From the Head of Junior School

Welcome Back to Term 2

Welcome back to school and to Term 2, a term that promises to be a wonderful one for our Junior School community. I hope you all enjoyed a relaxing break and made the most of the beautiful weather. This time of year is always a favourite of mine, with cooler mornings and the comforting feeling that the school year is now well and truly underway.

This term, we are delighted to welcome several new families to our Pittwater House community. A very warm welcome to Bowen (Kindergarten), Freya (J6), and Alice and Savannah (PreK). I know that our community will make these students and their families feel warmly welcomed and well supported as they settle into school life.

As communicated at the end of last term, there have been a few staff changes and updates. To recap, the following arrangements are in place through to the end of 2026:

Kindergarten – Ms Samantha Neader
J2 (Mondays and Tuesdays) – Mrs Peggy Richards
P4 (full time, on class) – Ms Elizabeth Hoctor
J5 (commencing Week 2, full time on class) – Mrs Ashan Valani

Our Junior School Librarian, Ms Hannah Holmes will be on long service leave until the end of the year. During this time, Mr Justin Roberts will be taking on responsibilities in the Junior School Library, while continuing his PDHPE teaching across Kindergarten to Year 6.

Due to personal reasons, Mrs Jodie Garrad will be taking leave during the first few weeks of the term. Ms Mia Christensen will be stepping into the role during this period until Mrs Garrad returns.

Please be assured that all staffing changes have been supported by thorough handover processes to ensure continuity of learning and care for our students. There will be an opportunity later in the term for families to meet our new staff members informally. We will allow everyone a little time to settle in before arranging this.

Around the School Updates

A huge thank you to our wonderful Facilities Team, who worked tirelessly over the break to ensure our Junior School looks and feels fresh and ready for the new term. We hope you enjoy the bright new pathway leading to the PreK–2 area, freshly painted handball courts, and the new plants and bushes that are already bringing more colour and life to our playgrounds. There have also been many other thoughtful improvements made around the school for everyone to enjoy.

One of the most exciting changes is the construction of our new K-6 playground equipment, generously donated through the incredible efforts of our Pittwater House parent community. We can’t wait for the final touches to be completed and to see our students making the most of this fantastic new space!

Junior School Reception

A reminder that our Junior School Reception is now open and operating all day, every day, with Mrs Brooke Hartley welcoming families and overseeing the area.

Please note that all late arrivals and early departures must be processed through the Junior School Office. Students should report to the office before going to class if arriving late, or before leaving the campus if being collected early. This is a change for some of our older Junior School students who may previously have walked directly off campus to meet parents in the car park.

This procedure is an important child safety and duty of care requirement, ensuring we always know where our students are while they are on campus.

If your child needs to leave school early for an appointment or another reason, please notify the school by writing in your child’s student diary or emailing reception or the class teacher. At the appropriate time, your child will be sent to the Junior School Office to meet you and be formally signed out. This process also applies if an older sibling from the Senior School is to pick up their sibling form the Junior School.

Thank you for your support in helping us keep all students safe.

After School Activities and Hub Clubs Program

Information regarding co-curricular Clubs will be sent out to all families on Monday, we are still finalising details. I apologise for the delay in this information reaching families.

Please be aware that staff who supervise Clubs and extra -curricular activities where registration is required, will take attendance rolls and parents will automatically be notified of absences. Again, this process of registration and attendance is to ensure the safety of all our students. If your child is unable to attend a Club or extra-curricular activity, please notify the Junior School reception or supervising staff member so that they are aware.

Our After School Hub Clubs program will commence on Tuesday afternoon. Ms Williams will continue to coordinate and supervise the program. All students must be booked in to attend and must be collected by 5.30pm.

As a reminder, the school’s values and behavioural expectations that apply during the school day also apply to all after-school activities.

What’s in Store this Term

There is so much happening in our classrooms this term as we continue to connect our learners to the world around them, encouraging curiosity while supporting and challenging their academic and social growth.

A significant focus in the Junior School this term will be the encouragement of reading for pleasure. Reading plays such an important role in our lives, whether a child is in Kindergarten or Year 6. The wealth and depth of knowledge that can be gained from reading a book is truly invaluable. Reading builds vocabulary, and a strong vocabulary supports deeper thinking, richer conversations, and more effective writing across all subject areas.

This term, we will have a strong focus on vocabulary development across the curriculum, alongside the simple joy of pulling out a book and reading for pleasure. With this in mind, I kindly ask that you ensure your child brings a book to school that they are currently reading and can easily access during DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) time throughout the day. Reading for pleasure will also be highlighted during assemblies and shared at morning Huddle. Let’s work together to encourage our students to get the basics right by developing a lifelong love of reading.

I encourage families to read the House News publications, which are sent out fortnightly. In an effort to reduce email traffic, I use this as my main communication channel for Junior School families. I greatly appreciate families making time to read this publication. Key calendar dates will be shared in the first publication!

That said, if you are ever unsure, confused, or have questions, big or small, please do not hesitate to contact the Junior School reception or reach out to me directly. WhatsApp groups can be helpful, however information can sometimes be wrong, so coming straight to the source is always the best way to avoid added stress!

Here’s to a wonderful Term 2.

IMPORTANT NOTE - Junior School Performing Arts Evening

Please note that there has been a date change to the Junior School Performing Arts Evening. It is now Thursday 11 June 2026 (not Tuesday 23 June as our Save the Dates published in Term 1) .

From the Junior School Wellbeing Co-ordinator

The Independence Trap: Are We Helping Children Too Much?

Children build confidence, independence and resilience when they are given opportunities to do things for themselves, even when it feels easier for adults to step in.

In my role, I often speak with parents about how best to support their children. One pattern we see regularly at school is that, out of care and good intention, adults sometimes step in too quickly to help. Whether it is organising schoolwork, resolving friendship issues or managing daily routines, it is natural to want to make things easier for children. However, in doing so, we can unintentionally limit opportunities for children to develop independence.

In the classroom, the students who grow most in confidence are not those who are always helped the quickest, but those who are given time and space to attempt, struggle, and succeed on their own.

Why Independence Matters

A large body of research highlights that children’s wellbeing is strongly linked to their sense of competence and autonomy. Psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan found that children are more motivated, resilient and confident when they feel capable and have opportunities to make decisions and solve problems independently. In simple terms, children develop confidence not from things being done for them, but from realising “I can do this myself.”

The Risk of Over-Helping

It is completely understandable that parents want to support their children. Yet research suggests that when adults consistently step in too quickly, children can miss valuable opportunities to develop problem-solving skills and independence.

Education expert Julie Lythcott-Haims describes this as the “over-helping trap,” where well-intentioned support can lead children to become more reliant on adults rather than developing their own capabilities.

At school, this can sometimes present as children who:

seek help before attempting a task
avoid challenges
become easily frustrated when things are difficult

Importantly, this is not about blame, it reflects how much adults care. The goal is simply to find the right balance between support and independence.

Finding the Balance

Children still need guidance, encouragement and support. The key is not to remove help altogether, but to ensure that support does not replace effort.

A helpful way to think about this is: “Support the child, not the task”

This means being present, encouraging and guiding—while still allowing the child to do the thinking, problem-solving and work themselves.

Working Together: School and Home

At school, we encourage students to take responsibility for their learning, to persist when tasks feel challenging and to see effort as an important part of success.

When children experience the same message at home; that they are capable, that effort matters, and that it is okay to find things difficult; they are far more likely to develop confidence and independence.

Supporting Independence at Home

These small, everyday strategies can make a meaningful difference:

Pause before stepping in

Give your child time to attempt a task before offering help.

Ask guiding questions

Instead of solving the problem, try: “What do you think you could try next?”

Encourage responsibility

Allow children to manage age-appropriate tasks such as packing their school bag or organising homework.

Normalise struggle

Remind children that finding something difficult is a normal part of learning.

Praise effort and persistence

Focus on how hard they tried, rather than just the outcome.

Final Thought

As adults, it can feel quicker and easier to step in and solve problems for children. However, every time a child is given the opportunity to try, to struggle and to succeed independently, they are building something far more important than the task itself.

They are building confidence.

And over time, that confidence becomes the foundation for resilience, independence and lifelong learning.

References

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behaviour. Psychological Inquiry.

Lythcott-Haims, J. (2015). How to Raise an Adult.

Save the Dates:

Date	Event
Friday 24 April	ANZAC Day Assembly
Monday 27 April	ANZAC Day Public Holiday
Friday 8 May	K – 6 Assembly
Friday 8 May	PHPA Mother’s Day Lunch
Monday 8 June	King’s Birthday Public Holiday
Thursday 11 June	Junior School Performing Arts Evening
Monday 15 June	Years 2 – 6 Athletics Carnival
Thursday 11 June	Junior School Performing Arts Evening
Monday 15 June	Years 2 – 6 Athletics Carnival

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