From the Head of Junior School

Our much-awaited Junior School building project has commenced! This week, Fairbrother Construction has begun the demolition of part of the Vine Street wall to provide access for the machinery required to begin the foundation works of the Covered Outdoor Learning Area (COLA). Over the course of Term 4, more of the front oval will become a building site as augers, cranes and concrete trucks come in and out for the construction. I spoke at our last assembly about the disruption to our play spaces for Term 4. This is not dissimilar to the disruption we had in 2020, when we undertook the Junior School landscaping works.

All going well, there will be approximately 10 weeks when our front oval is reduced to 20% of its available play space. We will be making greater use of the spaces in C Block and the back playground during this time, with plans to build some temporary activities such as panna and peteca courts. At the end of the build, we will have an excellent new facility that will allow us to hold our PE lessons outside even when it is raining.

Drop-off, pick-up and parking

Drop-off, pick-up and parking can be a pain-point for many of our parents and carers, and often for the staff who are trying to ensure the safety of our students and the smooth flow of traffic. Recently, a number of our teachers have raised concerns about safety during pick-up times, particularly at the Vine Street gate (Prep and Year 4). The main safety concerns are:

cars pulling into the bus bay, which is a no-parking area
students walking out onto the road to get into cars that are double-parked on Vine Street
parents and students crossing Vine Street outside the designated crossing zone, which is 40 metres from the Vine Street gate.

While there are currently several car parks out of commission due to the works being carried out on the Vine Street wall, causing additional congestion, these safety concerns have been raised before the works began.

In the interests of everyone's safety and setting a positive example for our students, we kindly ask that parents and carers park in designated car spaces only and ensure they are using the school crossing when walking across Vine Street. We appreciate your cooperation and support in creating the safest possible environment for our school community.

Year 6 Languages

Dr O’Rielly announced earlier in the year that the school will be implementing some changes to the way languages are taught. These changes are in line with the recommendations provided through an independent review of the teaching of languages at Girton undertaken by Independent Schools Victoria. The main change for 2025 will be that our Year 6 students will select either French or Japanese. The time spent learning their selected language will increase from one hour per week to two hours per week. We are also adjusting the timetable so that languages can be taught concurrently across Year 6. Current and future Year 5 students will be asked to nominate their language preference early next term.

Grandparents and Special Friends Day

We are very excited to be hosting our grandparents and special friends next week. Grandparents and Special Friends Day has been altered this year due to the Art Exhibition being held offsite. The day will commence with an assembly performance, followed by classroom visits and musical performances, which will conclude at 11:15am. From 11:45am, students will be bussed by class to the Art Exhibition at the Town Hall, where grandparents and special friends can meet them to tour the exhibition if they wish. Students will then be bussed back to the school to resume regular classroom activities. Please note that students must return to school and may not be signed out from the Town Hall.

Mr Don Thompson

Head of Junior School