Junior Team Report

Dear Students and Families, 

Well this has truly been a term, and a year for that matter, which destroys clichés. Being unable to open a newsletter entry with “hasn’t this term flown by” is a strange experience, but the truth is Term 3 has been tough for everyone. 

As educators, we have missed working hands-on with our students, it’s the best part of our jobs; and although we are fortunate to live in a time where we have access to technology which can simulate the face-to-face learning experience, nothing can replace the real thing. We have been forced to show incredible amounts of resilience to keep pushing along despite the challenges… and we are experienced adults. 

The word 'unprecedented' has been used a lot this year, but what our young people have been asked to do is truly that. Our students have been pushed into a period where they require rapid growth in their learner behaviours to survive, and they have had to do this with much less support from us than we would otherwise be able to provide. We are overwhelmed with how our students have responded, in many cases being able to live our school values of growth and resilience far better than we have.  

For all of us in the Junior School, it looks like Remote Learning will be continuing on for at least a little while yet and there will be times where motivation is low. As those in our community would be aware, our partnership with The Resilience Project this year has been quite timely as their evidence-based strategies for building positive emotion make real difference when we practice them. For all of us, we can influence the strength of our emotions through the use of music, exercise and laughter; and look to rewire our brain to start scanning the world around us for the positives by practicing gratitude. 

For our team in the Junior School, we are grateful for: 

1. The opportunity to work with amazing young people every day
2. Our positive community of supportive families
3. Coffee

Stay safe, 

The Junior Team