From the Acting Director of Junior School 

Dear Families,

Welcome back to Term 4.

The Junior School has started this term with a great deal of calm and positivity. We have many exciting events coming up this term, and we encourage families to continue engaging with Connect and keeping a close eye on our ‘Week at a Glance’ posts for key upcoming events. 

As Mrs Melissa Thirgood mentioned in her recent Connect post, she will be taking long service leave for the remainder of the year, and I am looking forward to working as Acting Director of the Junior School this term. We wish Mrs Thirgood a wonderful break and thank her for her passion, energy and leadership this year. 

As students embark on their final term for the year, friendships often flourish. However, tiredness and typical developments in social dynamics can also create challenges. In a recent parent session, clinical psychologist Lisa Ford reminded us that friendship skills are still developing during childhood. Occasional misunderstandings, hurt feelings and conflict are a normal and expected part of growing up and can provide valuable opportunities to build resilience, empathy and confidence.

When friendship problems arise, children often benefit from feeling heard and understood before solutions are offered. Listening with empathy, validating feelings and taking time to understand their perspective helps children feel supported. Once emotions have settled, adults can guide children to think through possible responses rather than solving problems for them, helping to build confidence and independence. At school, staff work alongside students to support them in navigating these situations, and we encourage families to continue these conversations at home. It is also important that children know where they can seek support and can identify trusted adults they can turn to when needed.

When faced with unkind behaviour, children can be encouraged to respond calmly and respectfully, use their words, walk away from escalating situations and seek help from a trusted adult. Similarly, when children make mistakes in their friendships, these moments can become important opportunities for reflection, learning and growth. 

While many social interactions happen outside of direct adult involvement, Lisa reminded us that we still have an important role to play. Children learn a great deal from the relationships they observe around them. By modelling empathy, respectful communication and healthy ways of managing disagreement, both school and home can work together to help children develop the skills and confidence they need to navigate friendships successfully. While friendship challenges can be difficult, they are often where some of the most valuable learning takes place.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership as we support our students through a positive and rewarding Term 4.

Presentation Values Certificates 

We congratulate the following students on receiving Presentation Values Certificates. 

We also congratulate our Early Years studentson receiving their Presentation Values Certificates at our recent Early Years Assembly.