Around the Junior School
Student Support Officer: Lunchtime Mindfulness Club
We are excited to once again be running our Junior school Lunchtime Mindfulness Club. This drop-in group is designed to help students from K- 6 find calm and focus during their school day. This weekly club takes place in our school library every Monday during lunch break. It’s a welcoming space where students can explore mindfulness, engage in calming activities, and develop important skills for emotional well-being.
Mindfulness, which involves focusing on the present moment with awareness and kindness, has been shown to offer many benefits for children with research demonstrating that mindfulness can improve attention, reduce anxiety, and enhance emotional regulation (Weare, K 2018*). Studies also show that mindfulness practice can increase empathy and social skills, helping children navigate their relationships and develop a sense of self-awareness.
Throughout the eight-week program, students will explore a different theme each week to help build a toolkit of mindfulness practices:
- Week 1: Finding Calm Inside Ourselves
- Week 2: Using the Breath to Calm
- Week 3: Body Awareness
- Week 4: Feelings and Emotions
- Week 5: Kindness and Compassion
- Week 6: Belonging
- Week 7: Gratitude
- Week 8: Celebrating Mindfulness
Each session offers a chance for students to learn simple, effective techniques that can help them manage stress, increase focus, and approach challenges with a calm mindset. Whether through guided breathing exercises or fun craft activities and games, students will develop tools to navigate their emotions and feel more connected to themselves and others.
The club is supported by our wonderful Senior School volunteers, who provide a warm and friendly presence to guide the children through their mindfulness journey.
We encourage all students in K-6 to drop in and join us—whether they are new to mindfulness or have practiced before.
*Weare, K (2018) ‘The evidence for mindfulness in schools for children and young people’. Psychology, Education
Shearing, Science, and Sheep Care: Experiential Learning at Kinross Wolaroi Ag Plot
On Friday 14 February the Year 6 classes participated in a valuable practical learning session at the School's Agriculture Plot, where they gained firsthand experience in sheep husbandry. During this session, students observed current Year 12 student and shearer Jimmy Hutchings demonstrate the shearing process, which helped them understand the techniques involved and the importance of proper care for sheep to maintain their health and productivity.
This hands-on experience provided a direct connection to the Year 6 'Living Things' unit in Science, where the classes have been exploring animal care and the needs of living organisms. Co-teaching with Mrs Gibson, students were able to apply their classroom knowledge of animal biology and ecosystems to real-world farming practices. This experience reinforced Year 6 learning on how sheep are managed in terms of feeding, health care, and welfare, giving them a deeper understanding of productive farming practices and animal husbandry.
A special thanks to Mrs Haydon, Jimmy Hutchings, and the School's Agriculture Faculty for facilitating this enriching and educational experience.
Junior Art Room Spotlight
Year 3 are studying the art of still life this term. They have learned about artists such as Margaret Preston, Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque with a focus on the history of the Cubism movement. In their artmaking they have experimented with quick drawings using charcoal and more sustained sketches using different grades of graphite pencils. An alfresco lesson using the textures of the environment will lend itself to a larger artwork in the coming weeks.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
On Friday 14 February Kindergarten enjoyed a special trip to the theatre to see a compilation of Eric Carle stories, including 'Brown Bear What do you See', 'The Very Busy Spider' and 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar'. The beautiful puppets and storytelling had the children captivated. Riding on the School bus to and from the show was equally thrilling, offering an experience that could rival the show. Our Literary Morning Tea later in the term will delve into the works of Eric Carle, incorporating the vocabulary from the show.
Pre-Kinder Makes Jelly
In Pre-Kinder the past few weeks we have been exploring colour. This week we were particularly looking at green, orange and purple. A lot of craft activities, stories songs and games have been allowing the children to practice their colour recognition.
One of the favourite activities was making jelly. We talked about the crystals and looked at them before and after the water was added and discussed the difference. The children learnt the word dissolved as the hot water dissolved the crystals. But of course, the best part was getting to sample the jelly after lunch.
HICES Leadership Day 2025
On Tuesday 25 February twelve Year 6 students travelled to St Paul’s Grammar for the 2025 HICES Leadership Day. Our Head Prefects, Performing Arts Captains and House Captains were wonderful ambassadors for our school, on what was a long but very enjoyable day.
Ten of the HICES schools brought a group of Year 6 leaders to the workshop, which was run by Eventbrite. The students were involved in activities that explored the concept of leadership and what characteristics make a good leader. Throughout the morning students participated in activities with students from other schools developing their communication skills and reflecting on what makes them a good leader.
After lunch the students identified a school project that they would like to focus on this year. Our delegation decided that they would like to work on strengthening the connection between the Junior and Senior School. They suggested inviting year groups down to read with Junior School students, a school wide mufti day tied into the School values and associated colours, and a whole-school photo.
It was a great experience for our students and a wonderful opportunity for them to form friendships with students from other schools.
Mrs Fatai
Junior School Leader of Technology and Innovation