Junior School News

From the Head of Junior School

As we move towards the conclusion of another busy and rewarding academic year, it is wonderful to reflect on the growth and achievements of our students across the Junior School.

Over the past few weeks, students have completed their PAT (Progressive Achievement Tests) assessments. These assessments provide valuable insight into student learning and progress, and I am delighted to share that many of our students have demonstrated significant growth throughout the year. The data gathered from PAT testing will not only contribute to the finalisation of school reports but will also be an important tool for teachers as they plan learning programs and set goals for the year ahead.

At the time of writing, our Years 3, 4 and 5 students are away enjoying their camp experiences. Camps provide valuable opportunities for students to develop independence, resilience, teamwork and confidence, while also creating lasting memories with their peers. I would like to sincerely thank the teachers and staff who have given their time and energy to make these experiences possible. Their commitment to providing meaningful opportunities beyond the classroom is greatly appreciated. We also wish our Year 2 students all the best as they prepare for their upcoming Day Camp, which promises to be an exciting and enriching experience.

I would also like to acknowledge the outstanding efforts to all students in the Public Speaking Competition. Public speaking requires courage, preparation and confidence, and our students have represented themselves exceptionally well. A special thank you goes to Mrs Valani for her outstanding co-ordination of the competition and for the support she has provided to students throughout the process. We are eagerly anticipating the finals and look forward to celebrating the achievements of our speakers at the Public Speaking Showcase on 20 November at our Junior School Assembly.

A friendly reminder that playground supervision in the Junior School commences at 8:00am each morning. Students who arrive before 8:00am should remain seated on the stairs outside Junior School Reception until supervision begins. For student safety, children should not be in the playground prior to this time. Thank you for your cooperation and support in helping us ensure a safe start to the school day.

As always, thank you to our families for your continued support and partnership. Together, we continue to create opportunities for our students to grow, learn and flourish.

From the Junior School PDHPE Co-ordinator

We have had some wonderful sporting achievements to celebrate this term, with several Junior School students representing Pittwater House at a high level.

During the holidays, Year 5 student Everly competed at the Australian Bowhunters Association State Titles, winning the Under 13 category and qualifying for the National Championships in November. Having already won the International Field Archery Association Nationals earlier this year, Everly is now aiming for a second national title. We wish her all the best! 

Last Wednesday, Jack (P5) represented Pittwater House and CIS at the PSSA Athletics Championships at Sydney Olympic Park, competing in the 200m and finishing fifth in his heat. 

Charlie (P5), also represented Pittwater House at the IPSHA Cricket trials at The King's School in Parramatta. Charlie thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the opportunity to compete alongside some talented young cricketers.

Congratulations to Everly, Jack and Charlie on their achievements. While we celebrate these individual successes, they also remind us that sport is about much more than results. Whether representing the school, trying a new activity or working to improve a personal best, every student has opportunities to challenge themselves, show persistence and enjoy being physically active. It is this willingness to participate, learn and keep improving that we encourage in all our students.

Out and About in our Classrooms

Building Friendships and Future Leaders at Pittwater House

On Wednesday, 21 October, our Year 4 students and current Friend-O-Leaders participated in a special online Q&A session with Dana and Tyson from Friendology, exploring the important role of a Friend-O-Leader within our school community.

The session highlighted the importance of positive peer relationships, kindness, empathy and supporting others. Students learnt about how Friendology is being implemented in schools around the world, with Australian schools leading the way in embracing friendship education.

A key message from the session was that relationships are at the heart of wellbeing. Students explored how their peers often play an important role in providing support and encouragement, reinforcing the value of student-led friendship initiatives.

Our students were particularly interested in the creative ways schools are celebrating positive friendships, including Friendship Ninja headbands, leadership vests, lanyards and green tokens used to recognise and celebrate healthy friendship behaviours.

The session was highly interactive, featuring quizzes to test students' Friendology knowledge, real-life friendship scenarios and engaging activities that encouraged students to reflect on how they would respond to different situations. Students also heard inspiring examples of young friendship leaders making a difference in their school communities.

For our Year 4 students, this was an exciting introduction to the Friend-O-Leader program ahead of 2027, helping them develop the confidence, understanding and skills to embrace future leadership opportunities. Our current Friend-O-Leaders also benefited from the opportunity to reflect on their roles and explore new ideas to strengthen the program.

A special congratulations and thank you to Mrs Claudia Olds for her wonderful leadership of the Friend-O-Leaders program and for organising this valuable learning experience. Her enthusiasm and dedication continue to provide students with meaningful opportunities to develop leadership skills, build positive friendships and make a difference within our Junior School community.

J5 Art – A Roaring Start to Term 4!  

Our Year 5 girls have made a colourful start to Term 4, exploring the wonderful world of warm and cool colours through an exciting lion-inspired art project.

Students investigated how colour can communicate mood and emotion, experimenting with watercolour blending techniques to create vibrant backgrounds. From fiery reds, oranges and yellows to calming blues, greens and purples, each girl made thoughtful artistic choices to bring her vision to life.

Building on these skills, the girls explored a new graphite image-transfer technique, carefully transferring intricate lion illustrations onto their watercolour backgrounds before using fine black outlines to highlight the details.

This project has encouraged creativity, patience, precision and artistic expression, with each lion reflecting its creator's unique personality and imagination.

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