Junior School News

From the Head of Junior School

As we conclude Term Two, we reflect with pride on a successful term across the Junior School. Our students have embraced a wide range of opportunities with enthusiasm, resilience and a strong sense of community.

The term began with our respectful ANZAC Day Service, followed by the joyful celebration of Foundation Day, where students recognised the history and shared spirit of Girton. Our GPF Movie Night once again brought families together in a relaxed and connected community setting.

Students engaged meaningfully in NAIDOC Week activities, learning about indigenous culture and challenges from visitors Jason and Sean. They were able to build understanding and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and traditions through shared stories, music and dance. These experiences were educational and entertaining and enriched our commitment to inclusion and cultural awareness.

This week I was fortunate to see experiential learning in action with a visit to the Year 4 Camp. The motto was “It is what it is” driven in no small way by the constant rain on Thursday. Students embraced the motto and, with some minor timing adjustments, just got on with the activities. They demonstrated independence, teamwork and resilience and, if the talk at the end of the zip line is any indication, they loved it! 

The Junior School Cross Country also showcased determination and school spirit, with several students progressing to State level following an outstanding Regional performance in St Arnaud. Sporting success continued at the School Sports Victoria District Soccer Carnival, where our teams performed exceptionally well. We congratulate our Boys team on winning the competition and advancing to the Regional level. We also celebrate five Junior School students who progressed to the State Finals in the 3 V 3 basketball tournament.

Our Student Representative Council led outstanding community service initiatives. Students supported the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal by collecting red-themed food items and raising money through classroom piggy banks. In addition, a group of community minded Junior School students organised the sale of Zooper Doopers to raise funds for the purchase of toys for children at Bendigo Regional Hospital. It was a proud moment for us as a school to witness them handing over the toys to representatives from the hospital. Our focus is on providing the best education that we can and to grow fine young people who will grow into fine young adults. Seeing the community mindedness, empathy kindness, respect and pride in their school that is shown by our students tells us that we are succeeding. 

Semester One Reports

This year, families will receive a new format of report at the conclusion of this semester. The new format provides an easy-to-understand representation of where your child’s performance in each subject currently sits against the expectation for that year level at this time of the year. This is based on a culmination of the assessments, observations, and learning experiences that have taken place across the semester. It is designed to give you a clear picture of your child’s progress in alignment with curriculum expectations and standards. The next round of reporting will also provide a representation of progress compared to their last report.

The assessments undertaken this year reflect year-level curriculum benchmarks. Assessments are based on the Achievement Standard for each grade level and generally show a maximum of one year above or below that standard. Your child’s teacher will discuss your child’s report in more detail during the Term Three Parent Teacher Interviews. These interviews are opportunities for teachers to expand on details from specific aspects of the curriculum in each subject as well as an opportunity for parents to ask more specific questions about their child’s progress.

This is the next stage in our progression to providing a continuous reporting model in Junior School. Continuous reporting is grounded in strong educational research, which highlights the importance of timely, specific feedback in improving student learning outcomes. Rather than relying on a single summary at the end of a reporting period, continuous reporting provides opportunities for feedback to be ongoing. This will better support students and parents in developing an understanding of progress. From next year, this approach will be further strengthened, with parents receiving regular updates on assessment tasks and learning progress throughout each semester which will provide the basis of the semester reports. 

Some students will also receive separate information about specialist subjects if they are operating below the expected standard or working on a modified curriculum. 

Farewell

Finally, this week we farewell Mrs Matthew who is leaving us to take up an opportunity to teach as a Literacy Specialist at another school. We will miss Mrs Matthew’s professionalism and enthusiasm for teaching and know that she will be an asset to her new school. 

Thank you to our families for your continued support. We wish everyone a restful and enjoyable break.

Mr Don Thompson

Head of Junior School

Junior School NAIDOC Week Celebrations 

NAIDOC Week is always a highlight of the Junior School calendar, and this year's celebrations, held from 9–12 June, provided meaningful opportunities for students to learn, reflect and connect. As a school situated on Dja Dja Wurrung Country, this is a particularly meaningful time for our community, an opportunity to pause, reflect and celebrate the world's oldest continuous living cultures.

As the national NAIDOC Week falls during the school holidays, we brought these important celebrations into Term 2 so that every student could take part. This year's theme, Fifty Years of Deadly, marked 50 years of NAIDOC Week and honoured the strength, resilience and living cultures of First Nations peoples across Australia. In First Nations communities, the word deadly means exceptional, impressive or outstanding, and that spirit was evident throughout the week.

We opened our celebrations with a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony led by Dja Dja Wurrung Elder Uncle Jason Kerr. This deeply significant and moving experience invited students to walk through the smoke as part of a traditional cleansing and welcoming practice. 

On Friday, students were captivated by the Didgeridoo, Beats and Culture incursion, presented by Sean Candy from First Nations Incursions. Students experienced the rich sounds of the didgeridoo, explored traditional rhythms and cultural practices, and had the opportunity to view cultural artefacts up close. 

Throughout the week, teachers embraced the spirit of NAIDOC Week wholeheartedly, weaving First Nations perspectives and learning experiences across the curriculum. Students explored the theme through discussions, year-level storybook experiences, and a range of lunchtime activities including Indigenous games, storytelling, bracelet making and bookmark colouring. It was a joy to see NAIDOC Week come alive in so many different ways across the school.

A sincere thank you to Dja Dja Wurrung Elder Uncle Jason Kerr and Sean Candy for sharing their time and cultural expertise so generously. We also acknowledge and thank the First Nations peoples who continue to share and preserve their cultures, histories and traditions, enabling all Australians to learn from and celebrate this rich heritage. Thank you to every classroom and specialist teacher who embraced the week with such care and enthusiasm. Most importantly, thank you to our wonderful students, who approached every experience with curiosity, open hearts and genuine respect.

Fifty Years of Deadly, and our Junior School community showed exactly what that means.

Mrs Catherine Stagg 

Junior School Teacher

Year 4V NAIDOC Week Reflections

In Year 4V, we explored the importance of NAIDOC Week. We participated in whole-school activities and engaged in a variety of classroom experiences that deepened our understanding of its significance and key messages. To conclude the week, students wrote reflections sharing what they enjoyed, what they found interesting and what they learned. 

Mrs Kelly Byron

Teacher of 4V

Year 2 Strings Performance

The Year 2 Strings Performance on Monday 1 June was an opportunity for some of our youngest musicians to share the pieces they have been working on since the start of the year. For many, it was their first time playing in front of an audience. There were a few nervous faces beforehand, but the room soon filled with the sound of children proud of how far they have come.

Performances like this are about building confidence, teaching the value of practice and patience, and giving our students an early taste of what it feels like to share something they have worked hard at.

"My favourite song to play was Manhattan Blues." 

Kaiden Hogg (2 Millward)

 

"I played the cello at the Year Two Strings Recital. I felt excited." 

Austin Middleton (2 Riley)

 

"My favourite part was when my dad gave me a thumbs up." 

Ted Crameri (2 Frew)

 

"I really liked it when my mum was watching." 

Maisie Collins (2 Aherne)

Year 5 in the Art Room

It has been a busy and creative term in the Art Room! Students have explored a range of artistic techniques, including printmaking, painting, drawing, collage, ceramics and more. We are also well underway with preparations for the Arts Fest in Term 3.

Here are some of our Year 5 students creating agamographs, a form of kinetic art that changes depending on the viewer’s perspective. Students were amazed by the visual effect as the images appeared to transform when viewed from different angles.

Ms Leanne James

Junior School Teacher of Arts

Junior School Cross Country 2026

The Junior School Cross Country Carnival was held on Friday 29 May at Beischer Park in Strathdale. With ideal weather conditions and sunshine creating the perfect setting for running, students from Preparatory through to Year 6 enthusiastically took part in this much-anticipated annual event.

It was fantastic to see so many happy, determined and smiling students (and staff!) embracing the challenge of the day, with race distances ranging from 1km through to 3km. Students demonstrated great perseverance, sportsmanship and school spirit as they cheered on their classmates and celebrated each other's achievements.

A highlight of the carnival was the wonderful support from our school community. We sincerely thank the many parents, grandparents and carers who generously volunteered their time at checkpoints and encouraged students throughout the day. Their support helped create a positive and welcoming atmosphere for everyone involved.

We were also fortunate to have the assistance of a large group of Year 8 students from the senior school, as well as our French Exchange students. They were outstanding role models for our younger students, offering encouragement, guidance and assistance throughout the carnival. Their contribution played an important role in the smooth running of the event.

A big thank you to all students, staff, volunteers and supporters who helped make the day such a successful and enjoyable celebration of participation, effort and community spirit.

The winning House was Riley!

Results:

Mr John Doherty

Junior School Teacher of Physical Education

Junior School Division Soccer Carnival

BOYS REPORT by Will Jackson-Sloane (6H) and Edward Esposito (6V)

On Thursday, June 11, selected students competed in the Sandhurst Division Soccer Tournament, with the boys finishing 1st and the girls finishing 5th. School Sport Victoria hosted an exciting soccer tournament that brought together students from different schools. Our school competed with great enthusiasm and sportsmanship, and the girls and boys cheered each other on throughout the matches.

The games consisted of 10-minute halves, and there were plenty of goals scored throughout the day. Our first game ended in a 4–1 victory over Maiden Gully. The second game was against Holy Rosary and resulted in another 4–1 win. Our third game ended with an impressive 11–0 victory against Spring Gully. In our fourth match, played on the AG pitch against White Hills, we again dominated with a 9–0 win, including four goals in the space of a minute.

Our final game was probably the toughest of the day, against Lightning Reef, but the boys finished strongly with a 4–0 victory. The boys will now head to Swan Hill for the regional tournament in early August.

Thank you to Mr. Turner, Mr. Ruddick and Mr. Hoyt for their support of the team.

GIRLS REPORT by Olympia Lagana (6H) and Liana Salvatore (6D)

On 11th June, the Girton girls' soccer team competed in the Sandhurst Division Soccer Tournament.

Our first game was against Maiden Gully, and we sadly lost 1–0. We then had a break and supported the boys. Twenty-five minutes later, we played Holy Rosary and unfortunately lost again, 1–0.

After cheering on the boys, we played our third game against Lightning Reef. Charlotte scored two goals to seal a 2–0 victory. We then had lunch before heading to our fourth game against White Hills. It was a very close match, with Olympia scoring in our 2–1 win.

Finally, we played against Spring Gully. We gave it our all and finished with a 1–1 draw, with Olympia scoring again.

Even though we didn't have the best results throughout the day, we kept smiling and continued to cheer on the boys as they went on to win the tournament.

Junior School Regional Cross Country 

It was a successful afternoon in St Arnaud for our Junior School Cross Country runners with the following results:

Please join me in congratulating these students!

Mr Jarrod Epps

Teacher of Year 3M

Junior School Teacher of Physical Education

Bendigo Pre-School visits Girton Junior School

As part of Girton Grammar School’s commitment to the RULER approach, we welcomed children from Bendigo Pre-School for a fun and engaging emotional literacy session. 

The session began with a reading of The Colour Monster, a story that helps young children recognise, understand and label a range of emotions. Following the story, the preschool children created their own Colour Monster puppets and monster-themed headbands, providing a hands-on opportunity to explore feelings through creativity and discussion. 

The session fostered emotional awareness, encouraged meaningful conversations about emotions and highlighted the importance of developing emotional intelligence from an early age. It was a wonderful opportunity to strengthen community connections while sharing Girton’s RULER wellbeing practices.