Junior School News
Year 7 News
Well done to our Year 7s on their efforts so far this year! You have done an incredible job with the transition, and the Junior School team were just as excited as the students for camp this week. (As we submit this to be published, the first group are out on camp). Expect more photos in the next newsletter as well!
Thanks to everyone who attended the information night in the last week of February. If you would like to access the recording of it, it has been sent to your email to look at when you like. If you ever have any more questions throughout the year, please do not hesitate to ring the school or email us.
Congratulations to our Year 7 student leaders for this year. The following students are going to be representing their peers in trying to make GEC the best school it can be:
Student Representative Council:
Saanvi Hiremath
Leam Arinz
Elijah Baranov
Lucas Kennedy
Nicholas Jiang
Evan Shields
Gautham Sriram
Ryan Sternbergs
Transition leaders:
These students work with primary schools to mentor year 6s through to high school.
Saanvi Hiremath
Vivian Arieli
Jasmine Lau
Akshita Geete
Danielle Wilson
Abbie Turner
Daniel Moore
Gautham Sriram
Inclusion leaders:
These students work on projects to make GEC an inclusive place for all people.
Erica Yoon
Lakshmi Venkatesan
Evan Shields
House captains:
Daniel Moore (Topaz)
Pranav Swarup (Sapphire)
Caitlin Gilfedder (Emerald)
A bit of housekeeping for Year 7s and their families:
- Check your planner each evening together, to see what work has been done, and to improve your organisation and independence as a learner.
- Make sure you wear leather school shoes, and all-black socks. If you can’t manage this on a day, please come to school with a note so you can get a uniform pass from the junior school office.
Keep on getting out of your comfort zone Year 7s!
Jake Sherman and Deborah Cordingley
Year 7 Coordinators
Year 8 News
I am honoured to be writing my first article as Year 8 Coordinator and I am looking forward to meeting all Year 8 students and their families.
The last few weeks have been quite busy as all students settle into a new school year. The Year 8 Parent Information Evening, which was held on 18th February, provided some important information about the expectations of Year 8 students whilst they are at school as well as with regard to homework. The information provided during this session has been recorded and has been sent by email for any parents who may not have been able to attend the evening.
Congratulations to all Year 8 students who earned points for their House by participating in the Swimming Carnival which took place on 24th February. Students will have another opportunity to represent their House in Week 10, when the Cross Country Carnival will be held. I strongly encourage all Year 8 students to participate in this event.
A reminder to Year 8 students that Breakfast Club is open every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning until 8.30am. As always, Ms Ballingall and I are here to provide support for all Year 8 students and families, so please feel free to contact us should you have any concerns.
Chris Zuccala and Jess Ballingall
Year 8 Coordinators
Year 9 Corner
There have been lots of events happening in the Year 9 corner lately. We have seen great participation in the GEC Mixed Netball Tournament, the House Swimming Sports at GESAC, the Morrisby testing and the Parent Information Night.
Firstly we would like to congratulate all those that participated in the House Swimming, you have contributed to a very exciting day. We loved seeing your graceful ‘bombs’ into the water and the support you showed each other.
Secondly the netball team named after none other than Ms Kaur had a dominating start to the Mixed Netball Tournament where they have unfinished business from last year’s event.
In the careers corner it has been great to see the Year 9s discussing the Morrisby Test and the sorts of questions they were asked. The Morrisby Test aims to provide students with useful insights about skills for which they show a particular aptitude. This could help them with their subject selections for Year 10 and beyond. Students will have a meeting with an independent counsellor to provide further information.
Parminder and I would like to extend a thank you to all parents who attended the parent information evening last week. Working together as a community is what we are striving for to ensure our students are “Seizing opportunities to Learn".
Lastly, we are reinforcing the Homework expectations of Year 9. Minimum expectations are of 45 minutes a night to approximately 90 minutes. This can include homework or home study. Homestudy includes but is not limited to: re-reading over notes, preparing for class the next day, private reading and reading journals. Also we would appreciate it if you can also check the school planner of your child frequently to help them get organised and come prepared for the next day at school.
Sasha Byrnes and Parminder Kaur
Year 9 Coordinators