Junior School 

From the Head of Junior School 

Interhouse Athletics

We were blessed with wonderful weather last Thursday for our Junior School Interhouse Athletics Carnival. The students enjoyed dressing up in their House colours, as did the teaching staff and parents too! It was a lovely moment to relish in a picturesque day of colourful House tent areas, cheers, relaxed spectatorship with beautiful surrounds of green ovals, blue skies and gallery of supporters - including the mooing cows from the School farm walking across to the fence line for a sneak peak of the action!

Students in Years Three to Six participated in field events throughout the morning - High Jump, Long Jump and Turbo Javelin followed by the sprint events which were joined by Kindergarten through to Year Two after morning tea. Every student ran multiple races to the cheering crowds of friends and family. These were lovely moments to share, with many students in Kindergarten and Pre-Primary enjoying their very first carnival and running race. 

The carnival concluded with team games for the Early Years and relays for Years Three to Six students. These events are typically high spirited with cheering and House War Cries throughout, and our Houses were in fine voice this year! It was a truly wonderful occasion, and a lovely moment to share as a school community. We had many parent volunteers who assisted with a range of carnival jobs, our sincere thanks is extended to these people for generously offering their time to contribute to the success of a great carnival. 

Interschool Athletics 

There was a quick turn-around for our young athletes with the Interschool Carnival held this week on Tuesday. A squad of approximately 55 students from Years Three to Six represented Great Southern Grammar in their selected events. It was wonderful to see their sense of excitement in the morning of the carnival as they were presented with their GSG athletics singlet before boarding the bus for the competition. Our students enjoyed the opportunity to challenge themselves and produce their best performances, and support their peers. I would argue that the experience of camaraderie between students is just as valuable, if not more so, than the results from the day. Students all seem to return after representing the school with a stronger sense of support for each other and pride for the school. Our sincere thanks again to all the students, parents, and staff who ensured this was an enjoyable and successful day, and particular thanks to Mr Stephen Berryman – Physical Education teacher, and Mrs Marina Gordon – classroom teacher, for your management of the day and support for the students. Again, the results are nice to know in addition to having a wonderful day. 

Great Southern Grammar Junior School came second in the overall points shield, and won the percentage shield. 

Events Coming Up

As we begin the culminating weeks of the year, there are a number of events that I will highlight for you to note on your calendars. 

Thursday 18 November – ECC Beach Fun Day

Students from Kindergarten through to Year Two, together with House Leaders from Year Six will enjoy travel from school to Emu Point for a half day of beach activity fun together. Parents are welcome to attend to watch and join the beach picnic together. If the weather is kind to us this will be a beautiful day to share as an ECC.

Also on this day, Year Three will venture to Castle Rock for their camp experience of climbing to the summit, which was postponed last week due to poor weather.

Friday 19 November – Junior School Orientation Day

On this day we will welcome new students joining us for 2022, but also experience a morning of moving up a year level for our current students. Often this is called a ‘One up Day’ as all year levels enjoy a morning of experiencing the key aspects about the next year level they are moving to for the following year. For our current students, this is still a regular day at school and begin the day in their current classroom with their current teacher. At 9am classes will move up to their 2022 classroom and spend the morning with the teacher who currently teaches that cohort. Students will learn a little about the special features of the year level they are moving to, and start to become familiar with the routines of the new spaces. After morning tea, classes will return to their current classrooms to resume a normal day from that point.

 Monday 22 November to Friday 3 December– In-Term Swimming Programme

More detailed information will be sent from the Sports Office regarding the logistical information of the programme. The swimming lessons involve all students from Pre-Primary to Year Six in daily swimming lessons in the afternoon block of the day. Students will be bused from school to Albany Leisure Aquatic Centre, and return to school again on the bus unless signed out by a parent at the pool venue. This is a valuable programme for students, and an enjoyable way to finish the year. 

Friday 3 December – Year Six Exhibition

To recognise and celebrate the end of their Junior School learning journey, Year Six students will host their families for a showcase of their final unit of inquiry of the year exploring – ‘Who we are’, an inquiry into our sense of self as young learners in transition from Junior School to Middle School. Families of Year Six are invited to attend a short presentation of Year Six in the Hall at 4.30pm, where we will recognise their ‘graduation’ from Junior School, before moving to the Junior School building to view their Exhibition learning displays.

Saturday 4 December – Albany Christmas Pageant (for Years Five and Six)

Year Five students have been working with an artist in residence – Cecile Williams to create a Christmas Float for the City of Albany Pageant. This years theme is ‘Shine’. We are looking forward to seeing what our Year Five students have created. Students from Year Five and Year Six are invited to walk with the float for the pageant, and all families are invited to attend and watch the wonderful event to get into the Christmas spirit.

Monday 6 December – School Christmas Service

At 10.15am in the Multi-Purpose Sport Complex, School Chaplain Mrs Naomi Cooper will lead a Christmas Service for the whole school, Pre-Primary to Year Eleven. 

Tuesday 7 December – Junior School Awards and Christmas Concert – Final day of the year for Junior School students

As a culmination to the year, all Junior School students will attend a morning ceremony to recognise special achievement awards throughout the year. We will also recognise and celebrate our Year Six students final day with the Junior School and thank them for their contribution and leadership of the Junior School this year. Families are warmly invited to attend this event. 

Following the awards ceremony, after morning recess, the much loved Junior School Christmas Concert will be held with performances from every class throughout the Junior School – and a staff item as well! Families are welcome to attend this event, it will be a lovely community occasion to share and celebrate a wonderful 2021. 

It’s a busy final few weeks of the year, but each event has its own significance to the groups involved and their families. I look forward to sharing these occasions with you all in the weeks to come.

With warmest regards, and appreciation,    

Mr Ken Raven | Head of Junior School

From the Uniform Shop - Year Six Blazers

A friendly reminder that all Year Six blazers need to be collected by 19 November.

Mrs Tristine Smargiassi | Uniform Shop Manager

You Can Do It! 

Our focus for this fortnight is the social-emotional key Organisation. Coming up to swimming lessons and the end of the year this is an important key to master to the ultimate goal of happiness and success. 

Well done to our winners for this week: 

Isamika Tozana, Emily Leov, Laily Wrobel, Harriet Stan-Bishop, Annie Newman, Maddie Stratico, Sophie Pearson, Gracie Shuttleworth, Oliver Price.

Our ECC Stars of the Week:

Pippa Hancock, Stephanie Forgus, Juliette Jacobs, Kaiden Dawes.

House Leader Voting

On Wednesday morning the students from Years Three to Six voted in their new House Leaders for 2022. The Year Five students have had their campaign posters up for the last two weeks and have identified themselves with a badge for the students to see. On the morning of voting, the posters were taken down and the Junior School students assembled in their Houses to listen to each potential leader speak. They had two minutes to present their values and ideas to their House members before voting took place. Using a preferential voting system, the students from Years Three to Six voted for their preferred leaders. The votes are being counted and the successful candidates will find out during our Graduation and Awards Ceremony in Week Nine. The standard of the candidates and their speeches given were of an exceptional level this year. The leadership potential within our current Year Five students is to be commended and they should all be proud of the way they have completed this process. Many opportunities for leadership in Year Six in 2022 will be presented to all students with our Year Six Leading, Learning program and our leadership service initiative: The Anchor. Congratulations to all the Year Five Students who put themselves up for nomination this year. 

Mrs Leah Field | Assistant Head of Junior School 

Year Two went back to the olden days!

On Tuesday the Year Two class took a step back in time to the 1900s to learn about how school has changed from the past to our present day. The students realised that the rules and learning style many years ago were very different to today.’ No talking’ was one of these rules that seemed a little difficult to grasp! Along with the idea of students sitting at their desks for long periods of time with no fruit break or water bottles!

The class really enjoyed playing old fashioned games at break times, such as marbles, hopscotch, elastics, hoops and quoits. It has been wonderful to see some of these games continue throughout the week. The students also trialled using more traditional methods of writing such as using chalk and blackboards as well as quills and ink. 

A fun day was had by all, including the teachers, and we look forward to writing our information reports on School in the Past. 

Mrs Donna Diletti | Teacher