Learning Across the
Junior School
From the Assistant Principal: Head of Junior School
IPSHA Poetry Competition
On Wednesday, 12th of June, the IPSHA Poetry Recital Competition took place at St. Peter's College. We couldn't be prouder of our talented students who participated in the event. Their performances were truly impressive, demonstrating remarkable poise and skill as they graced the stage, overcoming nerves with confidence. Their hard work and dedication in preparing for this competition shone through, captivating the audience. While they may not have taken home a trophy, they have certainly earned our admiration and applause for their outstanding efforts. Congratulations to Eva Pelizzari and Delilah Gannon for showcasing such talent and determination! A special mention goes to Lucia Burvill, who faced an unexpected hurdle but exhibited true resilience and dedication in her preparation for the event.
Rostrevor Reception Excursion
This term, the Reception girls have been exploring the concept of Place, particularly focusing on what makes a place special. The SEAD curriculum has guided them in understanding friendships and relationships by addressing key questions such as: What makes a good friend? How can we be a good friend? Who can we be friends with? A visit to Rostrevor College provided an ideal opportunity to integrate learning in both areas. The girls eagerly boarded the Loreto bus and travelled to our brother school, where they were warmly welcomed by the Reception boys, their teacher, Ms Elmawey, and support educators. Paired with a new friend, the children created Friendship Bracelets together, enjoyed lunch, and played outdoors with the R-2 boys during lunchtime. Their interactions were genuine and spontaneous, and seeing the girls confidently engage with the boys and the new environment was wonderful. Following the visit, the Reception girls wrote thank you letters to the boys. Plans are already underway for the next meeting in Term 3, and they are looking forward to continuing this enriching exchange.
Class Showcases
This week, we have had the Year 2, Year 4 and Year 6 girls present and display their learning to parents and caregivers at their showcases. The events were vibrant celebrations of the students' hard work, creativity, and dedication throughout the term. As parents and caregivers wandered through the displays, they were greeted with an impressive array of projects and presentations. Throughout all showcases, a sense of pride and accomplishment was evident. The showcases were a display of academic achievement and a testament to the students' ability to collaborate, think critically, and express themselves creatively. Well done, girls.
Ms Lisa Sexton
Assistant Principal: Head of Junior School
Digital Technology in Year 1!
This term the Year 1 students have been learning all about patterns through our Inquiry into patterns help us to understand our world. The students have discovered patterns in number, time, art, nature and even how we use patterns to code in Digital Technology.
We have been lucky to have Mr Tim Bond, a Digital Technology specialist teacher support us when introducing the initial skills of robotics coding to the students. The students delighted in exploring our new robotics VEX 123 program. The VEX 123 is an interactive, programmable robot that takes computer science and computational thinking off the screen and brings them into the hands of the students.
The students began their learning journey by exploring the touch buttons on the ‘pucks’, (as the students now fondly refer to the VEX Robots as) to control the movement and even sounds. In our next session, the students experimented with coding their ‘puck’ using the handheld VEX coder and coder cards. The students were captivated to see how they could control the robot through a remote. The students quickly became problem solvers as they were given challenges to complete.
This coming week, the students will be investigating how using coding patterns can be a more efficient way to code using the ‘repeat’ coder cards to complete coding challenges. It has been exciting to witness the students learn sequences, logic and problem solving through an engaging system.
Claire Derrington & Georgia Eliades
Year 1 Teachers
Junior School Chess Club
Our Junior School Chess Club has wrapped up another term of strategic success and fun-filled chess adventures! Congratulations to all participants for their incredible dedication and growth this term.
Our young chess players have been tirelessly working on their strategies, developing the skills needed to outwit their opponents and achieve the ultimate 'checkmate.' The improvement in their game play has been remarkable, with each student showcasing a deeper understanding of chess tactics and techniques.
The students have displayed outstanding sportsmanship. Win or lose, our students have consistently exhibited respect, patience, and encouragement towards one another. This positive atmosphere has fostered not only skill development but also friendships.
We congratulate our Term 2 Chess Club Tournament champions, Ivy Derrington, Tanvi Subin and Claire Bishop and to Allegra Dahdah who won the Sportsmanship award. We look forward to more exciting games and achievements next term!
Claire Derrington
Junior School Chess Coordinator
Our annual Migration Museum Showcase, which profiles an array of inspirational Australian female migrants, was held on Wednesday 19th June in the Square. This Year 6 major inquiry sees the girls completing in-depth research, producing autobiographies, information reports, timelines, artwork and 3D symbols. It culminates in them presenting monologues to their parents and the Junior School students. This intensive, term-long inquiry develops a wealth of skills in our students, fostering independence, creativity, and public speaking skills.
Many of the key individuals studied have triumphed over adversity to pave a new and prosperous life in Australia. One of the key features of History in the curriculum for Year 6 is the notable achievements of significant individuals; these highly respected individuals have all contributed to the fabric of Australian society and we pay homage to them all in our interactive Migration Museum.
Amanda Smith and Annelies Roe
Year 6 Teachers