Around the Junior School

Year 6 Cowra Japanese Garden Excursion

On Monday, 24 August, Year 6 students visited the Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre as part of their Term 3 Geography unit, 'A Diverse and Connected World'. The excursion complemented students’ learning about the diversity of Asia and Australia’s global connections, providing an opportunity to explore Japanese culture, traditions and perspectives beyond the classroom.

Students also learnt about the unique and enduring relationship between Cowra and Japan, considering how historical and cultural connections can influence people, places and communities. It was a valuable opportunity to bring classroom learning to life and deepen students’ understanding of Australia’s connections with the Asia region and culture.

Stage 2 Interschool STEM Challenge

On Thursday 20 August, students from Orange Christian School, Orange Anglican Grammar School and Kinross Wolaroi Junior School came together for the Stage 2 Interschool STEM Challenge.

Focusing on collaboration rather than competition, students worked with new friends from other schools to complete a series of STEM challenges, including Pringle wheels, Sphero chariots, LEGO bridges and a Sphero race. The day encouraged students to develop important Round Square Discovery Framework attributes, including teamwork, communication, inventiveness, problem-solving and courage.

Congratulations to Tilly Byrnes, Nick Church, Mac Colebourn, Hulita Delaney, Stani Fatai, Henry Hinton, Gideon Laffey, Maya Knox, Maddison Lawn, Will Pegum, Betty Stewart and Elsje White for representing Kinross Wolaroi School so admirably. A special mention to Mrs Fatai on her incredible organisation, planning and knowledge to make the day a huge success.

Well done on a fantastic day of learning, collaboration and innovation!

Miss Mia Moloney

Academic Staff, Junior School

Corey Tutt OAM Brings Deadly Science to School

It was an afternoon of laughter, learning and discovery as Kinross Wolaroi students welcomed Corey Tutt OAM, First Nations author, STEM champion, and Founder and CEO of DeadlyScience.

Students from Years 4 and 7 enjoyed an engaging session with Corey, hearing about his passion for science, storytelling and creating opportunities for young people. Corey is the author of several popular books, including the Deadly Science series, This Book Thinks Ya Deadly and Caution! This Book Contains Deadly Reptiles.

Following the session, Corey spent time with our First Nations students, sharing his own experiences and an important message: STEM is for everyone.

A special thank you to Kenze and Hazel, who did an amazing job welcoming Corey to the stage and thanking him on behalf of the students. They represented Kinross Wolaroi with confidence and warmth.

Thank you to Corey for an inspiring, entertaining and thought-provoking afternoon at Kinross Wolaroi.

Tim Brown Book Reading

Author, Tim Brown captivated students from Pre-K to Year 4 on Monday, 31 August with a reading of his book Rusty is Rescued. He then led an engaging and informative session about rescue animals, responsible pet ownership, and the importance of caring for our pets.

Older students gained valuable insight into the creative world of being an author. They learned about the process of writing, illustrating, and designing a book, as well as the commercial journey involved in getting a book published and stocked in stores. The session also encouraged more mature discussions about animal rescue, pet welfare, and the role individuals can play in supporting these important causes.

Year 1 reflected on his visit

• Emma - “Tim taught us when a dog feels anxious it starts by sniffing and licking it’s nose. You need to give it some space in its early levels of stress before it starts getting more and more stressed”. 
• Maggie - “Chocolate, onions and grapes are poisonous for dogs so don’t let them eat them.” 
• Sophie - “When a dog is scared it puts it’s tail in between it’s legs and they give you the ‘side eye’ look”. 
• Vivaan - “I learned that if you don’t give a dog space and it starts to growl, it will bite”. 
•  Quinn - “Tim said you have to ask your parents and the owner of a dog before you can touch a dog and you should pat them on the back at their shoulders". 
• Sarah - “I learned that if a dog eats onions or grapes or cooked chicken bones, it is poisonous to dogs” 
• Harry - “When a dog yawns, you need to give it some space.” 
• Jack learnt that feeding dogs grapes makes them sick. 
• George - “So when dogs go to bed, you need to give to some space – don’t interrupt their sleep” 
• James - “Don’t be tempted to feed them sultanas (as they are dried up grapes). You need to let dogs sleep and some dogs are aggressive”. 

KWS Dance Showcase

On Friday, 28 August, we celebrated the Kinross Wolaroi Dance Program with our annual Dance Showcase. It was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the talent, creativity and hard work of all our dance groups. Each group performed beautifully before we celebrated our dancers with some awards and farewelled our senior dancers and wonderful student helpers. A wonderful celebration of dance at our School!

A Symphony of Stories

Staff and students from Pre-K to Year 4 celebrated the Children's Book Council of Australia’s 2026 Symphony of Stories theme for Book Week on Tuesday, 1 September, by dressing as their favourite book characters and bringing along the stories they love to share with others.

A highlight of the celebration was a delightful performance by the Year 6 students, who presented a skit inspired by The Emperor's Egg by Rae Tan, winner of the CBCA Early Childhood category. The performance incorporated elements from other shortlisted CBCA books that students had explored throughout the term.

Music filled the afternoon, beginning with Pre-K students, who proudly sang and clapped along to their own Welcome to Country. Robbie Fatai accompanied the “Emperor” with a stirring rendition of The Royal March. We were also privileged to enjoy performances by the Koristers and thank our Senior School students for enriching the event with their beautiful singing voices.

The skit concluded with a moving performance of A Journey to Keep in Your Heart, beautifully sung by the combined Years 1 and 2 Choir and Years 3 and 4 Choir.

The character parade was led by Pre-K students, followed by Kindergarten to Year 3. As each student was introduced, they delighted the audience by performing an action that reflected their chosen character. Students from Years 4 to 6 were then interviewed about their costume choices and given the opportunity to recommend and promote their books to their peers.

The celebration was a wonderful reminder of the joy that books, storytelling, creativity, and imagination bring to our school community. Students embraced the spirit of the day with enthusiasm, showcasing their love of reading while learning from and inspiring one another. Events such as these help foster a lifelong appreciation of literature and demonstrate that learning can be both meaningful and enjoyable.

As Mary Poppins wisely reminds us, “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, and snap! The job’s a game!” This year's Book Week celebration perfectly captured that spirit, turning reading, learning, and sharing stories into a memorable symphony for all.

Actors

Emperor – Felix Knox

Child 1 – Mitchell Dickens

Child 2 – Addie Delbridge

Child 3 – Maddie Geard

Child 4 – Elizabeth Milliken

Child 5 – Madeleine Russell

Child 6 – Phoebe Westcott

Child 7 – Audie Watkins

Child 8 – Alexander Flynn

Merit Awards