Junior School Report

Ms Jessika Cichy

From the

Director of Learning

Junior School

Miss Jessika Cichy

Hello all! What a wonderful way to close out Semester 1 — it has been a full and exciting term for our Junior School students, with so much to celebrate. As we look ahead to the holiday break and Semester 2, I want to share some key updates, important reminders around attendance, and some reading recommendations to keep students’ minds ticking over the break.

The Road So Far

Year 8 Rush HQ Excursion

Our Year 8 students had a fantastic time at Rush HQ in Rowville! Students jumped on buses and spent an action-packed afternoon at the trampoline and gymnastics facility. Teachers were thrilled to see so many students putting their gymnastics skills to the test — embracing movement, challenging themselves physically, and making the most of the experience. A big thank you to all who represented Westall’s iCARE values so well on the day.

Semester Awards Assembly – 11th June 2026

On 11th June, we held our Junior School Semester Awards Assembly, celebrating the diverse achievements of our Year 7 and 8 students. Academic Excellence Awards went to students who have consistently demonstrated outstanding achievement and understanding, while Personal Best Awards recognised those who have shown real growth, resilience, and commitment to their own goals.

We also celebrated our Attendance Aura Panda Award recipients — students who have had no days absent across the semester. A wonderful achievement, and a shining example of the dedication that makes such a difference to learning. Our students with 100% attendance include:

Year 7: Maryam. Elisha, Rogelio, Sri, Mikayla, Sabrina, Sakina, Chakrei, Ruby & Eric!
Year 8: Ruzgar, William, Alex L, Jantzen & Reach!

Congratulations to all our award recipients across Year 7 and Year 8!

Our Current Goals & Foci

Care for Learning & Self – Attendance

Attendance remains one of our most important focuses, and something we want to speak to families about directly. Our team has been reaching out to discuss how days away impact student learning — and we want to reinforce that message here.

The evidence is clear and significant:

Missing just 19 days per year equals 10% of the school year — and students who fall below 90% attendance are at significantly greater risk of falling behind their peers.
Victorian students missing 20% or more of school can fall up to a full year behind in literacy and numeracy (VRQA data).
Being 10 minutes late to every class, every day adds up to over 133 hours of lost learning per year — the equivalent of more than 4 weeks of school.
Chronically absent students are three times more likely to feel lonely, anxious, and disconnected from school (AIHW, 2022).

We ask families to please track your child’s attendance on Compass, where records are visible to both students and parents. If you are planning a family trip, we strongly encourage you to use the allocated school holiday breaks, public holidays, and student-free days — these exist so families can take time away without impacting learning.

We understand life is busy and absences are sometimes unavoidable. What matters most is that students complete catch-up work, so they return to class ready to keep up. Missed work doesn’t disappear as students’ progress through school — it accumulates. Time away without catch-up is effectively lost learning, and it compounds.

If your child is struggling with attendance for any reason, please reach out to us. Early conversations make a real difference, and our team is here to help.

Celebrations and Looking Ahead

Westall Way Leaderboard & Shining Stars

Westall points are awarded to students for demonstrating our iCARE values — Care for Learning, Self, Others & their School — and celebrated at our fortnightly assemblies.

Let’s give a big shoutout to our Top 10 Westall Way Leaders across Year 7 & 8 for Semester 1:

Year 7 – Alya, Sakina, Sabrina, Grace, Elleina, Yesha, Steven, Rogelio, Zi Ming & Mia!
Year 8 – Alex Le, Ghina, Maahi, Ruzgar, Reach, Evelyn, Darsh, Ngan, Dominic & Muhammad!

I also wanted to highlight a few of our ‘Shining Stars’ this term — students recognised on Compass for going above and beyond:

Shoutout to Toki, Steven, Tommy & Mia (Year 7) – “Students brought correct stationary to VCD class and were ready to learn. Well done!” (Miss. Yuan, Visual Communication & Design).
Grace & Ruby (Year 7) – “Well done on your beautiful political party poster!” (Miss. Smetana, Global Literacy)
Shoutout to Evan, Eisa & Reach (Year 8) – “Students demonstrated strong commitment to answering the review questions at the start of the lesson and answered them correctly, showcasing their ability to recall prior learning.” (Mr. Chandrasegaran, Science)

Reading Suggestions for Year 7 & 8 Students

The holidays are a great opportunity to relax, recharge — and keep reading! Here are some age-appropriate suggestions for Year 7 and Year 8 students to enjoy over the break:

For Year 7 students:

The Giver by Lois Lowry – A thought-provoking dystopian novel about a boy who discovers unsettling truths about his seemingly perfect community. Great for students who enjoy reflection and discussion.
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen – A gripping survival story about a boy stranded alone in the Canadian wilderness. Ideal for students who love adventure.
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan – A fast-paced fantasy adventure blending Greek mythology with modern life. A firm favourite and perfect for reluctant readers.

For Year 8 students:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – A compelling dystopian thriller about survival, sacrifice, and resistance. Hard to put down and sparks rich discussion.
Animal Farm by George Orwell – A short but powerful allegorical novel. Ideal for stretching critical thinking and exploring themes of power and politics.
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai – An inspiring true story of a girl who stood up for girls' education. Beautifully aligns with our iCARE values around courage and advocacy.
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green – A thoughtful novel exploring friendship, mental health, and identity. Particularly recommended for students who enjoy character-driven stories.

Many of these are available at your local library — and remember, audiobooks, graphic novel adaptations, and e-books all count. The important thing is to keep reading!

Warm Regards & Semester 2 Ahead

As Semester 1 draws to a close, thank you to our families for your continued support — it truly does make a difference. I hope our Junior School community enjoys a safe and well-deserved break, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back for Semester 2!

Warm regards,

Miss Jessika Cichy

Director of Learning – Junior School Westall Secondary College