Junior School Report

Message from the

Director of Learning -  Junior School

Mr Kristian Gropel

Hello to all our Junior School families and students, we would like to begin by saying thank you to Rebecca Tomkins, for all of her hard work this year as Junior Sub School Leader. We wish her the best of luck in her new curriculum leadership role. You will be missed by the junior school team however, we’re sure you’ll excel in your new role! 

We’re at the halfway point of the term and your teachers would like to commend you on the enthusiasm and hard work you have shown for the first half of the term. Remember we have another 5 weeks to go so make sure were staying kind and respectful to one another and we get through the term together.

We would also like to gently remind families to check in with their students regarding the food they are taking to school. We have food available in the Junior School for students who have forgotten to bring their own lunch, and fresh fruit is usually available for all students. However, we have noticed a massive increase in the number of students accessing this food. Please take some time to talk to your students about the food they are taking to school: if it is enough for them to eat throughout the day; if it gives them the energy they need or if they feel tired after eating at lunch; if they like the food they are taking to school, and it is easy to eat. 

We know that many of our year 7 and 8 students are becoming more independent and packing their own lunch for school, but they may still need support from the adults in their lives. We would also like to remind families that students do not have access to a microwave or hot water to heat food and will need to make sure whatever food is bought to school can be eaten at room temperature and after being kept in a locker for the morning. For our students who have studied Food Tech so far this year, this may be a great opportunity to try out some recipes at home!

Le Mana Program

Over the past term our year 7 and 8 Pasifika students have been engaging in the Le mana program. 

The Le Mana Pasifika Project helps to build connected communities and a sense of belonging for Pasifika young people in Victoria. The project supports young people in a range of settings and is delivered in partnership with local government and services to respond to issues facing Pasifika youth and their families.

A big thanks to TJ who was a big driving force behind getting them in to work closely with empowering Pasifika students to engage in school and their culture.

Cyberbullying Workshops - Year 8

To help educate young people how to be safe in all aspects of their online lives, our Year 8s participated in Optus’ Digital Thumbprint program.

The focus for our year 8s was cyberbullying - looking at what it means, and how it can impact others. Given how prevalent social media is in all of our lives, students were provided the tools they need for positive, responsible and authentic online experiences. This included a variety of ways to report and block cyber-bullies, and ways to support those in their lives who are victims of cyberbullying. 

The presenter was really impressed with the maturity and questions of all of our Year 8s - commenting on how proud we should be of how they behaved and participated in the workshop. 

A special thanks to Jo & Beck who helped organise these workshops for the students, and to our students for how well they engaged with these important conversations.

Mr Kristian Gropel

Director of Learning - Junior School 

Sport & PE Coordinator

YEAR 8 VISUAL ARTS 

The Year 8 students in Visual Arts are exploring ‘art and time’ in history. They have researched Ancient Greek ‘red and black figure’ vases specifically examining the art elements of shape, pattern, line and form. The students are using geometric patterns based on the ideas on Ancient Greek civilisation. The vases will be decorated with everyday scenes of the modern age. Unlike the Ancient Greeks where they depicted everyday life of leisure, favourite pass times, and battle scenes on their vases. Each vase design telling a unique story about the life lived in 400 BCE. 

The students are currently working on 2 Dimensional artworks using acrylic paint on Masonite board to depict contemporary life. Don’t miss their beautiful depictions coming to you soon in the main school corridor! 

Ms Ifandis

Arts Coordinator

Year 8 Visual Arts ‘Paper Wigs’

The Year 8 Visual Arts students created paper wigs using light weight coloured paper card, a cardboard armature and masking tape to join hair strands.

Students examined ‘back to front portraiture’ where emphasis was given not just on the face but also the characteristics of hair. Students explored identity through head shapes, hair colour and hair styles. Below is the work in progress. Mannequin heads were used to develop the cardboard armature for the head. 

Students used their problem-solving skills to develop a hair wig that was sustainable, balanced and finished.

Ms Ifandis 

Arts Coordinator

ICreate Master the Westall Café Year 7 Students working Hard

Lee Read

Food Technology Coordinator