Learning Across the
Junior School

Message From the Assistant Principal: Head of Junior School

It has been wonderful to see the girls return to school, full of energy and enthusiasm, for what promises to be an exciting and action-packed term. The Quad has been buzzing over the past few weeks, especially with the much-anticipated opening of the Freedom Café. The students have really enjoyed the opportunity to purchase food items at lunchtime, and we’ve been fortunate to have our Senior School Leaders involved in helping with its operations. Their leadership and teamwork have been key in making this initiative a success.

Oliphant Science Awards

Last Friday night I was thrilled to attend the annual Oliphant Science awards with Ms McCullah, where Loreto celebrated some outstanding achievements. Linyi Huang winning 1st place for her poster of a Natural History Illustration, Kalani Nashar 3rd place for a poster displaying Women in Science and Georgia Andruchowycz receiving a High Achievement Award for her poster titled the world of Pollinators: Bats. In the Science Writing Competition, Ellie Girgolas took out 1st place with her piece on First Nations Medicines. The quality of work in the field of science produced by these students was truly impressive, and their awards well-deserved.

Debating

It was a great pleasure to attend the Adelaide Law Courts on Sunday to support our Junior B debating team which consisted of Rosie Hopton, Estelle McCue, Minny Chinnahong, and Kalani Nashar. They competed against Prince Alfred College in the Grand Final. The debate topic was: 'We should mandate a three-day weekend,' with Loreto arguing for the Affirmative and Prince Alfred College for the Negative. Our girls delivered a highly impressive debate, with PAC narrowly securing the win. As runners-up, the team was awarded with a very impressive trophy and medal. A special thanks to Tennille Cobb for her unwavering dedication and support of this team. We are incredibly proud of all the girls for their outstanding efforts.

Norwood Christmas Pageant: Preschool-Year 2

Our Preschool to Year 2 students are very excited to be invited to walk in the Norwood Christmas Pageant this year on Saturday, 23 November. (The event is not compulsory). All Loreto students will be dressed in their Preschool uniform or summer uniform with a red and white Santa hat. We kindly ask for your support in supplying a Santa hat for your child. The students will also sing a Christmas carol they have been learning in music with Mr Tom Hamnett. Parents and siblings are encouraged to walk with us and to dress in Christmas colours (siblings are also very welcome to come dressed in their summer uniform and red and white Santa hat). Please register ALL participants via the Humanitix link below by Monday 11 November 2023:

https://events.humanitix.com/loreto-norwood-christmas-pageant-2024

Mrs Lisa Sexton

Assistant Principal ‑ Head of Junior School

Year 5 Hands-On Learning: Light and Shadows

This term, our Year 5 students have been exploring the fascinating world of light and shadows!

This week the students have learned that shadows are created when an opaque object blocks light from a source. An opaque object is one that doesn’t allow light to pass through it, casting a shadow behind it. We’ve also had fun discussing everyday examples of opaque objects, from solid walls to our own hands!

One particularly exciting part of our learning has been inspired by a video featuring Drew Colby, a master of shadow puppetry. Drew uses his hands as the opaque object to create impressive shadow puppets. Our students were captivated by the way his simple hand movements could turn into intricate shadow shapes on the wall.

To take this learning further, the Year 5 students conducted their own shadow puppet experiment. They wanted to discover exactly where Drew should position his hands in relation to a light source to make the clearest and most defined shadows. Working in small groups, the students used torches and whiteboards as their light sources and screens. By adjusting the distance between their hands and the lightsource, they explored how the size, shape, and clarity of the shadow changed.

Through this hands-on experiment, the students were able to apply what they learned about opaque objects and light in a creative and engaging way. Their experiments have not only deepened their understanding of shadows but also sparked their curiosity about how light behaves in different settings. It has been wonderful to see their enthusiasm and teamwork throughout this learning journey!

Ms Xzenia Dottore