Welcome Back

A warm welcome back to all in our Junior School learning community. I trust the school holiday break was a rewarding and relaxing two weeks for you and your family. It is hard to believe we are heading into the final quarter of 2025.

Things certainly don’t slowdown in Term Four. We have ten very full weeks ahead of us, with a lot to look forward to and celebrate. As the saying goes, dates in the calendar are closer than you think!

8 October: Year 5 Sovereign Hill Camp
10 October: Greater Western Region Athletics in Ballarat
20 October: Full Summer Uniform for all students
21 October: Parent/Teacher Interviews
23 October: Year 12 Myrniong Student Assembly
27 October: Biennial Junior School Art Exhibition
29 October: Parent/Teacher Interviews
3/4 November: Melbourne Cup Long Weekend (no classes)
6 November: Junior School and Year 7 Orientation Day
10 November: Laidlaw House Service
20 November: 2026 Junior School Captains Interviews
21 November: Blessing of the Pets (morning)
21 November: Drama Showcase in conjunction with Grandparents’ Day (afternoon)
1 December: Assessment and Reporting Day (no classes)
2 December: Nativity Service
3 December: Year 6 Dinner
10 December: Junior School Speech Day
11 December: Junior School Class Party Day
12 December: Old Fashioned Sports and Final Day of 2025

Parent / Teacher Interviews

Semester Two Parent-Teacher Interviews are scheduled to be held on the afternoons of Tuesday, 21 October, and Wednesday, 29 October, from 3:30pm to 5:30pm. The 15-minute interviews are an opportunity for discussions on progress in core and specialist subjects.

Bookings can be made online via the Parental Access Module (PAM) on SIMON. The booking window opened on Tuesday, 7 October, and will close the afternoon of Friday, 17 October.

Summer Uniform

We are in our two-week uniform ‘changeover window’, during which students can wear either summer or winter uniform, depending on the variable south-western Victorian weather. From Week 3 onwards, all College students must be in summer uniform. A reminder that hats are compulsory for Junior School students in Term Four. Hats are to be left in lockers at the end of each day.

2026 Student Diary Cover Art Competition

Exciting news - Mrs Cameron has released the theme for our 2026 Student Diary Art Competition! ELC 4 to Year 5 students are invited to submit entries in the coming weeks. ‘College Opportunities’ is the 2026 theme.

Students are to focus their thinking and artwork on the opportunities they can access at college, including art, academics, sports, leadership, horsemanship, camps, lunchtime clubs, Music, Drama, and more.

We will select four winners, for the front and back covers of the Prep to Year 3 and Year 4 to Year 6 dairies. Entries must be in portrait orientation and can be handed in to Mrs Povey in the Junior School Reception.

The final submission date will be Friday, 7 November (Melbourne Cup Week).

Music Faculty

Thank you to Mrs Penny Byrne for her generous efforts in replacing Mrs Christie in our Music Faculty. Her support of our Music program, Chamber Singers, and Pizzicato Strings has been greatly appreciated. Mrs Christie will return next week.

Soccer Success

In the first week of the school holidays, Year 6 student Lachie Sweeney attended a soccer (football) clinic in Geelong, run by the Barcelona Football Club. Barcelona, one of the world's biggest football clubs, competes in the Spanish LaLiga competition and has a massive worldwide fan base. At the completion of the Geelong event, Lachie received an invitation to attend a special training camp in Barcelona in May 2026. Congratulations, Lachie, on a wonderful achievement.

College Cricket Club: Cricket Blasters Program

College Cricket Club is once again running its highly successful Cricket Blast program in 2025. Open to children aged 4-10, this introductory cricket program is a fun-filled, skill-based session that kids of all abilities can enjoy in a safe and welcoming environment.

When: Thursday afternoons from 4.00-5.00 pm. The program will begin on Thursday, 16 October and finish on Thursday, 4 December.

Where: Neil MacLean Hockey Field, The Hamilton and Alexandra College.

Price: $66 per participant will cover the 8-week session and provide a Cricket Australia-branded Cricket Blast pack.

Registrations can be made by going to:

https://play.cricket.com.au/club/college-cricket-club/340641c4-87d8-eb11-a7ad-2818780da0cc?tab=info&programTypeId=3

For any queries, please contact Blast Coordinator Lachy Patterson

at lachy.patterson@gmail.com

Christmas Cake Artwork

Congratulations to the following students whose artwork was selected to be included in this year’s P&F Christmas Cake wrapping:

Careers

Miss Helen Reiher, Head of Year 12 and Careers