Head of Junior School 

Welcome back to Term 2! We hope you had a relaxing break in the school holidays and were able to spend some quality time with your son. It was lovely to see so many of you on Monday for Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews. Thank you to all the parents/carers who made the time to touch base with your son's class teacher or teachers. Open lines of communication between the School and parents/carers are important, ensuring there is transparency between both.

From Thursday 9 May, I will be taking two weeks of Long Service Leave to travel to the United States to attend my daughter’s graduation from the University of Minnesota and watch her compete in her final rowing regatta. In my absence, Mrs Sue Burrows will be the Acting Head of Junior School.

Please read the P&F information below, as there is important information regarding our upcoming Mother’s Day Breakfast and the barbecue and cake stall fundraiser we are hosting for the Legislative Council Election on Saturday 4 May. As always, we require, and appreciate, your valuable assistance and attendance to help make these occasions a success. At our Mother's Day breakfast, we will be pausing for a short liturgy at 8.00 am, and our choir will be performing for our mums and special people in our lives.

Reminders about Uniform

As we move into cooler weather, our expectations change to keep our students warmer on cooler days. The formal uniform is required every day, except when your son has PE or training for a Junior School sports training or game day. The grey school jumper must be worn to school with the formal uniform and must stay on until recess. The soft-shell jacket may be worn over the jumper but not replace the jumper or the blazer.

On PE days, students are required to wear their full tracksuit to school, with the jacket and pants worn over their shorts and polo shirt. The House shirt is still required under the polo shirt. Students may also wear the School beanie with their PE uniform, but not with their formal uniform. Beanies are not to be worn inside or at recess and lunch times.

Hair and Grooming Expectations

This is a reminder that we do have expectations regarding hair and how students present themselves. It is the College’s expectation that all students are well presented, and wearing their uniform with pride. Please refer to the hair policy below as previously communicated at the commencement of the school year. 

Hair must be short, clean, tidy, and of natural colour with no trace of dyes, bleaches, or tints. Hair may be shaved with a number two blade, but not a number one, and should be cut evenly all over with no long hair on top or at the back, and with short sides. Hair should not exceed collar length or cover the eyes or the face.

 Virgilian of the Month Awards - March

Prep: Oliver Roberts

Year 1: Louie Calvert

Year 2: Bryan Wara

Year 3: Isaac Whitfield

Year 4: Nate Mapley

Year 5: Noah Menzie

Year 6: Max Marsden

Junior School Parents & Friends Committee

Fundraising event - BBQ and cake stall on Saturday 4 May

The Junior School will be hosting a polling booth on Saturday this week from 8.00 am-6.00 pm for the Legislative Council Elections. The Junior School P&F will be running a BBQ (egg and bacon rolls from 8.00 am to 11.30 am and sausages and hamburgers from 11.30 am to 3.30 pm) and a cake stall to raise funds for the school. If you would like to assist, please contact juniorpf@stvirgils.tas.edu.au. Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

Mother’s Day Breakfast - Monday 6 May

We are looking forward to recognising and celebrating the fabulous mothers and special people we have in the School community with our Mother’s Day Breakfast commencing at 7.30 am on Monday 6 May. Breakfast will be an egg and bacon roll along with fruit platters. Gluten-free and vegetarian options will also be available. Coffee and hot chocolates will be available to purchase. If any Dads can help in the morning from 6.45 am, please let the Junior School office know.

P&F AFL Football Tipping

The 2024 St Virgil’s College Football Tipping Competition is well underway and proving to be a tough tipping season. We have 75 people in the competition with over $1,000 in prize money up for grabs!

After seven rounds, Pies Back-to-Back has jumped out to a good lead, followed by JACQUIB, Walkerbruz, and lou_mck. For those tippers who are yet to use their Joker – remember, you can use it once during the season, and it doubles your weekly score!

Next Committee Meeting

The next meeting of the Junior School P&F Committee will be held on Monday 3 June at 4.00 pm at the Junior School. Everyone is welcome to attend to hear about what is happening within the school and the upcoming fundraising and community events that we have planned. Even if you are unable to attend any meetings, we always welcome any time that anyone can give to help at many of our fundraising and community events.

House Cross Country - Thursday 9 May

Our annual House Cross Country event will be held at the Senior Campus for Years 3 - 6 students on Thursday 9 May. Students will be departing on buses at 9.15 am and will be returning before midday. Parents/carers are welcome to come along to watch and support the students. Students are required to be dressed in their full sports uniform. The House t-shirt is a must on this day. The event will be held at the back of the College around the JPC oval.

Whilst running may not be everyone’s cup of tea, the day is about participation. Every student who participates receives a richly deserved point for participation. How the scoring system works: If there are 30 students in a class, the first student over the line receives 30 points for their team, the second receives 29 and so on. 

Festival of Voices

Tickets are now on sale for the Festival of Voices Young Tasmania Sings concert on Tuesday 2 July at 7.00 pm in the Federation Concert Hall. The Years 4-6 students in our Junior School Choir will be performing with seven other local school and community choirs in this concert. They will also experience the thrill of singing with the Tasmanian Youth Orchestra. Tickets sell fast so don’t leave it too late to book your seats.

Year 3 students are encouraged to attend the concert to support their peers and get a feel of what it is like so they are prepared for next year’s event.

National Simultaneous Story Time

This year, we will celebrate National Simultaneous Story Time on Wednesday 22 May and Friday 24 May in our Library lesson times. This year’s story is ‘Bowerbird Blues’ by Aura Parker. To help us celebrate this wonderful story, Mrs Young would like to invite students to bring something blue to help us build a bower of our own - scrap blue items such as a bottle top, a peg, a button; whatever you can find at home that you do not need returned. Please bring your items to Mrs Young in the Library by Friday 17 May.