute majority.

For Eliza, this was one of the most memorable parts of the experience:

It was a really good way to experience the process of campaigning and the voting system. I felt nervous when we were hearing the first election results and thought my party had lost, but because no party had an absolute majority, the second votes were distributed and I just couldn’t believe it when we won!

James similarly captured the excitement generated by the experience:

It was fun seeing and hearing everyone’s ideas. The atmosphere was exciting when we were waiting for the votes to see who would be voted into government.

Learning With Purpose

Now that the Government and Opposition have been elected, the learning continues. Students will participate in Question Time, taking on the responsibilities of both Government and Opposition while developing their confidence to formulate purposeful questions, respond thoughtfully and speak before an audience.

Students have also been learning about bills and the process through which proposals can become laws. Class Parliament has brought these concepts to life, providing an authentic and meaningful context for learning that might otherwise feel abstract.

Jacob reflected:

I learned voting was more complicated than I initially thought. In class we are learning about bill proposals and how they are made into laws. Class Parliament is a fun experience to see how it works in the real world.

Amelie also recognised how the experience strengthened her understanding:

I thought it was a good experience because it gave me a better understanding of what parliament is actually like in real life and the steps that are taken to form government.

For Billy, the experience also brought a strong sense of pride in the role his party earned:

I like Class Parliament. It was fun! I’m proud of my party becoming our class’ Opposition Party.

When Learning Leads to Action

Perhaps the most powerful element of the project is that students’ ideas do not simply remain inside the classroom. The elected teams are now using their policies to help shape real Year 6 initiatives, including plans connected to this year’s Year 6 Fête and proposals supporting charities such as Smiles2U. In doing so, students are also building on the legacy of previous Year 6 cohorts, whose initiatives included donations to Fisher Road School and the Eczema Foundation. This year’s students are considering how they can continue this tradition of service and leave their own positive legacy for those who follow.

This has created an important connection between student voice, agency and service. Students are discovering that leadership is not simply about holding a title; it is about building on the contributions of those before them and using their own voice and actions to make a meaningful difference within their community.

Congratulations to Mrs Roberts, Ms Olds and Mr Bachmann for creating such an engaging, purposeful and authentic learning experience for Year 6. Through thoughtful collaboration and a willingness to place students at the centre of the learning, they have transformed a unit on Parliament into an experience of democracy, leadership, service and student agency.

Courage, Community and Connection: Year 5 Meet the Firefighters

As part of their learning about bushfires and natural disasters, Year 5 students welcomed four firefighters and their fire truck to Pittwater House on Thursday 27 August.

There was an immediate sense of excitement as the fire truck arrived, with students in awe as they explored the equipment and heard first-hand about the important work firefighters do to protect people, homes, pets and communities.

Students asked thoughtful questions about what inspired the firefighters to choose their profession, what it is like to respond to a bushfire, and how they help save people and animals during emergencies.

The visit was a wonderful opportunity to bring classroom learning to life, connecting students’ study of bushfires with authentic experiences and real-world knowledge. Students walked away with not only a deeper understanding of bushfire safety and response, but also great admiration for the courage, teamwork and dedication of our firefighters.

A special thank you to Ms James for organising this valuable experience and helping bring Year 5's learning to life.

Save the Dates: