Junior School News

From the Head of Junior School

As we come to the end of Term 2, I would like to thank all our Pre-K to Year 6 families for their ongoing support and partnership. It has been a busy and rewarding term, with students showing great commitment to their learning and growth. I wish all families a restful and enjoyable break ahead. I recognise that holidays can sometimes bring the challenge of balancing work commitments while having children at home, and I hope you are able to find moments of connection, relaxation, and fun together.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back for Term 3 with fresh thinking, renewed energy, and a readiness to embrace new opportunities and challenges. We are excited to reconnect with our school community in as many ways as possible and continue strengthening the partnerships that support our students to thrive. Enjoy the well-deserved break, and we will see you next term.

Important Hub Clubs Information for Term 3

It is with mixed emotions that I share that our Hub Clubs Coordinator, Ms Tahani Williams, has resigned, with her final day with us being Thursday afternoon. Tahani has accepted an exciting opportunity to take on a 2IC role at a larger OOSH service. While we will greatly miss her, we are so proud of Tahani and wish her every success in this next step of her professional journey. Tahani has been a highly valued member of our Junior School community, and we thank her sincerely for her dedication and care for our students.

With Tahani’s departure, we have taken the opportunity to carefully review our Hub Clubs program alongside our Business Manager and Dr Middleton. After thoughtful consideration, and due to consistently low K-6 participation numbers, we have made the difficult decision to pause our Hub Clubs service for K–6 students for Term 3.

While we understand this change may be disappointing, it does present an exciting opportunity for renewal. Throughout Term 3, we will be redesigning and strengthening our after-school offerings, with a new and enhanced Spark Program to be launched in Term 4. This program will provide a broader range of engaging, user-pay activities delivered by external providers, expanding beyond what we currently offer. Importantly, our K–2 students will also have access to tailored opportunities designed especially for them.

Our Pre-K families will receive a separate communication outlining after-school options available for Term 3 and beyond.

We recognise that this news may come as a surprise, particularly for families who currently access Hub Clubs, and we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. Please be assured that we are working diligently to introduce The Spark Program as soon as possible, and we will share further details, including registration information later in Term 3.

In the meantime, all existing after-school activities will continue as normal. In addition, the Library will be open each afternoon to provide a supervised space for students who may need it. Thank you, as always, for your understanding and continued support as we work to enhance opportunities for our students.

School Reports and Parent Teacher Interview (Week 2)

Semester One student reports will be available via the Parent Lounge to all families on Thursday 26 June, please look out for a Parent Lounge notification. NSW school reports provide a snapshot overview of each student’s academic progress, effort, and achievement across subjects. They include A–E grades, teacher comments, and information about how your child is performing against key learning outcomes. If this is your first time receiving an NSW report, I encourage you to read the explanation table at the front, which outlines what each grade represents.

Parent–Teacher conversations will take place in Week 2 of Term 3, providing an opportunity to discuss your child’s report and next steps in their learning at Pittwater House. Booking details will be shared shortly so you can select a suitable time. Please note that interviews occur within a single week and cannot be rescheduled if missed. If you prefer a Zoom meeting, please contact your child’s teacher directly to arrange this. These meetings focus on the next steps in learning; if you would like to discuss additional wellbeing or other matters, a separate appointment may be required.

Kindergarten’s First Excursion 

Our Kindergarten students enjoyed their very first excursion last week with an exciting trip to Taronga Zoo. After arriving by bus, the children set off with big smiles and even bigger curiosity.

A highlight of the day was a close‑up look at the lions. Students watched in awe as the lions stretched, roamed, and relaxed in the winter sun. Their questions and observations showed just how engaged they were with these incredible animals.

Other highlights included making friends with the reptiles, giraffes and chimpanzees! A wonderful day for our Kindergarten group.

Year 1 Excursion: Australian Museum

Last Friday, Year 1 students had an exciting day exploring the Australian Museum as part of their Science unit. They investigated the Feathers, Teeth and Claws exhibition, discovering how different animals use their unique features to survive. It was a hands‑on adventure that brought their learning to life and sparked plenty of curiosity.

Year 2 Excursion: Wildlife Sydney Zoo and Sea Life Sydney Aquarium

Year 2 students enjoyed a wonderful science‑focused excursion to Sydney Wildlife Zoo and Sea Life Aquarium, where they observed animals in habitats designed to reflect their natural environments.

At Sydney Wildlife Zoo, students examined how animals including reptiles and kangaroos exist in the wild.

The highlight of the afternoon was the penguin boat ride at Sea Life Sydney Aquarium. Students loved getting an up‑close look at the penguins and learning how their waterproof feathers and powerful flippers help them thrive in icy habitats. The ocean tunnel also offered a chance to spot sharks and colourful reef fish demonstrating their own survival strategies. It was a fun, hands‑on day that brought their science unit on living things to life.

Junior School Curriculum

From Ideas to Impact: Entrepreneurship in Action

Over Term 2, our Inspire Entrepreneurship students built and ran a successful Mother's Day business in a first-ever collaboration with Sweet Tooth Marshmallows.

The founder of Sweet Tooth Marshmallows is a 15-year-old entrepreneur who shared his insights and provided students with the opportunity to resell his gourmet marshmallows. Through this experience, students deepened their understanding of what it means to think like an entrepreneur, developing key entrepreneurial mindsets such as curiosity, persistence, problem-solving, and the ability to view failure as an opportunity for learning.

Students also strengthened practical skills including teamwork, design thinking, public speaking, marketing, financial literacy, and data-driven decision-making — all essential skills for future success.

Term 3 is set to be even bigger. Students will experience an entirely new program and launch a brand-new Father's Day venture in an exciting collaboration with Kaiko Fidgets. They will market and sell real products to real customers, gaining valuable hands-on experience in entrepreneurship and business.

New students are welcome, with 24 places available.

Sign up here: https://buy.stripe.com/eVq8wO5XX3modHg4STcfK18

From the Junior School Well-being Co-ordinator

As we reach the end of another busy term, I would like to thank all of our students, families and staff for the support, encouragement and care you show each day. The holidays are a wonderful opportunity to slow down, spend time with those we care about and take a well-earned break. Rest and recovery are so important, as they help us return refreshed and ready to be our best selves. When we take care of ourselves, we are better able to show kindness, patience and understanding to those around us. As we head into the break, I encourage you to read the third article in our wellbeing series, which explores why experiencing disappointment can play an important role in helping children develop resilience and confidence.

Why Children Need to Experience Disappointment

Children develop confidence and emotional strength when they learn how to respond to disappointment, not when it is removed from their experience.

In my previous article, I explored how giving children the space to do things for themselves helps build independence and confidence. An equally important part of development, however, is what happens when things don’t go to plan.

Disappointment is a natural part of growing up. Whether it is missing out on an opportunity, finding something unexpectedly difficult, or navigating friendship challenges, children will inevitably face moments where outcomes are not what they had hoped for.

Why Disappointment Plays a Role in Development

Research in child development highlights that resilience is built through everyday experiences where children encounter difficulty and learn how to respond.

Psychologist Ann Masten describes this as “ordinary magic”, the idea that resilience develops through regular, day-to-day experiences rather than extraordinary circumstances (Masten & Barnes, 2018).

Research into emotional development also shows that children strengthen their ability to manage feelings when they are given opportunities to experience frustration and work through it over time (Lunkenheimer, Sturge-Apple & Kelm, 2022).

These experiences help children begin to understand: “I didn’t get the outcome I wanted, but I can handle it.”

When Disappointment Is Avoided

It is completely natural to want to protect children from feeling upset. However, when difficult moments are consistently softened or removed, children may have fewer chances to develop independence and confidence in their own abilities.

Research suggests that patterns of overprotection can contribute to increased anxiety and lower confidence, as children become less familiar with navigating challenges on their own (Jones, Hall & Kiel, 2021).

At school, this can sometimes present as children who:

• become easily discouraged when things don’t go as expected
• rely on adults to resolve difficulties
• feel unsure when faced with new or unfamiliar situations

This is not about fault, it reflects how much adults care. The focus is simply on helping children build the skills they need to respond when things don’t go their way.

A Balanced Approach

Supporting children through disappointment does not mean leaving them to manage it alone.

Instead, it involves:

• recognising their feelings
• offering reassurance
• guiding them to think about what they can do next

A helpful way to think about this is:

• Be present for the emotion, but don’t remove the experience

Creating Consistency Between School and Home

At school, we encourage students to engage with challenge, persist with tasks, and understand that progress is not always immediate.

When children hear consistent messages at home that it is okay for things to feel difficult at times, and that they are capable of working through it, they are more likely to approach situations with confidence.

These shared expectations help children develop a more positive and realistic understanding of effort, progress and growth.

Supporting Your Child Through Disappointment

A few small approaches can support children in these moments:

• Acknowledge how they feel - Let them know their reaction is valid and understood.
• Allow space before responding - Give them time to think and respond before offering solutions.
• Encourage perspective - “What might you do differently next time?”
• Stay calm and steady - Your response helps shape how they interpret the situation.
• Recognise persistence - Highlight effort and determination rather than the result.

Final Thought

It is natural to want to shield children from disappointment. However, each time they experience something not going to plan and learn how to respond, they are developing important life skills.

Over time, these experiences help children build the confidence to face uncertainty, adapt to change and keep moving forward.

And that is what supports long-term wellbeing.

References

Jones, L., Hall, B., & Kiel, E. (2021). Maternal anxiety and overprotection: A systematic review. Journal of Affective Disorders.

Lunkenheimer, E., Sturge-Apple, M., & Kelm, M. (2022). Parent self-regulation and discipline processes. Child Development Perspectives.

Masten, A., & Barnes, A. (2018). Resilience in children: Developmental perspectives.

School Holiday Camps

Looking for something fun in the Holidays? See our options below: 

Pittwater House Holiday Sports Camp

Please sign up through the Parent Orbit App (Sports Portal).

Junior School (Years 3-6) Holiday Sports Camp Flyer 

Please click on the following attachment for information regarding the Years 3-6 Holiday Sports Camp:

Code Camp

We are pleased to announce that Code Camp will be running some of their programs during the Winter School holidays at Pittwater House Junior School.

For further information, follow this link School Holiday Camps at Pittwater House | Code Camp - don't forget to use the code SCHOOL25 at the checkout to save $25.

The options available include:

• "Spark" - where your child can design their own arcade-style video game. Perfect for beginners!
• "Animation Camp" - where storytelling, art and technology meet. Your child will make two movies from scratch using stop-motion animation. Lots of fun and very creative!
• "Minecraft Minis" - designed for beginners aged 5-7 years old will learn how to play Minecraft Education in a safe and supportive environment through a range of engaging activities, developing essential skills like teamwork, problem-solving, and creative thinking
• "Roblox Studio Designers" - where your child can learn real game development skills by designing, coding and building their own playable game in Roblox Studio.

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