Primary School

A Fantastic Day at the Interhouse Swimming Carnival

Our annual Interhouse Swimming Carnival was a fantastic celebration of school spirit, participation and healthy competition. Students from all Houses came together for a day filled with energy, encouragement and impressive performances in the pool.

One of the highlights of the carnival was the strong level of participation across all year groups. Whether students were experienced swimmers or trying an event for the first time, there was a wonderful willingness to get involved. From freestyle and backstroke to novelty races, the pool was constantly buzzing with activity and cheers from the sidelines. The enthusiasm shown by students demonstrated that the carnival is not only about results, but also about having a go and supporting one another.

The carnival also provided an exciting opportunity for our more competitive swimmers to showcase their skills. Many students pushed themselves to achieve personal bests and several races were decided by the narrowest of margins. These events form an important part of our championship pathway, allowing talented swimmers to qualify for upcoming interschool competitions. It was great to see these athletes perform at such a high level while still embodying the spirit of teamwork and encouragement that defines our school community.

Equally important was the sense of fun that ran throughout the day. House chants echoed around the pool, colourful costumes appeared in the stands and students enthusiastically supported their teammates in every race. Staff and student leaders also played a key role in keeping the atmosphere positive and inclusive.

By the end of the day, the carnival had achieved exactly what it set out to do: create a balanced event where participation, enjoyment and competitive excellence all had their place. Congratulations to every student who took part and a special thank you to the staff, volunteers and House Captains who helped make the day run smoothly.

We look forward to seeing our qualifying swimmers represent the school proudly in the next stage of the championship pathway and to building on the fantastic House spirit that made this year’s carnival such a success.

Congratulations to our Champions and Runner-Up Champions as well as the winning House.

Year Three

Champion Girl – Amaya Fourie
Runner Up Champion Girl – Lucie McCutcheon
Champion Boy – Cooper Glendinning
Runner-Up Champion Boy – Benjamin Fergie

Year Four

Champion Girl – Rosie Mitrovski
Runner-Up Champion Girl – Lucy De Groot
Champion Boys – George Owenell and Louie Sutton
Runner-Up Champion Boy – Nate Lucas

Year Five

Champion Girl – Stephanie Forgus
Runner Up Champion Girl – Evie Ford
Champion Boy – Mason Fourie
Runner Up Champion Boy – Caleb Ward

Year Six

Champion Girl – Sophie Mitrovski
Runner Up Champion Girl – Laily Wrobel
Champion Boy – Tate Eckersley
Runner Up Champion Boy – Fraser Lester

Champion House Shield

Camfield – 1st Place

Mokare – 2nd Place

Baudin – 3rd Place

Wilson – 4th Place

Mr Stephen Berryman | Primary School Teacher and Sports Coordinator

Please see the classroom news below. Some fantastic experiences are happening in our classrooms; we hope you enjoy reading about them.

Pre-Primary

Every morning in Pre-Primary we set our minds on some serious fine-motor activities. These activities help us to strengthen our hands and fingers, improve our coordination and practise our communication skills. We have been practising our name writing and then use our upper body strength to erase the pen. We have also sorted pom-poms into jars, made models using small blocks, created intricate peg patterns and played with small-world activities, including building Humpty Dumpty a new wall! Not only do these activities help us with the strength and skills needed for writing but they are also part of a predictable, calm routine that helps us start our day ready to learn!

Year One

The Year One students have been adept at identifying digital systems and finding out how these are used in schools, the workplace and general problem solving. They are doing an awesome job of completing spelling patterns in the classroom and for homework, and when learning the concepts of past, present and future they gave some fabulous answers as to their future careers, ranging from vets to astronauts to ice cream sellers! When asked what job I would like to do when I grow up in the future (!), I was interrupted by a very earnest child who told me that they were looking for people to drive grain trucks and that this may be something I could consider!

Year Two

Last week was packed full of writing and Science experiments. A highlight of our week was creating our own lava lamps. We experimented with the ingredients and predicted what we thought was going to happen when we mixed them together! After making one as a class, everyone got the chance to create their very own lava lamp to take home! We have also been working hard on our procedure writing and learning our George’s Marvelous Medicine poem for speaking and listening.

Year Three

The standout task this week was completing the practice NAPLAN trial test on our class laptops. It was quite a challenge making sure everyone could log on and check their headphones were working at the same time! We were very grateful for the IT assistance from Mr Bailey, as well as the support from Ms Ritchie. Thanks to their help, we feel confident that everything will run smoothly for the real testing.

Now we just need to remember the simple things: keep hydrated, get a good night’s sleep and try our best. With positive attitudes and calm minds, we can approach the tests with our heads held high.

I know you can do it, terrific Year Three class!

Year Five

Our Year Five students recently had the opportunity to learn about democracy in action with a visit from Mr Scott Leary, local representative from The Nationals WA, who represents the Albany area. Students discovered what it’s like to represent a community and how decisions are made in government.

Students have worked with a partner to develop thoughtful and open-ended questions about democracy based on our class hexagonal thinking activity. They posed their questions and recorded the responses, helping them make stronger connections between ideas such as representation, decision-making and the role of government. It was a fantastic opportunity for students to make new connections between ideas such as representation, fairness and how communities have a voice.

We would love to take this opportunity to thank Mr Leary for taking the time to answer all our curly questions and giving us food for thought.

Year Six

We enjoyed a whole-school assembly, celebrating International Women’s Day, where we were challenged to celebrate women’s achievements and challenge the norm of gender inequality. We are very lucky to have some incredible women serving the GSG community and we thank them for their invaluable contributions.

In Science, we have started an earthquake investigation where students are designing a building that best withstands earthquake shaking. The students could pick a range of variables to test like square bases v triangular, rigid v flexible reinforcements. We will continue to build these on Friday, ready to be tested next Monday. We cannot wait to share the results with you.

Year Three to Six Briefing

The following students have stood out for their ability to show courage.

Year Three: Sydney Coleman
Year Four A: Payton Palmer
Year Four B: Saakhi Mann
Year Five A: Elizabeth Maw
Year Five B: Rosie Bolitho
Year Six A: Maya Durant
Year Six B: Brock Nelson

Brag Award

Congratulations to Year Four Hardey for winning the brag award for impeccable uniform. The next fortnight, the focus is a surprise! Will it be bags, uniform, manners, behaviour … who knows?

ECC Briefing

The following superstars have worked exceptionally well and received a Star Award for their outstanding efforts.

Kindergarten A: Arthur Knox
Kindergarten B: Thomas Glass
Pre-Primary A: Aurelia Davison
Pre-Primary B: Lennix Finaughty
Year One: Alfie Owenell
Year Two A: River Williams
Year Two B: Odin Stephenson

The following students have stood out for their ability to show courage.

Kindergarten A: Cali Williamson
Kindergarten B: Wyatt Downham
Pre-Primary A: Beatrice Nelson and Darcy Mitchell
Year One: Rosie Pearce
Year Two A: Harvey Lucas
Year Two B: River Melia

Upcoming Events

Week Six

NAPLAN testing for Year Three and Year Five.

Week Seven

Harmony Week
Monday 16 March, NAPLAN testing ends for Year Three and Year Five.
Tuesday 17 March, school photos. Presentation Uniform for Years Three to Six. (Please see the Bulletin for further details).
Tuesday 17 March to Wednesday 18 March, da Vinci Decathlon, selected Year Six students.
Friday 20 March, school photos. Presentation Uniform for Year Six. (Please see the Bulletin for further details).
Friday 20 March, House Activities in the afternoon, Year One to Six, with a Harmony Day theme.

Week Eight

Monday 23 March, Interschool Swimming, selected Years Four to Six students (to be advised).
Thursday 26 March, Baudin Day (details to follow) and PTIs (details to follow).
Friday 27 March, Tabloid House Sports, House shirts for Year Three to Six.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Ms Leah Field | Head of Primary and

Mrs Hayley Ranger | Head of Early Childhood