Junior School

Welcome back to Term 3! As we embark on another exciting chapter of the school year, we are thrilled to have students return to our busy Junior School classrooms. This term promises to be action-packed, with a calendar brimming with engaging events such as our production, Finding Nemo JR, along with many enriching learning opportunities for our young scholars. While students savoured their final week of holiday fun, our dedicated staff were back on campus for Curriculum Week. They were diligently preparing and planning for Semester 2, ensuring a smooth transition and enriching learning experiences for our students. Additionally, our teachers participated in valuable Professional Development sessions, enabling them to craft their skills to provide the best possible education for your children. We are excited to put these strategies into practice and make this term memorable for our students. 

Children Are Full of Wonder

Have you ever stopped to ponder the amazing fact that children are full of wonder? This inherent curiosity is at the heart of their remarkable ability to learn and grow. Children are like little sponges, eagerly absorbing knowledge and experiences from the world around them. Their young minds are primed to soak up information at an astonishing rate, driven by an insatiable desire to understand their environment and the people in it. Whether it’s mastering new words, developing physical skills or grasping complex concepts, children demonstrate an incredible eagerness to learn. As parents and educators, we have the unique opportunity to nurture and channel this innate wonder, providing rich, diverse experiences that will shape their understanding of the world and fuel a lifelong passion for learning. 

In our first Staff Meeting for Term 3, Junior School staff pondered the amazing privilege, yet awesome responsibility, we have as Christian educators. Dr George Barna, Director of Research at Arizona Christian University, has spent many years of research discovering that a person’s lifelong behaviours and views are generally developed when they are young, particularly before they reach the teenage years. That’s our Junior School students! Barna’s research showed that –

“a person’s moral foundations are generally in place by the time they reach age nine. While those foundations are refined and the applications of those foundations may shift to some extent as the individual ages, their fundamental perspectives on truth, integrity, meaning, justice, morality and ethics are formed quite early in life. After their first decade, most people simply refine their views as they age without a wholesale change in those leanings.” 

As Christian parents and educators, we have an absolutely awesome responsibility to raise our children and 

‘bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord’ (Ephesians 6:4). 

The percentage of people who commit their life to Christ before they are 18 is 78%. My deep hope is that all our students in Junior School come to know Jesus as their personal Saviour and go on to be men and women who impact this world for God.   

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deuteronomy 6:6-7

First Three Weeks of Term 3 ...

Although we have only been back at school for three weeks there has been a flurry of activity across our Junior School already. We were pleased to connect with families during our recent Parent Teacher Interviews. We extend our gratitude to all who participated, engaging in valuable discussions about student achievements and setting goals for the coming term. The collaboration between school and home plays a crucial role in fostering each child’s educational growth and success. Your involvement is not just appreciated, it's vital to the educational journey of your children, and we greatly value this partnership. 

Students from Prep to Year 6 are currently preparing for our upcoming Junior Musical, Finding Nemo JR, under the expert direction of our Director of Performing Arts, Mr Jeffrey Clarke. The lead cast members are diligently memorising their lines and rehearsing. We invite you to mark your calendar for Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 August. Pre-release tickets are now available for families of Year 6 cast members, and all other tickets will go on sale on Thursday 15 August. 

On Friday 2 August, our Prep students marked a significant milestone: 100 days of School. This was a wonderful day of celebrations with a sea of grey hair, walking sticks and spectacles. In this crucial first year, each day of learning is invaluable, and we commend our Prep students for their enthusiasm and dedication to their studies. We extend our gratitude to our exceptional Prep teachers and Learning Support Assistants for creating a memorable celebration to honour this important day in our student’s educational journey. 

Our Week 3 Chapel took the form of a special ceremony to officially recognise the newly elected Home Group Captains and Enviro Captains for Semester 2. These student leaders were presented with badges and certificates to mark their appointments. The event was enriched by an inspiring message on leadership from our esteemed College Captains, Max and Mary. We’d also like to express our sincere appreciation to the outgoing Semester 1 captains for their dedication and valuable contribution to our Junior School community. 

Semester 2 Junior School Leadership

Before School Drop Offs

We kindly remind all parents and guardians that students should not arrive at school before 8.10am due to Child Safety concerns, as supervision is not provided before this time. If early care is needed, please book your child into Before School Care at Oxley Kids. Additionally, we must emphasise that adults are not permitted to use student bathrooms under any circumstance. For parents’ convenience during drop-off and pick-up times, there is a designated staff bathroom in the Prep to Year 2 area that adults may use if the need arises. Should you find this bathroom locked, please seek assistance at the Junior School reception. These measures are in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all our students.

Family Maths Games Afternoon - Save the Date

We invite you and your family to our fun-packed Family Maths Games Afternoon on Tuesday 27 August, from 3.30pm to 4.30pm. This event offers a diverse array of mathematical activities designed to challenge and delight participants of all ages. You’ll encounter everything from mind-bending puzzles to interactive games, ensuring an entertaining experience for the whole family. Mark the date on your calendar, and we hope to see you there. 

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood, you have been acquainted with the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:14-15

Amy Liddle

Head of Junior School